Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA), members of the House Armed Services Committee, introduced the Countering Foreign Propaganda Act of 2018. This legislation demands greater transparency from foreign government owned media outlets in the U.S. by requiring outlets to disclose their ownership and government ties to the FCC and American people. In doing so, we can ensure there is greater visibility of the role of foreign governments in our media landscape.
“This legislation is a critical initiative as we work to counter information warfare from adversarial nations, including Russia,” said Stefanik. “We must ensure transparency and public disclosure from foreign media outlets so that the American public knows where this information is coming from. As a Member of the House Intelligence Committee and the Chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, I will continue to work to safeguard our nation from foreign threats and meddling in our political system.”
“Russia attacked our democracy in 2016, France and Germany’s elections in 2017, and is already spreading disinformation ahead of our 2018 elections,” said Moulton. “Both Russia and China have dramatically expanded efforts within our country to sway public opinion, spread propaganda, and advance their own political goals. A key part of this strategy is the use of government-controlled media to sow falsehoods and spread propaganda. That’s why I am proud to introduce the Countering Foreign Propaganda Act of 2018 with Rep. Elise Stefanik, which requires media outlets to disclose their ties to foreign governments to the FCC and to the American people. This isn’t a partisan issue; it’s about our national security. We can’t be blindsided by another outlet like Russia Today spreading propaganda that undermines our democracy.”
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