U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, and committee member U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) are debating whether to reauthorize the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which they said may be involved in censoring Americans.
The GEC directs and coordinates U.S. efforts to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation. Absent congressional action, the GEC will terminate on Dec. 23, according to a nine-page letter the members sent to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on July 2.
“This role is important, but its execution entails risks of potential censorship and other restrictions on freedom of speech,” wrote the lawmakers, who also included committee member U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA). “For that reason, we had hoped the GEC could carry out its responsibilities while unimpeachably observing the First Amendment, which gives Americans the right to receive foreign propaganda.”
However, they pointed out that the GEC is facing growing scrutiny on Capitol Hill and across the country regarding its relationships with organizations — primarily U.S. technology companies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) — that they say conduct censorship worldwide.
“First Amendment issues arise when the GEC contributes to those organizations’ censorship of American viewpoints,” wrote Rep. McCaul, Rep. Mast, and their colleague. “For instance, the [State] Department is now subject to at least two GEC-related federal lawsuits claiming First Amendment violations,” and according to the Inspector General, suffers from “serious internal dysfunction.”
The lawmakers also pointed out that the State Department refuses to acknowledge that these ongoing controversies complicate an objective appraisal of the GEC, and that the center has not demonstrated its future existence is vital to the U.S. diplomatic mission, especially at a time when the impact of its controversial grant funding seems unclear and perhaps negligible, according to their letter.
The committee members requested that Blinken provide responses to several questions that they deemed essential to their reauthorization inquiry, including whether the GEC or any representative has ever intentionally or unintentionally identified U.S. citizens, U.S.-based social media accounts, U.S. media organizations, or other U.S. entities as spreading misinformation or disinformation or as otherwise lacking credibility, among others.
“We appreciate the importance of countering misinformation and disinformation abroad; however, we must ensure that such efforts are undertaken in the most careful and impactful manner possible,” the lawmakers wrote. “Accordingly, we cannot understate our need for robust answers to these questions.”
They requested responses and materials from Blinken by July 19.