Americans Deserve Media Transparency Not Propaganda

YOUNG AND SHAHEEN INTRODUCE BILL TO EMPOWER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE MAXIMUM TRANSPARENCY IN INSTANCES WHEN FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS MAY BE TRYING TO EVADE U.S. LAW

(Washington, DC) -Yesterday, Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Foreign Agents Registration Modernization and Enforcement Act (S.625). This bipartisan legislation would provide the Department of Justice (DOJ) authority recommended by the DOJ Inspector General and Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

“When foreign governments attempt to surreptitiously disseminate propaganda in the United States, deliberately evading our laws, the American people have a right to know. In order to ensure compliance with the law and maximum transparency for the American people, we are proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that would provide the Department of Justice authority that the DOJ Inspector General and GAO have said is necessary,” said Senators Shaheen and Young.

The Foreign Agents Modernization and Enforcement Act would strengthen FARA by giving DOJ the authority to compel organizations like RT America to produce documentation to confirm funding sources and foreign connections. The authorities this bill would provide currently exist in other areas of the law, and the bill would simply provide those authorities to DOJ in instances involving potential foreign agents. The bill would also streamline and update information disclosure and user fee requirements.

The Director of National Intelligence’s recent report titled Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections concluded that RT News officials have structured their affiliate organizations to deliberately circumvent U.S. reporting and disclosure requirements under FARA.