{"id":2381884,"date":"2024-12-19T12:07:02","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T17:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schmitt-asks-schumer-to-block-censorship-agency\/"},"modified":"2024-12-19T12:08:28","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T17:08:28","slug":"schmitt-asks-schumer-to-block-censorship-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/schmitt-asks-schumer-to-block-censorship-agency\/","title":{"rendered":"Schmitt asks Schumer to block &#8216;censorship&#8217; agency"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fschmitt-asks-schumer-to-block-censorship-agency%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2381884&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) is urging Senate\u2063 Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) \u2064to support Republicans in cutting\u200c funding to a government agency he describes as a &#8220;censorship machine.&#8221; This\u200b request comes amid ongoing\u200d debates over a spending bill \u200cthat <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illinois-politicians-pockets-deepen-with-new-law-removing-contribution-caps-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Illinois politicians\u2019 pockets deepen with new law removing contribution caps - Washington Examiner\">includes provisions related<\/a> to the Global Engagement Center (GEC), which Schmitt and other Republicans accuse \u2062of promoting\u2064 unconstitutional censorship, especially against conservative\u200d voices. In \u2063a letter addressed \u200bto\u200d Schumer, Schmitt\u200c emphasizes the\u200c importance of\u2063 excluding the \u200cGEC&#8217;s \u2064reauthorization from any legislation for the remainder of the 118th Congress,\u200b highlighting the contentious nature of funding and censorship issues \u2063within the\u200c current political\u2063 landscape.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Sen. Eric Schmitt asks Schumer to join fight opposing &lsquo;censorship machine&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1908754\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>EXCLUSIVE <\/strong>&mdash; Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) is requesting Senate Majority Leader <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chuck-schumer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-NY) join Republicans in cutting off funding to a &ldquo;censorship&rdquo; agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3263812\/state-department-censorship-lifeline-spending-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">at the center<\/a> of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wake-up-with-the-washington-examiner-kroger-goes-court-shopping-and-harris-tries-to-make-change-happen-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Wake up with the Washington Examiner: Kroger goes court shopping, and Harris tries to make \u2018change\u2019 happen - Washington Examiner\">spending bill fight<\/a>, according to a letter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Schmitt, the former Missouri attorney general who helped engineer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3052932\/supreme-court-sides-with-biden-administration-social-media-censorship-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">a lawsuit<\/a> accusing the Biden administration of censoring conservatives with the help of social media platforms, sent the letter to Schumer on Thursday. It zeroed in on the State Department-housed Global Engagement Center, an office Republicans say funded an unconstitutional &ldquo;censorship scheme&rdquo; and, more recently, has found itself in the crosshairs of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3264501\/musk-ramaswamy-spending-provision-censorship-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">conservative-led scrutiny<\/a> of a spending bill that includes a provision granting a one-year extension to the GEC.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3263812\/state-department-censorship-lifeline-spending-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">STATE DEPARTMENT &lsquo;CENSORSHIP&rsquo; OFFICE FINDS LIFELINE IN 1,500-PAGE SPENDING BILL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As we deliberate a path forward, I demand that reauthorization of the Global Engagement Center be excluded from any subsequent piece of legislation for the remainder of the 118th Congress,&rdquo; Schmitt wrote in the letter to Schumer. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The American people deserve to know their First Amendment rights are being protected,&rdquo; the Missouri Republican added. &ldquo;I will strongly oppose any end-of-year bill that includes reauthorization or funding for the GEC and urge my colleagues to do the same.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The letter to Schumer comes on the heels of businessmen <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3264501\/musk-ramaswamy-spending-provision-censorship-office\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy<\/a>, as well as conservative lawmakers, joining ranks with President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance to oppose the continuing resolution. The pressure campaign worked, as Republican congressional leaders were forced to scrap the bill &mdash; which must be passed to avoid a government shutdown Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Schmitt&rsquo;s plea to Schumer underscores how significant the GEC provision was to conservative Republicans, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3263812\/state-department-censorship-lifeline-spending-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">who, for the last two years<\/a>, have railed against its funding of the Global Disinformation Index and other groups that have worked to suppress right-leaning voices online.<\/p>\n<p>The GEC was formed in 2016 and authorized for eight years. Until the provision in the 1,500-page bill was introduced, it was expected to shut down in the new year after losing support from lawmakers who investigated it, including those on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1712844\/top-biden-agencies-hit-with-subpoenas-over-social-media-censorship-coordination\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">House Judiciary<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3148525\/embattled-state-department-office-funding-censorship-groups\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Small Business<\/a> committees.<\/p>\n<p>The <em>Federalist<\/em> and the <em>Daily Wire<\/em>, two conservative media outlets, joined Texas in suing the GEC last year over its funding of the Global Disinformation Index and a company called NewsGuard that purports to track misinformation.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;While the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">behemoth package put forward included<\/a> a number of objectionable measures, buried deep within the bill was continued funding for the GEC,&rdquo; Schmitt wrote in the letter to Schumer. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Originally established to combat foreign propaganda, the GEC has since mutated into a massive censorship machine designed to suppress narratives that question establishment thinking,&rdquo; the Missouri Republican wrote to the New York Democrat. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s worse is the willingness of federal governments and social media platforms to partner with GEC in these unconstitutional censorship efforts. &hellip; The First Amendment is the bedrock of our society, and the federal government should never be funding institutions like the GEC, which seek to undermine such a core constitutional principle. Under no circumstances should taxpayer dollars be funding the GEC, we owe that to the American people.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1908754\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1908754\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Schmitt urges Schumer to help end funding for &#8216;censorship&#8217; agency<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":381,"featured_media":2381885,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/eric-schmitt-GEC-scaled-1024x683.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[6371,32311,5045,20221,4411],"class_list":["post-2381884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-censorship","tag-free-speech","tag-government","tag-schmitt","tag-schumer"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/eric-schmitt-GEC-scaled-1024x683.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2381884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/381"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2381884"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2381884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2381888,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2381884\/revisions\/2381888"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2381885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2381884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2381884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2381884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}