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Members of the Free Speech Alliance and pro-free speech allies are calling on Congress to once and for all ensure that the Biden administration is prohibited from unconstitutionally funding Ministry of Truth operations like leftist internet traffic cop NewsGuard.

MRC and others signed the four-page letter addressed to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), urging congressional leaders to keep Rep. Richard McCormick (R-GA)’s free speech amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The amendment effectively bars the Department of Defense from contracting and funding infamous leftist tech entities like NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) which are intent on crushing right-leaning media entities. 

Signed by 36 pro-free speech advocates, the letter drew attention to disturbing revelations miring both NewsGuard (which received a $750,000 payout from the Department of Defense in 2021) and GDI which is also funded by government entities, including the Department of State. 

As shown by two MRC Free Speech America studies, NewsGuard’s ratings are heavily skewed in favor of leftist media and consistently target right-leaning outlets with scathingly low ratings. For example, NewsGuard has openly celebrated its collusion with the federal government and has even legitimized communist Chinese state propaganda outlets like The China Daily and the Global Times as being more credible than right-leaning, American-based publications like The Federalist, Newsmax and One America News. Similarly, NewsGuard has rated articles questioning COVID-19 policies while it received funding from Big Pharma, creating what The Washington Times described as a glaring conflict of interest. 

GDI has also faced its share of disturbing allegations. Reportedly, GDI has been accused of issuing blacklists of outlets such as the New York Post, The Daily Wire, Real Clear Politics and The Federalist.

Read the Free Speech Alliance’s full letter below:

 

November 22, 2023  

 

The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Senate Republican Leader

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510

 

The Honorable Mike Johnson

Speaker of the House

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515

 

Dear Leader McConnell and Speaker Johnson,

 

Our federal government never should have spent time and taxpayer money on censoring conservatives. Fortunately, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by the U.S. House of Representatives contains a provision to right this wrong. We write to strongly urge you to keep Section 1532 of the House bill, which prohibits funding for the blacklisting of news sources based on their political views.

     

As Rep. Richard McCormick uncovered during hearings for the NDAA, organizations like NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) work to silence conservative media outlets that disagree with the liberal agenda

.

For example, the Media Research Center found that NewsGuard repeatedly scored liberal sites in the 90+ range while giving an absurd average rating of 66 to conservative sites. GDI is no better, with a history of blacklisting conservative outlets like the New York Post, The Daily Wire, Real Clear Politics, and The Federalist.

 

Despite NewsGuard's obvious bias the government continues to fund its efforts, bankrolling a payout of $750,000 from the Department of Defense. Similarly, GDI received significant State Department funding, at least until its unconstitutional actions were exposed by the Washington Examiner.

 

That which government is constitutionally prohibited from doing, it cannot contract with others to do. Please ensure that Section 1532 is preserved in the final version of the NDAA.

 

L. Brent Bozell III

Founder and President

Media Research Center

 

Gov. Scott Walker

President

Young America’s Foundation

 

Charles P. Herring

President

One America News Network

 

David Bozell

President

For America

 

Dan Schneider

Vice President of Free Speech America

Media Research Center

 

Ed Corrigan

CEO, Conservative

Partnership Institute

 

Penny Nance

President,

Concerned Women for America

 

Morton Blackwell

Chairman,

Conservative Leadership PAC

 

Saulius “Saul” Anuzis

President,

60 Plus Association

 

James L. Martin

Founder/Chairman,

60 Plus Association

 

Gavin Mario Wax

President,

New York Young Republican Club

 

Christie-Lee McNally

President,

Raven Strategies

 

Paul Gessing

President,

Rio Grande Foundation

 

Lady Brigitte Gabriel

Founder and Chairman,

Act for America

 

James Taylor

President,

Heartland Institute

 

Gene Mills

President,

Louisiana Family Forum

 

Jim Lakely

Vice President,

Heartland Institute

 

Jon Schweppe

Policy Director,

American Principles Project

 

John Hinderaker

President,

Center of the American Experiment

 

Phil Kerpen

President,

American Commitment

 

C. Preston Noell III

President,

Tradition, Family, Property, Inc.

 

Gary L. Bauer,

President,

American Values

 

Floyd Brown

Editor,

Western Journal

 

Ryan Bomberger

Chief Creative Officer,

The Radiance Foundation

 

Richard Manning

President,

Americans for Limited Government

 

Kevin D Freeman

Founder,

National Security Investment Consultant

 

Craig Shirley

Chairman,

Citizens for the Republic

 

Elaine Donnelly

President,

Center for Military Readiness

 

Mat Staver

Founder and Chairman,

Liberty Counsel

 

John Pierce

Chairman,

National Constitutional Law Union

 

Patrick M. Brenner

President,

Southwest Public Policy Institute

 

Rod D. Martin

Founder & CEO,

Martin Capital, Inc.

 

Kristen A. Ullman

President,

Eagle Forum

 

Mark Fitzgibbons

President of Corporate Affairs,

American Target Advertising

 

Lieutenant Colonel Allen B. West (USA, Ret)

Member, 112th US Congress

Executive Director, American

Constitutional Rights Union

 

Hon. George K Rasley, Jr,

Managing Editor,

ConservativeHQ.com

 

Deborah Weiss

Attorney and Author

Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Congress refuse to authorize funding for NewsGuard. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.