House Committee Accepts DeLauro Anti-Propaganda Amendment On Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill
House Committee Accepts DeLauro Anti-Propaganda Amendment On Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill
The House Appropriations Committee today accepted an anti-propaganda amendment to the Fiscal Year 2006 Transportation-Treasury Appropriations bill offered by Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3). The amendment bans the use of prepackaged news stories unless the story includes a clear notification within the news story that it was prepared or funded by an executive branch agency.
"This is a non-controversial amendment which would simply ensure that taxpayers know how their money is being spent - so they can read the information before them, consider the source, and make an informed decision on an issue," said DeLauro.
"Although the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Administration's use of prepackaged news stories at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of National Drug Control Policy violated the law, the Office of Management and Budget informed agencies that they do not need to abide by the GAO's opinion. So it is critical that we pass this amendment to ensure that agencies disclose the source of these prepackaged news pieces.
"Good government requires that the American people know what their government is doing with their money."
This amendment mirrors language passed by the Senate on the Fiscal Year 2005 Supplemental Appropriations bill, and which language DeLauro attached to the Fiscal Year 2006 Agriculture Appropriations bill that passed the House earlier this year.
Text of the amendment:
At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following: SEC. ___: Unless otherwise authorized by existing law, none of the funds provided in this Act or any other Act may be used by an executive branch agency to produce any prepackaged news story intended for broadcast or distribution in the United States, unless the story includes a clear notification within the text or audio of the pre-packaged news story that the prepackaged news story was prepared or funded by that executive branch agency.
http://www.house.gov/delauro/press/2005/June/TT_propaganda_06_21_05.html