February 26, 2025
Ms. Mace (for herself and Ms. Salazar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
To prohibit assistance, including assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, to foreign governments that abridge the right to free speech that would be speech protected by the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “No Funds for Fascists Act”.
Sec. 2. Prohibition on assistance to certain foreign governments
(a) In general
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for assistance, including assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, for any fiscal year that begins on or after the date of the enactment of this Act may be obligated or expended to provide assistance to the government of any foreign country if the Secretary of State determines that—
(1)
such government, or any employee acting under official authority or influence—
(A)
abridges the right to free speech that would be speech protected by the Constitution of the United States; or
(B)
censors speech that would be speech protected by the Constitution of the United States; and
(2)
such government, or any employee acting under official authority or influence, uses any form of communication (without regard to whether the communication is visible to members of the public) to direct, coerce, compel, or encourage a provider of a covered platform to take, suggest or imply that a provider of a covered platform should take, or request that a provider of a covered platform take, any action to censor speech that would be speech protected by the Constitution of the United States.
(b) Publication in Federal Register
The Secretary of State shall publish in the Federal Register each determination made under subsection (a).
(c) Waiver
Assistance prohibited by subsection (a) may be provided to a country described in that subsection if—
(1)
the President determines that national security interests justify a waiver of subsection (a) with respect to the country; and
(2)
at least 15 days before the waiver takes effect, the President—
(A)
consults with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate regarding the proposed waiver; and
(B)
submits to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report containing—
(i)
the name of the recipient country;
(ii)
a description of the national security interests which require the waiver;
(iii)
the type and amount of and the justification for the assistance to be provided pursuant to the waiver; and
(iv)
the period of time during which such waiver will be effective.
(d) Definitions
In this section—
(1)
the term covered platform
means—
(A)
an interactive computer service, as that term is defined in section 230(f) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230(f)); and
(B)
any platform through which a media organization disseminates information, without regard to whether the organization disseminates that information—
(i)
through broadcast or print;
(ii)
online; or
(iii)
through any other channel; and
(2)
the term employee acting under official authority or influence
, with respect to a foreign government, means—
(A)
any employee of such government; and
(B)
includes—
(i)
a head of state or head of such government; and
(ii)
an individual working under contract with such government.