Providing for Consideration of H.R. Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act of Providing for Consideration of H.R. Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of Providing for Consideration of H.R. Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose the previous question so that we can immediately consider H.R. 7690 to defund the Biden administration's recently announced Disinformation Governance Board.

Madam Speaker, the Biden administration's decision to create this board is dystopian in design and should be doomed right from the start.

Madam Speaker, the Disinformation Governance Board should be defunded for one obvious reason. It is not only Orwellian, as everyone has said, but it is clearly unconstitutional. In America, we don't allow bureaucrats and government officials to choose what speech is deemed acceptable or censor and silence viewpoints they dislike.

This fundamental principle of our law must always be vigorously defended to preserve our freedom and to keep the government in check. I used to defend this principle in the Federal courts before I was elected to Congress, and I am so encouraged to work with so many colleagues, at least on this side of the aisle here, who are also fiercely committed to this cause.

Let's put this simply: There is zero role for the Federal Government in determining what constitutes true speech. But while we have everybody's attention, let's just recap this real quickly.

This Disinformation Governance Board will be housed within the Department of Homeland Security. It was just announced by ambush, very abruptly, by Secretary Mayorkas. There is no information about its budget. There is no information provided to us about the scope of its work, no information about how it will be kept accountable. Basically, there are no details at all. Remember, this is from the same administration that wants to spy on parents who speak up at school board meetings and spy on our bank accounts. This governance board is a glaring example of mission creep, and even its name is creepy.

Here is what we do know, Madam Speaker: The board is supposed to be headed by a young woman by the name of Nina Jankowicz, who refers to herself--no kidding--as the Mary Poppins of disinformation.

Miss Poppins is herself a frequent purveyor of untruths, such as calling the New York Post's report on Hunter Biden's laptop a ``Russian influence op'' and promoting the false claim that the Steele dossier was ``Republican opposition research.'' She also appears sympathetic to the cause of censorship because she told NPR recently that she shudders--that is her word--to think about a country where free speech absolutists, again quoting her, were taking over more platforms. She recommended that law enforcement and legislatures do more to censor Americans.

To help her hit the ground running in doing what is certain to be a short stint in this job, here is what we suggest: She ought to check out the recent falsehoods from her own administration.

Here is a hit list:

The falsehood that Secretary Mayorkas has done an ``effective job'' managing the border crisis and that it is somehow secure. He said that under oath here a couple weeks ago.

The falsehood that economic contraction in Quarter 1 of this year is actually just masking some hidden, broad economic resiliency.

The falsehood that Biden's $3.5 trillion spending bill actually cost zero dollars.

The falsehood that inflation is a high-class problem, as they told us.

The falsehood that 70 percent of our current inflation is being caused by Vladimir Putin.

You get the point.

The problem with the government appointing itself as the arbiter of truth is that it is often the government itself that often engages in spin and untruth.

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Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana. Madam Speaker, if the Biden administration was itself a beacon of truth, this board would still be unconstitutional. I would tell my colleagues, if this was being proposed by a Republican administration, we would be fighting it just as vociferously.

I do find it noteworthy, however, that those who seem the most preoccupied with censoring Americans and policing disinformation are so often themselves the worst offenders at spreading it.

Again, here is the bottom line: The government has no role whatsoever in determining what constitutes truth or acceptable speech.

President Biden should dissolve this board immediately and entirely; and if he won't, Republicans will.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question so we may amend the rule to provide for immediate consideration of my legislation to defund the DHS Disinformation Governance Board.

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