Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens international free-expression norms and transparency by conditioning U.S. assistance on non‑interference with platform content, but it risks diplomatic friction, politicization/legal challenges, and chilling effects on media and contractor partnerships.
U.S. taxpayers and global civil-society/press: U.S. foreign assistance will be withheld from governments that pressure platforms to censor content, reducing U.S. support for regimes that suppress free expression and encouraging press freedom abroad.
U.S. public and Congress: The bill requires public determinations published in the Federal Register about which foreign governments pressured platforms, increasing transparency and oversight of U.S. assistance decisions.
U.S. foreign-policy decisionmakers: The bill preserves flexibility via a presidential waiver (with pre-notification to Congress) to continue assistance when vital national-security interests require it.
U.S. taxpayers and U.S. diplomatic/security interests: Strategic partner countries found to have pressured platforms could lose assistance, which may harm U.S. diplomatic, development, or security objectives and reduce cooperation on other priorities.
Foreign aid recipients and contractors: Requiring determinations and publicizing them risks politicizing foreign assistance decisions and inviting legal challenges over how standards are applied, creating program uncertainty.
Media organizations, nonprofits, and contractors: Broad or expanded definitions of covered platforms and contractors could chill legitimate cooperation with foreign media and complicate aid programs that partner with media organizations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars U.S. foreign assistance to governments that censor speech protected by the U.S. Constitution and pressure platforms to remove it, with a presidential national-security waiver option.
Introduced February 26, 2025 by Nancy Mace · Last progress February 26, 2025
Prohibits use of U.S. government funds, including foreign assistance, for aid to any foreign government if the Secretary of State finds that the government (or officials acting under its authority) censors speech that would be protected by the U.S. Constitution and directs or pressures a platform to censor that speech. The Secretary must publish such determinations in the Federal Register, and the President may waive the prohibition for national security reasons after notifying Congress and submitting a detailed report.