Congress is trying to pass H.R. 1157: Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Act to allocate $1.6 billion dollars toward anti-China propaganda efforts around the globe. Tell the Committee on Foreign Relations to vote NO to funding this damaging disinformation campaign!
Dear Committee on Foreign Relations,
I am writing in regards to H.R. 1157: Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act of 2023 with the request that you vote NO to funding a $1.6 billion dollar anti-China propaganda campaign overseas.
Our government has continuously criticized misinformation campaigns, and the blatant hypocrisy not only undermines the values we are supposed to stand for, but also contributes a wealth of harm to citizens abroad. For example, the Pentagon’s anti-vax psyop in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic undermined the Filipino health system during a time when thousands were dying each day. In an attempt to counter China’s influence, the Pentagon used hundreds of social media accounts to criticize health supplies provided by China, including face masks, testing kits, and the Sinovac vaccine, which was the only vaccine available to the Filipino public.
Disinformation campaigns are a form of psychological warfare that are capable of leading to countless deaths. A senior US military officer involved in the operation even said, “We weren’t looking at this from a public health perspective. We were looking at how we could drag China through the mud.” The lives of Filipino citizens were not considered– only the attempt to delegitimize China’s health supplies.
The bill itself is particularly vague, with assurances that it can be used for anything that “undermine(s) the national security or sovereignty of the United States” or any other country, and to essentially undermine any of China’s global economic or diplomatic efforts. Other than that, the bill has no rules or restrictions as to what might be done with the $1.6 billion dollars, and no regulatory bodies that will stop it from harming innocent civilians.
There are also far better uses for the $1.6 billion dollars. US citizens are currently facing the fatal consequences of a warming planet, with little aid from the government to get them through devastating hurricane after hurricane. Nearly 40 million people in the US are living in poverty, and many more are unable to afford basic necessities like food and rent. If we are going to put the $1.6 billion dollars anywhere, it should be towards improving the lives of US citizens, not trying to smear the reputation of another country.
I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 1157: Countering the PRC Malign Influence Fund Authorization Act of 2023. Information warfare with China will do no good for the world. The actions of the US and China speak for themselves. If we are to be a nation for the people, we must consider the people. In order to do that, we need to cooperate with China on climate change initiatives and prevent what would be a devastating regional war.
For peace and truth,