S. 4164 – Defund the Ministry of Truth Act of 2022

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 11:14 AM UTC

The Defund the Ministry of Truth Act of 2022 aims to stop any federal money from being used to create or run the Department of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Governance Board, or any similar successor entity. By cutting off funding, the bill seeks to prevent the board from operating and to limit the government’s role in labeling or managing information. It affects the DHS and any future entities that would perform the same function.

Key Provisions

Prohibits any federal expenditure for establishing or operating the DHS Disinformation Governance Board or any successor organization.
Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require that any similar misinformation or disinformation working group can only be created if expressly authorized by a later act of Congress.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

SenateCalendars Latest Action

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 365.

May 10, 2022

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 9, 2022

SenateCalendars

Introduced in the Senate. Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time.

May 9, 2022

SenateCalendars

Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 365.

May 10, 2022

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S. 4164 on the floor

2 Democrats

Sen. Tina SmithD-MN · May 9, 2022

Mr. President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading. Mr. President, I now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the…

Sen. Charles E. SchumerD-NY · May 10, 2022

Mr. President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk that is due for a second reading. Mr. President, in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I would…

Bill Text

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Placed on Calendar SenateIssued May 10, 2022

II

Calendar No. 365

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4164

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 9, 2022

Mr. Paul introduced the following bill; which was read the first time

May 10, 2022

Read the second time and placed on the calendar

A BILL

To prohibit the expenditure of Federal funds for the establishment or operation of the Disinformation Governance Board in the Department of Homeland Security.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Defund the Ministry of Truth Act of 2022.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

The Federal Government is not the sole arbiter of truth in a free society.

(2)

Efforts by the Federal Government to censor dissenting voices is a violation of the First Amendment rights of the American people.

(3)

Efforts by the Federal Government to label or categorize speech as misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation does not lessen or vitiate the First Amendment rights of the American people.

(4)

The Federal Government is itself prolific in the dissemination of misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.

(5)

George Orwell’s novel, 1984, which was originally published in 1949, was a cautionary tale and a warning to future generations and was not intended to be an instruction manual for government repression.

3.

Prohibition against Federal funding for the Disinformation Governance Board

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal funding may be expended for the establishment or operation of the Department of Homeland Security Disinformation Governance Board or any successor entity to the Disinformation Governance Board.

4.

Conforming amendment to the Homeland Security Act of 2002

Section 2202(i) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 652(i)) is amended—

(1)

in the subsection heading by inserting provisions after Savings;

(2)

by striking may be construed as affecting and inserting the following:

may be construed as—

(1)

affecting

;

(3)

by striking the period at the end and inserting ; or; and

(4)

by adding at the end the following:

(2)

authorizing the establishment of any misinformation, disinformation, or malinformation working group, disinformation governance board, or any similar entity within the Department of Homeland Security (or any component thereof) unless such entity is explicitly authorized by an Act of Congress that is enacted after the date of the enactment of the Defund the Ministry of Truth Act of 2022.

.

May 10, 2022

Read the second time and placed on the calendar