The lawmakers said in the letter on Thursday that a fine line exists between tackling disinformation and government censorship. They added that exactly where the Disinformation Governance Board falls on this line remains unclear and the potential for abuse is so egregious that they will urge any and all funding during the Homeland Security appropriations process to prohibit this body, the report said.
The US government should not be engaged in regulating speech or being an arbiter of truth, the letter said, according to the report.
The letter was signed by Senator Steve Daines and 17 other Republicans, the report said.
Earlier on Thursday, Daines referred to the Disinformation Governance Board as a “Ministry of Truth” like that found in George Orwell’s totalitarian dystopia in the novel “1984.” Lawmakers must never allow the Biden administration or anyone else to censor speech using taxpayer money, Daines added.
On Wednesday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre sid the Disinformation Governance Board will pause any activities while the body undergoes review by experts to address concerns about free speech and transparency.
The decision to suspend the disinformation board’s activities came following criticism of both the board and its chief, Nina Jankowicz, who drew attention after a video of her singing about disinformation to the tune of a "Mary Poppins" song went viral.
On Tuesday, Jankowicz drafted a resignation letter from the board, but was offered continued work at DHS according to US media reports.