House Republicans Extend Controversial State Department Censorship Office Funding

The Global Engagement Center, accused of suppressing conservative speech, receives a one-year extension in a 1,547-page spending bill to avert a government shutdown.

The State Department's Global Engagement Center (GEC), criticized for funding efforts to suppress conservative media, was granted a one-year extension in a massive spending bill unveiled this week.
The GEC had been set to shut down by December 24 after losing Republican support and being excluded from the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.
The funding extension, included on page 139 of the bill, has drawn backlash from GOP members who view it as undermining investigations into the GEC's alleged domestic censorship activities.
The GEC faces lawsuits from The Federalist, The Daily Wire, and the state of Texas, accusing it of unconstitutional suppression of conservative outlets through partnerships with groups like the Global Disinformation Index and NewsGuard.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the provision, stating it gives the incoming Trump administration discretion to address the GEC's future, while critics within the GOP labeled the move a betrayal.