On 2026-06-24, Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6264" in the Senate.
Text of Senate Amendment 6264 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S3420] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6264. Mr. SCHATZ submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of subtitle D of title XII, add the following: SEC. 1252. REPORT ON BENEFITS OF FACT-BASED JOURNALISM IN INDO-PACIFIC REGION. (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report outlining the benefits, to United States defense and security objectives in the Indo-Pacific region, of editorially independent, fact- based journalism in the Indo-Pacific region, including throughout the Pacific Islands. (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include an assessment of the following: (1) The benefits to United States defense and security interests of an information environment in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Pacific Islands, that includes fact- based reporting on the malign activities of competitors and adversaries in the region. (2) The risks to Department of Defense operations and activities of insufficient editorially independent news media in the Indo-Pacific region. (c) Form.--The report required by subsection (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex. ______