Libertarian Party of Wisconsin Urges Support for Smith–Mundt Repeal Bill

The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin is urging the state’s congressional delegation to back a bill from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie that would reinstate a Cold War-era ban on domestic government propaganda, saying it would help prevent the misuse of public funds for influence campaigns.

In an October 14 statement, the state party called on all eight of Wisconsin’s U.S. House members to co-sponsor H.R. 5704, a bill introduced by Massie earlier this month. The measure seeks to repeal the Smith–Mundt Modernization Act of 2013 and restore the original restrictions of the 1948 Smith–Mundt Act, which prohibited federal agencies from distributing government-produced media to domestic audiences.

The original act established the framework for U.S. international broadcasting during the early Cold War. It authorized agencies such as the State Department and Voice of America to promote American perspectives abroad, while barring those programs from being distributed inside the United States in an effort to prevent the government from influencing domestic political debate.

In 2012, Congress revised the law through the Smith–Mundt Modernization Act, which it included in the later-adopted 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. The update allowed material produced for foreign audiences to be made available domestically upon request. Massie has argued the change opened the door to federally funded influence campaigns targeting Americans, calling it “taxpayer-funded fake news.”

In its statement, the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin said lawmakers have a duty to protect the “integrity of our democratic republic” and individual rights by supporting the bill. State Chair Reese Wood added that the measure would prevent the misuse of public funds and ensure government transparency. “We need independent media informing independent thought, not state-sponsored narratives instilling state-sanctioned opinions,” Wood said.

The statement also cast the issue as a criticism of both major parties, accusing them of fostering “obfuscation and narrative-distortion.” The party urged Wisconsin’s delegation to co-sponsor the bill as a sign of “their commitment to a government that respects the clear boundary between public information and propaganda.” It also called on members of the public to lobby their representatives in support.

Massie’s bill currently has five co-sponsors, though none of them are from Wisconsin. They are Reps. Scott Perry, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Chip Roy, Eric Burlison, and Mark Harris.