Sec. of State Rubio announces closure of State Department effort
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently made headlines by announcing the closure of a State Department effort that he accused of spending millions on censorship. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Rubio revealed that he would be shutting down the State Department’s Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R/FIMI), previously known as the Global Engagement Center (GEC).
Rubio criticized the previous administration for allowing this office to spend over $50 million per year on silencing and censoring American voices. He emphasized the importance of protecting free speech and ensuring that taxpayer money is not used to suppress the voices of the people it is meant to serve.
The closure of the GEC took place in December, as confirmed by archived State Department website content. However, Rubio pointed out in a piece published on The Federalist that the GEC had not truly ended but had simply been rebranded as the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (R-FIMI) office. Rubio expressed his determination to put an end to this censorship industrial complex, regardless of the name it goes by.
Former House lawmaker Dan Bishop, now serving as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, commended Rubio for taking action against censorship. He expressed his support for Rubio’s decision to shut down the GEC and ensure that it does not resurface under a different name.
In response to Rubio’s announcement, Rep. Derrick Van Orden from Wisconsin tweeted his approval, calling it excellent news. The move to close the GEC and prevent censorship from continuing was met with support from various individuals within the political sphere.
The decision to close the GEC and combat censorship aligns with efforts to uphold free speech and protect the voices of American citizens. By dismantling the censorship industrial complex, Secretary of State Marco Rubio aims to ensure that taxpayer funds are used responsibly and that the right to free expression is safeguarded.
This article was written by Alex Nitzberg for Fox News Digital.
