The U.S. Defense Department's announcement that it will no longer work with movie companies that agree to censor their own films to appease the Communist China Party (CCP) attracted praise from a Republican congressman from Tennessee.
In his statement issued June 30, U.S. House Rep. Mark Green (R-Tennessee) praised the Defense Department's decision.
"I am glad to see the Pentagon stand up against the CCP's attempt to censor and control American films," Green said. "Studios that bow to an adversarial nation's political agenda do not deserve support from our defense agencies."
Green, a physician, businessman and combat veteran who has represented Tennessee's 7th congressional district since 2019, chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security. Green also is the lead sponsor of the Stopping Communist Regimes from Engaging in Edits Now Act (SCREEN Act), House Resolution 6855, which he re-introduced into the House in February. H.R. 6855 currently is in the House Armed Services, Oversight and Reform, and Foreign Affairs committees.
Green praised the Department of Defense for refusing to collaborate with films subject to Chinese Communist Party censorship. The "SCREEN" Act which prohibits federal film assistance to CCP-affiliated films, bans federal funding for studios that have previously edited for the CCP, and mandates written agreements from film studios to refrain from censorship in cooperation with the CCP, according to a press release.
“American filmmaking should be about free expression and American values," Green said in a statement, according to a press release. "It should not be used as a vehicle for CCP propaganda. That is why I submitted provisions of my SCREEN Act today as an amendment to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. The Pentagon’s new rule is a great step forward, but we need protections against CCP propaganda written in law."
Last year, there was controversy when trailers for Top Gun: Maverick omitted the Taiwanese and Japanese flags from Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell's flight jacket. This sparked outcry among Americans, leading to the flags being restored on Maverick's jacket. Additionally, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sought the removal of the Statue of Liberty in certain scenes in the film Spider-Man: No Way Home, as well as a same-sex kiss in the film Lightyear, according to Politico.
“The Chinese Communist Party spends billions on propaganda and censorship,” said Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a vocal opponent of Chinese Communist Party censorship of American films, according to Politico. “For years Hollywood helped them by censoring movies so they could be screened in China, while still working with the U.S. government to get those very same movies developed.”
Hollywood and the Department of Defense frequently collaborate on film projects, with the Pentagon granting filmmakers access to military bases, Navy ships, and other resources for shooting. Additionally, they provide assistance in various aspects of filmmaking, according to Politico.
