Senator Schmitt Introduces Amendment to Limit the NTIA’s Ability to Fund Orwellian “Algorithmic Justice” Bureaucracy Hidden in Government Funding Bill

WASHNGTON – Today, Senator Eric Schmitt introduced an amendment to cut the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) ability to fund Orwellian “algorithmic justice” bureaucracy with funding meant for broadband development:

“A bloated bureaucracy is the kiss of death when it comes to fiscally responsible practices, and the NTIA’s outlandish request of $337 million for which they have not justified every dollar is a perfect example. Loosely throwing around hundreds of millions of taxpayer funds without even knowing what it’ll be directly spent on is a direct result of this Administration’s asinine budget priorities. This is the textbook definition of fiscal irresponsibility, and shows the Biden Administration yet again trying to enable unnecessary bureaucratic expansion, potential woke AI and equity initiatives, and government overreach,” said Senator Eric Schmitt.

BACKGROUND:  

• The House omnibus includes a hidden provision allowing NTIA to capture $337 million in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding to expand the agency’s bureaucracy.
  • Specifically, 0.7 percent of NTIA’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding—$337 million according to NTIA officials—would be reprogrammed for administrative funding.
• NTIA has only justified two-thirds of this spending, at best, meaning over $100 million is not justified.
• $337 million is six times the total salaries and expenses funding for NTIA in the omnibus ($57 million).
• Without this amendment, Congress will hand the Biden NTIA a slush fund positioned to expand to the agency’s woke AI priorities, such as the Algorithmic Justice position it recently created.
• This amendment would stop the NTIA’s woke transfer, cutting the Biden NTIA’s ability to fund an Orwellian “algorithmic justice” bureaucracy.