Nashville Standard

Rep. Mark Green has reintroduced the Stopping Communist Regimes from Engaging in Edits Now Act (SCREEN Act) in Washington this week. The bill aims to prevent U.S. government entities, including the State Department and the Pentagon, from assisting film studios that censor American films for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This proposal had previously been reported favorably by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs during the 118th Congress and included in both FY24 and FY25 National Defense Authorization Acts.

Rep. Green stated, "It’s time for La-La Land to wake up. The Chinese Communist Party has worked for decades to spread its propaganda across the United States." He emphasized that his bill would ensure studios under CCP influence would no longer receive military assets or special federal assistance. He added, "Taxpayer assistance for films is a privilege, not a right."

The SCREEN Act prevents federal assistance to studios co-producing with Chinese companies and requires reporting of previous films edited by the CCP before receiving production help from the State Department. It also mandates written agreements from Hollywood studios pledging not to censor their films at CCP's request.

Rep. Green highlighted China's refusal to show 'Spider Man: No Way Home' unless certain scenes were removed as an example of censorship. He concluded, "Let’s keep the ‘red’ off of the red carpet and ensure American films are untouched by communist influence."

The SCREEN Act has received media attention, with coverage highlighting its aim to curb Chinese influence over Hollywood.