"Sleeping with the enemy": Rep. Mark Green proposes bill to stop CCP influence in Hollywood

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green introduced a bill Wednesday that would prevent Hollywood film studios from editing movies to comply with requests from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The Stop Communist Regimes from Engaging in Editing (SCREEN) Act would prevent Hollywood studios that allow CCP officials to edit their films from receiving certain assistance from the State Department. In addition, it would require U.S. filmmakers to report on past films that were edited to comply with CCP demands.

"When the CCP took over China, it destroyed a beautiful and rich Chinese culture. Now, it is trying to influence American culture; we must not allow it," he told the Clarksville Now newspaper.

During his speech introducing the bill, Green said SCREEN will create an incentive for more Hollywood studios to oppose Communist China.

"Sleeping with the enemy has become all too common in Hollywood. And while my SCREEN Act will not stop movie studios from cozying up to the Chinese Communist Party, it will ensure that the State Department does not foot the hotel room bill," the congressman said in remarks with National Review.

The bill was first introduced last March in the wake of revelations that "Top Gun: Maverick" had been edited to appease the CCP. The film's producers caved to CCP pressure and agreed to remove the Taiwanese and Japanese flag patches from Maverick's famous jacket.

This incident was one that Green mentioned in his 2022 op-ed pointing out the importance of insulating the U.S. film industry from foreign influence.

"Many big-budget films rely on U.S. government assistance for filming and technical assistance; with my legislation, this assistance will no longer be available if these studios bow to Beijing. U.S. studios should not create CCP propaganda and, if they choose to do so, they should not receive U.S. government assistance," he said.

Film studios regularly request technical assistance from the federal government when films are high-budget, especially those involving the military.