What power does the &quot;Committee to counter active measures by the Russian Federation to exert covert influence over peoples and governments&quot; have?
<p><a href="http://Committee%20to%20counter%20active%20measures%20by%20the%20Russian%20Federation%20to%20exert%20covert%20influence%20over%20peoples%20and%20governments" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sec 501 of H.R. 6393</a> established a "Committee to counter active measures by the Russian Federation to exert covert influence over peoples and governments".</p>

<p>The bill says the duty of the committee is "to counter active measures by Russia to exert covert influence". They are also submit an annual report.</p>

<p>My question, what power does this committee have? Is submitting an annual report their only power, or do they have other resources/authority with which to achieve their duties?</p>

<p>Under <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/6393/text#toc-H1F34F7843955494592B6F04108572B27" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the bill</a>, the committee would have had the power to write a report, to meet, to request money. The bill does not expressly empower the committee to spend any money, but that can probably be taken to implicit in the power to request. They are expressly empowered to hire staff by subsection (f): "may employ such staff as the members of such committee consider appropriate"</p>

<p>The duties are spelled out in subsection (e), and among the listed duties are</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>exposing falsehoods, agents of influence, corruption, human rights
  abuses, terrorism, and assassinations carried out by the security
  services or political elites of the Russian Federation or their
  proxies.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>and also "Such other duties as the President may designate for purposes of this section". Because this is an executive branch committee, it would not have had have Congressional subpoena power. We can presume that the language of the bill would have changed if it had gotten anywhere in the Senate.</p>

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