U.S. lawmakers say they plan legislation that would fund efforts to
help Iranians receive and send information despite government
restrictions.
Independent Senator Joe Lieberman said Thursday
that the bill intends to help the Iranian people stay "one step ahead
of the Iranian regime."
Lieberman introduced the bill with Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham.
McCain
said the proposed legislation would authorize funds to ensure Iranians
have the software and other tools to evade government censorship and
surveillance online.
The legislation would also authorize VOA's
Persian service to make permanent an additional hour of programming
that was added to cover the post-election violence.
More funding
would also be provided to the U.S. government-sponsored Radio Farda to
boost the broadcaster's short-wave radio and satellite capacity.
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