U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants to prevent military organizations from recruiting using video games, esports, and streaming platforms.
The rep for New York’s 14th congressional district filed a draft amendment earlier this week that would stop the U.S. military using funds from the House Appropriations bill to “maintain presence on Twitch or any video game, esports, or live streaming platform.”
As reported by Vice, the House Appropriations bill is used to establish the Pentagon’s budget, and will ultimately be shaped by the House Appropriations Committee — which decides whether amendments like the one proposed by Ocasio-Cortez are implemented.
The Committee is due to meet in the week beginning July 27. Even if it approves the amendment as part of its proposed version of the budget, that would still have to be voted on by the entire House and eventually gain approval from the Senate.
Still, Ocasio-Cortez is adamant that the Army and Navy must be prevented from putting its messaging in front of impressionable young people and children.
“It’s incredibly irresponsible for the Army and the Navy to be recruiting impressionable young people and children via live streaming platforms,” she told Vice (via Motherboard). “War is not a game, and the Marine Corps’ decision not to engage in this recruiting tool should be a clear signal to the other branches of the military to cease this practice entirely.”