Lawmakers took to Twitter on Wednesday to blast the Biden administration’s recent move to police “misinformation” and “disinformation” through a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) governance board.
On Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas revealed the DHS “just recently constituted misinformation/disinformation governance board” with the goal of bringing “the resources of the department together to address this [misinformation] threat.” He said the board was one of the ways the department was working internally to address misinformation in the public.
Heading the effort is Nina Jankowicz, who previously worked as a disinformation fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She also oversaw democracy outreach programs in Russia and Belarus while working at the National Democratic Institute.
Senator Marco Rubio blasted the board as “the first Federal Speech Police.”
“Meet @wiczipedia the new director of the first Federal Speech Police in American history Instead of stopping drugs and illegal immigration @DHS will be focused on stopping American citizens from sharing opinions or information this new bureau decides is misinformation,” Rubio tweeted.
Congressman Troy Nehls also criticized the new board, noting it was announced just days after billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk purchased Twitter.
“They didn’t need a ‘Disinformation Governance Board’ until @elonmusk threatened their control over the narrative,” he tweeted.
Senator Josh Hawley called the effort a “monstrosity” and demanded it be dissolved immediately.
“The Administration that activated the FBI against parents at school board meetings now has created a government Disinformation Board to monitor all Americans’ speech. It’s a disgrace,” Hawley tweeted. “Joe Biden & Secretary Mayorkas: dissolve this monstrosity immediately.”
“Rather than police our border, Homeland Security has decided to make policing Americans’ speech its top priority. They’re creating a Disinformation Board. No, really. And take a look at the views of the leftist radical running it,” Hawley wrote in a separate tweet.
Texas Rep Ronny Jackson said the new so-called “Disinformation Governance Board” should “terrify” Americans.
“Biden’s new ‘Disinformation Governance Board’ should terrify EVERY American. They’ve now publicly declared anyone who disagrees with them as a THREAT,” Jackson tweeted. “This is textbook Soviet tactics deserving of IMPEACHMENT!!”
Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert speculated that the board was the Biden administration’s “backup plan” in the event Musk successfully purchased Twitter.
“The libs spent the last weeks planting the seeds for the back-up plan in case the Twitter deal actually happened. Today’s news of a Biden backed ‘Disinformation Governance Board’ is dystopian,” Rep. Boebert tweeted. “They can’t afford to let the truth be anything but what they say.”
Rep. Andrew Clyde warned the Biden administration’s attempt to police speech is “seriously dangerous and wholly unconstitutional.”
“Biden’s dystopian Disinformation Governance Board is seriously dangerous and wholly unconstitutional. I’m demanding Congress investigate DHS’ Ministry of Truth—NOW,” Clyde tweeted.
Sen. Tom Cotton also spoke out against the board, calling it a “disgrace.”
“During the worst border crisis in history, Biden’s DHS is creating an Orwellian ‘disinformation governance board’ led by a partisan Democrat who herself spread disinformation. What a disgrace. When Republicans take control, we will fix this,” Sen. Cotton tweeted.
Sen. Ron Johnson referred to the board as the “Ministry of Truth,” a reference to George Orwell’s book “1984.”
“.@DHSgov new ‘Disinformation Governance Board’ aka, ‘Ministry of Truth,’ should frighten any American who values liberty and free speech,” Sen. Johnson tweeted. “This will only serve to censor voices critical of the admin’s disastrous policies for their failure to secure the border.”
