On May 4, the U.S. Senate held a hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss the recently announced Department of Homeland Security Disinformation Governance Board.
According to CBS News, the Department of Homeland Security recently announced the creation of the Disinformation Governance Board, a committee which would standardize and facilitate DHS efforts to censor any false information potentially linked to violent threats inside the United States. When organizations under the DHS, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection or Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency, report suspected disinformation, the new board will be tasked with creating standard protocols to censor those different types of information.
During the meeting, Mayorkas was reportedly met with widespread criticism for helping to create a committee to censor political viewpoints. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., recently said the Disinformation Board "is an abomination, it is unconstitutional and frankly it is embarrassing," in a release from his office.
Fox News reports the Disinformation Governance Board will be chaired by Nina Jankowitz, a former disinformation fellow at the Wilson Center. This selection has faced widespread criticism because Jankowitz has publicly supported the Democratic party and reportedly posted videos on TikTok criticizing Republicans. In addition, Jankowitz has faced accusations of personally disseminating disinformation. When the Hunter Biden laptop story broke, she referred to the computer as a "Trump campaign product" and a "Russian influence op."
Hawley called Jankowitz "a human geyser of misinformation" due to her mishandling of the Hunter Biden laptop story, according to the release. Additionally, Hawley called on Mayorkas to disband the board and introduced legislation in the Senate which would immediately dissolve the board.
Since its announcement, the Disinformation Governance Board has faced harsh criticism from Republicans. The Associated Press reports many conservative politicians have likened the board to government propaganda committees in George Orwell’s 1984, calling it a “Ministry of Truth.” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, reiterated this notion, calling the board a “terrible idea” that “communicates to the world that we’re going to be spreading propaganda in our own country.”
In the Senate hearing, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said, "We don't have definitions of what [the Disinformation Governance Board] is," according to CBS News. "We don't have boundaries on what it does. Why should we not have suspicions on this?"
CBS reported Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., recently argued the new board directly violates the Anti-deficiency Act, which requires the executive branch to receive permission from Congress before reappropriating government funds. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., just introduced a bill which would "prohibit the use of federal funds for the Disinformation Governance Board of the Department of Homeland Security."
