118th CONGRESS 2d Session |
Condemning the spreading of disinformation and malicious rumors that have led to threats against disaster response personnel.
October 29, 2024
Mr. Thompson of Mississippi (for himself, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Ms. Velázquez, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms. Titus, Mr. Swalwell, Mr. Correa, Mr. Thanedar, Mr. Magaziner, Mr. Ivey, Mr. Goldman of New York, Mr. Robert Garcia of California, Mrs. Ramirez, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Kennedy, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Norton, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Sablan, Ms. Barragán, Ms. Williams of Georgia, Mr. Moulton, Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Costa, Mr. Carson, Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, Mr. Landsman, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Case, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Thompson of California, Ms. McCollum, and Ms. Garcia of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Condemning the spreading of disinformation and malicious rumors that have led to threats against disaster response personnel.
Whereas in 1979, President Jimmy Carter signed Executive Order 12127, which established the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA);
Whereas FEMA serves the American public by helping people before, during, and after disasters;
Whereas under the Biden-Harris Administration, FEMA has worked to improve its disaster assistance programs;
Whereas after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, there has been a reckless promotion of disinformation and malicious rumors directed at the disaster response operations of FEMA;
Whereas such disinformation has been spread through social media platforms and amplified, including by some elected officials;
Whereas such disinformation has disturbed disaster survivors and potentially caused many such survivors to forfeit their deserved Federal support, both now and in the future;
Whereas disinformation and malicious rumors regarding disaster response undermines the confidence in Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial officials and first responders;
Whereas the promotion of disinformation and malicious rumors compromises recovery for individuals and families who need help the most;
Whereas safeguarding the integrity of disaster response efforts is paramount to ensuring that survivors receive the assistance they need without hesitation or fear;
Whereas FEMA depends on the cooperation and trust of survivors and communities to effectively deliver assistance;
Whereas undermining FEMA’s operations not only delays recovery efforts but also compromises the ability of FEMA to respond to future emergencies;
Whereas collaboration between Federal, State, local, Tribal and territorial governments is essential in combating disinformation and ensuring accurate, timely information reaches those in need;
Whereas in some places, disinformation and malicious rumors have created an unsafe atmosphere for FEMA employees to work continuously to assist Hurricane Helene survivors due to credible threats to safety;
Whereas, during the weekend of October 11, 2024, FEMA employees in parts of North Carolina paused their door-to-door disaster assistance operations following a credible threat and ongoing disinformation;
Whereas disinformation has led to antisemitic threats directed at elected officials and Federal employees;
Whereas disaster survivors should be supported by Congress, other elected officials, and candidates for elected office, who have a responsibility to ensure an effective response rather than create chaos and confusion; and
Whereas it is unacceptable for leaders with national platforms to promote disaster response disinformation and malicious rumors that have led to distrust, mass confusion, anger, and credible threats to disaster response personnel: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved,
(1) condemns the spreading of disinformation and malicious rumors that have led to credible threats against disaster response personnel;
(2) condemns the actions of those individuals using disaster response disinformation and malicious rumors for political gain;
(3) commits to providing FEMA and other Federal agencies supporting disaster response operations with the necessary resources to combat disinformation and malicious rumors; and
(4) commits to promoting facts and helpful information concerning disaster response and recovery operations that will strengthen coordination between Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial leadership for the betterment of all communities in the United States.