Donald M. Payne: “And I rise in support of H.R. 4263, the Social Media Working Group Act of 2014. The Internet has changed the world. It…”

“And I rise in support of H.R. 4263, the Social Media Working Group Act of 2014. The Internet has changed the world. It has changed how the government serves its citizens, how businesses serve their customers, and how the public engages in activism. {time} 1715 The responses to the Boston Marathon bombings and Hurricane Sandy, which devastated my State, underscores the power and the potential of social media. After each of these devastating events, we saw the Internet used to galvanize ordinary citizens into action. In the wake of the Boston bombings, Boston residents used Google Docs to let marathoners know that their homes were open to those who were unable to return to their hotels. After Hurricane Sandy, survivors posted the horrific images of homes washed away on Twitter and Facebook to help the world understand the strength of the storm. Survivors also used social media to reconnect with loved ones and to share information about which gas stations, grocery stores, and pharmacies were open. In my district, the local utility PSE&G used social media to communicate with customers about how to prepare for the storm to mitigate damage and about power restoration afterwards. Public Service Electric and Gas' use of social media was so effective that it was recognized by J.D.…”