Sheila Jackson Lee: “As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 423, ``The Social Media Working Group…”

“As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 423, ``The Social Media Working Group Act of 2014,'' which would establish within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a social media working group. The Social Media Working Group would provide guidance and best practices to the emergency preparedness and response community on the use of social media technologies before, during, and after a terrorist attack. Today, people are relying more on Internet enabled communications to engage and be engaged in personal, professional and commercial communications. Since September 11, 2001, our nation has committed resources toward the preparation of our first responders and citizens in preventing, mitigating and responding to terrorist events. As these efforts continue, we must keep pace with the rapid changing nature of the Internet. Part of this requires that Congress ensure that the Department of Homeland Security and especially the Federal Emergency Management Agency can reach citizens in new ways so that critical information is received in a timely manner. In 2012, smartphones, most particularly phones running Apple Computer's iOS and the open source Android operating system, accounted for at least 40 percent of the mobile devices used in the United States. In the first quarter of 2012, mobile phone consumers spent over $109 billion, while consumers of landline-telephone service spent $64.4 billion.…”