    [House Hearing, 117 Congress]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                              THE RISE IN VIOLENCE
                         AGAINST MINORITY INSTITUTIONS

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

                       SUBCOMMITTEE ON CRIME, TERRORISM,
                             AND HOMELAND SECURITY

                                     OF THE

                           COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

                         U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                        ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 SECOND SESSION

                                   __________

                          THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

                                   __________

                               Serial No. 117-56

                                   __________

             Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                   Available via: http://judiciary.house.gov

                                ______

                 U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    48-066                  WASHINGTON : 2022

                           COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

                        JERROLD NADLER, New York, Chair
                    MADELEINE DEAN, Pennsylvania, Vice-Chair

    ZOE LOFGREN, California              JIM JORDAN, Ohio, Ranking Member
    SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas            STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
    STEVE COHEN, Tennessee               LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas
    HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, Jr.,      DARRELL ISSA, California
        Georgia                          KEN BUCK, Colorado
    THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida          MATT GAETZ, Florida
    KAREN BASS, California               MIKE JOHNSON, Louisiana
    HAKEEM S. JEFFRIES, New York         ANDY BIGGS, Arizona
    DAVID N. CICILLINE, Rhode Island     TOM McCLINTOCK, California
    ERIC SWALWELL, California            W. GREG STEUBE, Florida
    TED LIEU, California                 TOM TIFFANY, Wisconsin
    JAMIE RASKIN, Maryland               THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky
    PRAMILA JAYAPAL, Washington          CHIP ROY, Texas
    VAL BUTLER DEMINGS, Florida          DAN BISHOP, North Carolina
    J. LUIS CORREA, California           MICHELLE FISCHBACH, Minnesota
    MARY GAY SCANLON, Pennsylvania       VICTORIA SPARTZ, Indiana
    SYLVIA R. GARCIA, Texas              SCOTT FITZGERALD, Wisconsin
    JOE NEGUSE, Colorado                 CLIFF BENTZ, Oregon
    LUCY McBATH, Georgia                 BURGESS OWENS, Utah
    GREG STANTON, Arizona
    VERONICA ESCOBAR, Texas
    MONDAIRE JONES, New York
    DEBORAH ROSS, North Carolina
    CORI BUSH, Missouri

             AMY RUTKIN, Majority Staff Director and Chief of Staff
                  CHRISTOPHER HIXON, Minority Staff Director
                                     ------

            SUBCOMMITTEE ON CRIME, TERRORISM, AND HOMELAND SECURITY

                        SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas, Chair
                        CORI BUSH, Missouri, Vice-Chair

    KAREN BASS, California               ANDY BIGGS, Arizona, Ranking
    VAL DEMINGS, Florida                     Member
    LUCY McBATH, Georgia                 STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
    MADELEINE DEAN, Pennsylvania         LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas
    MARY GAY SCANLON, Pennsylvania       W. GREGORY STEUBE, Florida
    DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island        TOM TIFFANY, Wisconsin
    TED LIEU, California                 THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky
    LOU CORREA, California               VICTORIA SPARTZ, Indiana
    VERONICA ESCOBAR, Texas              SCOTT FITZGERALD, Wisconsin
    STEVE COHEN, Tennessee               BURGESS OWENS, Utah

                         KEENAN KELLER, Chief Counsel
                        JASON CERVENAK, Minority Counsel

                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------

                          Thursday, February 17, 2022

                                                                       Page

                               OPENING STATEMENTS

    The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, Chair of the Subcommittee on
      Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security from the State of Texas     2
    The Honorable Burgess Owens, a Member of the Subcommittee on
      Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security from the State of Utah.    25
    The Honorable Jerrold Nadler, Chair of the Committee on the
      Judiciary from the State of New York...........................    32
    The Honorable Andy Biggs, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on
      Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security from the State of
      Arizona........................................................    45

                                   WITNESSES

    Dr. Seth G. Jones, Senior Vice President, Harold Brown Chair and
      Director of the International Security Program and
      Transnational Threats Project, Center for Strategic and
      International Studies
      Oral Testimony.................................................    49
      Prepared Statement.............................................    51
    Dr. David K. Wilson, President, Morgan State University
      Oral Testimony.................................................    56
      Prepared Statement.............................................    58
      Supplemental Material..........................................    74
    Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, Colleyville, Texas
      Oral Testimony.................................................    79
      Prepared Statement.............................................    82
    Dr. Demetrick Pennie, Retired Police Sergeant, Dallas Police
      Department
      Oral Testimony.................................................    88
      Prepared Statement.............................................    90
    Mr. Pardeep Singh Kaleka, Executive Director, Interfaith
      Conference of Greater Milwaukee
      Oral Testimony.................................................    93
      Prepared Statement.............................................    95
    Mr. Brandon Tatum, Former Tucson Police Officer, Founder and CEO,
      The Officer Tatum
      Oral Testimony.................................................    98
      Prepared Statement.............................................   100
    Ms. Margaret Huang, President and CEO, Southern Poverty Law
      Center
      Oral Testimony.................................................   105
      Prepared Statement.............................................   107

              LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING

    Materials submitted by the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, Chair of
      the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
      from the State of Texas, for the record
      An article entitled, ``Op-Ed: Terrorists Won't Stop Our
        HBCUs,'' AFRO American Newspapers............................     8
      A joint letter enitled, ``TMCF, UNCF Released Joint Statement
        on Recent Terrorist Threats to HBCUs and on FBI Breifing,''
        United Negro College Fund and the Thurgood Marshall College
        Fund.........................................................    11
      Testimony from Farah Brelvi and Asifa Quraishi-Landes, Interim
        Co-Executive Directors, Muslim Advocates.....................    13
      A letter from the American Council on Education................    19
      A letter from the National Action Network......................    22
    An article entitled, ``Black Children's Lives Matter, Too,'' Wall
      Street Journal, submitted by the Honorable Burgess Owens, a
      Member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland
      Security from the State of Utah, for the record................    28
    Statement from Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director,
      Anti-Defamation League, submitted by the Honorable Jerrold
      Nadler, Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary from the State
      of New York, for the record....................................    36
    Materials submitted by the Honorable Andy Biggs, Ranking Member
      of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
      from the State of Arizona, for the record
      An article entitled, ``Years of turmoil and complaints led the
        Southern Poverty Law Center to fire its founder Morris
        Dees,'' Washington Post......................................   126
      An article entitled, ``Why Is The Southern Poverty Law Center
        Targeting Liberals?'' New York Times.........................   135
      An article entitled, ``The Reckoning of Morris Dees and the
        Southern Poverty Law Center,'' The New Yorker................   139
      An article entitled, ``A Demogogic Bully,'' City Journal.......   151
      An article entitled, ``Has a Civil Rights Stalwart Lost Its
        Way?'' Politico Magazine.....................................   162
      An article entitled, ``Something strange is going on at this
        civil rights institution. It must be investigated,''
        Washington Post..............................................   171
      An article entitled, ``Arson determined for LDS church fire in
        Arizona,'' Deseret News......................................   174
      An article entitled, ``Cromwell PD: Bullet holes found in local
        church could be connected to Southington shooting
        incidents,'' WTNH............................................   176
      An article entitled, ``Jefferson County church shooting: Teen
        missionary playing basketball shot multiple times, suspect at
        large,'' AL.com..............................................   177
      An article entitled, ``Gunman opens fire at Nevada church,
        killing one,'' CNN...........................................   179
      An article entitled, ``Syracuse Latter-day Saint chapel
        defaced, vandalized,'' Gephardt Daily........................   181
    An article entitled, ``2020 Third-Highest Year on Record for
      Antisemitic Incidents in Pennsylvania.'' Philadelphia Anti-
      Defamation League, submitted by the Honorable Mary Gay Scanlon,
      a Member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland
      Security from the State of Pennsylvania, for the record........   198
    Materials submitted by the Honorable Ted Lieu, a Member of the
      Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security from
      the State of California, for the record
      A letter to Attorney General Garland and FBI Director Wray,
        dated February 4, 2022.......................................   218
      A letter from the American Council on Education, dated February
        14, 2022.....................................................   220
    Materials submitted by the Honorable Andy Biggs, Ranking Member
      of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
      from the State of Arizona, for the record
      An article entitled, ``Cori Bush says she won't stop saying
        `defund the police'' despite pressure from other Democrats,''
        The Hill.....................................................   228
      An article entitled, ``Rep. Jeffries on his fight to ban police
        chokeholds & activists' push to defund law enforcement,'' CNN   230
      An article entitled, ``Jerry Nadler Thinks the NYPD Budget
        Should Be Cut, and He's Getting Ready if Trump Disputes
        Election Results,'' West Side Rag............................   231
      An article entitled, ``Candidate Profile: Mondaire Jones For
        Congress,'' Patch............................................   236
    Materials submitted by the Honorable David Cicilline, a Member of
      the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
      from the State of Rhode Island, for the record
      Statement from the Sikh Coalition..............................   246
      A letter from the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education
        Fund.........................................................   251
    Materials submitted by the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, Chair of
      the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
      from the State of Texas, for the record
      An article entitled, ``Text messages of Ahmaud Arbery's killers
        contained racist slurs, prosecutor claims,'' Associated Press   260
      A letter to Attorney General Garland and Director Wray, dated
        February 3, 2022.............................................   265
      An article entitled, ``Two of the men convicted of killing
        Ahmaud Arbery used racist slurs in messages, a witness
        testifies at their federal hate crime trial,'' CNN...........   267

                      ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD

    Response to questions from Seth G. Jones, Senior Vice President,
      Harold Brown Chair, and Director of the International Security
      Program and Transnational Threats Project, Center for Strategic
      and International Studies, submitted by the Honorable Cori
      Bush, Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and
      Homeland Security from the State of Missouri, for the record...   276
    Response to questions from Margaret Huang, President and CEO,
      Southern Poverty Law Center, submitted by the Honorable Cori
      Bush, Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and
      Homeland Security from the State of Missouri, for the record...   278
    Response to questions from David K. Wilson, President, Morgan
      State University, submitted by the Honorable Cori Bush, Vice-
      Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland
      Security from the State of Missouri, for the record............   279

                              THE RISE IN VIOLENCE

                         AGAINST MINORITY INSTITUTIONS

                                  ----------

                          Thursday, February 17, 2022

                            House of Representatives

            Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security

                           Committee on the Judiciary

                                 Washington, DC

        The Subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:06 a.m., via
    Zoom, Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee [Chair of the Subcommittee]
    presiding.
        Present: Representatives Jackson Lee, Nadler, Bass,
    Demings, McBath, Dean, Scanlon, Cicilline, Lieu, Cohen, Biggs,
    Tiffany, Fitzgerald, and Owens.
        Staff Present: John Doty, Senior Advisor and Deputy Staff
    Director; Arya Hariharan, Chief Oversight Counsel; David
    Greengrass, Senior Counsel; Moh Sharma, Director of Member
    Services and Outreach & Policy Advisor; Jacqui Kappler,
    Oversight Counsel; Cierra Fontenot, Chief Clerk; Keenan Keller,
    Chief Counsel; Mauri Gray, Deputy Chief Counsel; Natalie
    Knight, Counsel; Veronica Eligan, Professional Staff Member/
    Legislative Aide; Jason Cervenak, Minority Chief Counsel for
    Crime; Ken David, Minority Counsel; Andrea Woodard, Minority
    Professional Staff Member; Kiley Bidelman, Minority Clerk; and
    Carter Robertson, Minority USSS Detailee.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Good morning. The Subcommittee will come
    to order.
        Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare
    recesses of the Committee at any time.
        Again, good morning to everyone, and welcome to today's
    hearing on The Rise in Violence Against Minority Institutions.
        I would like to remind Members that we have established an
    email address and distribution list to circulate exhibits,
    motions, or other written materials that Members might want to
    offer as part of our hearing today. If you would like to submit
    materials, please send them to the email address that has been
    previously distributed to your offices, and we will circulate
    the materials to Members and staff as quickly as we can. Your
    vital information is important to the historical record of this
    Committee hearing.
        I would also ask all Members to please mute your
    microphones when you're not speaking to the hearing's business.
    This will help prevent feedback and other technical issues. You
    may unmute yourself anytime you seek recognition.
        I now recognize myself for an opening statement.
        Today's hearing on the rise in violence against minority
    institutions will continue this Subcommittee's inquiry into
    domestic terrorism and investigate the rise in attacks directed
    against minority institutions and places of worship across the
    Nation.
        For too many years now, every ethnic group in the United
    States has been touched by the increase in domestic terrorism
    and hate crimes, many in the tragic form of mass shootings. I
    know that if I opened up this moment to Members, each of my
    Members on this Committee might cite some incident in their
    community.
        Just recently, in Harris County, northeast Atascocita and
    northwest Cypress, anti-Semitic and racist messages were posted
    at the doors of homeowners. It's everywhere.
        These tragedies and their circumstances are all too
    familiar to each of us: The shooting spree at a Walmart in El
    Paso, Texas, which left 22 dead and 24 more injured; the
    rampage of Philadelphia's Tree of Life synagogue, where 11
    people were killed; the racist attack on the Sikh Temple of
    Wisconsin, which left six people dead; the brutal murder of
    nine worshippers in the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal
    Church in Charleston, South Carolina; three Muslim college
    students executed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, supposedly
    over parking but tinged with hostility to the young people's
    look; and the spa shooting in Atlanta that killed eight people,
    including six women of Asian descent. In each instance, the
    perpetrator had previously exposed--espoused racist and xeno-
    phobic beliefs against minorities.
        Last year, this Subcommittee held a hearing on the rise of
    domestic terrorism in America to discuss the surge of White
    supremacy and right-wing extremism and to discuss Federal law
    enforcement's failure to address domestic terrorism and acts of
    violence driven by racially motivated hate and, of course,
    animus toward religious minorities.
        It appears that trends have not changed and the rise in
    violence continues. Once again, we watched in horror on January
    15 of this year as a gunman stormed into a synagogue, this time
    in Colleyville, Texas, taking four people hostage and holding
    them for almost 12 hours. Miraculously and, in part, due to
    training the congregation received following other anti-Semitic
    attacks, those who were held hostage managed to escape,
    including under the leadership of their rabbi.
        Then, as Black History Month began, more than 20
    historically Black colleges and universities across the country
    became the targets of repeated bomb threats, even starting as
    early as January, which paralyzed these vital institutions of
    higher education, disrupting learning by forcing them to
    suspend classes, striking fear in the hearts of young students,
    faculty and staff, parents and the communities that surround
    and support them, reopening wounds of these--of those who
    recall the threats, bombings, burnings, and lynchings of the
    not-too-distant past. We have to take these threats to young
    people and institutions of learning, minority institutions,
    very, very seriously. Because what is a threat can become
    devastation tomorrow. What is a threat today can become
    devastation tomorrow?
        The threats which began in January, including at Prairie
    View A&M University, not far from my district in Prairie View,
    Texas, intensified in frequency in February, and the number of
    schools targeted grew in number by the day. Howard University,
    which sits not far from this Nation's capital, have received at
    least five bomb threats in the past 2 months, the most recent
    being communicated on Monday. This is unacceptable.
        At least one caller claimed to be affiliated with a violent
    neo-Nazi group known to have participated in the racist Unite
    the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017, which resulted in
    the barbaric death of Heather Heyer. Both the FBI and ATF are
    currently investigating the bomb threats, as they should, which
    limits the amount of information we can receive or discuss.
    However, we do know these crimes are being investigated as
    racially motivated, and we look to soon having full
    investigations by both the FBI and the ATF.
        Threats of violence and intimidation against minority
    institutions are intended to incite fear and anxiety among
    diverse communities, are deeply rooted in the fabric of the
    United States history. Let it be very clear that attacks on
    students and institutions are attacks on communities and
    families and surrounding areas.
        In the turbulent years of post-civil war reconstruction, at
    least 2,000 Black people were lynched, along with thousands who
    were harassed, beaten, and threatened simply because they chose
    to live as they should as free men and women. When
    reconstruction ended, southern States regained control of their
    governments and enacted Jim Crow laws that legalize
    discrimination, with many elected officials being Members of
    the Ku Klux Klan, making White supremacy the law of the land.
        During this same period, Chinese immigrants endured hateful
    acts of racism as White workers begin to see them as
    competition first for gold and later for scarce jobs. Racism
    and xenophobia against Chinese Americans, Asian Americans led
    to the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, which banned Chinese
    laborers from entering the United States for 10 years and
    prohibited Chinese immigrants already here from becoming
    citizens. By 1924, the United States had taken steps to shut
    down nearly all immigration from Asia and to enact a quota
    system that severely restricted immigration from eastern and
    southern Europe.
        In the 1920s and 1930s, the Klan maintained its anti-Black
    doctrines, added to its vile rhetoric anti-Jewish, anti-
    Catholic tenets, all in the name of White supremacy and racial
    purity. The Klan maintained a strong foothold in politics and
    continued harassing and killing African Americans with
    impunity. According to the Equal Justice Initiative, more than
    4,084 racially motivated lynchings occurred in 12 southern
    States between 1887 and 1950.
        As African Americans struggled for equal rights under the
    law, the Klan murdered and threatened civil rights workers,
    bombed churches, and beat and spat upon nonviolent protesters,
    like Congressman John Lewis and the Freedom Riders. By 1975,
    Klan Members had bombed almost 70 buildings in Georgia and
    Alabama, burned 30 Black churches in Mississippi, murdered 10
    people in Alabama.
        Sadly, the views and acts of hate committed by White
    supremacists reverberate throughout American history. We still
    hear their echoes today as men holding tiki torches march and
    chant, ``Jews will not replace us.''
        When Members of the Proud Boys, a far-right organization
    identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group
    and classified by the FBI as having White nationalist ties,
    burned Black Lives Matter flags in front of two historically
    Black churches in the Nation's capital, we remember the burning
    crosses placed in yards as warnings.
        When young Black scholars are threatened with the
    possibility of bombings, we remember four little girls who died
    in their church, the 16th Street Baptist Church, in Birmingham
    was bombed in 1963.
        These racist beliefs of the past are taking hold and,
    again, threatening our places of refuge and safety, such as
    HBCUs, churches, synagogues, and temples, which renewed fervor
    in the new age. We cannot allow this to continue.
        Extremist ideology is not abstract danger. It harms
    Americans from a wide swath of backgrounds, including our
    frontline law enforcement officers, and we never know when or
    where it will strike again. We salute their service, especially
    those who made the ultimate sacrifice in keeping our
    communities safe from domestic extremist terrorism, and we're
    reminded of January 6th and the brave law enforcement officers
    who stood the guard to protect us, to protect the United
    States, and protect the citadel of democracy.
        FBI Director Christopher Wray declared that 2019 was the
    deadliest year for domestic extremist violence since the
    Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. In 2020, the FBI Uniform Crime
    Reporting Program reported 8,263 hate crimes, including 11,129
    offenses. Of these incidents, 62 percent were motivated by
    racial or ethnic bias, 20 percent were motivated by bias
    against persons' sexual orientation, 13 percent were motivated
    by victims' religion.
        However, the FBI's reporting of hate crimes is thought to
    be a severe undercount since it relies on local law enforcement
    to voluntarily submit data. We must do better to collect the
    data and Act upon it. The Federal government possesses vast
    statutory authorities and resources to prevent attacks,
    prosecute those who commit them, fortify targeted institutions
    from further attacks, and arm citizens with the knowledge of
    how to protect themselves. Yet, we are failing the American
    people who do not do more to face this threat.
        The bipartisan Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, of which
    I'm a cosponsor, is one measure that would strengthen the
    Federal government's effort to respond to domestic terrorism.
    This legislation would authorize the Department of Homeland
    Security, Department of Justice, and the FBI to analyze,
    investigate, monitor, and prosecute domestic terrorism jointly,
    promote information sharing among Federal law enforcement
    agencies, and take preventative measures focusing Federal
    resources on the most significant threats.
        I look forward to hearing from our distinguished guests,
    Witnesses who will speak directly to the continuing violence,
    threats of violence, and trauma being inflicted upon minority
    communities across this country. Fear cannot be an option in
    this Nation. Healing must be. We must bring people together,
    and we must pass legislation here in the United States Congress
    to be signed by the President that helps to heal the Nation and
    protect the Nation as well from the scourge of domestic
    terrorism.
        I hope that our discussion today will lead us to solutions
    that address the deficiencies in our domestic terrorism
    strategy to keep all Americans safe. We must get to the bottom
    of racial antagonisms and as well as religious antagonisms and
    others that keep us separated.
        Without objection, I will submit into the record the
    following documents: An op-ed by our colleague, Congressman
    Kweisi Mfume entitled, ``Terrorists Won't Stop Our HBCUs.''
    Representative Mfume is an alumnus of Morgan State and
    represents Morgan State which sits in his district. He has also
    served as Chair of the Board of Regents at the university for
    over a decade and has expressed to me his deep concern for the
    attacks on HBCUs and has really contributed in his request to
    this hearing. We thank him very much for his leadership, and we
    look forward to working with him even though he's not a Member
    of this Committee.
        A joint letter from the United Negro College Fund and the
    Thurgood Marshall College Fund; written testimony from the
    Muslim Advocates; a letter from the American Council on
    Education; a letter from the National Action Network.
        We'll have all of these submitted into the record, without
    objection.
        [The information follows:]

                         MS. JACKSON LEE FOR THE RECORD

    =======================================================================

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Jackson Lee. I now recognize the gentleman from Utah,
    Mr. Owens, for his opening statement.
        Mr. Owens, welcome, and thank you very much.
        Mr. Owens. Thank you, Chair Jackson Lee, Chair Nadler, and
    Ranking Member Biggs. Thanks for the opportunity for me to
    share my statement this morning.
        I have to apologize in advance, I have to leave early, so I
    want to thank the Witnesses now for their participation.
        The violent crime rate in America is rising and that is
    simply not acceptable. Americans of all races, class, and
    social economic conditions have been affected. Too many
    Americans are scared and worried about their safety and that of
    their children, neighbors, and our law enforcement officers.
        So, while the increase in violence against historically
    Black colleges and universities, HBCUs, are concerning, and
    I'll add, the increase in violence against Asian Americans,
    Jewish Americans, and police officers are also concerning, it's
    puzzling to me that we as a Crime Subcommittee of the Judiciary
    Committee aren't doing more to examine this frightening
    increase in violent crime.
        My first point is that this overall rise in crime has
    killed or harmed more minorities and Black Americans than the
    unfortunate bomb threats at the HBCUs. According to a new study
    by the University of California, Davis, the recent rise in
    violent crime across the United States has been concentrated on
    low-income communities of color, which have also been--
    disproportionately experienced the impact of school closures
    during this pandemic.
        To further illustrate this point that violence in America
    harms minority communities, I request unanimous consent to
    submit for the record a recent Wall Street Journal article
    entitled, ``Black Children's Lives Matter, Too,'' by Sylvia
    Bennett-Stone. Ms. Bennett-Stone is a Black mother whose 19-
    year-old daughter, Krystal, was killed by a stray bullet in
    2004 as she made the fatal decision to stop and fill her car
    with gas. As Ms. Bennett-Stone says, too many communities
    throughout our Nation have become like war zones.
        [The information follows:]

                            MR. OWENS FOR THE RECORD

    =======================================================================

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Owens. My second point, violent crimes is harming all
    classes of Americans throughout our country. In the last few
    years, hate and violent crimes have increased against African
    Americans, Asian Americans, and Jewish Americans. I must say at
    this point, something very concerning to me is that we're
    finding that a majority of Asian Americans attacks have been
    done by Black Americans. So, hate is hate no matter what color
    the perpetrator is, and we have to figure out a way to stop
    this.
        Overall, FBI data for 2020 points a 25 percent increase in
    murders from the previous year and the largest increase since
    the FBI began keeping these records in 1960. Quite simply,
    violent crime is spiking. Here are some headlines from the last
    48 hours highlighting this problem: ``New York City seeing
    spike in violence against Asian Americans,'' Yahoo News; ``35-
    year-old woman stabbed to death in Manhattan apartment in
    seemingly random act,'' ABC News. By the way, the victim in
    this crime was an Asian American. ``Seattle mayor calls for
    more police with violent crime hitting highest in 14
    years:`Status quo is unacceptable,' '' FOX News. Again, it is
    no wonder that Americans of all races, classes, and
    socioeconomic situations are concerned.
        My third and final point is that the solutions to our crime
    problems will require input and help from across the board,
    including families, communities, and institutions of faith, but
    the solutions must include respect for our law enforcement
    officers. Instead of showing up for our law enforcement
    officers and solving recruitment and pay problems, we have
    Members of this Committee who have called for defunding the
    police.
        Here are a few statistics about the heroic efforts of our
    police officers. According to the FBI, 59 officers have been
    killed in the line of duty between January 1 and September 30
    of 2021. This marks a 50 percent increase in the number of
    police officers killed when compared to the same period the
    previous year.
        Again, according to FBI reports, records, nationally 60,105
    law enforcement officers have been assaulted while performing
    their duties in 2020. This represents an increase in 4,000
    assaults from the previous year. Just last month, January 2022,
    over 30 police officers were shot and five killed in the United
    States. This is a 67 percent increase from last January.
        Madam Chair, I repeat, the threats of violence at HBCUs are
    concerning, but we are ignoring the bigger problem. Congress
    must do its part in addressing the spike in crime. I therefore
    call on the Committee to hold hearings on the following topics:
    The correlation between defunding the police and the spike in
    violent crimes; the problems of law enforcement leaving the
    profession and violent attacks on police; and, finally, the
    number of children who were killed by violence in their
    neighborhoods. According to NPR, over 1,000 children were
    killed or injured by gunfire in 2021.
        As I've mentioned numerous times before this Committee, my
    dad taught at an HBCU, Florida A&M in Tallahassee, 40 years.
    I'm concerned about anything that negatively impacts our
    institutions of learning. This national crime spike is
    impacting every institution and families of every background.
    Unfortunately, poor, Black families are disproportionately
    bearing the brunt of this evil.
        I thank you, and I yield back.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. I thank the gentleman.
        Mr. Cohen. Madam Chair, may I ask my friend, Mr. Owens, a
    question--
        Mr. Owens. Yes.
        Mr. Cohen. --if he would yield?
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Mr. Cohen, would you--
        Mr. Owens. Yes, please do, uh-huh.
        Mr. Cohen. Thank you.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. --restrain so that we can allow Mr. Nadler
    to give his testimony?
        Mr. Cohen. I think it's pertinent that we ask this question
    at this point.
        Mr. Biggs. Madam Chair, a point of order? A point of order?
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Mr. Biggs.
        Mr. Biggs. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you. My point of
    order is this, we're in the opening statement phase of this
    Committee hearing. It's not appropriate for Members to then
    question other Members about their opening statements. If he
    wishes to--if the gentleman from Tennessee wishes to ask a
    question to Mr. Owens, I respect that. I know Mr. Owens is
    willing to answer that question. It would be more appropriate--
        Ms. Jackson Lee. A point of order, Mr. Biggs.
        Mr. Biggs. Thank you.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. All right. Mr. Cohen, if you would be kind
    to indulge us to allow the opening statements at this time.
        Mr. Cohen. I yield, but I don't--I yield.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you, Mr. Cohen.
        The Chair now recognizes the Chair of the Full Committee,
    the gentleman from New York, Mr. Nadler, for his opening
    statement.
        Chair Nadler. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Domestic terrorism is at its highest level since the FBI
    began tracking it in 1994. Ten years ago, a domestic terrorist
    killed seven Sikh Americans in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Five years
    ago, militia members bombed the mosque in Bloomington,
    Minnesota. Last summer, a gunman killed six people of Asian
    descent at a spa in Atlanta. Last month, a gunman took five
    Jewish Americans hostage in their Texas synagogue. Just days
    ago, 17 of America's prized historically Black colleges and
    universities were locked down by bomb threats.
        Now, when we take stock of these horrific crimes and when
    we consider the impact of this violence on the survivors, it
    can be tempting to give way to despair. At base, domestic
    terrorism isolates us, not just by inflicting violence in our
    communities, but also by defining individuals who are members
    of those communities as ``other.''
        Domestic terrorists want to focus--force us into that
    frame, a narrative of us and them. That narrative has cost us
    so much in recent years. Recent events have also taught us a
    great deal. Among other lessons, when it comes to fighting back
    against this sort of violence, we are all in the fight
    together.
        Three of our Witnesses today are leaders in the communities
    I just mentioned, and I'm grateful they are here to share their
    experiences. By testifying today, you help to ensure that this
    Committee and the American people understand the unseen impact
    of domestic terrorism, of hatred on our families and
    communities. All of our panelists can speak to the strength of
    communities that have stood up to this violence, as well as to
    the millions of Americans affected by domestic terrorism and
    hate who are not represented here.
        As we examine the particular problem of violence directed
    at minority institutions, we would be wrong to assume that
    these incidents can be considered in a vacuum. Similarly, when
    studying these incidents, we should not be taken by the
    simplistic view that a crime was committed, that a culprit was
    caught, and that all is well. That is not how hate crime works.
        Domestic terrorism has a corrosive impact, not just on the
    survivors or the local community affected, but on minority
    communities across the country. Anyone who has experienced hate
    understands that acts of terror or hate-based violence are
    never limited to just one community or just one group of
    people. Those who have experienced such hate know it is only a
    matter of time until the perpetrators move on to another
    target, and the next target could be your family, your house of
    worship, or your neighborhood.
        Domestic terrorism invades our safe spaces and makes us
    feel like strangers in our own country. For communities that
    have been treated unfairly by law enforcement or by the
    government, the security measures designed to keep people safe
    can cause even more anxiety and the greater feeling of unease
    or otherness.
        Too many communities in recent years have felt the pain and
    fear of hate-filled violence. For many--hate-fueled violence.
    For many, it has deepened existing wounds that have developed
    over centuries of bigotry and hate directed at them.
        For example, Jewish Americans have experienced a
    generational trauma that is the legacy of thousands of years of
    anti-Semitism. Every anti-Semitic Act feels part of an ongoing
    story, and many other minority communities have a similar story
    to tell.
        Domestic terrorism is planned and carried out by groups and
    individuals who recruit by sowing distrust in our public
    institutions, spreading lies to divide Americans, and casting
    blame on minority groups. They target the spaces we should feel
    safest: Our houses of worship, our community pillars, and our
    places of learning.
        Though ideology and motivation differ from person to person
    and group to group, in 2020, White supremacists, extremists and
    militia members, and other violent far-right extremists were
    responsible for 66 percent of all domestic terror plots, and
    none of us should be shy about taking the fight to the worst
    perpetrators of these crimes.
        The threats facing minority institutions are varied and the
    solutions are complex. We must begin by understanding the
    challenges we face by examining a range of proposals to how
    best to respond.
        Last year, I was proud to join Congressman Brad Schneider
    in introducing H.R. 350, the Domestic Terror Prevention Act of
    2021. This legislation would require DOJ, DHS, and the FBI to
    create offices that would monitor, investigate, and prosecute
    cases of domestic terrorism, focusing their resources on the
    most pressing threats. I hope that this bill can be part of
    this solution.
        I thank the Chair for holding this very important hearing.
    I look forward to hearing from our Witnesses.
        Before I yield back, I ask unanimous consent that a
    statement from Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director
    of the Anti-Defamation League, be entered into the record.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Mr. Chair, without objection, so ordered.
    Thank you very much for your opening statement.
        [The information follows:]

                          CHAIR NADLER FOR THE RECORD

    =======================================================================

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        Chair Nadler. Thank you, and I yield back the balance of my
    time.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you. I thank the gentleman.
        I now recognize the Ranking Member, the gentleman from
    Arizona, Mr. Biggs, for his opening statement.
        Mr. Biggs. I thank you, Madam Chair, and I'm grateful that
    you're holding this hearing today.
        I want to express--I do express my gratitude to all the
    Witnesses who are here. We appreciate it. I look forward to
    hearing your important testimony today.
        Today's hearing is entitled, ``The Rise in Violence Against
    Minority Institutions.'' I think that's an important topic. I
    State clearly, unequivocally that placing bombs or making bomb
    threats or any threat of violence or violent Act against a
    historically Black college or university or any institution is
    unacceptable. It must be investigated, it must be prosecuted,
    and if warranted and after due process, an appropriate
    adjudication made. These things I don't think anybody on this
    Committee, or hopefully not within the sound of my voice, would
    disagree with this.
        It is my understanding that the bomb threats that were
    recently made at historically Black colleges and universities,
    several of them, are actually being investigated now, and I am
    hopeful that those who were responsible will be identified and
    brought to justice. I think that's--if we're going to get a
    handle on this, you have to create the deterrent by bringing
    those folks in, and we want to deter further activity as well
    as punish those who were responsible for this.
        There are other issues related to violent crime, as my
    colleague from Utah has mentioned, in fact, as the Chair in her
    statement brought forth a very broad, contextual statement
    about violent crime in America.
        Just yesterday, I and my Republican colleagues sent the
    Chair a letter requesting that the Subcommittee hold a hearing
    to investigate the recent reports that ICE released an illegal
    alien with ties to terrorism from custody for the reason that
    he might catch COVID-19. Now, that's an outrageous thing, and
    this Committee should immediately hold a hearing on the matter.
    I call upon the chair and I look forward to working with the
    Chair to schedule that hearing as soon as possible.
        Now, when I turn my attention to today's hearing, we see
    crime rates, particularly violent crime rates, accelerating all
    over this Nation. During the last 2 years, the United States
    has seen a spike in violent crime, and some may directly
    attribute it to the COVID outbreak and responses to that, and I
    don't discount that, but let's consider the numbers.
        In 2020, the United States tallied more than 20,000
    murders, the highest total since 1995 and 4,000 more than in
    2019. Preliminary FBI data for 2020 points to a 25 percent
    surge in murders. This would be the largest single year
    increase since the agency published numbers--began publishing
    numbers in 1960.
        Despite the rises in crime, some on this committee, some of
    my colleagues across the aisle continue to push efforts to
    defund the police. Just last week a Member of this Subcommittee
    doubled down on calls to defund the police, and this follows
    the Chair stating in 2020 that there should be substantial cut
    to the New York City Police budget.
        So, when you cut police budgets, is there any surprise that
    violent crime escalates? In New York City, the NYPD's data
    shows that overall crime rate rose 11.2 percent in October 2021
    compared to October 2020. This jump in crime continues after
    New York City defunded its police department by $1 billion, and
    now they're talking about restoring some of that.
        In Los Angeles County, homicides increased 23 percent from
    555 in 2020 to 683 in 2021. The increased homicide rate
    occurred after Los Angeles defunded its police department by
    $150 million.
        No one should be surprised when we have prosecutors who
    refuse to prosecute crimes that violent crimes goes up. Just
    one example, and there are many, but this is one example, comes
    from San Francisco, where District Attorney Chesa Boudin
    assumed office in January 2020. Boudin announced, soon after
    his election, that he was not going to seek the death penalty
    in any future cases. He would not pursue three strikes cases
    and he would deemphasize the prosecution of drug cases and
    property offenses.
        Since January 2020, gun violence and homicide have
    dramatically increased in San Francisco, where homicides have
    increased 31 percent during Boudin's first year in office.
    According to San Francisco Police, vehicle break-ins increased
    between 100 and 750 percent, depending on the neighborhood. So-
    called smash-and-grabs at retail stores have become a
    commonplace.
        Is anyone surprised when we release dangerous criminals
    awaiting trial that violent crime goes up? As we all know in
    Waukesha, Wisconsin, Darrell Brooks was released on a $1,000
    bond after running over a woman with a vehicle. He was released
    on bail, despite having a lengthy criminal history, including a
    charge for aggravated battery, an outstanding warrant in Nevada
    after skipping bail for a sex-related crime as well.
        On November 21, 2021, Brooks drove his car through a
    Christmas parade injuring over 50 individuals and killing six,
    one of whom was an 8-year-old child. Brooks now faces eight
    counts of intentional homicide, six counts of hit and run
    involving death, two felonies for skipping bail, two counts of
    domestic abuse charges, and 61 counts of recklessly endangering
    safety for each injured person at the Christmas parade.
        Some of you may be asking what all of this has to do with
    today's hearing about violence against minority institutions.
    The answer is simple. When you defund the police and enact
    policies to embolden criminals, it often is the minority
    communities that pay the most egregious price. Shooting
    homicides are concentrated in underserved, impoverished
    minority communities, and I argue that hits hardest on the
    families that have lost loved ones as a result of violent
    crime. The social institution of the family remains the most
    important in society, but it is damaged by violence.
        I mentioned smash-and-grab stores--at retail stores. It's
    not isolated to San Francisco. It is often occurring all over
    the country, many times to minority owned businesses. Couple
    this with the mayhem and destruction, minority owned businesses
    suffered as a result of the 2020 riots, and these small
    businesses continue to struggle to get by, especially nested in
    the context of the COVID pandemic.
        If we really want to tackle this issue, I suggest we need
    to make sure that our police are adequately funded. We need to
    remove dangerous policies that allow violent criminals to hurt
    innocent victims. I think that we need to continue to talk
    about the nature of community, the nature of family, the nature
    of individual responsibility to make sure that all of us are
    seeking to have strength in our communities, peace in our
    communities, that each person may actually achieve and fulfill
    the full measure of the creation that God gave to each one of
    them.
        That's my hope. I hope we come away from this hearing with
    shared perspectives. I know that we won't agree on everything,
    but I hope that we find the common areas that we can agree on
    and work to make this country better for every person in the
    country.
        With that, Madam Chair, thank you, and I yield back.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. I thank the Ranking Member, and just a
    moment for the Chair's prerogative. Let me thank both Mr. Owens
    and Mr. Biggs for their presentation. Let me be very brief to
    emphasize to our Members, who I welcome to this hearing, that
    this hearing should not be diminished. The crisis of attacks on
    institutions out of racist attitudes and anti-religious
    attitudes and anti-Semitic attitudes should not be diminished.
        You may be somewhat premature in your statements as it
    relates to this Committee's agenda. I would also say that there
    are diverse opinions on this Committee and in this Congress.
    Some in this Congress believe January 6th was a tourist event,
    others do not.
        We know that the President and Vice President are viewers
    of strong support of law enforcement, as there are Members on
    this Committee who have those views, and we respect all those
    views. This is a crucial and important and lifesaving effort to
    protect those who have been subjected to bomb threats across
    this Nation, and I for one don't think we should stand for it
    and be silent about it.
        We will go forward with this hearing, but we appreciate
    your comments, and you should look forward to hearings that
    will be addressing those questions as well.
        It is now my pleasure to introduce today's Witnesses.
        Dr. Seth G. Jones is a Senior Vice President at the Center
    for Strategic and International Studies. He leads a bipartisan
    team of over 50 resident staff and a network of nonresident
    affiliates dedicated to providing independent strategic
    insights and policy solutions that shape national security.
        He also teaches at Johns Hopkins University's School of
    Advanced International Studies and the Center for Homeland
    Defense and Security at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He
    also served as the representative for the commander, U.S.
    Special Operations Command, to the Assistant Secretary of
    Defense for Special Operations.
        Dr. David K. Wilson, the tenth President of Morgan State
    University, has more than 30 years of experience in higher
    education. Dr. Wilson holds four academic degrees: A Bachelor
    of Science in political science and a master of science in
    education from Tuskegee University, a master of education in
    educational planning and Administration from Harvard
    University, and a doctor of education in Administration
    planning and social policy also from Harvard. He came to Morgan
    State from the University of Wisconsin, where he served as
    chancellor of both the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the
    University of Wisconsin-Extension.
        Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker has been the rabbi at
    Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, since 2006. He
    graduated from the University of Michigan in 1998, and attended
    Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion at its
    Jerusalem and Cincinnati campuses, receiving his rabbinical
    ordination in 2006 and a Master of Arts in Hebrew letters in
    2005. He is a past President of the Southwest Association of
    Reformed Rabbis and serves on the steering Committee of Peace
    Together.
        Dr. Demetrick ``Tre'' Pennie holds a doctor of education in
    higher education from Texas Tech University. He earned a
    bachelor's in criminal justice from Midwestern State University
    and a master's in counseling from Prairie View A&M University
    in 2006. He served 4 years in the U.S. Army, is a 22-year
    retired police sergeant with the Dallas Police Department, and
    currently serves as President and executive director at the
    National Fallen Officer Foundation.
        Mr. Pardeep Singh Kaleka is a former police officer who is
    currently the Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference
    of Greater Milwaukee. He is also a clinician who works as a
    deradicalization interventionist to help individuals and
    families to help them exist the life of violent extremism. I
    think it is to resist the life of violent extremism. He
    cofounded Serve2Unite following the murder of his father during
    the attack at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin. His organization
    works to build positive coalitions among communities and to
    address conflict and reconciliation through a public health
    lens.
        Brandon Tatum served 6 years at the Tucson Police
    Department and is the author of ``Beaten Black and Blue: Being
    a Black Cop in an America Under Siege.'' Mr. Tatum received a
    Bachelor of Art from the University of Arizona, is currently
    working toward a master's from Grand Canyon University. As a
    police officer, he became a SWAT operator, field training
    officer, general instructor, and a public information officer.
        Margaret Huang has been an advocate for human rights and
    racial justice for nearly 3 years--three decades, and currently
    serves as the President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law
    Center. She previously served as the Executive Director of
    Amnesty International USA. She received a Master of
    International Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor
    of Science in foreign service from Georgetown University. She
    currently sits on the board of directors for the Progressive
    Multiplier Fund.
        We are delighted to have all of you as Witnesses today. We
    welcome you as distinguished Witnesses and important fact
    Witnesses, and we thank you for your participation.
        I will begin by swearing in our Witnesses. I ask our
    Witnesses to turn on your audio so that you can be loud and
    clear, and make sure that I can see your face and your raised
    hand while I administer the oath.
        Do you swear or affirm under penalty of perjury that the
    testimony you're about to give is true and correct to the best
    of your knowledge, information, and belief, so help you God?
        Can I hear the Witnesses, please?
        Let the record show the Witnesses answered in the
    affirmative, each and every one.
        Thank you so very much.
        Please note that your written testimony will be entered
    into the record in its entirety. Accordingly, I ask you to
    summarize your testimony in 5 minutes. To help you stay within
    that timeframe, there is a timing light on your screen. When
    the light switches from green to yellow, you have 1 minute to
    conclude your testimony. When the light turns red, it signals
    that your 5 minutes have expired.
        I do want to acknowledge to our Members that those who will
    be giving victim testimony will be given a little time to be
    able to finish, I think you should know that, out of courtesy
    to the victimization that they experienced. So, thank you very
    much for understanding.
        It is now my time to recognize Dr. Jones, again, for 5
    minutes. You may begin, Dr. Jones.

                       TESTIMONY OF SETH G. JONES

        Mr. Jones. Thank you very much, Chair Jackson Lee, Ranking
    Member Biggs, and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. My
    opening remarks are going to be divided into three sections.
    The first outlines the contours of domestic terrorism and the
    database that I'll be talking a little bit about, the second
    will actually focus on those trends, and the third are some
    implications for consideration for Congress.
        Let me begin with the first area. What I'm going to focus
    on is domestic terrorism, defined by the deliberate use or
    threat of violence by non-state actors to achieve political
    goals and to create a broad psychological impact. Violence and
    the threat of violence are critical components of the
    definition we use in our CSIS database, and this definition is
    largely consistent with the official U.S. Government definition
    of domestic terrorism under 18 U.S. Code 2331.
        In focusing on domestic terrorism, I do want to highlight
    that we're not including all aspects of hate speech or hate
    crimes. Those are obviously deeply concerning, but what we're
    just focusing on is violence and the threat of violence. Our
    data set includes, I think, all cases, the universe of cases
    that we have identified since the early 1990s.
        We have worked consistently over the years with the Federal
    Bureau of Investigation, where I served briefly several years
    ago: The Department of Homeland Security, Department of
    Defense, and the National Counterterrorism Center. So, we've
    shared our data and had useful back and forth.
        So, let me get briefly to the second area, which is trends.
    The years 2020-2021, according to our data set, had the highest
    numbers of domestic terrorist attacks and plots in our data
    set. In 2021, there were 73 attacks and plots in the United
    States. It was slightly down from 2020.
        This broad recent trend in domestic terrorist activity
    began around 2014, so from 2014-2021, there have been an
    average of about 31 fatalities per year. The number of
    fatalities in 2021 are kind of an average number. We've seen
    years with much larger numbers of fatalities, including 1995,
    Oklahoma City; 2001, September 11. The numbers of fatalities
    certainly are concerning.
        Terrorist attacks and plots spanned 18 States, including
    Washington, DC. Many of these events took place in metropolitan
    areas, but these cities were dispersed across the U.S. I think
    it's worth highlighting some of the targets and tactics as
    well.
        The types of weapons we're seeing used varied somewhat by
    perpetrator. For White supremacists and like-minded attackers,
    we saw a primary focus on firearms; for anarchists,
    antifascists, and others, we saw a primary focus on melee
    weapons, so knives and blunt instruments. So, some variation in
    the types of weapons that domestic terrorists are using.
        In terms of targets, what's interesting is, according to
    our data, government, military, and police locations and
    personnel are the most frequently targeted by domestic
    terrorist attacks, regardless of perpetrator orientation. We do
    see very concerning attacks against minorities and minority
    institutions, not just the attack this year, but also a number
    of them: The Patrick Crusius murder of 22 people focused
    predominantly on immigrants at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas; in
    2019, the Robert Bowers attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in
    Pittsburgh in 2018. So, we have seen a very concerning focus on
    a range of individuals based on their racial, ethnic,
    religious, political makeup, including misogynistic attacks as
    well in the U.S.
        So, very briefly, on implications particularly for
    Congress, I continue to believe that the U.S. Government needs
    to provide much more comprehensive data on terrorist attacks,
    plots, and I support the FBI and other agencies providing
    annual or biannual reports to a range of committees in the U.S.
        Then lastly, strongly support continuing to support State,
    local, and other enforcement agencies, so they're appropriately
    resourced to identify and respond to attacks ``left of boom.''
        So, with that, I will conclude my opening remarks, and
    obviously happy to take questions later.
        [The statement of Mr. Jones follows:]

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        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you very much, Dr. Jones.
        Dr. Wilson is now recognized for 5 minutes.

                      TESTIMONY OF DAVID K. WILSON

        Mr. Wilson. Thank you very much, Madam Chair Lee, Ranking
    Committee Member Biggs, other Members of the Subcommittee. I'm
    David K. Wilson, the 10th President of Morgan. Morgan is an
    8,500-student high-research university here in Baltimore,
    Maryland.
        Madam Chair, the purpose of this gathering today is to
    address the bomb threats made to Morgan and to more than 20
    other HBCUs this year alone. I have to start by saying that as
    a young Black boy growing up in rural, segregated Jim Crow
    Alabama on a sharecropping plantation who was not permitted to,
    of course, attend school full time until I was in the seventh
    grade, I have experienced firsthand this type of trauma and
    this type of racial violence, if you will. This is why I have
    devoted my entire career to providing educational leadership to
    campuses, to enable them to nurture the intellectual growth of
    Black students and not to stifle it.
        It is so unfortunate that there is so much hatred in our
    Nation today being held by those who are trying to simply
    prevent HBCUs from educating a disproportionate number of Black
    students. Yes, the vast majority of these more than 100
    institutions have been around since the mid-19th century, and
    from their inception they have just simply been targets of
    domestic terrorism.
        I have outlined in my written testimony example after
    example, dating back to the destruction of Wilberforce
    University in Ohio, of LeMoyne-Owen College in Tennessee, of
    Wiley College in Texas, of my own alma mater, Tuskegee
    University, that saw 75 Klansmen march through the campus and
    through town, if you will, because they did not want Black
    physicians to be at the John A. Andrew Hospital ministering to
    the needs of veterans. The list goes on and on and on. Even at
    my own national treasure Morgan State University, our students
    had to fight, fight just to integrate shops right across the
    street from us. They too were victims of domestic terrorism for
    years, but they did not give up.
        Members of the Subcommittee, this is not 1865, it is not
    1923, it is not 1962; this is 2022, but these domestic acts of
    terror persist across HBCUs. Yes, there is much too much
    ignorance, much too much misunderstanding that exists today
    about these historic institutions in American higher education.
        Our HBCUs are not some radical terror camps which
    apparently is wrapped up in the distorted imagination of
    domestic terrorists. Our campuses are not places, if you will,
    where our students are taught to hate this country or to engage
    in activity to destroy the fabric of our democracy.
        Quite the contrary, HBCUs have always had their foundation,
    if you will, as one that prepares, inspires, motivates, and
    encourages our students to live out the American Dream, to
    become the engineers and the elected officials--many of you
    attended our institutions--to become the doctors, the lawyers,
    the architects, the engineers, and the judges. That's what our
    institutions have been about, and we have been about that
    because we too believe very strongly in the American Dream. We
    believe that we contribute the talent to make this country more
    competitive internationally.
        So, I just humbly ask the Nation today: Is this not the
    heart of what a truly functioning, inclusive democracy should
    be? Well, I believe the answer is clear to all who is willing
    to see it. Our HBCUs are part and parcel of America. We are
    national treasures. We deserve the utmost veneration, we
    deserve the utmost respect, and we deserve the utmost
    protection.
        So, as I bring my remarks to a close, I would simply like
    to say that HBCUs have created the Black middle class in this
    country. We will always be the truth tellers. We will always be
    the innovators. As we come through this bitterly polarized era
    of American history, our campuses are fully prepared to be the
    single group of institutions, if need be, that can ultimately
    keep our democracy from an untimely and unwarranted demise.
        We will not let anything cloud our focus. Our students, if
    you will, deserve to feel safe and be safe. We will never,
    ever, ever be deterred from what our ancestors gave their blood
    for, and it was to ensure that these campuses were holding high
    the ideals in the U.S. Constitution and educate students to
    grow the future and, indeed, lead the world.
        Thank you, Madam Chair.
        [The statement of Mr. Wilson follows:]

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Jackson Lee. Dr. Wilson, thank you for that powerful
    testimony. Your time is expired, but your message continues to
    reverberate. Thank you so very much for your testimony today.
        It is my privilege to now yield 5 minutes to Rabbi Cytron-
    Walker. Rabbi, you're recognized for 5 minutes, and welcome.

                TESTIMONY OF RABBI CHARLIE CYTRON-WALKER

        Rabbi Cytron-Walker. Chair Jackson Lee, Vice-Chair Bush,
    Ranking Member Biggs, I want to thank you for the opportunity
    to share my thoughts with you this morning. I'm honored to have
    Chair Nadler join us this morning, and I am pleased to see
    Representative Demings, who was so gracious when I testified
    for the first time ever just last week before her Subcommittee.
        I believe and often teach that Judaism is filled with
    contradictions because life is filled with contradictions, and
    today I am filled with mixed and even contradictory emotions.
    On the one hand, I am truly horrified that in our society today
    religious leaders must devote themselves to security training.
    How to harden our facilities is both a necessary conversation
    and an anathema to religious ideals of hospitality and loving
    the stranger.
        At the same time, I'm filled with gratitude. I'm grateful
    to be here. This feeling hasn't gone away. I'm grateful to be
    anywhere. I'm grateful to be anywhere because a terrorist chose
    a Jewish synagogue, because he thought the Jews control the
    world. He thought that he could take Jews hostage, call up an
    influential rabbi, and she would snap her fingers and give him
    what he wanted. He truly believed the Jews control the media,
    the Jews control the government, the Jews control everything.
        Tragically, this is just one aspect of anti-Semitism that
    has been so harmful to the Jewish people throughout history.
    Over the centuries, entire Jewish communities have been
    destroyed because people believe that Jews drank the blood of
    non-Jewish children. Entire Jewish communities have been
    destroyed because people believe that Jews wanted to torture
    communion wafers. Entire Jewish communities have been destroyed
    because people believe that Jews were responsible for all the
    bad things in life, that we are the root of all evil.
        As absurd as it sounds, every single outrageous lie about
    the Jewish people has been shared in various forms by people
    from all walks of life in recent years. It's sad, it is
    ridiculous, and it is maddening that I was taken a hostage
    because of it. Far too many Jews have died because of it. This
    anti-Semitism isn't distant history. This is a month ago. This
    is now. This is years of increased harassment and attacks
    against my people.
        The potential of an anti-Semitic incident is what led me to
    attend around half a dozen security related seminars over the
    past 6 years. It's a part of why we developed a security action
    plan and strengthened our relationship with local law
    enforcement. It motivated me to apply for and receive a grant
    from the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, for which we have
    such appreciation.
        The chances that something could have happened were so
    small. Even so, we knew it was a possibility and we wanted to
    be as prepared as possible. Thankfully, we had taken so many
    constructive steps, and yet I don't know if anyone could have
    ever been fully prepared.
        On the morning of January 15, when the gunman arrived, it
    was me and one volunteer in the building. I was running late. I
    was finishing my preparations, and in the midst of trying to do
    a million different things, I had a stranger come to the door.
    I have, of course, thought about that moment to great deal. I
    welcomed a terrorist into my congregation. I live with that
    responsibility.
        It's important for you to understand that this was not a
    matter of me opening the door just because I value hospitality.
    I do value hospitality. The Torah scroll that we read from each
    week was gifted to our congregation thanks to hospitality. I
    strive to live that value every day. Like so many
    congregations, CBI strives to be a house of prayer for all
    people, and at the same time, I also value security.
        In a small congregation I was rabbi and tech support and
    gatekeeper. When our Member asked if I knew the person at the
    door, I was distracted, but I still did a visual inspection and
    after a brief word, he appeared to be who he said he was, a guy
    who spent a night outside in sub 40-degree weather. After
    talking with him more, his story added up.
        Of course, I was wrong. I was so wrong. I share this
    because despite all the plans and funding and courses, I still
    opened the door. Because of all the plans and funding and
    courses and literally dozens of small things that just happened
    to go right, to go our way, we were able to escape.
        No one, no one should fear gathering or pray--no one should
    fear gathering to pray or celebrate or mourn or connect in
    their spiritual home. No one should experience such hatred and
    violence. No one should experience anything remotely like what
    I had to.
        In 1947, back in 1947, perhaps the leading rabbi of that
    time, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise told the Senate Labor Committee
    that equality of opportunity for Jews can be truly secured only
    in a genuinely democratic society. He continued: Accordingly,
    we seek to fight every manifestation of racism, to promote the
    civil and political equality of all groups and persons in
    America, and to support measures designed to safeguard civil
    liberties to build a better America.
        We regard ethnic discrimination directed against any group
    as a single and indivisible problem as one of the most urgent
    problems of a democratic society. Nothing more gravely
    threatens American democracy today than the fact of its
    incompleteness. Democracy to be secure must be complete, and
    incomplete democracy is an insecure democracy.
        Members of the Committee, I would add that the converse is
    equally true. An insecure democracy is an incomplete democracy,
    and too many communities in our democracy today feel insecure.
    Tragically, we live in a world where houses of worship need
    protection, where too many of all backgrounds are victims of
    hate crimes. I believe that both Democrats and Republicans want
    to change that reality.
        Changing our reality all at once is too much to ask. That's
    why Rabbi Tarfon taught that we aren't obligated to complete
    the work, but we can't neglect it. I'm not here today asking
    you to complete the work, but we need your help. Please hear
    the diverse group of witnesses who have come before you today.
    We are all struggling. We all need practical and intelligent
    solutions to help all of us feel safe and secure.
        It is truly an honor for me to speak with you today. I'm so
    grateful for the opportunity.
        [The statement of Rabbi Cytron-Walker follows:]

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        Ms. Jackson Lee. Rabbi, again we embrace you, we mourn with
    you, and we hear your call to action. Thank you for your
    testimony today, equally powerful.
        It's my pleasure now to recognize Dr. Pennie for 5 minutes.
    Dr. Pennie, welcome.

                   STATEMENT OF DR. DEMETRICK PENNIE

        Mr. Pennie. Thank you, Chair Jackson Lee, Chair Nadler, and
    Ranking Member Biggs, and other distinguished Members of the
    Committee for allowing me to speak.
        On behalf of the National Fallen Officer Foundation, I am
    honored to appear before this Committee to speak on a topic
    that's so near and dear to my heart, protecting our police and
    our communities. As a law enforcement advocate, I speak on
    behalf of the hundreds of police families across this Nation
    that have lost loved ones in the line of duty when I say enough
    is enough.
        According to FBI statistics in 2021, 73 police officers
    were shot and killed in the line of duty, the highest number of
    police officers murdered in 20 years. The FBI also noted that
    the rise of anti-police sentiment has led to a rash of attacks
    on police. Last year alone, there were 86 premeditated ambush-
    styled attacks on police officers, in which 26 of those
    officers died.
        These tragedies can no longer be ignored or tolerated in
    our civilized society. So, why is this happening? Well, one
    reason why they're happening is because of widespread online
    radicalization, the indoctrination of individuals online using
    negative content to incite violence and create division.
        So, because of this, not only have we had America's
    citizens travel abroad to join extremist groups like ISIS, some
    have even been radicalized here at home and have taken up arms
    against our police and the American people. On July 7th, 2016,
    the world watched in horror as a lone gunman ambushed police
    officers in downtown Dallas, Texas, during a Black Lives Matter
    rally.
        During that attack, 12 police officers were shot, and five
    of them were killed. The investigation found that the shooter
    was radicalized online and was obsessed with police-involved
    shootings in the Black community.
        In 2017, I filed a Federal lawsuit against Facebook,
    Google, and Twitter for failing to manage their platforms, and
    allowing domestic extremist groups to recruit, radicalize, and
    incite violence against our police. That case is known as
    Pennie v. Twitter.
        Although the companies admitted to knowing that their
    platforms were being used for nefarious activities, the courts
    were reluctant to move against the immunity protections offered
    under section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, and
    nothing was ever done. Five years later, the problem has
    worsened, and our police officers have seemingly been caught in
    the middle of corporate profitability and government
    limitations.
        In fact, we continue to see these platforms being used in
    the same manner facilitating attacks on our law enforcement and
    our government itself. During the George Floyd riots of 2020,
    social media was being used not only to facilitate the rise,
    but also to help radical groups organize and fundraise off that
    narrative.
        The riots led to more than $2 billion in property damage,
    several hundred police officers being injured, and 19 citizens
    being killed, among them were 77-year-old St. Louis police
    captain, David Dorn, whose murder was broadcast live on
    Facebook. It was reported that more than 17,000 people were
    arrested during the George Floyd riots, but to this date, only
    very few prosecutions have been reported.
        In fact, the tide was seemingly turning in the opposite
    direction as progressive D.A.'s across this country are now
    prosecuting police officers for responding to those same riots.
    Unfortunately, today, there appears to be more advocacy in the
    court system for the criminals than there are for the victims.
        Last year, 27 of our Nation's largest cities have saw a
    drastic increase in homicides. I'm from one of those cities,
    Houston, Texas. Since 2019, Houston has seen a 73 percent
    increase in homicides. In fact, over the last year, judges in
    Houston-Harris County have released 113 defendants charged with
    capital murder back onto our streets, and those same offenders
    have contributed to more than 150 murders while out on bond.
        It's no secret that America has become unsafe on the heels
    of social justice movements, bail reform initiatives, and
    intentional efforts to defund our police across the country.
    Their policies have not reduced crime. To the contrary, they've
    augmented crime, especially in our Nation's inner-city
    communities.
        The solution is simple to solve the crime problem. We have
    to keep our violent criminals behind bars, punish bad behavior,
    and hold social media companies accountable.
        [The statement of Mr. Pennie follows:]

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        Ms. Jackson Lee. Witness time has expired. The Witness time
    has expired.
        Thank you very much.
        Mr. Pennie. Thank you.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. --for your testimony.
        Mr. Kaleka, you're recognized now for 5 minutes.

                   STATEMENT OF PARDEEP SINGH KALEKA

        Mr. Kaleka. Thank you so much, Chair Nadler, Chair Jackson
    Lee, Ranking Member Biggs, and distinguished Members of the
    Subcommittee. My name is Pardeep Singh Kaleka. I'm a former
    police officer, educator, and trauma clinician. I currently
    serve as the Executive Director of the Interfaith Conference of
    Greater Milwaukee. Today, however, I come before you as a
    member of the Sikh-American Community, whose life was forever
    changed by the 2012 assault on the Gurudwara, our Sikh house of
    worship, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
        On Sunday, August 5th, 2012, my family was on our way to
    the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin when my daughter confessed that
    she had forgotten her notebook for Sunday school. I admit that
    I was a little bit irritated, but we returned to our house,
    found that notebook, and headed back out again.
        When we arrived at the Gurudwara, the parking lot was
    filled with police vehicles. My immediate concern was for my
    mother and father who were always the first to arrive and
    prepare for services. While in the parking lot, I received a
    call from someone inside the building who told me that my
    father had been shot. That conversation was interrupted by a
    call from my mother who whispered that she was hiding with
    others inside the building.
        My concern turned into urgency to find out if our loved
    ones were safe or not. Eventually, it was confirmed that my
    father, Satwant Singh Kaleka, was among six worshippers who was
    killed at that attack, along with Paramjit Kaur Saini, Sita
    Singh, Ranjit Singh, Prakash Singh, and Suveg Singh Khattra. A
    seventh individual, Baba Punjab Singh, passed away in 2020 due
    to complications from the injuries he sustained that day. If my
    daughter had not forgotten her notebook, we could have been
    also killed.
        Rather than turning inward in anguish and anger, we chose
    to believe that this country, its ideals, and its promise are
    worth fighting for. For example, not long after we began a
    campaign with the Sikh Coalition to ensure that anti-Sikh
    sentiment would be tracked and reported to the FBI.
        Once the Bureau began cataloging anti-Sikh hate crimes,
    their reports have shown what every Sikh-American already
    knows, that we are among the top five most frequently targeted
    faith communities in America.
        When we learned that the shooter, Wade Michael Page, had
    extensive ties to a White supremacist movement, I befriended
    Arno Michaelis, a former White supremacist and the founder of
    the Milwaukee chapter of the hate organization that Wade Page
    belonged to.
        Over the past 10 years, Arno and I have traveled to
    countless cities, consulted with local, State, and Federal law
    enforcement agencies, and spoke to thousands of people on how
    to prevent hate in their own communities. I also work as a de-
    radicalization clinician with Parents4Peace and as a consultant
    with Not in Our Town.
        These organizations are on the front lines providing
    counseling and treatment plans to engage entire communities and
    help individuals turn away from hate.
        Despite these best efforts, hate continues to threaten too
    many minority communities in our country. A Black church was
    attacked in South Carolina, synagogues were assaulted in
    Pennsylvania, California, and Texas. Masjids have been targeted
    for vandalism, arson, and violence across the country.
    Individuals from these communities and still others are
    increasingly targeted in hate crimes year after year after
    year.
        All of this fear and hate and danger comes from a toxic mix
    of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and White
    supremacy. As we meet this challenge, I urge you to ensure that
    the policies that you implement to protect marginalized
    communities cannot be turned against us.
        Post-9/11 surveillance and profiling erode a trust within
    law enforcement and law enforcement that harmed Black and Brown
    families, all while White supremacist extremism went largely
    unchecked. We must shift our framework to counter extremism
    from one fixated on security and law enforcement to one rooted
    in public health and community engagement.
        We must further invest in our communities and empower the
    advocates who are leading at the local level. We have to de-
    radicalize those who are entrenched in hate and invest in
    early-stage interventions that work to cure the pain that often
    precedes acts of violence in our society.
        Our way to do this is by ensuring that what is taught in
    our schools is both accurate and represents a rich tapestry
    that makes up America. Another way is to hold social media
    platforms accountable for violent hate speech. There are also
    bills that Congress could pass today. The Justice For Victims
    of Hate Crimes Act would instantly improve how we charge hate
    crimes. We can then further improve our data tracking around
    these crimes. Passing the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act
    would more effectively combat White supremacist extremism.
    Finally, we can do better to facilitate access to Federal
    resources like the nonprofit security grant to protect sacred
    places like our Gurudwara in Oak Creek.
        We can do all these things and more, but only if we are
    willing to work together in the pursuit of prevention and
    safety through a whole-of-society approach. As a father who is
    fighting to make the world a better place for my children, that
    is my wish. That is why, above anything else, I am here.
        Thank you so much.
        [The statement of Mr. Kaleka follows:]

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        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you for your testimony and your
    important message. It is important that we hear it.
        Mr. Tatum, you're now recognized for 5 minutes.

                       STATEMENT OF BRANDON TATUM

        Mr. Tatum. I just want to, first, say thank you Jerry
    Nadler, Sheila Jackson Lee, Ranking Member Biggs for having me.
    This is a true honor and a testimony in our country that we've
    come a long way, and that a person of color like myself have
    access to speak, and I think it speaks volumes at how far we've
    come, and I think that it's time in our country that we don't
    turn back to the things that many want to retain in our
    history. We should keep continue to move forward.
        First, things that I want to say is that it's very
    important for us to be able to define acts of terrorism and be
    able to investigate them thoroughly. We have to understand that
    there's a lot of hoaxes that have been perpetuated over the
    last several years, and I want us to, in addition to, focusing
    on the hate crimes, and I think that every single person that
    is here understands that it is a problem in our country and
    that we need to address it vigorously. We also need to identify
    the influx of people who are coming out and creating situations
    and lying about hate crime and violence in certain situations
    to gain traction in their particular movement.
        There has been a tremendous increase--like I said, it's
    written in my statement, and we have seen it happen all too
    often on college campuses. Unfortunately, many of them are
    perpetuated by minorities in our communities. Young ladies who
    have made statements that there were writings and racial slurs
    perpetuated on campus, some nooses and other things that are
    associated with hate crimes, come to find out that they were
    all perpetuated by the person who reported it. So, in addition
    to our research, and our efforts to combat terrorism in
    institutions, we also need to look at and help verify whether
    these things are true or not.
        I want to talk about another issue that will speak to the
    very grounds of people in our country who have been
    demoralized. I think that it's the lack of retaining God in our
    consciousness. I really would love to see people who are in
    leadership in our government continue to retain God, and not
    throw God away and Act as if God wasn't the help and the
    foundation of this country.
        The reason that we are where we are today in our country is
    because the Judeo-Christian values that we have retained. I
    think that people have been demoralized in their apt to commit
    these crimes and be hateful towards one another because the
    absence of God.
        I'll add as well, when it comes to law enforcement, many
    people who are on this Zoom call right now have been
    perpetuating hatred towards law enforcement officers and has
    led to the police officers being dejected. They are not
    engaging. They are not being proactive, and many of these
    efforts, or many of these lack of efforts on behalf of police
    officers who are scared to do their job, fearful of terrorist
    activity against them, and also fearful a judgment--prejudgment
    and being called a racist and working in a racial institution,
    these officers are not able, or they are not proactively
    policing, which will deter a lot of these actors from going
    into synagogues, from acting out in violence.
        The ones who are standing in the gap for us to protect our
    citizens are the police officers. When you diminish them, they
    are no longer going to be there. They're retiring, they're
    quitting, and we cannot get enough officers in the field to
    combat this. I want everybody on here to understand that, that
    our law enforcement officers are incredibly important if we are
    going to fight against this influx of terrorism and terrorist
    behavior. The last thing that I will say is that we do need to
    also include the institution of the family.
        Many of these minority communities are falling apart and we
    see a lot of degradation because of the institution of the
    family that's under attack. So, in addition to the college and
    universities and other Black businesses, I also think we should
    focus on the Black family in inner-city minority families,
    because the stronger the family becomes, the better prepared
    they are, the better people are put out into society, and the
    better equipped they are in not becoming victims in the society
    that we live in.
        I want to first end this by saying thank you. I really
    appreciate the opportunity to have my voice being heard, and
    I'm here to answer any questions subsequent to my testimony.
    Thank you.
        [The statement of Mr. Tatum follows:]

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        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you.
        Ms. Huang, you are recognized for 5 minutes.

                      STATEMENT OF MARGARET HUANG

        Ms. Huang. Good morning, Chair Jackson Lee, Ranking Member
    Gibbs, Chair Nadler, and all the Members of the Subcommittee.
    My name is Margaret Huang, and I'm President and CEO of the
    Southern Poverty Law Center and the SPLC action fund.
        The recent bomb threats against almost two dozen
    historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, over
    the last 2 weeks have been deeply impactful, threatening a
    collective sense of security and safety.
        These hateful threats, apparently timed to coincide with
    the beginning of Black History Month, are reminiscent of this
    country's long history of White supremacist attacks on Black
    leaders and Black churches, attacks with the explicit goal of
    terrorizing Black communities to assert control.
        Of the 107 HBCUs in the United States, 44 are located in
    the five States of the Deep South where the Southern Poverty
    Law Center has significant presence and a commitment to social
    justice. These States are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
    and Mississippi.
        These threats impact both our community and our staff. We
    have staff members who are proud HBCU alum, and many others who
    have children and family members who are students, faculty, or
    graduates of HBCUs.
        It's been almost 60 years since the Ku Klux Klan members
    bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama,
    killing four schoolgirls, yet we are still grappling with
    hateful acts targeting racial and religious minorities. At a
    time when many States are passing laws restricting teaching
    about racism, it is clear that more needs to be done to teach
    our young people the unvarnished truth about American history,
    both the good and the bad.
        To help the Subcommittee understand the context for the
    racist attacks on the HBCUs, my written testimony describes how
    the current extremist threat is being mainstreamed, how to
    prevent hate crimes, and address online radicalization, the
    importance of evidence-based violence prevention initiatives,
    and the need to ensure that our students have digital literacy
    skills taught in an inclusive, educational environment.
        When our educational and religious communities are targeted
    for violence and vandalism, it is imperative that the needs of
    survivors are prioritized. Our instinct is to increase physical
    security for our houses of worship and community institutions,
    higher walls, more cameras, more bullet-proof glass, and even
    armed guards, but these steps must be coupled with a commitment
    to fund, research, and prevention initiatives to address hate
    and the long-term contributions to extremism.
        Passage of the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act would be a
    key advance in this effort. Press reports indicate that the FBI
    has focused its investigation on six radicalized tech savvy
    youth suspects. One of the young offenders reportedly claimed a
    connection with the Atomwaffen Division, a terroristic, Neo-
    Nazi organization that we have been tracking over the past 5
    years.
        The possible connection to extremist groups underscores the
    needs for parents, educators, and communities to be attuned to
    signs of radicalization, and to help inoculate young people
    against being drawn into an extreme and hateful path. We're
    pleased that the DOJ, DHS, and the FBI have launched criminal
    investigations into this case, but more must be done.
        My testimony includes several policy recommendations for
    Congress and the Administration.
        First, words matter. It's impossible to overstate the
    importance of elected officials and community and business
    leaders using their public platforms to condemn these threats
    to HBCUs and other communal institutions.
        Second, oversight matters. We appreciate the attention of
    this Committee, Congress, and the Biden Administration that you
    have devoted to addressing White supremacy and extremism in all
    forms. This must continue.
        Finally, investments matter. We urge you to make
    investments in countering disinformation, developing prevention
    strategies, and offering antibias education. Disinformation and
    conspiracy theories are galvanizing attacks on our democracy
    and government institutions. Teachers must be able to teach the
    full truth, including about the hard history of slavery,
    racism, and White supremacy in the United States.
        These investments can help secure a future in which all can
    gather, worship, and live free of terrorists and extremist
    threats in a Nation as good as its highest ideals. We look
    forward to working with you as you continue your focus to
    ensure our treasured HBCUs are safe spaces for all.
        Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.
        [The statement of Ms. Huang follows:]

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        Ms. Jackson Lee. Let me thank you so very much and all the
    Witnesses for their testimony. We will now proceed under the 5-
    minute rule with questions, and I begin by recognizing myself
    for 5 minutes.
        Again, just a brief moment of Chair's privilege to indicate
    the cruciality and importance of this hearing and the Witnesses
    who have come here today to speak to the dangers that they have
    experienced should be the highlight of this hearing.
        As indicated, hearings regarding other issues are pending,
    and we will address those issues. Also, we'll make note that
    the Members that I know on this Committee are not the cause of
    violence against law enforcement officers, and I would take
    issue with any statements to that effect.
        Let me begin by saying to you, Dr. Wilson, and my time is
    short, but I do want to frame the danger of bomb threats to the
    psychic and the operation of a historically Black college where
    there has been generational trauma. If you can concisely give
    us that for the record, I want to make sure people understand
    that.
        Dr. Wilson, if you would, please.
        Mr. Wilson. Thank you, Madam Chair. Indeed, the
    psychological impact that the continuation of these threats is
    having on our young minds cannot be understated. Our students
    are here at Morgan and across the HBCU world are on the
    campuses when they first saw the murder of Trayvon Martin and
    they were 8 or 9 years old. Then following that, they saw a
    series of other individuals whose lives were cut down who also
    were in their age group, and who looked like them. Then, all of
    a sudden, you had the pandemic, and then George Floyd, and they
    were shutted out of these spaces for a year and a half, and we
    have the largest enrollment here in Morgan ever, because the
    students wanted to come to campuses where they could exhale,
    where they could actually reacquaint themselves with the kind
    of emotional well-being that the campus actually provides, and
    then all these bomb threats.
        You wouldn't believe just how taxed our counseling center
    and resources have been just to minister to the incredible
    needs of these students. It's off the chart. I don't mean to,
    in any way, move beyond and describe this, Madam Chair, in any
    way, but it actually is.
        We are seeing so many students who are almost coming to the
    brink, because they can't bear it anymore. As president, I have
    to say to them, this is not who we are. This is not our
    country. This is not our Nation. I have to really try and keep
    that together.
        Our faculty--I'm speaking in terms of Morgan--but it's the
    same whether it's [inaudible] or Howard or Morehouse or Spelman
    or North Carolina A&T.
        So, I hope the Committee will not take lightly the
    incredible psychological and emotional damage that these
    threats are perpetrating on our young lives.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Dr. Wilson, thank you.
        Dr. Jones, bomb threats can result in bombs and violence.
    Is that not true?
        Mr. Jones. That is true, yes.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. So, the idea of a more stronger Federal
    presence should be taken seriously, and bomb threats should not
    be taken lightly based upon your collective data and statistics
    about racism and anti-Semitism and other anti, Dr. Jones?
        Mr. Jones. Yes. Bomb threats, particularly when they
    involve an actual plot to conduct an attack or to threaten to
    conduct an attack, is a serious effort, and one that we would
    consider an Act of terrorism. That's the intent to terrorize a
    population and should be taken extremely serious for the
    reasons we just heard. That's the psychological impact.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you. The Nation should not stand
    ideally by when there is racism, anti-Semitism, bias against
    LGBTQ, gender bias, anti-Muslim, and anti-Sikh.
        Mr. Kaleka, my sympathies for the loss of your father, the
    injury of your fellow members of the Sikh community. I was very
    much aware of that as a member of the Homeland Security
    Committee and in Congress at that time. Tell me the terrorizing
    impact that comes from the hatred that was obviously generated
    against the Sikh community?
        Mr. Kaleka. Thank you so much, Congresswoman. Yeah, it took
    all of us and 10 years to try to heal from that, and I think
    that's the effect of communal trauma. We used to understand
    trauma and trauma-related disorders as being individual or
    something that you needed to go through by yourself.
        We're very much understanding it now to be communal, and
    these types of attacks, whether it's on law enforcement,
    whether it's on the Jewish community, this does have a type of
    communal traumatic effect, and it causes on everyone within
    those communities to heal from within and help the communities
    from outside to help those communities heal.
        So, we were blessed to be surrounded by great communities,
    great interfaith partners who helped us heal. So, we're still
    in the midst of that, and we're still concerned about our
    fellow Jewish brothers and sisters, our Muslim brothers and
    sisters, our law enforcement community, everyone. I think the
    heart of this goes to we need to prevent targeted violence
    against all these communities.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Let me just quickly go, Rabbi, and my
    fellow Texan, I welcome you again. I think the point that I
    want to really focus on with you as my last question, I really
    want to focus on that anti-Semitism and racism and all the isms
    can result into actual, physical violence. We're holding this
    hearing not for edification, but for the understanding that
    threats can result in physical violence.
        You lived it. You started in your testimony by saying
    you're grateful to be anywhere. Can you associate the attacks
    on the Jewish community and anti-Semitism, the rise of that, to
    actual violence and loss of life?
        Rabbi Cytron-Walker. Well, thank God, we, in our situation,
    I said at our healing service afterwards that we didn't have to
    say Kaddish, we didn't have to say the prayer for mourning. It
    was unbelievably--we're so fortunate on so many levels.
        Our words matter. We have seen this time and again, and its
    words, whether they are anti-Semitic. It doesn't matter the
    group that is targeted. We're in a situation that's--the more
    people get exposure to that negativity; the more people can
    pass it on.
        Everybody's not going to go and do a violent act, but if
    you have a larger pool of people, then you have a larger group
    of people that are going to take the next step towards
    extremism, and the next step towards extremism, and you're
    going to have a larger pool of people willing to actually do
    something horrible.
        When it comes to that idea that our words matter and that
    all of us bear responsibility, each and every one of us, from
    across the political spectrum, from every group, we need to be
    able to tone down the rhetoric. We need to be able to support
    one another. We're not enemies here. We're one Nation that are
    all trying to come together and solve our problems, and we've
    got big problems to solve, but so our words do matter because
    violence is not what any of us want to experience, but it
    absolutely can happen.
        Again, yeah. Thank you. I appreciate the question.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you. I thank you very much for your
    answers.
        Mr. Biggs, I recognize you now for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Biggs. Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to make sure
    that everyone understands here. I don't think there's anybody
    on this Committee testifying as a Witness or here as a Member
    of Congress that is minimizing the threats to the HBCUs. I
    mean, there's no one here that isn't taking that seriously.
        I think we're talking about also, however, a broad context
    of all issues that we must take very seriously, and, so, I hope
    no one thinks that.
        I appreciate, Dr. Jones, and one of the things he talked
    about, because he said there's a broad range of racial,
    religious, and misogynistic attacks that take place. I can't
    help but remember my own--my own faith, my own denomination
    driven from five States and finally from New York to Ohio to
    Missouri to Illinois, and ultimately to the safety of the Rocky
    Mountain interwest--Intermountain West.
        I was just pondering this as we're preparing for this
    hearing. So, that persecution of my own people--now that's a
    long time ago. Then I look at the last three months, four
    months, and actually 10 years ago in my own community in
    Phoenix, one of our churches burned, vandalized. Then, I don't
    know what the motivations were for any of these next attacks
    I'll mention, but we need to be cognizant that this is
    happening and I think that's what this hearing does.
        So, in December of 2021, in Alabama at an LDS church, a
    shooting takes place by--on members of the church, a shooting
    in July of 2018, vandalism in Connecticut, shooting up a church
    in Connecticut in 2021, end of 2021. I believe it was December.
    Syracuse, Utah, 2021, vandalism of that church.
        This is happening against all groups that associate with
    one another, faith-based groups, religious groups, whatever it
    is.
        So, I think it's important for us to realize that and not
    rationalize any of this away. I think it's important to get
    that, but I want to ask Dr. Pennie and Mr. Tatum, in the summer
    of 2020, we saw a lot of rioting in the streets, resulting
    destruction, looting of small businesses in urban communities,
    in urban communities.
        What communities are most affected negatively by that type
    of activity? Let's go with you, Dr. Pennie, first, and then Mr.
    Tatum.
        Mr. Pennie. Yes, sir. Thank you so much. Look, this is what
    we need to make sure we clarify. When these policies are being
    passed to defund the police and narrative that are destructive
    to any society as a whole, you have to understand that our
    majority/minority communities are suffering the most, and we
    saw the same idea in the early 90s. I grew up in the 18th
    congressional district, which is the Chair's district, and I
    witnessed my own cousin get killed in front of me at the age of
    16.
        Those negative ideas create this same level of violence
    that we continue to perpetuate now during this time. Twenty-
    something years later, there's no reason for us to continue to
    create this kind of divide, but the reality is as you have
    certain congressional leaders, certain leaders in our society
    that want to press this idea of defunding the police and
    segregating the police from their communities, all they're
    doing is making the people that live in these communities more
    and more victims. That's all they're doing is victimizing us
    over and over again.
        I'd like to say, just please consider that this is a
    reality for people that are actually in the inner-city. I'm in
    these communities every day. I don't just sit up here and talk.
    I'm in there every day, and I want to encourage you to come out
    there and meet with some of them, because this is real life,
    and these people are living it.
        Mr. Biggs. Thank you. Mr. Tatum.
        Mr. Tatum. I share the same sentiment being former law
    enforcement officer, and I've seen the rhetoric affect law
    enforcement across the country, and law enforcement officers
    aren't just White. So, there's minorities that work in law
    enforcement that feel the brunt of rhetoric, and I agree with
    the rabbi when he said that words matter.
        We have to stop being divisive. We can walk and chew gum at
    the same time. I believe that we can empower our law
    enforcement officers, we can fund them, we can support them, we
    can judge them fairly, and we will see a difference in the way
    police officers are patrolling our communities and they're
    keeping them safe.
        I'm thankful to God that our law enforcement officers are
    there when these instances of hate happen, so they can bring
    these individuals to justice and protect to see them be able to
    negotiate an individual out of murdering multiple people who he
    had hostage and taking him into custody without harm is
    impressive. I think that we want to see law enforcement
    officers participate in these certain situations. Also, I would
    argue that terrorism can happen within.
        There is interracial terrorism that we see in our country
    today, a lot of what Black violence are, what Black people see
    when they experience violence are within their own community.
        I grew up in Black communities and, to be honest, I was
    more afraid of other people who were Black who hated me, who
    wanted to kill me, who was involved in gang violence than I was
    of a White supremacist or someone of that nature.
        So, we do have to expand what we're saying, not diminish,
    but expand what we're saying to protect young Black people who
    are experiencing these same level of hate within their own
    community and also extend the olive branch to support law
    enforcement so that law enforcement officers are equipped to
    help and we can all be better for it.
        Mr. Biggs. Madam Chair, I see my time is expired. I would
    ask the Chair to--I have 12 articles that I know you aren't
    going to want me to read the titles of all 12, but I'd like to
    submit them into the record, and I will have my staff provide
    those to you right after the Committee hearing.
        [The information follows:]

                            MR. BIGGS FOR THE RECORD

    =======================================================================

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Jackson Lee. Mr. Biggs, you know that we welcome those
    articles. Without objection, so ordered.
        You're very kind to have them by list, and we thank you so
    very much for your questioning.
        At this time, I'm pleased to recognize the Chair of the
    Full Committee, Mr. Nadler for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Nadler.
        Chair Nadler. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Dr. Jones, are extremists used in COVID-19 anxiety and the
    government's response to their strategic advantage? If they
    are, is it limited just to propaganda and recruitment, or are
    you also seeing it as a motivation for violent attacks?
        Mr. Jones. That's a great question, Mr. Nadler, and thanks
    for participating in the hearing.
        The data that we have shown that COVID-19 is certainly
    being used to motivate individuals to extremist beliefs. It's
    particularly helpful on the radicalization process. What we
    don't see a lot yet is evidence that is being used to actually
    commit domestic terrorist attacks, or plots, for that matter.
        So, radicalization definitely is that concerning,
    absolutely. We don't see it yet manifesting itself into
    actually attacks yet. The data does not yet show that.
        Chair Nadler. Thank you.
        Mr. Kaleka, you were very involved in your community's
    recovery from the Oak Creek tragedy, and you diligently worked
    on de-radicalization efforts, interfaith coordination, and law
    enforcement outreach.
        Given your background as a former law enforcement officer,
    what changes do you think law enforcement departments should
    consider so they are more responsive to domestic violent
    extremist threats against minority communities?
        Mr. Kaleka. Thank you, Chair Nadler. Yeah. When we think
    about March 2020 and what was going on at that time and the
    heightened tensions, we brought together community
    stakeholders, we brought together law enforcement officers, and
    the local activists to have conversations and meet one another.
        We've been continuing to provide bridges of dialogue of
    conversation, even if people didn't get along. Since that time
    that we've been healing and going into sort of de-
    radicalization work, we have to get much further upstream. If
    you're waiting for somebody--and there's been numerous
    incidents--I can count three right now of ones that I know that
    we prevented from happening. Part of that was to get further
    upstream and not wait till the gunman or the suspect shows up
    to the synagogue, the Masjids, the Gurudwara, or the church.
        If we don't get further upstream, it's too late at that
    point. It's too late for law enforcement, unfortunately, at
    that point. I speak this as respectful of the capacity of law
    enforcement officers, but even law enforcement officers know
    that. We need to get much further upstream and stop it at the
    house. Stop it at the faith communities. Stop it with somebody
    who can say something at that point.
        Chair Nadler. Thank you. Rabbi Cytron-Walker, Deuteronomy
    says you must love the stranger for you were strangers in the
    land of Egypt. You let your attacker in because he told you he
    was hungry, and he spent the night in the cold. How does the
    concept of generosity to strangers shape your role as rabbi,
    and do you believe the threat of domestic terrorism might erode
    that identity?
        Rabbi Cytron-Walker. Oh, yes. It's my hope that it's--
    first, thank you for the question, Chair Nadler, and that idea
    of love the stranger, care for the stranger is something that
    is of value that I continue to try to live. It's a part of who
    we are. I think that the threat of domestic terrorism, I think
    the threat against the Jewish community is very much, for many
    people, creating a sense of fear and concern and it is a real
    challenge.
        So, at the same time, the chances of a terrorist attack are
    so remote that I pray that we don't give in to that fear. I do
    believe that we have to be prepared. I think that all those
    security trainings were very important, but I still teach and I
    still preach love your neighbor. I still teach and I still
    preach that we need to care for the stranger. We need to
    embrace that value of hospitality that is so much a part of our
    tradition.
        Chair Nadler. Do you believe that fear of domestic terror
    attacks has affected how we all treat one another and if so,
    how?
        Rabbi Cytron-Walker. I think that, at least in my
    community, within the Peace Together community that we've
    really worked hard to establish, the threat of domestic terror
    has actually brought a number of us more together in the
    community and, that is, on the interreligious and nonreligious
    side. It is also what led us to develop really positive
    relationships with the police department.
        There are a number of Jews of color that, throughout our
    country, that see a security officer outside their house of
    worship and are a little bit concerned because of it, because
    they are concerned that they might be treated with suspicion,
    but overall, within our community, I can say that the
    relationship, the closeness between the local police
    department, the local government, and the interreligious and
    nonreligious communities has been incredibly strong.
        My hope, and my prayer would be that every community would
    be able to have those relationships because we don't, right? We
    don't. We have to acknowledge that reality. So, but that is one
    of the things that really helped to sustain us and continues to
    sustain us in the aftermath.
        Chair Nadler. Thank you. My time is expired.
        I yield back.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. The gentleman's time has expired.
        Mr. Biggs, you're still here. Just wanted to be assured
    that you don't have another Member at this time that may have
    come in. Mr. Biggs?
        Mr. Biggs. Madam Chair, I am looking, and my staff is
    looking. We had four Members on earlier, but I think they
    might've all departed and so I might be a lonely, lonely
    Republican on this hearing today.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Well, we will look out for those Members,
    and we thank you for your presence.
        It's my pleasure now to yield to the gentlelady from
    Florida, Mrs. Demings for 5 minutes.
        Mrs. Demings. Thank you so much, Madam Chair. Thank you so
    much to our Witnesses today.
        Let me, as a former law enforcement officer, as you well
    know, my Committee Members, of 27 years, I'm not quite really
    sure what to think of what a lot of what I've heard so far.
        Let me just get one thing out of the way. There is an
    effort on this Committee to try to hijack this important
    hearing about the safety of our students and the safety of the
    people that we are supposed to represent and assist law
    enforcement in protecting.
        Let me say it for about the millionth time: We are not
    going to defund the police. We're going to fund the police, and
    we can have the backs of our police officers and the
    communities in which we serve, too.
        The communities most at risk from crime want more security,
    not less. We know that when you do get out and talk to them,
    that's why we're working to get police departments more
    resources, not less. It's why we need to expand the nonprofit
    security grant program, which I am working on in my other
    Committee through Homeland Security.
        From what I've heard today, from some of my colleagues on
    the other side of the aisle, I am sure that I will be able to
    get many more of them to sign on to that legislation.
        Our number 1 priority has to be the reduction of violent
    crime. I have been saying that for over three decades, but let
    me be clear: That also includes escalating threats by
    extremists targeting Black Americans and Jewish Americans and
    Sikh Americans and others.
        I have to wonder, let me say this: I have worked alongside
    the brave men and women in blue that many of my colleagues talk
    about. I have seen them risk their lives over and over again to
    keep all, not just a few, all communities safe.
        What I know from my experience is that those police
    officers, those rank-and-file officers, would be extremely
    concerned about the safety of students and threats against
    students in their communities.
        Madam Chair, I invite my colleagues to get to truly know
    some of the law enforcement officers, some of the rank-and-file
    officers that they talk about and claim to know.
        Dr. Wilson, thank you for your leadership at Morgan, and
    thank you for your powerful testimony advocating on behalf,
    laser-focused on advocating on behalf of those students who are
    just trying to get an education and are dependent on us to make
    sure that they can.
        Last week, you wrote an opinion piece for Word in Black
    entitled, ``HBCU Strong: Bomb Threats Will Not Deter Us.''
        Dr. Wilson, how would you say the history--because we know
    the history. I mean, we know it, but let's try to get better
    moving on. How would you say the history shapes the campus
    environment today?
        I know you talked a little bit earlier, but could you talk
    a little bit more about how your students are handling these
    threats, and how are you addressing the issues? Please, tell me
    how having to now take away resources to respond to threat
    after threat after threat has really affected what should be a
    safe learning environment?
        Mr. Wilson. Thank you very much for the question,
    Congresswoman Demings.
        Let me repeat that the psychological trauma that has been
    brought on by the threats is very, very severe here at Morgan
    and across the HBCU campuses. I do not say that in a vacuum. I
    certainly have been in conversations with the other HBCU
    presidents and chancellors, and what you see at Morgan is no
    different than what you will see on the other campuses where
    these threats have also been made.
        Our number 2 priority, of course, is a long history of
    underfunding of these institutions, and there's a reason why I
    said, quote, ``they are the innovators in American higher
    education, because they've had to,'' unquote, take what they
    had to make what they needed for the students when they walked
    across the stage and they got the sheep skins to be in a
    position to dance on the world stage with anyone, any place,
    anytime, and anywhere.
        When you add the bomb threats and you add, if you will, the
    impact of the pandemic and when you add all the other things
    that these students have seen in a relatively short period of
    time, what these underfunded resource institutions must do is
    then to take resources from other operational areas and then
    shift them to the psychological, emotional well-being area and,
    therefore, it limits our ability to continue to advance the
    genre of institutions.
        That's the way I would explain that in a relatively short
    period of time, Congresswoman Demings.
        Mrs. Demings. Thank you so much, Dr. Wilson.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. The gentlelady's time has expired.
        Mrs. Demings. I yield back. Thank you.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you so very much.
        My pleasure to now yield to the gentlelady from California
    for 5 minutes, Ms. Bass.
        Ms. Bass. Thank you, Madam Chair. I do want to note as the
    Ranking Member said, the Republican Members have left the
    hearing, and I think that that is emblematic of the refusal to
    talk about this subject. I'm saddened that in every one of
    their questions, they wanted to focus on crime in general, and
    I think you could walk away saying that the real problem is
    actually African-Americans. That's the real problem.
        Violence and racial violence really isn't an issue at all,
    and the denial of what is going on in this country and what has
    gone on in this country historically is certainly evident in
    their performance today. I guess they don't think it's
    important, which is why they're not here.
        So, let me thank you, Madam Chair, for holding this
    hearing. I'm sad to say that this is a particularly important
    topic for my home city. The liberal bastion of Los Angeles
    actually saw the most hate crimes of any major U.S. city over
    the past year, and the third highest of any U.S. city since the
    1970s.
        These crimes of hatred were most common against African-
    Americans, but we also saw a large increase in hate crimes
    against Latinos, Asians, the LGBTQ community, Jewish Americans,
    and the hate and fear is not confined to any one community.
        Even in the Beverly Hills neighborhood, we saw homes
    littered with anti-Semitic flyers filled with hateful
    propaganda, and we really cannot stand by while hate-filled
    extremism pollutes our communities and further traumatizes our
    neighborhoods.
        We have seen anti-Semitic literature spread not just in
    Beverly Hills, but throughout Los Angeles and many of the
    surrounding cities.
        I wanted to ask Mr. Kaleka, and I also wanted to thank you
    for being a Witness today in spite of what you have gone
    through. My district is the home to the Sikh leadership
    headquarters. I wanted to know how you, when you're forced to
    confront anti-immigrant sentiment, religious discrimination,
    and related violence, how you deal with young Sikh Americans?
        I think in the African-American community, we're used to
    having those conversations with our children, but I would like
    to know how it is for you and how young Sikh Americans are
    handling this?
        Mr. Kaleka. Thank you so much, Congresswoman. Early on,
    this is going to be the 10th anniversary of the shooting, and
    early on, I saw a lot of our community sort of segregate itself
    because of fear of being outside. Arno Michaelis who joined me
    and was the leader of the Skinhead organization a long time ago
    is now working with me, and we're in Orlando together today and
    going to be at the Holocaust resource center. One of the things
    that I got approached with early on was, why do you keep
    bringing White people into our Sikh Temple? Don't you know
    we're scared, we're afraid? This was a lot of the leadership,
    right?
        The rabbi knows this, right? A lot of the leadership who
    was a little bit older said, ``Hey, Pardeep, you know, we're
    traumatized. Don't do that. Don't bring White people in here,
    especially don't bring White people with skinheads.'' I said,
    ``listen, America--America's promise we all came here for a
    better life, and we do have an obligation or responsibility to
    this country, and if I let you sit in your segregation because
    you're fearful, the next doctor will not happen, the next law
    enforcement will not happen, the next person who's about to go
    out and be the next Congressperson will not happen.''
        So, I think we owed it to our debt in America to make sure
    that we get out of our--we nourish the younger generation. So,
    that was really my motivation. That continues to be my
    motivation. I speak at a lot of Sikh Temples all over the
    place, and I let them know, hey, you know what? At this point,
    somebody let us know that we weren't worth being in this
    country.
        Ms. Bass. I want to ask you another question, but before I
    do, let me just say that, Madam Chair, I do hope that you have
    another hearing where we talk about community violence. I think
    that is an important topic to have, but I do want to mention
    that's not the topic of this hearing and if we continue the
    attempts to deny that radical extremism, especially White
    supremacy exists in our country, it's not going to move us
    further by just acting as though it doesn't exist.
        Mr. Kaleka, in your final moments, can you talk about what
    Congress might learn, what support the Federal, State, and
    local governments can provide to military and law enforcement
    to reduce their vulnerability to extremist recruitment?
        Mr. Kaleka. Thank you so much, Congresswoman. I'll make it
    short. Terror affects all of us. It affects us all, and it's a
    community issue [inaudible] takes seriously. It's something
    that we need to fund. We need to get the right people doing the
    right job and we need to work side by side, and hand in tandem
    with law enforcement. So, I think we all need to work on this
    together.
        Ms. Bass. Thank you. I yield because I'm out of time, Madam
    Chair.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. The gentlelady's time has expired.
        The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Fitzgerald is recognized
    for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Fitzgerald.
        Mr. Fitzgerald. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Pardeep, as you know, I represent part of southeastern
    Wisconsin. It was 10 years ago when that tragedy happened and
    have been, I guess, monitoring the Sikh community and the
    strides you've made.
        I want to certainly acknowledge that you guys have done the
    outreach and have done the work that I'm sure is having an
    impact in the community. So, thank you for being here today.
        The one point I wanted to make, I know that a lot of issues
    are being raised, and this is a hearing, and that's what
    Members of Congress are supposed to be doing is kind of
    listening versus offering any solutions. I haven't heard any
    real strong solutions today, other than, to continue to work on
    these all-encompassing issues. This is not simple stuff by any
    means.
        I do want to address one thing and another item, and I
    would ask Dr. Pennie maybe to comment on it, because it seems
    to be kind of the cycle that continues, and whether it is a
    hate crime or for my many years in the State legislature, we
    had penalty enhancers that were related to crimes committed
    with whether it be a handgun or some other very specific item
    that would change the overall view of a crime.
        One of the issues we continue to struggle with is--and law
    enforcement sees it all the time where somebody's arrested and
    then they're prosecuted and then ultimately, they're back out
    on the street in a short period of time. I know--listen, I have
    a father who's in law enforcement for 50 years and a son who
    was in law enforcement, and this was one of the topics that was
    most frustrating was just to have repeat criminals that
    continue to be part of the system and rap sheets as long as
    your arm in the crimes they commit.
        Dr. Pennie, do you have a comment on that part of the
    issues we're facing?
        Mr. Pennie. Absolutely. Look, it is a revolving door when
    dealing with violent offenders. Look, I don't want to negate
    any other part of this discussion, right? I want people to
    understand that I am educated. I was a college professor for
    several years. I'm a Doctor of Education. I actually wrote my
    dissertation on mitigating the outcome for shooting attacks on
    college and school campuses.
        So, we are acknowledging that there is a situation that
    needs to be addressed in these communities, and these schooling
    at college campuses as it relates to dealing with radicalized
    behavior, but I say that because years ago when I approached
    Congress about revising CDA 230, the platform that gives these
    social media platforms the ability to recruit--to allow these
    radical groups to recruit and radicalize on their platforms,
    nobody wanted to revise it. Nobody wanted to appeal it.
        I was talking in an echo chamber. So, here we are five
    years later, and people want to acknowledge that we do have a
    problem with social media.
        So, we really want to get to resolving some of these
    issues, we have to start there. We have to start with how our
    young people are being recruited and radicalized. That's number
    1.
        Number 2, going back to dealing with these violent
    offenders, we have to address the individuals that are
    victimizing us in our communities. If we keep putting these
    people out, they're going to continue to escalate crime over
    and over again. These police officers are doing more work than
    anybody else because they're arresting people, they're putting
    them in jail, these people come out, they offend other people,
    they commit new murders, and officers have to get out here and
    go find these same people all over again.
        We're doing double work. We have to do better. We have to
    do a better job, and if we can get politicians to step out of
    the way to allow us to do our job, we'll gladly do it.
        Mr. Fitzgerald. Mr. Tatum, do you have a comment in
    relationship to what we were just discussing?
        Mr. Tatum. Yes, sir. Thank you for the question. I think
    that it's invaluable for us to understand that there's not a
    single person that I've heard testify that will Act as if
    there's not an issue. If someone's calling and threatening the
    HBCU, that is a problem. As a former law enforcement officer, I
    hope that they go to jail, and they spend time in jail. The
    problem is, what is the solution to the problem? How do we get
    to the underlying issues?
        So, it just--racism just don't happen out of thin air.
    Prejudice and hatred towards people just don't occur out of
    thin air. It is breed--it is bred in our society through
    certain mechanisms. I believe that we do need to take a strong
    stance in making sure law enforcement officers are able to
    arrest people who are radicalized, who hate White people, who
    hate Black people, who hate Jewish people, and put them in jail
    and they stay there.
        The problem is that we--in our society, we are focused more
    on caring for the suspect than we do the victims.
    Rehabilitation is a thing that we need to address. However,
    these individuals need to go to jail, and they need to stay in
    jail instead of getting out and perpetuating more and more
    crimes. We need the funding for technology and innovation for
    law enforcement officers to be able to catch individuals who
    are causing these bomb threats.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. The gentleman's time is up. The
    gentleman's time is up.
        Mr. Fitzgerald. Madam Chair.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you so very much. The gentleman's
    time is expired.
        It is my pleasure now to recognize the gentlelady from
    Georgia, Congresswoman McBath, for 5 minutes.
        Mrs. McBath. Thank you, Chair Lee, and thank you so much
    for holding this very critical and important issue today.
        I'd also like to thank our Witnesses for joining us to
    share your stories and to shed more light on this crisis.
        I just have to say, it's important that we're absolutely
    clear about what this hearing is about today. Domestic terror,
    no matter the source, no matter the target, is inconsistent
    with the principles of liberty and equality on which our great
    Nation was founded. I know that our Republican colleagues who
    have been talking about other problems today, both real and
    imagined, and that simply just distracts from a real problem
    that deserves our full attention today.
        As an alumna of Virginia State University, graduating from
    a historically Black university has been one of my greatest
    honors of my lifetime. There, I not only earned an excellent
    education, I also grew up as a woman, as a person. I found a
    sisterhood in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and took part in one
    of the greatest educational opportunities afforded me in
    preparation for my work as a Member of Congress.
        Historically Black colleges and universities, along with
    other minority institutions, have been the bedrock of higher
    education for millions of Americans of color for almost 200
    years, and they have offered Americans opportunities and
    futures when so many other doors were shut.
        These recent bomb threats to HBCUs are not just a threat to
    the African-American community, they're also a threat to the
    academic and economic futures of Americans, African Americans.
    In my home State of Georgia, three institutions have received
    bomb threats in recent weeks. These include Spelman College,
    Fort Valley State University, and Albany State University.
    These hate crimes are meant to disrupt the stability and
    permanence of HBCUs.
        These attempts to intimidate us, they're not going to
    succeed. HBCU graduates like me, students, and communities, we
    will continue to thrive and continue to flourish as we have
    almost done for two centuries.
        I thank the FBI investigators for taking these threats so
    seriously. These are threats that are racially motivated,
    they're violent extremism, and they're hate crimes. I call on
    them to ensure that these investigations are thoroughly and
    comprehensively completed.
        Dr. Wilson, last week you wrote an opinion piece for Word
    In Black titled, HBCU Strong: Bomb Threat Will Never (sic)
    Deter Us. You wrote, and I quote, ``Those founders knew that
    the journey laid before them would be a rough one, the terrain
    arduous and rugged, the rivers deep and unrelenting. Moreover,
    they fully recognized that they were putting their very lives
    online as they marched for, fought for, and, sadly for many,
    died for the right to live free and to create institutions that
    would educate their sons and daughters.''
        Can you put into context for us the recent series of bomb
    threats against HBCUs in the broader story of racism and hate-
    based violence against African Americans in this country?
        Mr. Wilson. Congresswoman McBath, this is just a
    continuation of that struggle that you so eloquently outlined.
    Of course, what we have as a connective tissue among all the
    HBCUs is the way that we were birthed. Whether it's Morehouse
    or Tuskegee or Hampton or Morgan or Prairie View, it's almost
    the same kind of story.
        So, what I was saying for the university community, indeed
    to the Nation, that if you were to look just at Morgan, one of
    our visionary founders was the late Reverend Samuel Green, who
    is depicted in the movie Harriet, and he was born a slave in
    Dorchester County, and it was against the law to learn how to
    read and write, but his owner basically taught him to read and
    write.
        Then there was a Fugitive Slave Act in existence that said,
    okay, but if you go north of the Mason-Dixon Line and you're
    caught, then you could be returned to your owner or you could
    be jailed. Well, he was caught beyond the Mason-Dixon Line, and
    he was sentenced to 10 years in a Baltimore City penitentiary.
    He served 5 years. When he came out in 1862, he basically had
    more desire to found institutions that would be about creating
    literacy for those sons and daughters that were about to be
    freed.
        So, our students and the faculty and staff and alumni here
    at Morgan and across the HBCU space, we have to understand this
    resilience. We have to understand that we really are about
    simply saying to our great country, we are not a truly
    functioning democracy if, for example, our laws and practices
    are designed to marginalize and keep everyone from fully
    participating. Our ancestors knew that, and they fought so hard
    to enable our Constitution to live up to those ideals. So, we
    try and motivate and inspire in spite of the challenges that
    are brought on by the struggle.
        Mrs. McBath. Thank you so much. I'm out of time. I yield
    back.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. The gentlelady's time has expired.
        I now recognize Mr. Tiffany for 5 minutes. Mr. Tiffany?
        Mr. Tiffany. Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to yield
    my time to Representative Biggs from Arizona.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Your time is now yielded to Mr. Biggs.
    You're recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Biggs? You've been yielded to by Mr. Tiffany for 5
    minutes.
        Mr. Biggs. Yeah, I was talking away without unmuting, Madam
    Chair.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. All right.
        Mr. Biggs. That just happens now and then on these Zoom
    issues, so I apologize for that.
        I was saying that I appreciate the testimony of the
    Witnesses. I appreciate that we have covered a broad spectrum
    of things. I do find it interesting that some of the concerns
    people have mentioned have been characterized as real and
    imagined. I thought that was interesting, because I think
    everybody here is sincere in attempting to try to resolve
    issues that I think are important.
        One of the things, Rabbi, you mentioned, and I have to say,
    Mr. Kaleka, you mentioned it, Mr. Jones mentioned it, and Dr.
    Wilson, President Wilson, all mentioned this notion of speaking
    and communicating and trying to resolve some issues by how we
    communicate with each other and get to the bottom of these
    things.
        I thought it was an inflammatory statement that somebody
    made saying that Republicans are trying to hijack this
    Committee hearing. I don't think that's the case at all. I
    think what we're trying to do is same thing that I believe, in
    all sincerity, that the Witnesses are trying to do and my
    colleagues on the other side, and that's to move the ball
    forward and try to find solutions to violence, whether it be
    race-based violence at historically Black colleges and
    universities, whether it be anti-Semitic violence or anti-Sikh
    or any other kind of group, and I mentioned my denomination,
    its period of victimization. I think this is really critical.
        I hope that we're not spending our time talking past each
    other. I hope that we're talking to each other and
    communicating and understanding with sincere hearts what's
    being said today.
        So, I want to talk about one of the suggestions that was
    made by Dr. Pennie and was echoed as well by Mr. Tatum, and it
    goes like this: Section 230, so we talk about radicalization,
    because radicalization, if we're going to resolve some of these
    issues, we have to get to how are people, particularly young
    people, being radicalized and why they would view themselves
    inside and view others as outside and attack them for whatever
    reason.
        You've mentioned section 230 of the Communications Decency
    Act. What do you--what role do you think that these platforms
    are playing, Dr. Pennie and Mr. Tatum, in the radicalization of
    people who then do things like plant bombs--or not--in this
    case not plant bombs but seek to terrorize historically Black
    colleges and universities because, for whatever reason? But,
    maybe it's hate, I don't know. We're still investigating. I've
    got to know what you think section 230, how that impacts,
    something like that. Dr. Pennie.
        Mr. Pennie. Absolutely. I think it's important for people
    to understand what section 230 is. Basically, what it's a
    policy that essentially shields these social media companies
    from liability from what a third-party posts on their platform.
        So, let's remember, now, this Communications Decency Act
    was passed back in 1996. We're in two thousand--we're in 2022.
    So, there are some real issues that need to be addressed. These
    social media platforms, they understand that. They use it to
    their ability to allow these radical groups--and a lot of this
    content is being--whether you want--look, that's a whole other
    issue, whether we want to talk about it or not, but we're being
    influenced by foreign entities.
        They know the difference between rubles being paid on their
    platforms and United States currency. They know the difference,
    but they're not saying anything. They're allowing individuals
    to fund rhetoric and content in our community--in our country
    that's being used to incite our people to violence.
        Look, just for clarification. Guys, I went to an HBCU
    university, right. I'm from the Black community. I love people.
    I'm a member of a prominent Jewish organization. I'm a member
    of a prominent African-American organization. The issue that
    our Democrat colleagues are throwing out there, there is no
    agenda here.
        Guys, we're trying to get to a real solution in how we can
    fix problems in this country. The bottom line is force and
    intimidation that is used for the purposes of changing
    governmental policy--
        Ms. Jackson Lee. The gentleman's time is expired. The
    gentleman's time is expired. Thank you so very much.
        It's my pleasure to now yield to the gentlelady from
    Pennsylvania, Ms. Dean, for 5 minutes, Congresswoman Dean for 5
    minutes. Thank you.
        Ms. Dean. Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Also, thank you to all the folks here who have offered us
    your testimony, your expertise, your personal experience.
        In particular, Mr. Kaleka, I offer my family's sympathy to
    your family's.
        Rabbi Cytron-Walker, we're so thankful that you're here,
    that you are anywhere, and extraordinary the circumstances that
    you and your congregation had to endure.
        I've been thinking about this, and I'm a former college
    professor, I taught writing and rhetoric and ethics. So, I
    loved that many of you used the expression that I used too
    often in my class, words matter. Our words matter.
        So, let me associate myself first with the words of
    Representatives Bass and Demings and McBath. Our words matter
    as we ask questions, as we pull information out that we might
    be able to benefit from in this important hearing.
        So, I'm going to try to get to, in my limited time, two
    different things.
        Ms. Huang, I want to get to the ``why.'' If you don't mind,
    why do you believe in--and Southern Poverty Law Center, what
    does the data show us why do we have an increase in domestic
    violent extremism in our country? If you could briefly give us
    a little kernel about that.
        Ms. Huang. Thank you, Congresswoman Dean. I think what
    you've stated is really important, that the framing of talking
    about crime is completely different than talking about domestic
    terrorism. It's not fair to ask first responders to crime to
    deal with the problems of extremism and domestic terrorism.
    It's not safe for us to ask them to do that. This requires a
    multiprong response.
        To your question why we're seeing the rise and influence of
    these extremist groups, I think there's a few reasons.
        First, it is increasingly being mainstreamed into our
    political discourse. We've seen references to extremist views,
    we've seen calls to extremist organizations from high-profile
    Members of the former Administration, as well as from Members
    of Congress, and that gives supporters, advocates, believers,
    adherents to these ideologies the encouragement to Act on these
    beliefs.
        Second, I agree with my colleagues who've cited the
    importance of social media. There's no question that many
    people are learning about extremist ideologies online, but we
    need to do much more research to understand why being exposed
    to those ideologies online is actually encouraging more and
    more people to take action. Unfortunately, we don't have enough
    research at this time.
        Ms. Dean. Thank you for both of those answers.
        In my limited time left, I want to call upon both Dr.
    Wilson and Rabbi Cytron-Walker to turn to the ``how.'' How do
    we get to healing? I'm certain that one of the ways is through
    education. I'm reminded of the words of Eboo Patel, who said,
    ``it matters who gets to a young person's microphone first. Who
    do they hear from first?''
        So, how do we get to healing, Dr. Wilson and Rabbi Cytron-
    Walker?
        Mr. Wilson. I would just be very brief. I think you started
    down the right path. It is through education. I would be
    disingenuous if I did not say that I'm very alarmed by what I
    see happening with State legislatures and school districts
    across the country with regard to removing books and sanitizing
    curricular. That's not the way you're going to solve this
    problem, if you will.
        Then I think for what I'm seeing across the campuses, I do
    think that perhaps some additional resources may be coming
    through Health and Human Services to enable us to minister to
    the psychological and emotional well-being of our community.
    Certainly, it would be welcomed as well.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you. The gentlelady's time is up.
    I'm pleased to recognize the gentlelady from--
        Ms. Dean. Oh, I had a little time left. I was hoping to
    hear from the rabbi. Maybe I don't.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. You do.
        Rabbi Cytron-Walker. Oh, then, sorry, my apologies.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. I moved too quickly. Thank you.
        Rabbi Cytron-Walker. That's okay. Thank you,
    Representative. So, just briefly, I would say that with regard
    to healing, healing means that something is already--something
    bad has already happened and that we need to heal from, right.
    So, all that love and support that we have gotten from people
    from every background, it matters. It really helps.
        I would hope that the HBCUs, that anyone who deals the Sikh
    community, that anyone who deals with trauma and terror is able
    to receive that love and support. Part of what we need to do is
    to show that love and support before something bad happens,
    right, to really care for, not just our own community, but
    other communities as well. That's--those are key. That's key.
    It's something that's hard to legislate, but that's something
    that's incumbent upon each of us.
        Ms. Dean. I thank you. Beautifully said.
        Thank you, Madam Chair. I yield back.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you. Thank you for your
    understanding. If they needed to speak a little bit longer, I
    indulge you on that, but thank you so very much for your
    questioning.
        It's my pleasure now to yield to the gentlelady from
    Pennsylvania, Ms. Scanlon, for 5 minutes. Thank you.
        Ms. Scanlon. Thank you, Chair Jackson Lee, for calling this
    timely and very important hearing.
        The data we have shows, that incidents of domestic
    terrorism and extremism and hate-based violence are all on the
    rise. While some may seek to deflect attention from this hate-
    fueled violence by terming it ``identity politics,'' we must
    recognize that these incidents occur when extremists target
    individuals based upon their identities, seeking to divide our
    communities by sowing hate and chaos.
        My district is a reflection of the diverse melting pot that
    is America. Twenty-five percent of my constituents are Black, 7
    percent are Asian, and 4 percent Hispanic. More than 12 percent
    are foreign born. Unfortunately, our community has also seen
    the recent rise in extremist violence targeting racial and
    religious minorities.
        According to the Philadelphia Anti-Defamation League, 2020
    was the third highest year on record for anti-Semitic incidents
    in Pennsylvania, including vandalism of a Philadelphia
    synagogue and online verbal and physical harassment of Jewish
    community members in my region.
        There's a large Sikh population in my district, and in
    visiting at the gurdwara and meeting with community members, I
    know they are frequently harassed and confronted with anti-
    immigrant sentiment, religious discrimination, and hate-based
    violence. As bomb threats have targeted over 20 historically
    Black colleges and universities in recent weeks, we've been
    concerned for the students and faculty at Cheyney University,
    the Nation's first HBCU here in my district. I'm really
    grateful to our Witnesses for being here today and eager to
    hear more about the ways in which the Federal government can
    better support institutions facing threats as well as
    preventing incidents of domestic terrorism in the first place.
        Dr. Jones, the CSIS report from April 12, 2021, indicated
    that 66 percent of terrorist plots and attacks in the United
    States were committed by White supremacists, extremist militia
    members, and other far-right extremists. How does that volume
    when focused of right-wing extremist activity compared to prior
    years?
        Mr. Jones. It's actually similar in many ways to the
    percentages from recent years. We continue to see the majority
    of violence--of domestic terrorism that is perpetrated by White
    supremacists and antigovernment militias. We do see in our data
    set domestic terrorism perpetrated by antifascists and others,
    but the highest percentages continue to be those perpetrated by
    White supremacists. I should also add, in addition, to attacks
    and plots, the highest levels of fatalities are also committed
    by those on the White supremacist side.
        Ms. Scanlon. Thank you.
        Ms. Huang, how are disinformation, false narratives, and
    conspiracy theories used to recruit new members, and what can
    we do about that?
        Ms. Huang. Thank you, Congresswoman Scanlon. One of the
    most important things we have to do is to focus on prevention
    initiatives. We need to be making investments in education, and
    ensuring that schools can teach inclusive history, not just the
    good parts of American history but all our history. That
    enables us to have conversations about the types of experiences
    we've had in the past with slavery, with genocide, with other
    problems of White supremacy so that it's not some kind of
    hidden or opaque myth.
        The other thing that's really important to do is to focus
    on investing in preventative and resilient measures. Some of my
    colleagues on the panel have talked about this. There are calls
    for increased funding for security reasons. The Nonprofit
    Security Fund, for example, is important. It has to be
    complemented with efforts to educate and build resilience in
    communities to stop radicali-
    zation.
        We've worked with the PERIL lab at American University to
    put out some guidance for parents and families on how they can
    look out for possible radicalization amongst young people and
    take steps to stop that when it's identified. So, we'd like to
    see more investments concomitant with that. Of course,
    Congresswoman Lee's legislation that she's introduced, the
    Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, would be a terrific help.
        Ms. Scanlon. Thank you.
        Mr. Kaleka, you've worked some in this field, as I
    understand it, to counter hate and promote understanding.
    You've worked with deradicalization, helping families respond
    when loved ones become involved in extremist groups or when
    they want to move away. Can you talk about what you think--what
    lessons Congress can learn from your deradicalization efforts?
        Mr. Kaleka. Yeah, thank you so much, Congresswoman. Yeah, I
    think what we're trying to do is attempt to scale what we're
    doing, and scaling it means that we need to teach people how to
    create a counseling subspecialty around terrorism, what are
    some of the indicators that we look at, what are ways that we
    can change behavior as it goes forward. While I can't comment
    on cases, I can let that we're seeing a rise in domestic
    terrorism cases on our end as well.
        Ms. Scanlon. Thank you.
        Madam Chair, I see my time is expired, but I would request
    unanimous consent to enter into the record a report from the
    Philadelphia Anti-Defamation League titled, ``2020 Third-
    Highest Year on Record for Anti-Semitic Incidents in
    Pennsylvania.''
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Without objection, so ordered.
        [The information follows:]

                           MS. SCANLON FOR THE RECORD

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        Ms. Jackson Lee. The gentlelady's time is expired.
        We know that our rabbi has to log out of this virtual in a
    short order, and I'm trying to make sure that all our remaining
    Members are able to have him present when they speak. Mr.
    Cicilline, you are now recognized for 5 minutes, and we have
    two other Members.
        Rabbi, thank you for your generous time.
        Mr. Cicilline for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Cicilline. Thank you, Madam Chair, for holding this
    really important hearing, and thank you to our Witnesses.
        Domestic terrorism widely fueled by White supremacy is one
    of the greatest threats to our country's safety and security.
    We have seen over the past decade Black Americans senselessly
    murdered at Emanuel AME Church; increased threats against
    HBCUs; Jews murdered in Poway, California; the Tree of Life
    synagogue in Pittsburgh; and now taken hostage in Texas;
    Hispanic people targeted in El Paso in a shooting that left 23
    innocent people dead; and a deranged gunman going on a killing
    spree across three massage parlors targeting Asian women in
    Georgia; and too many other violent hate crimes irrevocably
    harming minority communities.
        Yet, instead of these attacks spurring action to confront
    the threat of White supremacy and hate groups and the threats
    that they pose, these organizations have actually grown and so
    has domestic terrorism. The year 2020 saw the highest rates of
    domestic terrorism since data started being collected more than
    25 years ago, and White supremacists or far-right extremist
    groups were responsible for two-thirds of terror plots and
    attacks in the United States that year.
        Sadly, I want to join my colleagues, Congresswoman Bass,
    Congresswoman Demings, and others who have made the point--
    instead of focusing on this very real threat, some of our
    Republican colleagues have tried to use this hearing as a
    campaign forum to promote the false claim that Democrats are
    against funding the police.
        Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. That is
    not the position of the Democratic Party. In fact, when we had
    the opportunity to test that, we funded the police to the tune
    of $350 billion in the American CARES Act that was eligible for
    law enforcement to use, local law enforcement. Every single
    Republican in Congress voted no to that funding for law
    enforcement. So, let's put that nonsense aside and focus on the
    hearing before us today and this very real issue.
        My first question is for you, Dr. Jones. Can you just speak
    to how disinformation and false narratives and conspiracy
    theories really are used to recruit new members to extremist
    groups and what you think is the status of the government's
    efforts to disrupt online disinformation and recruitment by
    extremist groups, and is what the government doing to disrupt
    that working?
        Mr. Jones. Yeah, thanks for the great question.
    Disinformation happens in at least two major ways. One is
    primarily disinformation caused by domestic organizations in
    the U.S. or extremist groups operating overseas. What we see is
    false information about immigrants, numbers of immigrants,
    about activity being pursued by racial or ethnic communities.
    The entire use of disinformation is designed to energize
    individuals, to effect emotions in ways that they (a)
    radicalize, and then, (b) Act on it eventually.
        The second area we have seen is some activity by foreign
    actors, particularly some of Russia's intelligence services,
    the SVR, the Foreign Intelligence Service, as well as Russia's
    GRU, the Main Intelligence Directorate, attempting to exploit
    using disinformation and online platforms inside of the United
    States, using disinformation to also exploit polarization,
    ethnic, racial, and other divisions. So, we've seen both
    domestic actors doing it as well as foreign.
        As to whether Congress and the government have done enough,
    I will say that there has been an uptick in my conversations
    with some of the Joint Terrorism Task Forces and the FBI and
    the Department of Homeland Security to pay more attention to
    this. We are way behind the eight ball for where we were on the
    Salafi-Jihadist side, the monitoring--
        Mr. Cicilline. Yeah. I'm going to try to get in a couple
    more questions, so I don't want to cut you off.
        Mr. Jones. Yeah, okay.
        Mr. Cicilline. We have a lot of work to do.
        Mr. Jones. We're behind.
        Mr. Cicilline. Yeah.
        Mr. Jones. We're behind, yeah.
        Mr. Cicilline. So, I'm going to ask the last two questions
    and then I'm going to ask the Witnesses to answer them so I can
    get them both in.
        Ms. Huang, first, thank you the incredible work you do, and
    your organization does. What would you like to see more done to
    help people actually move away from extremism and to prevent
    this violence, and how can the Federal government support these
    efforts? Because it's almost like deprogramming people who have
    joined gangs. Like, what do we need to do?
        Rabbi, thank you for your beautiful testimony and for your
    heroism and for the humanity for which you brought to this
    hearing. I wondered if you'd speak a little bit about the
    challenges of leading a congregation bearing the burden of
    generational trauma and the residual anxiety that comes from
    that and what that has meant for your congregation and for you
    as a rabbi.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. The gentleman has 15 seconds.
        Mr. Cicilline. The Chair will not, I'm sure, interrupt the
    rabbi or Ms. Huang as they answer that question.
        Ms. Huang. Thank you, Congressman Cicilline.
        Is it all right, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, to go ahead?
        Ms. Jackson Lee. You may proceed. Thank you.
        Ms. Huang. Thank you.
        I just wanted to emphasize, I think it's critically
    important to note that the balance of domestic extremism that
    we're seeing right now really is being led by the focus on
    White supremacy, and that means that some of the steps that
    have to be taken address White supremacy directly.
        It is not just the Southern Poverty Law Center who's noted
    this. We've heard this from the Office of the Director of
    National Intelligence, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland
    Security in their strategic intelligence assessment, the view
    of FBI Director Wray and DHS Secretary Mayorkas in their
    congressional testimony last September.
        All these government agencies have lifted up the importance
    of focusing on White supremacy, which means that we need to
    look at these underlying causes, including steps like
    Congresswoman Jackson Lee's H.R. 40 bill, which would
    commission a study of reparations for slavery, enabling us to
    look at the underlying history in this country of White
    supremacy and how has it affected different groups. It's just
    one example, but I want to be mindful of time. Thank you.
        Mr. Cicilline. Thank you.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you very much.
        Let me ask the rabbi to remember my dear friend Mr.
    Cicilline's question, and let me allow Mr. Lieu to go forward,
    and then if you can incorporate your answer. You're so
    valuable, all of you, and we'd like to get Mr. Lieu and Mr.
    Cohen in before you have to do your duties, Rabbi. Thank you
    for your graciousness.
        Mr. Lieu, you're recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Lieu. Thank you, Chair Sheila Jackson Lee, for holding
    this very important hearing.
        First, I'd like to do is to ask unanimous consent to enter
    two documents for the record. The first is the Congressional
    Bipartisan HBCU Caucus letter to Attorney General Garland and
    FBI Director Wray, dated February 4, 2022; and the second is
    the American Council on Education letter to congressional
    leaders regarding the bomb threats, dated February 14, 2022.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Without objection, so ordered.
        [The information follows:]

                            MR. LIEU FOR THE RECORD

    =======================================================================

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        Mr. Lieu. Now, I would like to read a statement from my
    friend and colleague, Congresswoman Alma Adams, who's a Co-
    Chair of the Congressional HBCU Caucus. She says, ``I pray for
    our beloved HBCUs this past week.'' However, as a proud alum
    twice of North Carolina A&T State University, as a former
    professor at Bennett College, and as a founder and Co-Chair of
    the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, I know for a fact
    HBCUs can overcome any challenge. However, HBCUs shouldn't have
    to face the violence and terror my generation experienced
    during segregation. Terrorism and racism have no place in
    college campuses or anywhere else.
        Congresswoman Adams continues, ``I also want to take this
    opportunity to address the perpetrators of these crimes. Just
    as I have prayed for our HBCUs, I am praying for you. I am
    praying that you learn from the pain you've caused. I am
    praying that the hate that inspired these acts leaves your
    heart forever. Like many others around the world, I owe our
    HBCUs a debt that can never be repaid. That is why I continue
    to pray for our institutions and the souls of those who cannot
    or will not honor them.''
        Congresswoman Adams concludes, ``In the wake of more
    threats levied against Spelman College, Howard University, and
    Winston-Salem State University in the past weeks, our Nation is
    being forced to once again recon with our history of racism and
    discrimination. Now, is the time to respond as a Nation, as a
    Congress, and as individuals. Such threats of violence must be
    stopped.''
        At this point, I have some questions for President Wilson.
    President Wilson, has the FBI updated you about their
    investigation of these bomb threats?
        Mr. Wilson. As much as I can say in this format, we are in
    communication with the FBI and with the Department of Homeland
    Security. Our Chief of Police is in continuous conversation
    with them.
        Mr. Lieu. Has the FBI or local law enforcement advised you
    on what HBCUs are supposed to do when you get future bomb
    threats?
        Mr. Wilson. Resources have been made available to us from
    the FBI in terms of possible training opportunities which, of
    course, we welcome. We have a law enforcement and armed law
    enforcement contingent here of pretty close to 60 members,
    that's the authorization. So, certainly any training
    opportunities that can come our way, we would welcome them,
    Congressman.
        Of course, we just don't want any more bomb threats. I
    mean, that's the bottom line that the fragility of our campus
    is quite alarming. I hate to even talk about just preparing the
    university for more threats and who knows what else, but that's
    the sad reality.
        Mr. Lieu. All right. Thank you.
        Rabbi Cytron-Walker, I'm going give you an opportunity to
    answer the question from my colleague, David Cicilline. I also
    have a question for you as well. I've been working with
    Congressman Colin Allred on their nonprofit security grants
    that you mentioned earlier. We're trying to increase funding.
        My question to you is: Are there things for which you would
    like that grant to apply to you for which it currently does
    not? In other words, are there places you think we should
    expand the applicability of these grants?
        With that, I'll yield and let you answer those two
    questions, one from David Cicilline and one from me.
        Rabbi Cytron-Walker. Regarding the grants, yes, to expand
    it. I don't know the details enough or the specifics. I'm not
    that policy expert. I do know that there was testimony given by
    the--Eric Fingerhut of--Congressman Fingerhut of Jewish
    Federations and Michael Masters from SCN, the Secure
    Communities Network, that I believe would help address how it
    can be expanded, not just in terms of funding.
        We certainly want support for smaller congregations. That
    is one thing I can certainly speak to. Smaller congregations
    don't have the resources to write out the grants and do that
    work, so we need support as far as that goes.
        Regarding the Representative's question about generational
    trauma, if I believe that is correct and just how do we heal, I
    will say that the way that I've been taking it is one day at a
    time. We need to address our security concerns. We also need to
    be able to move past this incident.
        We are trying to celebrate as a community and rejoice as a
    community, and when people need those hugs, when fewer people
    are seeing me and bursting into tears, fewer people are hearing
    my voice for the first time and choking up, which is a good
    thing.
        I'm a huge fan and I've been preaching a lot about taking
    advantage of mental health resources. We need to have that
    sense of support, and we need to be able to celebrate and--so I
    don't know how much more I could offer there, but our
    therapists are telling us that as soon as we can get back to
    normal, that's a positive thing.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you. Thank you so very much and
    thank you for those questions. Thank you.
        Very quickly, Rabbi, let me yield to our dear friend from
    Tennessee, Mr. Cohen, for 5 minutes. Mr. Cohen, you're
    recognized for 5 minutes.
        Mr. Cohen. Thank you, Madam Chair. It's been rather hectic
    here. I've got a tax townhall in a few minutes, but I did want
    to address a few things that I wanted to speak earlier, and I
    think you more or less addressed them, and I think all of our
    Members have the same problem. This is a serious issue, and
    it's great that you had this hearing, and the Witnesses have
    been marvelous. They've all been marvelous.
        Rabbi, you're a hero. You spent that time--didn't know,
    with your other members of the congregation, whether you were
    going to live or not, and you all did great, and you are
    heroic, and I thank you. I don't know if you know Rabbi
    Greenstein, but if you do, you're a Rabbi Greenstein. You'll
    know that's an honor.
        The Republicans all talked about some people on this
    Committee, it's what Biggs said and what Mr. Burgess said, was
    that Members of this Committee, plural, have talked about
    defund the police. I know of only one Member on this Committee
    who might have talked about defunding the police, and I wanted
    to ask them to name the Members they're talking about, so the
    Members could tell them, yes, you're right, or, no, you're not.
    They're not with us. So, I can say, with the exception of one
    person, the Democrats have not called on defund the police.
        Mr. Biggs. Madam Chair, I am here if he wishes to ask me a
    question.
        Mr. Cohen. Who were you mentioning? You said some Members
    have said defund the police on this Committee. Who were you
    addressing, sir?
        Mr. Biggs. Yeah. First, Chair Nadler agreed the New York
    Police Department budget should be cut, stating, quote, there
    should be substantial cuts to the--
        Mr. Cohen. Sir, the only question I have for you is, who
    said defund the police?
        Mr. Biggs. I'm reading to you what he said exactly.
        Mr. Cohen. He didn't say defund the police, did he?
        Mr. Biggs. Is that your best defense, Mr. Cohen? Okay. All
    right. I could go forward. I can give you--okay. I'll just go
    Chair Nadler, Representative Bush, Representative Mondaire
    Jones, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, I'll give you Hakeem
    Jeffries because he was more equivocal, and Representative
    Jayapal. I've got their statements. I've got their references
    to those statements. I'm happy to submit those to the record,
    Madam Chair, and I appreciate the gentleman's question.
        Mr. Cohen. Thank you, Mr. Biggs.
        Mr. Biggs. I'll yield back.
        Mr. Cohen. Madam Chair, how many of those Members are on
    the Subcommittee? Just is Ms. Bush on the Subcommittee and Mr.
    Nadler?
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Are you posing a question? Those are
    Members of the Subcommittee. Mr. Nadler is a Member of all
    Subcommittees.
        Mr. Cohen. Yeah. Other than that, Ms. Bush is the only one
    he mentioned that was on the Subcommittee?
        Ms. Jackson Lee. That is my understanding.
        Mr. Cohen. So, Ms. Bush isn't here to say, and I think she
    probably has said defund the police. I don't think Mr. Nadler
    has. The other people, I can't speak to them, but they weren't
    on the Subcommittee. Bottom line is, most, if not 90 percent of
    the Democrats, 95 percent have never talked about defund the
    police.
        I'm a former Memphis Police legal adviser. I've advocated
    for strong policing. We had in our American Recovery Act $350
    billion that could be used by police. No Republican voted for
    it. $350 billion that only Democrats voted for giving police,
    local governments the opportunity to hire more policemen, to
    fund policemen, and to improve their systems. We are for common
    defense for police protection and have funded it with--so we've
    walked the walk not just talked the talk.
        There are problems, but there are problems indeed on the
    hearing matter that's been called. The hate in this country,
    the terrorism, mostly from the radical White supremacists is
    horrific. It's un-American. It's in inhuman. It's wrong. It's
    been synagogues, it's been churches, it's been NAACP
    headquarters.
        When I was a child, I remember the Atlanta synagogue being
    bombed. I'll never forget such. In Birmingham, it was the
    church--I think it was the 16th Street Church bombed. African
    Americans and Jews have suffered the most hate in this country.
    Sikhs are suffering it now, Muslims and Arabs too. It must
    stop.
        Now, indeed, in Tennessee, a man just pled guilty to
    bombing four White Protestant churches. So, the right wing
    sometimes goes off and they even destroy or deface religious
    institutions that are akin to their own, if they have a
    religion. These people might just be worshipping Satan.
        Thank you for our Witnesses. Thank you for our Chair. The
    truth will win out, and we need to shine a light on it. That's
    what Ida B. Wells told us and shared with us that the best
    disinfectant is the truth, and we should speak the truth.
        I yield back the balance of my time.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. I thank the gentleman from Memphis and
    thank him for his intensity. His time has been yielded and now
    expired.
        Let me yield to Mr. Biggs, if he has any additional
    comments that he chooses to make at this time, the Ranking
    Member.
        Mr. Biggs. Madam Chair, thank you. I, again, thank you. I
    thank the Witnesses for being here. This has been actually a
    very--in my mind, a very productive and very enlightening
    hearing, and I appreciate your leadership on this issue. I
    appreciate all the Witnesses that have testified.
        I've got to comment just a little bit to the gentleman from
    Tennessee and also the gentleman from Rhode Island who said
    that it was the Republicans are defunding the police. I'll just
    tell you that I'm going to submit for the record, Madam Chair,
    an article of July 7, 2021, that debunks what the gentleman
    from Rhode Island said. In fact, that claim that he made got
    three Pinocchios in The Washington Post. So, I'll submit that
    to you.
        Then I'll also submit, Madam Chair, if possible, without
    objection, the citations for the individuals on our Committee,
    not our Subcommittee, I didn't say our Subcommittee, I said our
    Committee, which is the Judiciary Committee. I'll submit those
    to you as well, the statement, so we can all see the statements
    that they made.
        Now, I want to talk--
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Without objection, so ordered.
        [The information follows:]

                            MR. BIGGS FOR THE RECORD

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        Mr. Biggs. Thank you, Madam Chair. I appreciate that.
        I want to get to really what I think has been just some
    remarkable testimony that we have to get to, and I appreciate
    the--well, I'm sorry. I've got to clarify one other thing. We
    had--most of our Members were on this Committee--who are on the
    Subcommittee were in attendance at one time or another. Some of
    them actually have conflicting Subcommittees or Committee
    hearings while we speak, so they weren't all able to be with us
    the entire time.
        I thought Dr. Jones' testimony was particularly insightful
    because it substantiated a lot of what Dr. Pennie had said
    about addition--not just domestic actors participating in
    indoctrination and radicalization of American actors, but there
    were also foreign actors participating there. That's a terrible
    thing, and we need to do better.
        Section 230, in my opinion, is just part of the way we get
    that. I've been working on that for the last 2 years, just so
    everyone can know. I think my friend from Rhode Island is
    actually working on big tech issues as well, and I think those
    would deal with radicalization as much as the additional
    censorship, and I appreciate his efforts on some of that--in
    that area as well.
        I wanted to tell Dr. Wilson, I really appreciate his
    testimony. I thought it was very clarifying and very important
    and very substantive as well, and I appreciate that testimony.
        I also want to thank Brandon Tatum who testified. As an
    alumni myself of the University of Arizona Law School and a
    native of Arizona, I remember Brandon playing--Mr. Tatum
    playing on the University of Arizona Wildcat football team,
    which was enjoying better times when he played than it is
    enjoying today. So, I appreciate you being here and testifying
    today.
        I express to the rabbi and also to Mr. Kaleka heartfelt
    condolences and sympathy to what you've endured, and I
    appreciate it.
        Madam Chair, I could go on because I do think this is a
    very important topic. I've written it down, additional notes to
    go from, and I will take much having learned much today. I
    thank you, and I yield back to you, Madam Chair.
        Mr. Cicilline. Madam Chair, I have a unanimous consent
    request.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Mr. Cicilline, you're recognized for a
    unanimous consent request.
        Mr. Cicilline. Thank you. Madam Chair, I'd ask that a
    statement from the Sikh Coalition regarding increased violence
    against their community made a part of the record.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Without objection, so ordered.
        [The information follows:]

                          MR. CICILLINE FOR THE RECORD

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        Ms. Jackson Lee. Let me, first, thank Ranking Member Biggs
    for putting on the record the importance of this hearing, and I
    prayerfully hope that he has gained additional insight. I am
    very grateful that he has acknowledged his own faith. He is
    right.
        I would say to you, Mr. Biggs, many of my friends are in
    your faith, and I have known the discrimination historically
    and even present that has impacted your community. So, I think
    your acceptance and insight of the importance of this is
    crucial because that's the only way we can move forward in a
    bipartisan way.
        So, I want to restate, just for a few minutes, this
    hearing's topic was a rise in violence against minority
    institutions, but we are grateful that we have heard what words
    can do. We see with Mr. Kaleka, he tragically lost friends,
    fellow worshippers, and most, his loving father. Someone died,
    persons died. I've known the Sikh community. They are very
    strong in Houston. We are close. People died. So, I appreciate
    your presence here today.
        Dr. Jones, your statistics are going to be very helpful in
    moving forward on a domestic terrorism legislation, because it
    is shocking to many of us that the Federal government does not
    have a greater presence in data collection, prosecution because
    people die. I think that is what this hearing should suggest.
        Out of these words and actions, out of the tiki torches in
    Charlottesville, Virginia, someone died. Out of the anti-
    Semitic remarks, synagogues across the Nation have had people
    die. How grateful we are that in Colleyville, lives were saved
    even though the perpetrator said Jews control the world, a
    greatly anti-Semitic statement. People died.
        Thank you, Dr. Wilson, for digging into the deep
    generational trauma that our young Black students face. I'll
    have a question for you very briefly and a question for Ms.
    Huang.
        Again, we hug and honor, we mourn, hug, and honor. We honor
    and hug the rabbi because he lived, and those in that synagogue
    lived that were under threat. The tragedy, of course, that out
    of threats some violence comes and people die.
        That is the cruciality of this hearing. That is the topic
    that should not be diminished. People die. The pain that I have
    and that my Members have, this Congress should have and the
    nation should have, is that across the nation of HBCUs
    presidents are charged with academic responsibility, but they
    are not FBI. They are not law enforcement. They are not
    national security experts. We are telling our presidents of
    Black universities and other universities of color that they
    now have to take on another responsibility because children
    could die. I cannot leave this hearing without making that
    point.
        So, let me first go to Ms. Huang for the storied history of
    the Southern Poverty Leadership Conference and to thank you for
    now your new leadership, which I am so proud of. Can you
    respond to my point--and, again, you are right, H.R. 40 that is
    now ready to pass this Congress or to become law is that very
    important response to stopping for a moment to discern racism
    and its deeply embedded core as relates to African Americans,
    the descendants of enslaved Africans. We are ready for that
    bill.
        Could you in your history of the Southern Poverty
    Leadership tie words to ultimate killings and violence? That
    seems to be missed, and I want that to be clear on the record.
    Ms. Huang?
        Ms. Huang. Thank you so much, Congresswoman Jackson Lee. I
    believe you know that every year, the Southern Poverty Law
    Center issues a Year in Hate report, and in that report, we
    track the activities of more than 1,200 hate and extremist
    groups across the country, many of whom--and increasingly many
    of whom embrace White supremacy as their leading ideology.
        There's no question that we cannot successfully tackle
    domestic terrorism without dealing with the problem of White
    supremacy in this country. The efforts right now that we're
    seeing to discourage teachers and schools from talking about
    our honest history are contributing to this narrative that
    White supremacy is not the problem, and it is. We've seen that
    time and time again from the data that is collected by the
    government and from the activities of the groups that we track
    and monitor.
        I would just add, what's most important is that over the
    long term, we have to focus on anti-bias, anti-hate prevention,
    and civic engagement initiatives. This is how we're going to
    counter domestic terrorism. It is the fourth pillar of the
    National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism that was
    put out by the White House and this Biden Administration. We
    hope that this Committee and Congress will take those
    recommendations very seriously and prioritize addressing White
    supremacy as the key to addressing all these problems.
        Thank you, Congresswoman.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Thank you. Just out of those words, have
    you documented that people die, words and actions that you've
    just evidenced?
        Ms. Huang. We have seen time and time again that people die
    because of White supremacy, because of hate and extremism in
    this country, and it's why we have spent so much of our time
    and energy trying to document these ideologies and to give
    warning and support to communities who want to stand up and
    protect themselves.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. I thank you very much.
        Dr. Morgan (sic), as an academician and the President of
    the university representing the world of HBCUs and Thurgood
    Marshall schools, coming from your historic history, which in
    this day and time is important for people to know that there is
    that history, in your leadership and your ability to give
    strength to your students, but do you have as your trepidation
    your history that when anger and hateful comments were made
    people died?
        Mr. Wilson. Unfortunately, that is a part of the great
    history of the formation and survival of HBCUs. I have
    documented in my testimony, going back to 1865, how acts of
    racism have destroyed buildings on the campuses, have led to
    deaths of students and deaths of professors.
        Madam Chair, based on what you just heard from Margaret
    Huang of the Southern Poverty Law Center, it is really that
    connected with your comment that keeps me up at night and keeps
    other HBCU presidents and chancellors up at night. We are in a
    period where we don't know if one of these threats will no
    longer just simply be a threat, and that is a very, very
    frightening place to be.
        Our students who come to Morgan and to other HBCUs, they
    come to get an education. They come to prepare themselves for
    the future of work and the work of the future. They just want
    to have an education in an environment that their very lives
    are not being threatened every day.
        There is no other genre of institutions that I'm aware of,
    as I have raised my hand in this hearing today, that is
    receiving the bomb threats with the kind of regularity that we
    see across HBCUs. I hope the Nation wakes up and responds in a
    way that will bring this to an end. I appreciate the
    opportunity, Madam Chair, for having presented before this
    Subcommittee today.
        Ms. Jackson Lee. Dr. Wilson, thank you.
        Thank you to, as well, I don't think I mentioned Dr. Pennie
    and Dr. Tatum.
        Thank you to all the other Witnesses, which I did express
    my appreciation.
        Dr. Wilson, let it be clear that this Committee, this
    Congress, and this Nation will be standing with you.
        I wish to introduce into the record a series of texts that
    are now appearing in the trial of the Mike Michaels, one to
    read, referring to Black people: ``They ruin everything. That's
    why I love what I do now. Not a n-i-g-g-e-r in sight,'' Mike
    Michaels said in the message. There's a series of these that
    are prevalent in the testimony. I want to add--ask unanimous
    consent to include these in the record, which I will do without
    objection.
        Then, I want to introduce into the record a letter that was
    sent by Chair Nadler, Chair Jackson Lee, Chair Beatty to the
    FBI, in sync Dr. Wilson, and with all of the Witnesses for
    there to be a full briefing of this Committee and, of course,
    the Congressional Black Caucus, on the question of the attacks
    on historically Black colleges and, of course, the rise in
    racism and anti-Semitism among many other groups.
        We're insisting--let me put that on the record. I want to
    ensure Director Wray to know that we will be in touch and want
    this to be immediate and not later, because for Congress to
    act, we must have these kinds of serious briefings. So, that
    letter will be put into the record as well.
        [The information follows:]

                         MS. JACKSON LEE FOR THE RECORD

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        Ms. Jackson Lee. As I conclude, let me say to my own city
    of Houston, we are in this fight together. Let me thank Chief
    Finner, Mayor Sylvester Turner for the hard work that is going
    on, that I am joining them in, and the many neighbors that are
    standing up against crime, but the many victims who have been
    victimized by crime. We do not take it lightly, and we are
    equal to cities across the Nation.
        We're coming into a period that mixes the toxicity of the
    pandemic and the toxicity of the divisive language that was
    evidenced on January 6th and in the past years. We now have to
    overcome that with healing and coming together and, yes,
    legislation like H.R. 40.
        I think this hearing has emphasized the importance of the
    work that the Committee is doing, and we will look forward to
    hearings addressing the question of violence forthcoming,
    because that's what we do in Judiciary Committee. We take up
    the issues of concern.
        I want to finally say that Members on this Committee have
    the right to have differing opinions and characterize their own
    words, and I'm sure that all Members appreciate the good work
    of our law enforcement officers that are protecting us across
    the Nation.
        With that, this concludes today's hearing. I thank all of
    you and our distinguished Witnesses for attending. We mourn
    those who have lost loved ones, and we commit ourselves to
    finding solutions.
        Without objection, all Members will have 5 legislative days
    to submit additional written questions for the Witnesses or
    additional materials for the record.
        The hearing is now adjourned. Thank you very much.
        [Whereupon, at 1:08 p.m., the Subcommittee was adjourned.]

                      ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FOR THE RECORD

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