[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 161 (Tuesday, October 23, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11854-H11862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VIOLENT RADICALIZATION AND HOMEGROWN TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2007
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1955) to prevent homegrown terrorism, and
for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1955
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Violent Radicalization and
Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007''.
SEC. 2. PREVENTION OF VIOLENT RADICALIZATION AND HOMEGROWN
TERRORISM.
(a) In General.--Title VIII of the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (6 U.S.C. 361 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following new subtitle:
``Subtitle J--Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown
Terrorism
``SEC. 899A. DEFINITIONS.
``For purposes of this subtitle:
``(1) Commission.--The term `Commission' means the National
Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and
Homegrown Terrorism established under section 899C.
``(2) Violent radicalization.--The term `violent
radicalization' means the process of adopting or promoting an
extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating
ideologically based violence to advance political, religious,
or social change.
``(3) Homegrown terrorism.--The term `homegrown terrorism'
means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or
violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and
operating primarily within the United States or any
possession of the
[[Page H11855]]
United States to intimidate or coerce the United States
government, the civilian population of the United States, or
any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social
objectives.
``(4) Ideologically based violence.--The term
`ideologically based violence' means the use, planned use, or
threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual
to promote the group or individual's political, religious, or
social beliefs.
``SEC. 899B. FINDINGS.
``The Congress finds the following:
``(1) The development and implementation of methods and
processes that can be utilized to prevent violent
radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based
violence in the United States is critical to combating
domestic terrorism.
``(2) The promotion of violent radicalization, homegrown
terrorism, and ideologically based violence exists in the
United States and poses a threat to homeland security.
``(3) The Internet has aided in facilitating violent
radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the
homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing
access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related
propaganda to United States citizens.
``(4) While the United States must continue its vigilant
efforts to combat international terrorism, it must also
strengthen efforts to combat the threat posed by homegrown
terrorists based and operating within the United States.
``(5) Understanding the motivational factors that lead to
violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and
ideologically based violence is a vital step toward
eradicating these threats in the United States.
``(6) Preventing the potential rise of self radicalized,
unaffiliated terrorists domestically cannot be easily
accomplished solely through traditional Federal intelligence
or law enforcement efforts, and can benefit from the
incorporation of State and local efforts.
``(7) Individuals prone to violent radicalization,
homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence span
all races, ethnicities, and religious beliefs, and
individuals should not be targeted based solely on race,
ethnicity, or religion.
``(8) Any measure taken to prevent violent radicalization,
homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence and
homegrown terrorism in the United States should not violate
the constitutional rights, civil rights, or civil liberties
of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents.
``(9) Certain governments, including the United Kingdom,
Canada, and Australia have significant experience with
homegrown terrorism and the United States can benefit from
lessons learned by those nations.
``SEC. 899C. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON THE PREVENTION OF VIOLENT
RADICALIZATION AND IDEOLOGICALLY BASED
VIOLENCE.
``(a) Establishment.--There is established within the
legislative branch of the Government the National Commission
on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown
Terrorism.
``(b) Purpose.--The purposes of the Commission are the
following:
``(1) Examine and report upon the facts and causes of
violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and
ideologically based violence in the United States, including
United States connections to non-United States persons and
networks, violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and
ideologically based violence in prison, individual or `lone
wolf' violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and
ideologically based violence, and other faces of the
phenomena of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and
ideologically based violence that the Commission considers
important.
``(2) Build upon and bring together the work of other
entities and avoid unnecessary duplication, by reviewing the
findings, conclusions, and recommendations of--
``(A) the Center of Excellence established or designated
under section 899D, and other academic work, as appropriate;
``(B) Federal, State, local, or tribal studies of, reviews
of, and experiences with violent radicalization, homegrown
terrorism, and ideologically based violence; and
``(C) foreign government studies of, reviews of, and
experiences with violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism,
and ideologically based violence.
``(c) Composition of Commission.--The Commission shall be
composed of 10 members appointed for the life of the
Commission, of whom--
``(1) one member shall be appointed by the President from
among officers or employees of the executive branch and
private citizens of the United States;
``(2) one member shall be appointed by the Secretary;
``(3) one member shall be appointed by the majority leader
of the Senate;
``(4) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader
of the Senate;
``(5) one member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives;
``(6) one member shall be appointed by the minority leader
of the House of Representatives;
``(7) one member shall be appointed by the Chairman of the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives;
``(8) one member shall be appointed by the ranking minority
member of the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives;
``(9) one member shall be appointed by the Chairman of the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of
the Senate; and
``(10) one member shall be appointed by the ranking
minority member of the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
``(d) Chair and Vice Chair.--The Commission shall elect a
Chair and a Vice Chair from among its members.
``(e) Qualifications.--Individuals shall be selected for
appointment to the Commission solely on the basis of their
professional qualifications, achievements, public stature,
experience, and expertise in relevant fields, including, but
not limited to, behavioral science, constitutional law,
corrections, counterterrorism, cultural anthropology,
education, information technology, intelligence, juvenile
justice, local law enforcement, organized crime, Islam and
other world religions, sociology, or terrorism.
``(f) Deadline for Appointment.--All members of the
Commission shall be appointed no later than 60 days after the
date of enactment of this subtitle.
``(g) Quorum and Meetings.--The Commission shall meet and
begin the operations of the Commission not later than 30 days
after the date on which all members have been appointed or,
if such meeting cannot be mutually agreed upon, on a date
designated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Each subsequent meeting shall occur upon the call of the
Chair or a majority of its members. A majority of the members
of the Commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser
number may hold meetings.
``(h) Authority of Individuals to Act for Commission.--Any
member of the Commission may, if authorized by the
Commission, take any action that the Commission is authorized
to take under this Act.
``(i) Powers of Commission.--The powers of the Commission
shall be as follows:
``(1) In general.--
``(A) Hearings and evidence.--The Commission or, on the
authority of the Commission, any subcommittee or member
thereof, may, for the purpose of carrying out this section,
hold hearings and sit and act at such times and places, take
such testimony, receive such evidence, and administer such
oaths as the Commission considers advisable to carry out its
duties.
``(B) Contracting.--The Commission may, to such extent and
in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, enter
into contracts to enable the Commission to discharge its
duties under this section.
``(2) Information from federal agencies.--
``(A) In general.--The Commission may request directly from
any executive department, bureau, agency, board, commission,
office, independent establishment, or instrumentality of the
Government, information, suggestions, estimates, and
statistics for the purposes of this section. The head of each
such department, bureau, agency, board, commission, office,
independent establishment, or instrumentality shall, to the
extent practicable and authorized by law, furnish such
information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly
to the Commission, upon request made by the Chair of the
Commission, by the chair of any subcommittee created by a
majority of the Commission, or by any member designated by a
majority of the Commission.
``(B) Receipt, handling, storage, and dissemination.--The
Committee and its staff shall receive, handle, store, and
disseminate information in a manner consistent with the
operative statutes, regulations, and Executive orders that
govern the handling, storage, and dissemination of such
information at the department, bureau, agency, board,
commission, office, independent establishment, or
instrumentality that responds to the request.
``(j) Assistance From Federal Agencies.--
``(1) General services administration.--The Administrator
of General Services shall provide to the Commission on a
reimbursable basis administrative support and other services
for the performance of the Commission's functions.
``(2) Other departments and agencies.--In addition to the
assistance required under paragraph (1), departments and
agencies of the United States may provide to the Commission
such services, funds, facilities, and staff as they may
determine advisable and as may be authorized by law.
``(k) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United
States mails in the same manner and under the same conditions
as departments and agencies of the United States.
``(l) Nonapplicability of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--
The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not
apply to the Commission.
``(m) Public Meetings.--
``(1) In general.--The Commission shall hold public
hearings and meetings to the extent appropriate.
``(2) Protection of information.--Any public hearings of
the Commission shall be conducted in a manner consistent with
the protection of information provided to or developed for or
by the Commission as required by any applicable statute,
regulation, or Executive order including subsection
(i)(2)(B).
``(n) Staff of Commission.--
``(1) Appointment and compensation.--The Chair of the
Commission, in consultation with the Vice Chair and in
accordance with
[[Page H11856]]
rules adopted by the Commission, may appoint and fix the
compensation of a staff director and such other personnel as
may be necessary to enable the Commission to carry out its
functions, without regard to the provisions of title 5,
United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive
service, and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51
and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to
classification and General Schedule pay rates, except that no
rate of pay fixed under this subsection may exceed the
maximum rate of pay for GS-15 under the General Schedule.
``(2) Staff expertise.--Individuals shall be selected for
appointment as staff of the Commission on the basis of their
expertise in one or more of the fields referred to in
subsection (e).
``(3) Personnel as federal employees.--
``(A) In general.--The executive director and any employees
of the Commission shall be employees under section 2105 of
title 5, United States Code, for purposes of chapters 63, 81,
83, 84, 85, 87, 89, and 90 of that title.
``(B) Members of commission.--Subparagraph (A) shall not be
construed to apply to members of the Commission.
``(4) Detailees.--Any Federal Government employee may be
detailed to the Commission without reimbursement from the
Commission, and during such detail shall retain the rights,
status, and privileges of his or her regular employment
without interruption.
``(5) Consultant services.--The Commission may procure the
services of experts and consultants in accordance with
section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, but at rates not
to exceed the daily rate paid a person occupying a position
at level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of
title 5, United States Code.
``(6) Emphasis on security clearances.--The Commission
shall make it a priority to hire as employees and retain as
contractors and detailees individuals otherwise authorized by
this section who have active security clearances.
``(o) Commission Personnel Matters.--
``(1) Compensation of members.--Each member of the
Commission who is not an employee of the government shall be
compensated at a rate not to exceed the daily equivalent of
the annual rate of basic pay in effect for a position at
level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of
title 5, United States Code, for each day during which that
member is engaged in the actual performance of the duties of
the Commission.
``(2) Travel expenses.--While away from their homes or
regular places of business in the performance of services for
the Commission, members of the Commission shall be allowed
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence,
at rates authorized for employees of agencies under
subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code,
while away from their homes or regular places of business in
the performance of services for the Commission.
``(3) Travel on armed forces conveyances.--Members and
personnel of the Commission may travel on aircraft, vehicles,
or other conveyances of the Armed Forces of the United States
when such travel is necessary in the performance of a duty of
the Commission, unless the cost of commercial transportation
is less expensive.
``(4) Treatment of service for purposes of retirement
benefits.--A member of the Commission who is an annuitant
otherwise covered by section 8344 or 8468 of title 5, United
States Code, by reason of membership on the Commission shall
not be subject to the provisions of such section with respect
to membership on the Commission.
``(5) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Commission shall not
affect its powers and shall be filled in the manner in which
the original appointment was made. The appointment of the
replacement member shall be made not later than 60 days after
the date on which the vacancy occurs.
``(p) Security Clearances.--The heads of appropriate
departments and agencies of the executive branch shall
cooperate with the Commission to expeditiously provide
Commission members and staff with appropriate security
clearances to the extent possible under applicable procedures
and requirements.
``(q) Reports.--
``(1) Final report.--Not later than 18 months after the
date on which the Commission first meets, the Commission
shall submit to the President and Congress a final report of
its findings and conclusions, legislative recommendations for
immediate and long-term countermeasures to violent
radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based
violence, and measures that can be taken to prevent violent
radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based
violence from developing and spreading within the United
States, and any final recommendations for any additional
grant programs to support these purposes. The report may also
be accompanied by a classified annex.
``(2) Interim reports.--The Commission shall submit to the
President and Congress--
``(A) by not later than 6 months after the date on which
the Commission first meets, a first interim report on--
``(i) its findings and conclusions and legislative
recommendations for the purposes described in paragraph (1);
and
``(ii) its recommendations on the feasibility of a grant
program established and administered by the Secretary for the
purpose of preventing, disrupting, and mitigating the effects
of violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and
ideologically based violence and, if such a program is
feasible, recommendations on how grant funds should be used
and administered; and
``(B) by not later than 6 months after the date on which
the Commission submits the interim report under subparagraph
(A), a second interim report on such matters.
``(3) Individual or dissenting views.--Each member of the
Commission may include in each report under this subsection
the individual additional or dissenting views of the member.
``(4) Public availability.--The Commission shall release a
public version of each report required under this subsection.
``(r) Availability of Funding.--Amounts made available to
the Commission to carry out this section shall remain
available until the earlier of the expenditure of the amounts
or the termination of the Commission.
``(s) Termination of Commission.--The Commission shall
terminate 30 days after the date on which the Commission
submits its final report.
``SEC. 899D. CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR THE STUDY OF VIOLENT
RADICALIZATION AND HOMEGROWN TERRORISM IN THE
UNITED STATES.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Homeland Security
shall establish or designate a university-based Center of
Excellence for the Study of Violent Radicalization and
Homegrown Terrorism in the United States (hereinafter
referred to as `Center') following the merit-review processes
and procedures and other limitations that have been
previously established for selecting and supporting
University Programs Centers of Excellence. The Center shall
assist Federal, State, local and tribal homeland security
officials through training, education, and research in
preventing violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism in
the United States. In carrying out this section, the
Secretary may choose to either create a new Center designed
exclusively for the purpose stated herein or identify and
expand an existing Department of Homeland Security Center of
Excellence so that a working group is exclusively designated
within the existing Center of Excellence to achieve the
purpose set forth in subsection (b).
``(b) Purpose.--It shall be the purpose of the Center to
study the social, criminal, political, psychological, and
economic roots of violent radicalization and homegrown
terrorism in the United States and methods that can be
utilized by Federal, State, local, and tribal homeland
security officials to mitigate violent radicalization and
homegrown terrorism.
``(c) Activities.--In carrying out this section, the Center
shall--
``(1) contribute to the establishment of training, written
materials, information, analytical assistance and
professional resources to aid in combating violent
radicalization and homegrown terrorism;
``(2) utilize theories, methods and data from the social
and behavioral sciences to better understand the origins,
dynamics, and social and psychological aspects of violent
radicalization and homegrown terrorism;
``(3) conduct research on the motivational factors that
lead to violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism; and
``(4) coordinate with other academic institutions studying
the effects of violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism
where appropriate.
``SEC. 899E. PREVENTING VIOLENT RADICALIZATION AND HOMEGROWN
TERRORISM THROUGH INTERNATIONAL COOPERATIVE
EFFORTS.
``(a) International Effort.--The Secretary shall, in
cooperation with the Department of State, the Attorney
General, and other Federal Government entities, as
appropriate, conduct a survey of methodologies implemented by
foreign nations to prevent violent radicalization and
homegrown terrorism in their respective nations.
``(b) Implementation.--To the extent that methodologies are
permissible under the Constitution, the Secretary shall use
the results of the survey as an aid in developing, in
consultation with the Attorney General, a national policy in
the United States on addressing radicalization and homegrown
terrorism.
``(c) Reports to Congress.--The Secretary shall submit a
report to Congress that provides--
``(1) a brief description of the foreign partners
participating in the survey; and
``(2) a description of lessons learned from the results of
the survey and recommendations implemented through this
international outreach.
``SEC. 899F. PROTECTING CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES
WHILE PREVENTING IDEOLOGICALLY BASED VIOLENCE
AND HOMEGROWN TERRORISM.
``(a) In General.--The Department of Homeland Security's
efforts to prevent ideologically based violence and homegrown
terrorism as described herein shall not violate the
constitutional rights, civil rights, or civil liberties of
United States citizens or lawful permanent residents.
``(b) Commitment to Racial Neutrality.--The Secretary shall
ensure that the activities and operations of the entities
created by this subtitle are in compliance with the
Department of Homeland Security's commitment to racial
neutrality.
``(c) Auditing Mechanism.--The Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties Officer of the Department of Homeland Security
shall develop and implement an auditing mechanism
[[Page H11857]]
to ensure that compliance with this subtitle does not violate
the constitutional rights, civil rights, or civil liberties
of any racial, ethnic, or religious group, and shall include
the results of audits under such mechanism in its annual
report to Congress required under section 705.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of such Act is amended by inserting at the end of the
items relating to title VIII the following:
``Subtitle J--Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown
Terrorism
``Sec. 899A. Definitions.
``Sec. 899B. Findings.
``Sec. 899C. National Commission on the Prevention of Violent
Radicalization and Ideologically Based Violence.
``Sec. 899D. Center of Excellence for the Study of Violent
Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism in the United
States.
``Sec. 899E. Preventing violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism
through international cooperative efforts.
``Sec. 899F. Protecting civil rights and civil liberties while
preventing ideologically based violence and homegrown
terrorism.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr.
Reichert) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.
General Leave
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and
extend their remarks on this bill and include therein any extraneous
material.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Mississippi?
There was no objection.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time
as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1955, the Violent
Radicalization of Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007.
In May, six men were arrested for allegedly plotting to attack Fort
Dix. Three of those men were United States citizens; the other three
had been in the United States since they were small children. Then,
again, in June, another four men were charged with plotting to attack
JFK Airport by blowing up jet fuel tanks. The alleged mastermind of
this plot was a United States citizen.
Today, one of the most frequently visited English language Web sites
that preaches hate, violence and radicalized views of Islam is operated
by a 21-year-old U.S. citizen from the comfort of his parents' home in
North Carolina. Some may say these incidents are isolated cases, but I
believe that they are indicative of a growing trend of homegrown
terrorism in this country.
Homegrown terrorists no longer need to travel to Afghanistan or
Pakistan to get support and training. They can simply go on the
Internet to find violent propaganda and others who share their violent
ideology. H.R. 1955 provides us with a strategy for how to address this
very challenging Homeland Security issue. I commend Chairwoman Harman
for authoring this important legislation and for championing this case.
The centerpiece of this bill is the creation of a national
commission. It is a step in the right direction. National commissions
have a long and successful history in this country. The Gilmore
Commission, of which our chairwoman was a member, which functioned from
1993 to 1998, made 164 recommendations regarding the domestic response
to terrorism. Of those 164 recommendations, all have been adopted in
whole or in part by the Congress and the Federal Government.
Another commission, the National Commission on Terrorism, which
operated in the early 1990s, was on the cutting edge of the terrorism
debate. That commission provided the Nation with the blueprint of how
to address the threat of terrorism long before the September 11
attacks.
The more recent 9/11 Commission set the tenor of our administrative
and legislative response to the September 11 attack. That commission's
recommendations were the bedrock of legislation I offered that was
enacted into law this summer.
The commission established in H.R. 1955 will help build on the work
of past commissions and help our Nation come up with strategies for new
threats. The bill also requires our government to reach out to other
nations that have experienced home grown terrorism. Learning from other
nations about what works and what doesn't will better position us to
prevent the spread of violent ideology in our country.
The bill also creates a center of excellence to conduct research that
is desperately needed in determining the root cause of violent
radicalization.
At the same time, H.R. 1955 also protects simple rights and liberties
of U.S. citizens. The bill is mindful of Americans' right to free
speech, freedom of association and freedom to worship. H.R. 1955 makes
certain that individuals exercising these rights within lawful
parameters are not singled out.
I urge my colleagues to support this important Homeland Security bill
and ask them to vote in favor of passage of this important legislation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1955, the
Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007.
As the ranking member on the Homeland Security Subcommittee on
Intelligence, I would like to commend, first of all and especially,
Chairwoman Jane Harman, who has, as the chairman says, Mr. Thompson,
really done a lot of work in this area and has been at the forefront of
our intelligence community in working to protect our Nation.
I also want to thank the full committee chairman, Mr. Thompson of
Mississippi, for all his hard work, and our ranking member, Mr. King of
New York, who could not be here today.
This truly has been a bipartisan effort. It's one of those issues
that all of us in this body recognize as so critical to the protection
of our citizens and our country. This legislation is focused on
addressing the issue of radicalization and homegrown terrorism. While
terrorist recruitment and radicalization is a worldwide problem that
must be combated globally, the United States cannot afford to simply
focus on eliminating terrorists abroad. It is essential that we fully
understand the future and the nature of the threat here in the United
States from homegrown radicals.
In the National Intelligence Estimate on the Terrorist Threat to the
U.S. Homeland released in July of this year, the Director of National
Intelligence and the National Intelligence Council assess, ``The spread
of radical Internet sites, increasingly aggressive anti-U.S. rhetoric
and actions, and the growing number of radical, self-generating cells
in Western countries indicate that the radical and violent segment of
the West's Muslim population is expanding, including in the United
States. The arrest and prosecution by U.S. law enforcement of a small
number of violent Islamic extremists inside the United States--who are
becoming more connected ideologically, virtually, and/or in a physical
sense to the global extremist movement--points to the possibility that
others may become sufficiently radicalized that they will view the use
of violence here as legitimate.''
Because of the freedoms of our society, and the interconnected world
we live in, radical ideas spread easily. These ideas can come from
overseas or from within the United States. They can come from within
prisons inside of isolated religious or ethnic enclaves or on the
Internet. These ideas reach people in the privacy of their homes, via
the Internet, and can be similarly assessed by vulnerable individuals
at schools, libraries and universities.
Unfortunately, our freedoms are being abused by individuals whose
sole purpose is to destroy our way of life. While we have not seen
radicalization to the extent witnessed in other Western countries like
the United Kingdom, we have seen homegrown terrorist cells.
Prisoners in Sacramento state prison plotted to attack Jewish and
U.S. military targets. Radicalized individuals plotted to destroy fuel
tanks at JFK Airport in New York and aimed to create carnage at Fort
Dix in New Jersey.
While clearly law enforcement and intelligence efforts are key to
intercepting and interdicting these ideas and thoughts and efforts in
our country, we need a strategy to ensure that
[[Page H11858]]
violent, radical ideologies are contained. Because of the nature of
this threat, it is essential that we understand why individuals become
radicalized and what we can do to prevent radical ideologies from
taking hold and spreading here in the United States.
H.R. 1955 establishes a National Commission on the Prevention of
Violent Radicalization and Ideologically Based Violence. The commission
incorporates aspects of H.R. 1695, the PREVENT Act, which I introduced
earlier this year. The purpose of this national commission would be to
proactively get ahead of the radicalization problems so that as a
Nation we can combat these radical ideologies before they become
widespread within our borders.
In addition, H.R. 1955 includes provisions to help us learn from our
international partners on how they are trying to prevent radicalization
in their own countries. This issue is not new to many countries
throughout the world such as the United Kingdom, and I believe it is
critical for us to work with our international partners and learn from
their past successes and failures.
{time} 1115
Lastly, this legislation includes provisions that ensure privacy and
civil rights are protected for all American citizens.
Again, I would like to commend Chairman Harman and Chairman Thompson
for working with me and Mr. King on this legislation. I urge all my
colleagues to support this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as
she may consume to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Harman), the
chairman of the subcommittee, as well as the author of this legislation
under consideration today.
Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, I thank my chairman for yielding to me,
and I thank my ranking member, Mr. Reichert, for his generous remarks.
Madam Speaker, on 9/11 we were attacked by foreigners who had come to
this country legally. The next time and, sadly, I believe there will be
a next time, my assumption is that many who attack us will already be
here, and some will be U.S. citizens. Homegrown terror is a phenomenon
many countries are scrambling to understand, including the British, as
they are under major threat from it. Theirs is a peculiar kind with a
large Pakistani population that is not well assimilated.
But America has a problem too, unique in nature, and we fail to
understand it at our peril. Far from being immune to the danger of
homegrown terror, think Timothy McVeigh or Theodore Kaczynski, the
threat today is infinitely greater and more likely to be influenced by
events in the Middle East or by the larger struggle against radical
Islam.
What causes an individual or group to, first, coalesce around a set
of radical principles or a charismatic leader, activities permitted by
our Bill of Rights, but subsequently to embrace a violent agenda
intended to inflict maximum pain and disruption on his neighbors,
potential treason, is not well understood.
In recent testimony before our Intelligence Subcommittee, some common
traits and characteristics emerged. Said RAND Corporation's Bruce
Jenkins: ``It is the same age group that is susceptible to being
recruited into gangs. These are young men who are going through
identity crises, looking to define themselves. If you have a narrative
that exalts violence, that attempts to project that violence as a
personal obligation, that offers the tantalizing prospect of
clandestinity, identity, all of those are appealing to that specific
age group.''
Combine that personal adolescent upheaval with the explosion of
information technologies and communications tools, tools which American
kids are using to broadcast messages from al Qaeda, as Chairman
Thompson just said, and there is a road map to terror, a retail outlet
for anger and warped aspirations. Link that intent with a trained
terrorist operative who has actual capability, and a ``Made in the
USA'' suicide bomber is born.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 1955 was carefully constructed by Dave Reichert
and me, as ranking member and chairman of the Homeland Security
Intelligence Subcommittee. The bill passed out of subcommittee and full
committee unanimously. This bill has strong bipartisan origins. As one
who believes that this body's best work is done on a bipartisan basis,
I think this bill is a testament. Though not a silver bullet, the
legislation will help the Nation develop a better understanding of the
forces that lead to homegrown terrorism and the steps we can take to
stop it.
Madam Speaker, free speech, espousing even very radical beliefs, is
protected by our Constitution. But violent behavior is not. Our plan
must be to intervene before a person crosses that line separating
radical views from violent behavior, to understand the forces at work
on the individual and the community, to create an environment that
discourages disillusionment and alienation, that instills in young
people a sense of belonging and faith in the future.
The legislation before us today offers that opportunity. It is, I
would suggest, the key to prevention. If we fail to prevent, the best
we can do is manage consequences. Prevention is better. I urge an
``aye'' vote.
Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren), the ranking member
of the Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection
Subcommittee.
Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Madam Speaker, according to the
FBI testimony before our House Committee on Homeland Security: ``The
European and American experience shows that prisons are venues where
extremists have radicalized and recruited among the inmate
population.''
Now, this is not just a theoretical concern. We all remember the case
of Richard Reid, apprehended while attempting to detonate a bomb on a
U.S.-bound commercial flight in December 2001. Well, that same Mr. Reid
is believed to have been radicalized by an imam while incarcerated in
Britain.
In 2005 we learned of the California prison-based case of the
``Assembly of Authentic Islam.'' These individuals were involved in
almost a dozen armed gas station robberies in the Los Angeles area,
with the goal of financing terrorist operations. They were indicted by
a Federal grand jury for conspiracy to levy war against the U.S.
Government through terrorism.
And in April of this year, in a hearing that we held out in Torrance,
California, Sergeant Larry Mead of the Gang Intelligence Unit, Los
Angeles County Sheriff's Department, testified that ``analysis shows
that radicalization and recruitment in U.S. prisons is still an ongoing
concern.''
Similarly, in a recent report, the NYPD noted that prisons are ``an
excellent breeding ground for radicalization.''
The key to the success of stopping the spread of radicalization is
identifying how radicalization begins and eliminating its breeding
grounds. We know we have difficulties with this phenomenon in our
prisons, but we don't know enough about it. We need to have
collaboration between the Federal prison system authorities and the
State prison system authorities and within the prison system
authorities themselves. We need to bring together the best thinkers on
this, the best people who have experience in dealing with this already
at the ground level; and, in fact, this bill does that.
Radicalization is not that well understood, and through this bill we
will take an in-depth look at how it occurs. The commission provided
for in H.R. 1955 would give our government an in-depth,
multidisciplinary look at radicalization. And why is that important?
Because no one has the single answer on this.
Yes, we have the background of prisons as the general background to
look at the radicalization in prisons, but how does it occur? Why does
it occur? And why are we seeing a rise in this at this particular time
when it is perhaps most dangerous to the American people?
Radical Islam and its advocates around the world are a threat to
America, but we have to understand we might develop a threat within the
United States, as evidenced already by certain actions that have
occurred. And therefore I would suggest that we vote ``yes'' on H.R.
1955 so we can get the facts upon which we can plan for
[[Page H11859]]
prevention, not just taking care of the problem after it occurs.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Carney), the chairman of our
Management and Oversight Committee.
Mr. CARNEY. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Thompson
and certainly my good friend and colleague, Chairwoman Harman, for this
legislation, and for our friends across the aisle. As a freshman, it's
very instructive to watch what we can do in a bipartisan manner to
protect this country. I do appreciate that. A lesson not lost on me,
certainly.
This past May, six suspected terrorists were charged with conspiring
to attack Fort Dix. Their goal was to bring about significant
destruction and mass casualties to that critical military base. These
six men lived less than an hour away from my home and trained right in
the Pocono Mountains of northeast Pennsylvania.
In June of this year, four men were charged with plotting to attack
civil aviation by blowing up jet fuel pipelines that serve JFK. In both
cases the accused individuals planned, plotted, and attempted to
perpetrate their crimes on American soil. More troubling is that,
according to media reports, neither cell received any assistance or had
any contact with al Qaeda or any other overseas terrorist group. These
two recent events demonstrate the troubling presence of homegrown
terrorism in the United States.
Members of such groups are indistinguishable from traditional
terrorists in that they are radicalized and sympathize with the al
Qaeda cause. However, that said, they undertake their terrorist plots
without training or support from a central foreign terrorist group.
Given the civil rights and liberties protections that we enjoy as all
Americans, the Federal Government must be creative in its approach to
combating homegrown terrorism.
H.R. 1955, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2007, protects the civil rights and civil liberties
of Americans and lawful permanent residents, while providing solutions
for preventing future violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism.
The act creates a national commission to examine the cases of violent
radicalization and homegrown terrorism. The commission will be tasked
with proposing concrete recommendations and legislative strategies for
mitigating these types of domestically nurtured threats.
The act also establishes Centers for Excellence for the Prevention of
Radicalization that will study the social, criminal, political,
psychological, and economic roots of the problem. Additionally, it will
provide Homeland Security officials across the government with
suggestions for preventing future radicalization and homegrown
terrorism. It requires our Homeland Security officials to thoroughly
examine the experiences of other nations that have experienced
homegrown terrorism so that our government can learn from those
experiences. I look forward to the passage of this vital piece of
legislation and others that will make this Nation even more safe.
Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to
the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent), the ranking
member of the Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response
Subcommittee of the Homeland Security full committee.
Mr. DENT. Madam Speaker, I have to add my two cents' worth, that the
same folks who were training up in the Poconos near Congressman
Carney's home were training about an hour from my home as well, and we
all, I think, realize the nature of this homegrown threat.
But I want to rise today to speak in support of H.R. 1955, the
Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act.
Recently, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials have
enjoyed a number of successes in the war against violent extremism. The
plot to kill soldiers at Fort Dix, the attempt to disrupt the Kennedy
Airport pipeline system, and last year's conspiracy to bring down the
U.S./U.K. transatlantic flights, were all disrupted by good
intelligence efforts and, as a result, lives were saved.
But we cannot rest on our laurels. After all, it is still al Qaeda's
stated goal to kill 4 million Americans, to bring the United States to
its knees, and to impose a system of radical violent Islamism upon the
Middle East, and in fact the rest of the world. We need to protect
ourselves from this threat to do everything we can in order to make
sure that there are no future terrorist attacks on the homeland, and
the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act would
help us certainly in this effort.
This bill's effectiveness is enhanced by the fact that it was put
together in a spirit of bipartisan, much to the credit of the Chair,
Ms. Harman. Earlier this year, the ranking member of the Homeland
Security Committee's Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism
Risk Assessment Subcommittee, Congressman Dave Reichert, introduced
legislation, H.R. 1695, that forms the basis for the current bill, H.R.
1955. Chairwoman Harman and Ranking Member Reichert have both actively
supported the current bill, which was voted out of the Homeland
Security Committee without opposition in August.
Also, this bill was the subject of numerous hearings, excellent
hearings, much to the credit of both of them.
{time} 1130
This bill can help us to stop the spread of violent radicalization
that has helped terrorist groups to grow their rank-and-file
membership. It creates a 10-member national commission, modeled after
the 9/11 Commission, which will study radicalization and come up with
recommendations for defusing its power and preventing its spread. It
establishes a university-based center of excellence that will study
this phenomenon in depth, and it encourages international cooperation
to stop the spread of this violent extremism. It authorizes the
Department of Homeland Security to work with nations such as the U.K.
and Israel, countries that have had a lot of experience and success in
dealing with violent extremism within their borders, to develop a
``best practices'' methodology that can be used to help prevent
radicalization and to thwart ideologically based violence.
I hope that Members will join me in supporting this bipartisan
legislation aimed at protecting us against violent extremism and at
making us safer here in this country.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter).
Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Thompson and I want
to thank Ms. Harman and Mr. Reichert for conducting a number of
hearings across the country to really focus our attention on what could
be a very big problem if we don't get in touch with it right now.
As the global war on terror continues, America dedicates much of its
resources to tracking foreign terrorists at home and abroad. But in
recent years, we have seen a rise in the number of U.S.-born criminals
inspired by, but not necessarily affiliated with, groups like al Qaeda.
And we have had, from Ms. Harman and Mr. Reichert and Mr. Lungren as
well, a list of a number of incidents that we have seen recently.
It is vital that our Nation do what it can to understand the growing
threat of homegrown terrorists and what we can do to prevent it. The
Homegrown Terrorism and Violent Radicalization Act finally focuses
attention on this matter. The bill establishes a national center of
excellence to bring in the top minds in the world to explore the causes
of radicalization. The legislation also enhances our international
cooperation so we may learn from our allies who have extensive
experience with homegrown terrorism.
But the centerpiece of this legislation is the establishment of a
national commission to report to Congress the causes and preventive
measures that we can take. The commission consists of academics,
religious experts, counterintelligence officials, prison
administrators, and many others with the experience provided for this
input.
And I must make it clear this bill has strict oversight of the
privacy officers within the Department of Homeland Security to ensure
it respects personal and religious freedom.
[[Page H11860]]
As Americans, it is very difficult to understand why one of our
citizens would want to terrorize his neighbors and countrymen. But it
is a question we must face in order to protect our security. This bill
tackles this head on, and I would like to thank our chairman and
ranking member for bringing this bill forward.
Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to
the gentlewoman from Florida, a member of the full Committee on
Homeland Security (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Violent Radicalization
and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. This very important
bill will play a key role in protecting our homeland.
As events abroad have taught us all too frequently, homegrown
extremists and terrorists pose a serious and deadly threat to the
general population. The recent attacks in Great Britain, as well as the
foiled plot in Germany, prove that we must prevent the spread of
violent radicalization within our own borders. They do it there; we
certainly need to do more here.
Here at home our intelligence and law enforcement officials have done
an exceptional job of keeping America safe from such threats. Over the
last 1\1/2\ years, we have seen plots against the Sears Tower in
Chicago, Ft. Dix in New Jersey, and JFK Airport foiled by our Nation's
vigilant network of law enforcement and intelligence personnel.
The bill before us will serve to strengthen those homeland defense
efforts by preventing ideologies that promote violence and terrorism
from taking root in American soil.
We know that al Qaeda seeks to spread their evil philosophy
everywhere, even into the minds of our own U.S. citizens. To combat
radical Muslim extremists' ceaseless efforts at expansion, this
bipartisan bill will create a commission to study violent
radicalization and work with all levels of government both here and
abroad to examine strategies to deal with this phenomena. This bill has
an estimated cost of approximately $20 million. This number pales in
comparison to the cost in human suffering and economic devastation a
homegrown terrorist attack might bring.
As Americans, we must never give up fighting the forces of hate and
violence espoused by al Qaeda, and I believe this bill is a valuable
weapon in that struggle. I commend the chairwoman and Ranking Member
Reichert for their tenacity in bringing this bill to the floor, and I
support it.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, at this time I have no
further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to
the gentleman from Connecticut, who is a member of the full Committee
on Homeland Security (Mr. Shays).
Mr. SHAYS. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding to me.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1955, the Violent
Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act, which I refer to
as the Harman-Reichert bill. I appreciate that they have worked so well
together on a bipartisan basis.
I like the fact that this legislation creates a 10-member national
commission, modeled after the 9/11 Commission, to study violent
radicalization and ideologically based terrorism in these United
States.
Before September 11 we had the Hart-Rudman Commission, the Bremer
Commission, the Gilmore Commission. They all told us the same basic
point, that we have a terrorist threat and we need to recognize that
threat, that we need a strategy to deal with this threat, and that we
need to reorganize our government to implement the strategy.
Then came September 11, and we did wake up somewhat. We reorganized
our government and created the Department of Homeland Security. We
passed the PATRIOT Act. We reorganized our intelligence agencies and
created a Director of Intelligence. And we are reforming the FISA law,
but this is still an issue we are working with.
The 9/11 Commission did something very courageous. They didn't say we
are confronting terrorism; they said we are confronting Islamist
terrorists who would do us harm. I think it is absolutely important we
pass this legislation to begin to know the effects of radical terrorism
spreading throughout the entire world and working its way into the
United States.
I believe with all my heart and soul that we have a level of
recognition of the threat that pales in comparison to what the true
threat is. I think this legislation will help awaken us a bit and help
awaken others within our country that this threat must be dealt with.
We have a lot of issues that are important for our country to deal
with, but our homeland security is on the top of the list. I urge
passage of this legislation.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, it is indeed my pleasure to yield 3
minutes to the gentleman from Georgia, who is a member of the full
Committee on Homeland Security (Mr. Broun).
Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding.
Madam Speaker, homegrown terrorism is a very dangerous threat and
must not be overlooked. The United States has an obligation and a
solemn duty to guard against the violent radicalization of the American
population, a radicalization that has far-reaching, devastating
implications.
On September 11, 2001, the world saw firsthand the damage that
Islamic extremists can do to the American people. As we look within our
own population, there are individuals who promote ideologies under the
guise of religion, political, and social benefits that are
diametrically opposed to the American values and liberties that we hold
so dear. Ideologies of any kind, religious or otherwise, that are based
on violence, intolerance, and hatred have no place in America.
In the past 18 months, the United States law enforcement and
intelligence agencies have stopped numerous individuals and groups that
promote radical political, religious, or social beliefs from carrying
out terrorist attacks on American soil. I, for one, would like to know
how these individuals are operating and how they are funded. Are
foreign entities providing the funding for their activities? Are these
individuals who promote radical political ideologies registered as
foreign agents? Perhaps we need to reexamine the Foreign Agents
Registration Act of 1938. We need to be more proactive and strike at
the roots of the problem.
The bill that we are discussing today, H.R. 1955, is proactive
instead of reactive. Britain, Spain, France, and most recently Germany
and Denmark have all suffered the deadly effects of a small radicalized
population that often use religion as an excuse to engage in violence
and murder. The United States, thanks in large part to its alert
citizenry and professional law enforcement agencies, has prevented the
successful execution of several recent domestic terror threats in New
York, Chicago, Florida, and elsewhere.
Studying the causes of radicalization and ideologically based
violence will better inform all of us how we can prevent terrorists
from spreading their messages of hate.
The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act is
the work of a solid bipartisan cooperation at the subcommittee and full
committee levels. Such cooperation is readily apparent as the current
bill includes major aspects of H.R. 1695, Congressman Reichert's
PREVENT Act, which was designed to establish a National Commission on
Radicalization. The nonpartisan commission envisioned by
Representatives Reichert and Harman will be dedicated to
comprehensively examining the phenomenon of violent radicalization so
that we might better understand its root causes within the United
States.
I urge my colleagues to support this important timely, bipartisan
piece of legislation.
Mr. REICHERT. May I inquire as to how much time I have left.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Washington has 1\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Mr. REICHERT. I have no additional speakers.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, at this time I would
[[Page H11861]]
like to yield such time as she may consume to the chairman of the
subcommittee, Ms. Harman.
Ms. HARMAN. Madam Speaker, how much time remains on this side, may I
ask?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Mississippi has 6 minutes
remaining.
Ms. HARMAN. I assure the chairman I will just take a brief amount of
time.
I want to note for the body that this has been an excellent debate.
We are bipartisan, we are unanimous, everyone understands the problem,
and everyone wants to solve the problem. It is extremely refreshing,
and I have thoroughly enjoyed this debate.
I want to make two additional points. Number one, our bill was
sequentially referred to the Judiciary Committee, and the Judiciary
Committee agreed to report it for it to be brought up on the consent
calendar. I would especially like to thank Chairman Conyers for his
cooperation and note that our staff, our excellent staff, worked out
this agreement.
My second comment is that a companion bill, the identical text, has
been introduced in the Senate, and referred to the Government Affairs
Committee, which is the committee of jurisdiction there, and I hope
that following passage here, should we be able to pass the bill today,
there would be prompt action in the other body and we would have a law
to send to the President to sign this fall.
In conclusion, this is a good process and I think an excellent
result. It will make America more safe.
{time} 1145
Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I just want to reemphasize the words of
Chairwoman Harman, who just spoke. This really has been a bipartisan
effort; we talk a lot about that on the Hill here. And this committee,
working with Ms. Harman has been, indeed, a pleasure, traveling across
the country to various locations, holding hearings on this topic.
It is important for the American people to know and understand and
realize there really is truly a threat here within the borders of the
United States of America, and how important it is for all of us to work
together because Americans working together keep this country safe and
protect the freedoms that we have all enjoyed, for me, 57 years of
enjoying the freedoms of this blessed country. And I want the same
things for my children and my grandchildren. I want them to enjoy the
same freedoms that I've had the opportunities to enjoy. In order for us
to do that, both sides of the aisle have to work closely together to
make sure that we pass the laws, the legislation that will accomplish
that great feat.
In reminding the American people what has happened in the past 18
months in this country, the Sears Tower in Chicago in 2006; a New York-
New Jersey PATH tunnel in July of 2006; Chicago-area shopping mall,
December of 2006; passengers aboard a transatlantic flight from the
U.K. to the U.S.; soldiers at Fort Dix in New Jersey; JFK Airport's
fueling systems and others, these have been terrorist acts that have
been prevented, and we need to continue that effort. Passing this
legislation will accomplish that.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, in closing, I urge my
colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 1955. This vital legislation
will put our Nation on the path to addressing an emerging threat,
homegrown terrorism.
There is general agreement that the threat of foreign-based terrorist
groups is real. We, as a Nation, have dedicated a great deal of
resources to global counterterrorism. However, in some corners, there
has been a kind of mindset about homeland security that believes we
will be safe if we get the terrorists there before they get us here.
It's the kind of mindset that ignores the fact that there are some
would-be terrorists who are born here, raised and educated here, and
only have lived here in the United States. For those of us who love
this Nation, it is not the kind of thing that we want to acknowledge,
but we must. Enactment of H.R. 1955 will put us on a course to
understanding homegrown terrorism and coming up with strategies to
reduce this major threat to the homeland.
Madam Speaker, I, also would like to pay tribute to the chairwoman of
the committee for ushering this passage, as well as the ranking member
of the committee. But I would also like to acknowledge that Ranking
Member King, who had an unfortunate death in his family, is not here.
He has been a source of support for this legislation and has helped get
us to this point, and I would like to acknowledge that for the record.
Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this legislation.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong
support of H.R. 1955, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown
Terrorist Prevention Act of 2007, introduced by my distinguished
colleague from California, Representative Harman. This important
legislation recognizes the threat of homegrown terrorism and seeks to
address this burgeoning problem while maintaining the civil rights and
liberties of American citizens.
Since May of this year, two separate plots against strategic American
targets have been foiled and prevented by American officials. What
distinguishes them from previous terrorist plots against the United
States is that the potential terrorists here have no contact with nor
support from Al-Qaeda or any other overseas terrorist cells. America
must be unique in its approach to homegrown terrorism, given the civil
rights and civil liberties protections that are unique to America and
enjoyed by all American citizens.
As a senior Member of the Committee on Homeland Security and Chair of
the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure, I
believe we can secure our homeland and remain true to our values
simultaneously. The Muslim American community has grown in size and
prominence, and is an integral part of the fabric of this Nation.
Muslim Americans share the same values and ideals that make this Nation
great. Ideals such as discipline, generosity, peace and moderation.
Many years of civil rights jurisprudence and law have been ignored
and thrown out the window when the racial profiling, harassment, and
discrimination of Muslim and Arab Americans is permitted to occur with
impunity. These practices show a reckless and utter disregard for the
fundamental values on which our country is founded: namely, due
process, the presumption of innocence, nondiscrimination,
individualized rather than group suspicion, and equitable application
of the law. We cannot allow xenophobia, prejudice, and bigotry to
prevail, and eviscerate the Constitution we are bound to protect.
The securing of our homeland and protection of our national security
is on the forefront of my agenda. However, using 9/11 as an impetus to
engage in racial profiling, harassment, and discrimination of Muslim
and Arab Americans is not only deplorable, it undermines our civil
liberties and impedes our success in the global war on terror. We must
fight our war on terror without compromising our freedoms and
liberties.
It is precisely for these reasons that I so strongly support H.R.
1955. This Act calls for the creation of the National Commission to
examine the various causes of violent radicalization and homegrown
terrorism in order to propose concrete and meaningful recommendations
and legislative strategies in order to alleviate these threats. It also
establishes a Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Radicalization
and Home Grown Terrorism that will study the social, criminal,
political, psychological and economic roots of the problem as well as
provide homeland security officials across the government with
suggestions for preventing radicalization and homegrown terrorism.
Furthermore, it requires our homeland security officials to thoroughly
examine the experiences of other nations that have experienced
homegrown terrorism so that our government might learn from those
experiences. As such, H.R. 1955 does more than merely address the
current situation with regard to homegrown terrorism but also works to
identify the causes behind the problem and address them as well.
I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important
legislation.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance
of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1955, as amended.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas
and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
[[Page H11862]]
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will
be postponed.
____________________