[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 21, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H5312-H5314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  FTO PASSPORT REVOCATION ACT OF 2015

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 237) to authorize the revocation or denial of passports and 
passport cards to individuals affiliated with foreign terrorist 
organizations, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 237

       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 ``FTO Passport Revocation Act 
     of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. REVOCATION OR DENIAL OF PASSPORTS TO INDIVIDUALS 
                   AFFILIATED WITH FOREIGN TERRORIST 
                   ORGANIZATIONS.

       The Act entitled ``An Act to regulate the issue and 
     validity of passports, and for other purposes'', approved 
     July 3, 1926 (22 U.S.C. 211a et seq.), commonly known as the 
     ``Passport Act of 1926'', is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 4. AUTHORITY TO DENY OR REVOKE PASSPORT.

       ``(a) Ineligibility.--
       ``(1) Issuance.--Except as provided under subsection (b), 
     the Secretary of State may refuse to issue a passport to any 
     individual whom the Secretary has determined has aided, 
     assisted, abetted, or otherwise helped an organization the 
     Secretary has designated as a foreign terrorist organization 
     pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality 
     Act (8 U.S.C. 1189).
       ``(2) Revocation.--The Secretary of State may revoke a 
     passport previously issued to any individual described in 
     paragraph (1).
       ``(b) Report.--
       ``(1) In general.--If the Secretary of State refuses to 
     issue or revokes a passport pursuant to subsection (a), the 
     Secretary shall, not later than 30 days after such refusal or 
     revocation, submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
     House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations of the Senate a report on such refusal or 
     revocation, as the case may be.
       ``(2) Form.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) may 
     be submitted in classified or unclassified form.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan 
F. Boyle) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 days to revise and extend and to include extraneous materials on this 
measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  International travel by terrorist recruits poses a deadly and growing 
threat. It is estimated that ISIS alone has drawn 20,000 foreign 
fighters into Syria and Iraq.
  Extremist groups in Libya, Yemen, and elsewhere also draw foreigners 
into their deadly campaigns. These include thousands of westerners, 
primarily from Europe, but also a couple of hundred people from the 
United States so far.
  The threats are as real as today's headlines: British officials today 
arrested a man for plotting attacks on U.S. military personnel there in 
Britain and for planning to travel to Syria to join ISIS, along with 
his uncle.
  If they are successful in traveling, these foreign fighters receive 
terrorist training and they hone their skills

[[Page H5313]]

there on the battlefield. Some have even appeared as executioners in 
ISIS' gruesome propaganda videos. If they return home, hardened 
fighters come back more hateful, certainly more deadly.

                              {time}  1745

  The killing of four U.S. marines and one sailor in Chattanooga, 
Tennessee, last Thursday; the attempted attack in Garland, Texas, in 
May; and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing all demonstrate that the 
United States is not immune from lone wolf and small-scale attacks of 
the type that ISIS and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula continue to 
call for.
  Surprisingly, the statutory authority to prohibit such travel in 
support of designated terrorist groups hasn't kept pace with the 
threat. I want to thank the chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, Judge Ted Poe 
of Texas, for his work in introducing H.R. 237, the Foreign Terrorist 
Organization Passport Revocation Act, as a critical countermeasure.
  This bipartisan and commonsense bill grants the Secretary of State 
the authority to refuse or revoke a passport to any individual whom the 
Secretary determines has helped a designated foreign terrorist 
organization in realizing its jihadist ambitions.
  Such authority is not currently spelled out in statute, but depends 
on interpretation of Federal regulations, and this legislation will 
write it into permanent law.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just note that the text before us today grants 
permissive authority to the Secretary and, thus, the discretion to 
avoid interfering with law enforcement or intelligence activities that 
might be compromised if such a revocation were mandatory.
  While we, of course, expect that the Secretary of State will exercise 
this authority within the bounds of constitutional due process, the 
bill also requires a report to Congress whenever such authority is used 
to help ensure oversight and to provide transparency.
  Individuals who actively support designated terrorist organizations 
must be stopped from traveling abroad to learn how to kill Americans 
and our allies. Spelling this out clearly in permanent law will help 
prevent misguided individuals from getting further radicalized abroad, 
which leads to terrorist attacks on the homeland.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Poe) and his 10 bipartisan cosponsors for their work in bringing the 
bill forward, and this measure obviously deserves our support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                    Washington, DC, July 20, 2015.
     Hon. Ed Royce,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing with respect to H.R. 237, 
     the ``FTO Passport Revocation Act of 2015,'' which was 
     referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
       As you know, H.R. 237 contains provisions that fall within 
     the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary. As 
     a result of your having consulted with the Committee and in 
     order to expedite the House's consideration of H.R. 237, the 
     Committee on the Judiciary will not assert is jurisdictional 
     claim over this bill by seeking a sequential referral. 
     However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding and 
     agreement that doing so will in no way diminish or alter the 
     jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary with respect 
     to the appointment of conferees or to any future 
     jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in 
     the bill or similar legislation.
       I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming 
     this understanding with respect to H.R. 237, and would ask 
     that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be 
     included in the Congressional Record during Floor 
     consideration of H.R. 237.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Bob Goodlatte,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                    Washington, DC, July 20, 2015.
     Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Goodlatte: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs on H.R. 237, the FTO Passport 
     Revocation Act of 2015, and, on the basis of agreed edits in 
     the suspension text of the bill, for agreeing to forgo a 
     sequential referral request so that it may proceed 
     expeditiously to the Floor.
       I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure 
     does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on the Judiciary, or prejudice its jurisdictional 
     prerogatives on this bill or similar legislation in the 
     future.
       I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 237 into our 
     Committee Report and into the Congressional Record during 
     floor consideration of the bill. I appreciate your 
     cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to 
     continuing to work with the Committee on the Judiciary as 
     this measure moves through the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Edward R. Royce,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong 
support of H.R. 237, as amended, and I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation authorizes the Secretary of State to 
deny the issuance of or revoke the passport of an individual who is 
affiliated with or providing assistance to a designated foreign 
terrorist organization.
  I would like to thank the author of this legislation, the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Poe), for his leadership on this issue and for working 
with us in a bipartisan manner.
  Mr. Speaker, as Chairman Royce said a few moments ago, this is a 
commonsense bill. It is a reasonable step our government can take to 
address the rise of the so-called Islamic State, or ISIS, while acting 
within our authority to deny or revoke passports for those who are 
affiliated with or are aiding, assisting, or abetting an organization 
that the Secretary has designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
  Whether you call them ISIS or ISIL or Daesh or their latest preferred 
term, the Islamic State, one thing is quite clear: this organization 
has captured large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria with lethal 
efficiency.
  This brutal terrorist group has engaged in mass executions, targeted 
religious minorities, raped and enslaved women, destroyed priceless 
historical treasures, and effectively redrawn the borders of the Middle 
East.
  With its extensive propaganda efforts, including the sophisticated 
use of social media, ISIS has recruited tens of thousands of foreign 
fighters--reportedly more than 1,000 a month--including a significant 
number from Europe as well as some, remarkably, from the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, this flow of foreign fighters is a serious threat, 
especially with U.S. passport holders among them. The Foreign Affairs 
Committee has held hearings looking at the impact of ISIS and its use 
of foreign fighters. Our colleagues and constituents alike are very 
concerned about what might happen when these fighters return home, 
radicalized by ISIS ideology and armed with the knowledge of 
battlefield tactics.
  H.R. 237, the FTO Passport Revocation Act, would address this problem 
by authorizing the Secretary of State to deny passports to known 
members or supporters of ISIS and other terrorist groups. It would 
allow the Secretary to revoke the passports of those who have already 
left the United States so they are unable to return and sow terror here 
at home.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States has a strong national security 
interest in defeating ISIS. I support the various lines of effort to 
counter the terrorist group, cracking down on ISIS' finances, 
countering their propaganda efforts, and stopping the flow of foreign 
fighters. To be clear, this legislation will not solve the problem of 
foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria, but it is a sensible and important 
step in the right direction.
  Many of our coalition partners, including France, Britain, and 
Australia, have already taken steps to restrict or revoke passports for 
ISIS supporters. We must use all the tools at our disposal for 
protection of our homeland.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Poe), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on 
Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade and author of this important 
legislation.

[[Page H5314]]

  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce and 
Ranking Member Engel. Also, I want to thank the cosponsors of this 
legislation--as mentioned earlier, it is an equal number of Republicans 
and Democrats--but especially Brad Sherman and William Keating on the 
minority side.
  Mr. Speaker, in 2015, the Director of National Intelligence, James 
Clapper, said that 180 Americans have tried to go fight in Syria, 
either for ISIS, Al Nusra, or some other Islamic extremist group. There 
may be more; we don't know.
  Americans citizens fighting for ISIS in Syria and Iraq are real, 
dangerous threats to the United States. These individuals are receiving 
training that makes them capable of sophisticated terrorist attacks, 
and they put themselves under the command and control of leaders in 
foreign places and leaders who want to attack the United States.
  This is not unique to the United States. As the chairman has 
mentioned earlier, the West--European countries--have this as a 
tremendous problem where their citizens go and fight in Syria; they are 
trained, and they come back and cause havoc in these countries in the 
West.
  It is not a hypothetical threat in the U.S., either. Moner Mohammad 
Abusalha was the first American to carry out a suicide bomb attack in 
Syria. Before he did so, he returned home to Florida as a fully trained 
terrorist. Our government had absolutely no idea. He was also a card-
carrying member of al Qaeda, aligned to the Al Nusra front. 
Fortunately, he did not carry out an attack on the United States, but 
he could have.
  Last September, ISIS announced a shift in strategy. Instead of using 
Americans to win in Syria, it called upon Americans to attack the 
United States after being trained in Syria. In an audiotape, one of 
their leaders was heard saying: ``Rig the roads with explosives for 
them. Attack their bases. Raid their homes. Cut off their heads.''
  He is talking about Americans killing Americans who have been 
radicalized by ISIS.
  Earlier this year, Mr. Speaker, a 23-year-old Somali American man 
from Columbus was indicted on charges of supporting terrorists. He was 
trained in Syria and told by a cleric to go back to the United States 
and carry out an attack. That is the first time we have caught someone 
who was specifically told to go back home and attack the United States.
  These traitors who have turned against America and joined the ranks 
of foreign radical terrorist armies should not be allowed to come back 
in to the United States, unless it is in handcuffs.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 237, the Foreign Terrorist Organization Passport 
Revocation Act, is a critical bill at a critical time. This bipartisan 
bill grants the Secretary of State the authority to revoke or deny U.S. 
passports of individuals who support designated foreign terrorist 
organizations.
  Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court has ruled in Haig v. Agee that the 
Secretary of State has the authority to revoke a passport when the 
national security of the United States is threatened. We are not 
talking about citizenship; we are talking about revocation of a 
passport. This bill does not deal with the issue of citizenship.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, there is a due process available for those who 
wish to challenge the Secretary of State's decision. Under existing 
regulations, a person is entitled to a hearing within 60 days of 
receiving notice that that passport is being revoked.
  Foreign fighters are flowing into Iraq and Syria by the thousands. 
Some of them are Americans. We must stop these outlaws from coming back 
to the United States and committing crimes against us.
  And that is just the way it is.
  Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 
such time as I may consume.
  ISIS is absolutely a barbaric regime that cannot be negotiated with 
and must be defeated. They literally want to return civilization back 
centuries and centuries.
  It is hard for me and I think it is hard for almost any American to 
imagine what could possibly be going through the mind of a U.S. citizen 
who would be attracted to go over there and make common cause with 
ISIS.
  Mr. Speaker, as the son of an immigrant who knows the sacrifices his 
father and grandparents made to come to this country, the fact that 
someone would actually jeopardize the most valuable thing they have, 
their American citizenship and their U.S. passport, to join ISIS is 
completely unfathomable.
  We absolutely have to give our Secretary of State this authority. 
ISIS sadly presents a real threat both abroad and at home. This is a 
commonsense measure that we can take, and we must absolutely take it.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I will just quote the Bureau of Counterterrorism, Mr. Speaker. They 
say that the rate of foreign terrorist fighter travel to Syria exceeded 
the rate of foreign terrorist fighters that travel to Afghanistan, 
Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen, or Somalia at any point in the last 20 years.
  Individuals drawn to the conflict were diverse in their socioeconomic 
and geographic backgrounds, highlighting the need for comprehensive 
countermessaging and early engagement to dissuade vulnerable 
individuals from traveling to join the conflict.
  The bill before us today, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 237, is a necessary 
addition to our national defense. It creates an important deterrent, 
and it reduces the ability of terrorists to travel.
  I, again, thank the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Poe, and the ranking 
member, Mr. Keating of Massachusetts, and the bipartisan cosponsors of 
the bill before us today.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask for support of the measure, and I yield back 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 237, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________