[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 44 (Monday, March 21, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1480-H1484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COUNTERTERRORISM SCREENING AND ASSISTANCE ACT OF 2016
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 4314) to require a plan to combat international travel by
terrorists and foreign fighters, accelerate the transfer of certain
border security systems to foreign partner governments, establish
minimum international border security standards, authorize the
suspension of foreign assistance to countries not making significant
efforts to comply with such minimum standards, and for other purposes,
as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4314
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 ``Counterterrorism Screening
and Assistance Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. FOREIGN PARTNER ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
(a) Findings.--Consistent with the final report of the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives bipartisan ``Task Force on Combating
Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel'', Congress makes the
following findings:
(1) It is important for the national security of the United
States to assist foreign partners in closing security gaps
which may allow terrorists and foreign fighters to travel
internationally, avoiding detection.
(2) Building foreign partner capacity to combat terrorist
travel helps extend the United States security beyond its
border to mitigate threats before they reach the United
States.
(3) United States Government departments and agencies have
spent billions of dollars to help foreign partners improve
their security against terrorist travel since the attacks of
September 11, 2001, including through the provision of
technical assistance, equipment, training, and other tools.
(4) The lack of a United States Governmentwide, risk-based
approach increases the odds that systematic security gaps
abroad may persist and that United States response efforts
will not be maximized in order to close these gaps.
(5) Failure to effectively coordinate capacity-building
activities also results in greater risk of overlap, waste,
and unnecessary duplication between the United States and
international programs.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the United States Government must ensure capacity-building
assistance is coordinated both among United States Government
departments and agencies as well as with foreign implementing
partners, and assistance should be prioritized for the
highest-risk countries for travel by terrorists and foreign
fighters.
(c) Plan.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act and every two years thereafter at
the time of the President's budget submission to Congress
under section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, until
2022, the Secretary of State shall, in accordance with the
protection of intelligence sources and methods, develop and
submit to the appropriate congressional committees
unclassified and classified versions of a foreign partner
engagement plan which catalogues existing capacity-building
initiatives abroad to combat travel by terrorists and foreign
fighters and identifies areas for adjustment to align ongoing
efforts with risk-based priorities.
[[Page H1481]]
(2) Coordination.--The plan required under paragraph (1)
shall be developed in coordination with all relevant United
States Government departments and agencies and in
consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the
Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the
Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence, and
the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(3) Contents.--The plan required under paragraph (1)
shall--
(A) include an assessment of all countries and whether each
country is high-risk, medium-risk, or low-risk for travel by
terrorists and foreign fighters based on the minimum
standards described in section 4(b), as well as--
(i) an identification of the number of flights that
originate from last points of departure in each country to
the United States;
(ii) visa waiver program status or visa application and
denial rates for each country;
(iii) recent threats, terrorist and foreign fighter travel
trends, and the overall terror threat environment in each
country; and
(iv) other criteria as determined by the Secretary of State
and the Secretary of Homeland Security;
(B) detail existing United States Government programs,
projects, and activities which are intended to or have the
substantial effect of building the capacity of such countries
to combat travel by terrorists and foreign fighters,
including estimated spending levels by country where
practicable; and
(C) outline a plan for prioritizing United States
Government resources toward high-risk and medium-risk
countries, including--
(i) identifying efforts which should be reformed,
consolidated, or eliminated; and
(ii) detailing new programs, projects, or activities that
are requested, being planned, or are undergoing
implementation and associated costs.
SEC. 3. SHARING SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT TO OBSTRUCT TRAVEL BY
TERRORISTS AND FOREIGN FIGHTERS.
(a) Border Security and Counterterrorism Screening Tools.--
(1) In general.--Subject to subsection (d), the Secretary
of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State shall
accelerate the provision of appropriate versions of the
following systems to foreign governments:
(A) U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Automated
Targeting System--Global.
(B) The Department of State's Personal Identification
Secure Comparison and Evaluation System.
(2) Prioritization.--The Secretary of Homeland Security and
the Secretary of State shall coordinate to prioritize the
provision of the systems specified in paragraph (1) to
countries determined to be high-risk and medium-risk in the
foreign partner engagement plan required under section 2.
(b) Equipment Transfer.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), the
Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the
Secretary of State, is authorized to provide, with or without
reimbursement, excess nonlethal equipment and supplies owned
by the Department of Homeland Security to a foreign
government.
(2) Determination.--The Secretary of Homeland Security is
authorized to provide equipment and supplies pursuant to
paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that the provision
of such equipment and supplies would--
(A) further the homeland security interests of the United
States; and
(B) enhance the recipient government's capacity to--
(i) mitigate the risk or threat of terrorism, infectious
disease, or natural disaster;
(ii) protect and expedite lawful trade and travel; or
(iii) enforce intellectual property rights.
(3) Limitation on transfer.--The Secretary of Homeland
Security may not--
(A) provide any equipment or supplies that are designated
as items on the United States Munitions List pursuant to
section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778);
or
(B) provide any vessel or aircraft pursuant to this
subsection.
(4) Related training.--In conjunction with a provision of
equipment or supplies pursuant to paragraph (1), the
Secretary of Homeland Security may provide such equipment-
related or supplies-related training and assistance as the
Secretary determines to be necessary.
(5) Maintenance of transferred equipment.--The Secretary of
Homeland Security may provide for the maintenance of
transferred equipment or supplies through service contracts
or other means, with or without reimbursement, as the
Secretary determines appropriate.
(6) Reimbursement of expenses.--The Secretary of Homeland
Security is authorized to collect payment from the recipient
government for the provision of training, shipping costs,
supporting materials, maintenance, supplies, or other
assistance in support of provided equipment or supplies under
this subsection.
(7) Receipts credited as offsetting collections.--
Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United States Code,
any amount collected under this subsection--
(A) shall be credited as offsetting collections, subject to
appropriations, to the account that finances the activities
and services for which the payment is received; and
(B) shall remain available until expended for the purpose
of providing for the security interests of the homeland.
(8) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection may
be construed as affecting, augmenting, or diminishing the
authority of the Secretary of State.
(9) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the term
``excess nonlethal equipment and supplies'' means equipment
and supplies the Secretary of Homeland Security has
determined is either not required for United States domestic
operations, or would be more effective to homeland security
if deployed for use outside of the United States.
(c) Notification to Congress.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 15 days before providing
any systems or equipment or supplies under this section, the
Secretary of Homeland Security and Secretary of State shall
provide notification to the appropriate congressional
committees of such provision.
(2) Contents.--A notification required under paragraph (1)
shall include the following:
(A) The specific vulnerability that will be mitigated by
the provision of any systems or equipment or supplies under
this section.
(B) An explanation as to why the recipient is unable or
unwilling to independently acquire such systems or equipment
or supplies.
(C) An evacuation plan for any sensitive technologies in
case of emergency or instability in the country to which such
systems or equipment or supplies is being provided.
(D) How the United States Government will ensure that such
systems or equipment or supplies are being maintained
appropriately and used as intended.
(E) The total dollar value of such systems, equipment, and
supplies.
(d) Rule of Construction.--
(1) In general.--The authority provided under this section
shall be exercised in accordance with applicable provisions
of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.), the
Export Administration Regulations, or any other similar
provision of law.
(2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``Export
Administration Regulations'' means--
(A) the Export Administration Regulations as maintained and
amended under the authority of the International Emergency
Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) and codified in
subchapter C of chapter VII of title 15, Code of Federal
Regulations; or
(B) any successor regulations.
SEC. 4. ACTIONS WITH RESPECT TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES THAT FAIL
TO MEET MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR SERIOUS AND
SUSTAINED EFFORTS TO COMBAT TERRORIST AND
FOREIGN FIGHTER TRAVEL.
(a) Reports to Congress.--
(1) In general.--Not later than April 30 of each year
through 2021, the Secretary of State, in coordination with
the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report with respect to
the status of efforts of foreign governments to combat
terrorist and foreign fighter travel. The report shall
include the following:
(A) A list of those foreign countries, if any, to which the
minimum standards for serious and sustained efforts to combat
terrorist and foreign fighter travel as described in
subsection (b) are applicable and whose governments comply
with such standards.
(B) A list of those foreign countries, if any, to which the
minimum standards for serious and sustained efforts to combat
terrorist and fighter travel as described in subsection (b)
are applicable and whose governments do not yet fully comply
with such standards but are making significant efforts to
bring themselves into compliance.
(C) A list of those foreign countries, if any, to which the
minimum standards for serious and sustained efforts to combat
terrorist and foreign fighter travel as described in
subsection (b) are applicable and whose governments do not
fully comply with such standards and are not making
significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance.
(D) A description for each foreign country identified in
subparagraphs (B) and (C) of the areas in which the
government of the foreign country does not meet the minimum
standards for serious and sustained efforts to combat
terrorist and foreign fighter travel as described in
subsection (b).
(2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may contain a classified
annex, if necessary.
(3) Inclusion in country reports on terrorism.--To the
maximum extent practicable, the Secretary of State, in
coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, should
incorporate the report required by paragraph (1) into the
annual country reports on terrorism submitted pursuant to
section 140 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act,
Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 2656f).
(b) Minimum Standards Described.--The minimum standards for
serious and sustained efforts to combat terrorist and foreign
fighter travel applicable to the government of a foreign
country are the following:
(1) The government of the country makes meaningful efforts
to identify and monitor terrorists and foreign fighters
operating within the territory of the country.
(2) The government of the country regularly exchanges
substantive counterterrorism information with other foreign
governments, including the United States Government, through
bilateral or multilateral channels and international
organizations such as INTERPOL, and cooperates with
[[Page H1482]]
other foreign governments in the investigation and
prosecution of terrorists and foreign fighters.
(3) The government of the country implements effective
border controls or participates in an existing border-
crossing control regime that has been determined by the
United States Government to employ effective border-crossing
oversight.
(4) The government of the country has controls and systems
in place to prevent and report upon counterfeiting, forgery,
and, fraudulent use or possession of false, stolen or lost
identity papers and travel documents.
(5) The government of the country collects air passenger
data and employs evidence-based traveler risk assessment and
screening procedures, including collection and analysis of
travel data.
(6) The government of the country appropriately screens
travelers, including vetting of travelers at air, sea, and
land ports of entry, against counterterrorism and other
criminal databases, as appropriate.
(7) The government of the country submits information to
INTERPOL databases and screens travelers against INTERPOL
databases at ports of entry and exit.
(8) The government of the country has established and
implemented domestic laws criminalizing material support to
foreign terrorist organizations and has the ability and
willingness to prosecute cases involving such material
support to foreign terrorist organizations.
(9) The government of the country takes measures to prevent
individuals in its territory from traveling abroad to enlist
with or provide material support to foreign terrorist
organizations.
(10) The government of the country takes measures to ensure
a minimal level of corruption and likelihood that corruption
could impact the veracity of security and intelligence
reporting from the country, a minimal likelihood that such
corruption could adversely affect the legitimacy of national
identity papers of the country, and the country does not
shelter suspects from investigation and prosecution.
(11) The government of a country is not determined to be a
high-risk program country under section 217(c)(12) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8. U.S.C. 1187(c)(12)).
(c) Suspension of Assistance.--The Secretary of State, in
consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the
heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, is
authorized to suspend nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related
foreign assistance to any government of a foreign country if
the foreign country is identified in subparagraph (C) of
subsection (a)(1) in the most recent report submitted to the
appropriate congressional committees under such subsection.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, the Committee
on Foreign Relations, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security, the Committee
on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the
House of Representatives.
(2) Foreign terrorist organization.--The term ``foreign
terrorist organization'' means an organization that is
designated as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to
section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1189).
(3) Nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related foreign assistance.--
The term ``nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related foreign
assistance'' has the meaning given the term in section 103 of
the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C.
7102).
SEC. 6. PROHIBITION ON ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Bera)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include any extraneous material on H.R. 4314.
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.
Let me begin by thanking Mr. Zeldin of New York for his work on H.R.
4314, the Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act, as well as to
thank the other members of the Committee on Homeland Security's
bipartisan Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter
Travel.
Under the leadership of Chairman McCaul and with the significant
contributions of Mr. Katko of New York and the Foreign Affairs
Committee, we unanimously approved this measure in January. Mr.
Speaker, the reason we did goes back to a little bit of history.
Al Qaeda planned the 9/11 attacks from Afghanistan because they had
the capacity to do so--to plan an attack there on the United States.
Now, ISIS controls significant territory. They control that territory
in Syria, in Iraq, in Libya. As long as terrorist groups maintain these
safe havens abroad, where they can work on new forms of munitions,
bombing, and go through trial runs on how they carry out an attack, as
a consequence, we are under a threat here on our homeland, much like
the situation prior to 9/11.
{time} 1645
The perpetrators of the horrific attack that we all saw on that
coverage out of Paris that killed 130--those killed were European
nationals. Those who did those murders had trained to fight in Syria.
They had traveled by train. They returned to Europe through Greece and
through Turkey.
Despite the fact that many of those local attackers were known by
authorities, they were still able to move across borders. They moved
without detection. In some cases, they moved with those fraudulent
passports from Syria.
Given the high number of foreign fighters returning home from that
ISIS stronghold in Syria and from the ISIS training camps in Iraq--and,
frankly, from Libya as well, we have now heard--there is a recognized
and urgent need for improved border security and information sharing
between governments.
This bill is a way to get there because this threat is not just
limited, by the way, to us in the United States and to Europe.
Earlier this month terrorists who had received training inside Libya
were killed by Tunisian security forces during an attempted attack
inside Tunisia.
So these attacks now demonstrate how easy it has become for
terrorists and for foreign fighters to move across open borders.
This legislation makes several important changes to how border
security is administered. It improves the tools deployed at the border.
It increases the border security coordination between Allied states.
It does it in the following way: This legislation requires the
Departments of State and Homeland Security to produce an annual
scorecard assessing the border security efforts of countries around the
world.
This is going to identify the weaknesses and areas for improvement
abroad. It will also mandate a streamlining of our own efforts to
assist partners overseas with their border security programs. The
administration will then submit a plan to Congress for prioritizing
U.S. assistance on this.
This bill requires the establishment of minimum standards for border
security on the part of our Allied states. Countries that fail to meet
these minimum standards can have U.S. foreign assistance suspended, cut
off, employing the same incentive already in place that we use today in
order to force compliance against human trafficking overseas, against
those states that commit human rights violations.
Many of the Members here are familiar with how we leverage those
states to force them to pass legislation and change the way in which
they address these issues. We are going to deploy the same leverage
here.
So this bill reflects the recommendations made by our colleagues on
the Homeland Security's bipartisan task force on combating terrorists
and foreign fighter travel, which we have worked together on. The
Foreign Affairs Committee has worked with the Homeland Security
Committee on that.
I again thank Mr. Lee Zeldin for his leadership and for his work to
make our Nation safer against this terrorist threat.
I reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC, March 3, 2016.
Hon. Ed Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing with respect to H.R.
4314, the ``Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of
2016,'' which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary. As
a result of your having consulted with us on provisions in
H.R. 4314
[[Page H1483]]
that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on
the Judiciary, I agree to discharge our Committee from
further consideration of this bill so that it may proceed
expeditiously to the House floor for consideration.
The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 4314 at
this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject
matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our
Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as
this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may
address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our
Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate
conference involving this or similar legislation, and asks
that you support any such request.
I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming
this understanding with respect to H.R. 4314, 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. 4314.
Sincerely,
Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, March 16, 2016.
Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman, House Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for consulting with the
Committee on Foreign Affairs on H.R. 4314, the
Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016, and
for agreeing to be discharged from further consideration of
that bill.
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 would support your effort to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate
conference involving this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 4314 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 your Committee as
this measure moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Washington, DC, March 18, 2016.
Hon. Ed Royce,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Royce: I am writing to you concerning the
jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Homeland Security
in H.R. 4314, the ``Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance
Act of 2016.'' The bill contains provisions that fall within
the jurisdiction of the Committee on Homeland Security.
I recognize and appreciate the desire to bring this
legislation before the House of Representatives in an
expeditious manner, and accordingly, the Committee on
Homeland Security will forego consideration of this bill. The
Committee takes this action with the mutual understanding
that by foregoing action at this time we do not waive any
jurisdiction over subject matter contained in this or similar
legislation.
This waiver is also given with the understanding that the
Committee on Homeland Security expressly reserves its
authority to seek conferees on any provision within its
jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference on this or
any similar legislation, and requests your support for such a
request.
I ask that a copy of this letter and your response be
included in the Congressional Record during consideration of
this bill on the House floor.
Sincerely,
Michael T. McCaul,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC, March 18, 2016.
Hon. Michael McCaul,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for consulting with the
Committee on Foreign Affairs on H.R. 4314, the
Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016, and
for agreeing to be discharged from further consideration of
that bill.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure
does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the
Committee on Homeland Security, or prejudice its
jurisdictional prerogatives on this bill or similar
legislation in the future. I would support your effort to
seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any
House-Senate conference involving this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 4314 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 your Committee as
this measure moves through the legislative process.
Sincerely,
Edward R. Royce,
Chairman.
Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I
rise in support of this measure.
Let me thank Chairman Royce for his leadership on the Foreign Affairs
Committee and, also, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Zeldin) for
bringing this bill forward.
Violence in recent months has shown us that the threat of violent
extremism isn't isolated to particular countries or regions. More and
more we see the danger posed by terrorists and foreign fighters when
they can cross borders unimpeded.
So the United States, along with our allies and partners, need to do
whatever we can to stop those dangerous individuals as they cross from
country to country. This bill would help us move in that direction.
Here at home, this legislation would ramp up coordination among
government agencies dealing with this problem. I would call on the
administration for a specific plan laying out how we are going to meet
this challenge.
Around the world, it would help governments by speeding the transfer
of software and technology we can use to track people entering a
country, to collect biometric data, and to figure out what sort of
risks they might present. It would prioritize the sharing of specific
border security systems with foreign partners.
It would put a particular focus on countries where this danger is
particularly acute. It would establish minimum standards for
international border security and makes it clear that governments that
don't take this problem seriously are putting their American foreign
assistance at risk. This legislation provides commonsense steps to
ensure our own security and that of our allies and partners.
I again thank Mr. Zeldin for all his hard work. I am pleased to
support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Zeldin). He is a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
He is also the author of this bill.
Again, we appreciate the expertise he has brought in crafting this
legislation as it relates to border security because of his experience,
his distinguished career in the U.S. Army and, also, as an intelligence
officer, a former prosecutor in the Army, and a military magistrate.
Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the House Foreign
Affairs Committee as well as his great staff for all of their
incredible assistance in making sure that this legislation not only
came to the House floor for a vote, but came to the House floor for a
vote swiftly and, fortunately, with very strong bipartisan support.
So I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, especially to
Chairman Royce and to Chairman McCaul as well of the House Homeland
Security Committee, for all of their efforts.
I rise today in support of my bill, the Counterterrorism Screening
and Assistance Act of 2016. This legislation is about protecting
America's security at home and abroad.
Foreign fighter movement is a very serious challenge that has
resulted in the well-recognized need for improved border security
around the world and better information sharing between governments.
The horrific terror attacks in Paris that killed over 100 people
showed us just how easy it is for terrorists to move undetected across
borders.
This attack was largely carried out by European nationals, many of
whom traveled to train and fight in Syria and then later returned to
Europe through Greece and Turkey.
Although local authorities already knew some of the attackers, they
were still able to move across borders without detection and, in some
cases, using fraudulent passports.
It is essential that the United States work with the international
community to monitor and stop the movement of terrorists abroad.
Additionally, this legislation helps us counter the spread of
infectious diseases like Zika. With the recent outbreak of the
mosquito-borne Zika virus which has spread at rapid rates across South
America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and the number of Zika
cases among travelers visiting or returning to the United States, we
must take action now.
[[Page H1484]]
As evidenced with the Ebola outbreak in 2013, which decimated
populations across Western Africa, if the proper effort is not
implemented proactively, the consequences can be truly devastating.
The Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act recently passed the
House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously with bipartisan support.
This bill would establish international border security standards to
close security gaps that currently exist that allow terrorists and
foreign fighters to travel internationally.
These standards would be developed in coordination with all relevant
U.S. Government departments and agencies in consultation with the
Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Director of National
Intelligence, and Director of the FBI.
Our resources would be utilized in the most efficient way possible,
with a special focus on high-risk and medium-risk countries to boost
security.
A reporting system would also be established to monitor efforts of
foreign governments to combat terrorism and foreign fighter travel and
to suspend foreign assistance to countries not making significant
efforts to comply.
Furthermore, the bill would put in place a monitoring system that
would screen for infectious diseases to contain and prevent any
potential outbreaks, which will help quarantine viruses by authorizing
the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide the necessary equipment
and supplies to mitigate the risk or threat of infectious diseases such
as Zika, a disease that has caused widespread alarm as it has continued
to spread across the global community.
I also thank Congressman John Katko for his assistance as well.
The Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016 is a
bipartisan measure long overdue to not only protect our homeland from
terrorism, but also ensure the U.S. is always prepared to combat the
spread of any infectious diseases.
I strongly encourage my colleagues in Congress to join me in this
important effort to address a serious national security threat and vote
today to pass the Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016
to keep America safe.
Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Poe).
Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this commonsense
legislation.
Thousands of Europeans who have traveled to fight alongside ISIS and
other terrorist groups throughout the world pose a serious threat to
our national security.
One of the problems is making sure that those terrorists who go fight
in Iraq, Syria, and other places don't go back to their home countries
in Europe undetected because, once a person gets in Europe, it is
easier for Europeans to travel to the United States from Europe than it
is from some other countries. Terrorists often travel through a number
of countries before they get home, and some of these countries have
very good border security and others not so good.
The United States has the technology to help our friends and our
allies track down these bad guys. But our bureaucracy, of course, has
gotten in the way of national security. This bill expedites the
process, cutting through the red tape and giving our partners the tools
they need to track terrorist travel throughout the world and in their
countries.
Terrorist travel is not a problem we can solve by ourselves. We must
stop terrorists before they show up in America. We must work with our
partners overseas.
I strongly support this legislation.
And that is just the way it is.
Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I urge my
colleagues to support this measure.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, again I thank the Congressman from New York, Major Lee
Zeldin, for authoring this bill.
Let me also again express my appreciation for the cooperation of
Ranking Member Engel and to commend his work and, also, that of our
colleague from California (Mr. Bera), on this legislation.
The 9/11 Commission states in their report to the Congress on
recommendations: ``The U.S. Government cannot meet its own obligations
to the American people to prevent the entry of terrorists without a
major effort to collaborate with other governments. We should do more
to exchange terrorist information with trusted allies, and raise U.S.
and global border security standards for travel and for border crossing
over the medium and long term through extensive international
cooperation.''
This bill does that. It adds another component, and that is as it
relates to the collateral benefit, which will come through trying to
prevent infectious diseases borne by these exotic vectors, like these
mosquitoes that bring the Zika virus or like Ebola.
So this bill, H.R. 4314, increases collaboration with our allies
through improved information sharing, tightened border security
screening methods overseas, and the Department of State and Department
of Homeland Security are required to accelerate the delivery of certain
border security systems and prioritizing delivery to countries deemed
to be at high or medium risk for foreign fighter or terrorist travel.
{time} 1700
It also establishes minimum border security standards. The Department
of State and the Department of Homeland Security are required to submit
an annual report to us in Congress detailing how countries are meeting
the minimum border security standards established there.
The annual report will not only assess partner country efforts over
the previous 12 months, but it is also going to identify those areas
that are most necessary for improvement. Countries that don't meet
border security standards could have their nonhumanitarian, nontrade-
related U.S. assistance suspended, cut off. Suspension of assistance is
meant to ensure that countries take the necessary steps to improve
their border security.
I again want to thank Mr. Zeldin and other members of the Committee
on Homeland Security's bipartisan Task Force on Combating Terrorist and
Foreign Fighter Travel and all the bipartisan cosponsors for their
support for this bill, which deserves our unanimous support.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the 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. 4314, as amended
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. 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, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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