[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 26, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1961-H1966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMBATING TERRORIST RECRUITMENT ACT OF 2016
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4820) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to use
the testimonials of former or estranged violent extremists or their
associates in order to counter terrorist recruitment, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4820
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 ``Combating Terrorist
Recruitment Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. DIRECTIVE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
incorporate, to the extent practicable, into Department of
Homeland Security efforts to combat terrorist recruitment and
communications the public testimonials of former violent
extremists or their associates, including friends and family.
Such efforts may include the following:
(1) Counter-messaging of foreign terrorist organization
communications and narratives.
(2) Related community engagement and public education
efforts.
(b) Coordination.--The Secretary of Homeland Security
shall, where appropriate, coordinate the efforts described in
subsection (a) with the heads of other Federal departments
and agencies, as appropriate, and, to the extent practicable,
engage nongovernmental and international partners in the
identification and use of testimonials described in such
subsection.
(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act may be
construed to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to
collect testimonials directly from former violent extremists
or their associates, including friends and family.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. McCaul) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and to include any extraneous materials to the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in strong support of the Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act
of 2016. I commend Mr. Fleischmann for offering this bipartisan
counterterrorism bill at a time when we are in the highest terror
threat environment since 9/11.
We have more than 1,000 homegrown terror investigations in all 50
States, and we have arrested over 80 ISIS supporters in our country,
many for plotting attacks.
Terrorists are radicalizing our citizens online and across borders,
which is why we need this legislation. It requires that the Secretary
of Homeland Security use the testimonials of former extremists and
defectors to help stop terrorist recruitment.
President Obama himself--and I agree with him on this issue--argued
last year: We need to lift up the voice of those who know the hypocrisy
of groups like ISIS firsthand, including former extremists.
He also noted: ``Former extremists . . . can be powerful messengers
in debunking these terrorist ideologies.''
Our foreign partners are already using these types of testimonials
overseas. So is our State Department. But we need to be doing this
counter-messaging here at home.
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in front of my committee
last month: My priority has been focusing on communities that I believe
are most vulnerable to the appeals from ISIS, al Qaeda, and other
terrorist groups overseas who are actively targeting individuals in
these communities . . . This is as important as any of our other
homeland security missions.
I commend Secretary Johnson for his words and his work, but we are
not acting quickly enough. That is why this bill was one of the top
recommendations of the bipartisan task force we created last year to
look at this threat.
In their final report, the Democratic and Republican Members who led
the task force said America needed to launch a concerted effort to use
the testimonials of former extremists to combat terrorist propaganda.
This is from a Virginia defector. Just last month an ISIS defector
from Virginia was picked up in Iraq. He said he wanted to send a
message to the American people that life with ISIS was miserable and
that the group did not represent Islam. These are the types of voices
we need to amplify so as to keep others from making the same mistakes.
Some have argued that this bill limits the DHS in allowing it only to
counter-message groups like ISIS and al Qaeda, but that is simply
false. In fact, at our markup, legislative counsel told the members:
``The current language in the bill is extremely broad-based. It does
not place a limitation on anything.''
Although our bipartisan task force focused on foreign terrorist
threats, the bill gives the Secretary the flexibility to address the
full array of dangerous groups that threaten our people both here at
home and abroad. I am proud to say that the majority of Republicans and
Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee support this
legislation.
Terrorists are recruiting our citizens at the speed of broadband. So
we can't move at the speed of bureaucracy. Today Congress has an
opportunity to fight back. I urge all Members to join me in supporting
this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
I rise in opposition to H.R. 4820, the Combating Terrorist
Recruitment Act of 2016.
It is troubling that some of my colleagues have circulated
misinformation about this bill. Let me set the record straight.
The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly told my committee
that H.R. 4820 is unnecessary insofar as the Department can already
integrate public testimonials of former terrorists and violent
extremists into its efforts to counter violent extremism and terrorism.
In fact, yesterday I spoke with Secretary Johnson, and he reiterated
that DHS has the authority it needs to carry out its countering violent
extremism efforts and that this bill is unnecessary.
I oppose H.R. 4820 today for the same reason I opposed it when it was
considered earlier this month in committee. H.R. 4820 is nothing more
than a message bill, a bill that sends the message to DHS to focus its
counter-messaging efforts on foreign terrorist groups.
[[Page H1962]]
Domestic terror groups, like foreign terrorist organizations, recruit
and spread propaganda through social media and online platforms. This
bill ignores the fact that domestic terror groups, like foreign
terrorist organizations, kill Americans.
Since September 11, terrorists who have espoused their ideology of
foreign terrorist organizations have been responsible for killing 45
innocent Americans on U.S. soil. During that same period, members of
domestic terrorist organizations have murdered more than 48 Americans.
If you ask law enforcement leaders across this country what keeps
them up at night, they will likely say the prospect that there is a
sovereign citizen group or militia plotting in their jurisdictions.
Just last month the Atlanta police chief testified before my
committee that he is deeply concerned about homegrown extremists and
militia activity. His testimony echoes the results of a recent survey
in which 74 percent of law enforcement identified anti-government
extremism as one of the three terrorist threats in their jurisdictions.
In the last 2 months, we have seen the development of domestic
terrorists: an attack on police officers in Georgia by a self-appointed
wizard of the Ku Klux Klan; the conviction by a Federal grand jury in
Mississippi of two members of the Aryan Brotherhood of Mississippi for
their participation in various criminal acts, including those of drug
production, trafficking, kidnapping, and murder; the indictment of two
members of a sovereign citizen group in Columbus, Ohio, for building a
bomb that was modeled after the suicide vests that were used in the
November Paris attack; a four-count indictment against a member of a
Michigan sovereign citizen group for selling women and children into
sexual slavery. Such abusive activities are chillingly similar to those
of ISIL.
In recognition of these facts, I, together with like-minded committee
Democrats, made multiple proposals during and after the markup to fix
the bill. We offered an amendment to define ``violent extremist'' to
encompass not only those engaged in ideologically motivated
international terrorism, but also in domestic terrorism.
It was rejected. We offered an amendment to insert ``domestic
terrorist organization.'' It was also rejected. Even after the markup,
we made three more proposals to fix the bill. Each was rejected.
By refusing to include any mention of domestic terrorist
organizations, H.R. 4820 represents a significant departure from the
holistic, comprehensive approach that has been espoused by the Obama
administration to counter ideologically based violence.
Since 2011, with the publication of the ``Empowering Local Partners
to Prevent Extremism in the United States'' strategy by the White
House, Federal efforts to prevent such terrorism have been guided by
the recognition that violent extremists are inspired by a range of
religious, political, or other ideological beliefs.
The passage of H.R. 4820 would send the wrong message. As such, I
urge a ``no'' vote.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Chattanooga, Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann), the sponsor
and author of the bill.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my bill,
H.R. 4820, the Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act.
I wish to thank Chairman McCaul and the members of the Homeland
Security Committee for all of their hard work on this bill.
I will never forget the moment back in July--I was standing on this
floor--when I was told about the shootings at two military
installations in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the town in which I live and
proudly represent. As many of you may remember, four marines and one
sailor were killed in the attack while several others were wounded.
Just this past December, following the FBI investigation, Director
James Comey concluded that the shootings ``were motivated by foreign
terrorist organization propaganda.''
Given the recent attacks in Chattanooga and San Bernardino, as well
as in Paris and Brussels, we need to use every tool in the toolbox to
combat this new brand of extremism.
This bill implements one of the key recommendations made by the
Homeland Security Committee's bipartisan task force, one that is
specifically designed to counter terrorism and foreign fighter travel.
This bill does not forbid DHS from countering all forms of extremism,
but the bill does provide examples of how DHS can fulfill the
requirement, such as counter-messaging foreign terrorist organizations,
which are actively recruiting in our country at an alarming rate.
This bipartisan legislation requires the Secretary of Homeland
Security to amplify the testimonials of former extremists and defectors
to fight the propaganda and the recruitment of terrorist groups like
ISIS.
Foreign terrorists are using technology to radicalize Americans at a
troubling pace, which continues to increase. More than 250 Americans
have traveled or have attempted to travel to fight with jihadists in
Syria and Iraq, and the FBI says there are open counterterrorism
investigations in all 50 States, mostly ISIS related. Many of these
individuals were pulled in by terrorist propaganda.
{time} 1630
ISIS is luring Americans with empty and false promises that do not
reflect the true reality on the ground in places like Syria and Iraq.
The true reality centers on fear, suffering, and the murder of innocent
people throughout the region and around the world.
Several recent defectors from ISIS have admitted that joining the
group was a terrible mistake. One young fighter said he found it very
hard to live there and no longer believes the group represents their
religion.
We need to do all we can to amplify the messages from these
disillusioned terrorists who have firsthand experience with the evil
and hypocrisy of these extremist groups.
The State Department and many of our key allies already utilize the
testimony of those disaffected by the true reality of these terror
groups, and the concept was also endorsed by the Department of Homeland
Security's Homeland Security Advisory Council last spring.
Unfortunately, there may be partisan opposition to this bipartisan
bill. The majority of the Homeland Security committee members, on both
sides of the aisle, supported the bill in committee.
I will say it again: this bill received a majority of votes from both
sides of the aisle in committee. Let's not put partisanship ever ahead
of our Nation's security.
This is a commonsense measure to hinder those recruiting efforts of
groups like ISIS with the testimony of those who have seen the evil of
these groups firsthand.
I urge the support of my colleagues.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
distinguished gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4820,
the so-called Combating Terrorist Recruitment Bill.
H.R. 4820 omits any mention of domestic terrorist organizations, a
significant departure from the holistic, comprehensive approach that is
adopted by the administration to counter ideologically based violence.
This bill isolates the enemy to be those who are Islamist, those who
are foreign, and those who are being radicalized by foreigners.
How does this bill address the threat of terror from those who are
not just jaded jihadists, like this bill was initially titled, but,
rather, a part of domestic militia or part of a rightwing, ultra-
conservative, racist organization that wants to kill African Americans
or other vulnerable populations?
A recent study by the Police Executive Research Forum and the
Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security found that State and
local law enforcement personnel are almost twice as concerned about
rightwing and antigovernment terrorism as they are about the threat
from al Qaeda, ISIS, and similar groups.
The concerns of State and local law enforcement about domestic
terrorism are well placed. Within the last year, we have seen a
rightwing terrorist kill
[[Page H1963]]
nine people at Mother Emanuel in Charleston and an anti-abortion
terrorist kill three people at the Planned Parenthood facility in
Colorado.
Since the attacks of 9/11, within the United States, domestic
terrorists have killed 48 people, more than those killed by foreign
terrorist-inspired attacks.
Shouldn't we be concerned about those who have demonstrated the
greatest threat to our homeland in the last 15 years?
H.R. 4820 represents a marked departure from a national strategy to
combat terrorism and that recognizes that individuals who promote and
use violence against the U.S. are inspired by a range of religious,
political, or other ideological beliefs.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Curbelo of Florida). The time of the
gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30
seconds to the gentlewoman.
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. This bill only serves to perpetuate the stigma
associated with just one group of people who happen to practice Islam.
It does not recognize a full range of terrorist threats to our
homeland.
I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 4820.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Katko), the original cosponsor of the bill and the
chairman of the bipartisan task force.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee for
offering this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, America continues to witness the largest convergence of
radical Islamic threats in the history of our country.
More than any threat before, ISIS demonstrated an ability to
radicalize individuals throughout the world by utilizing the Internet.
However, these individuals are met with the cold, hard reality that
ISIS does not offer luxury, happiness, or peacefulness. On the
contrary, these individuals are thrust onto the battlefield with little
or no training and little or no regard for their lives.
Some, when faced with the truth, try to turn back. Among those who
recognize ISIS for the barbaric, destructive force that it is, some
have actually dared to speak out against them, using their experience
to dissuade others from risking their lives in order to wage war on
innocent people.
One of these individuals was mentioned by my colleague, Chairman Mike
McCaul, and that individual grew up across the river from here in
Alexandria, Virginia.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the efforts of our law enforcement and
intelligence officials by supporting this bill. The Combating Terrorist
Recruitment Act of 2016, of which I am a cosponsor, requires a
dissemination of testimonials from ISIS defectors to help stop the
radicalization of at-risk individuals.
This bill comes from the bipartisan Task Force on Combating Terrorist
and Foreign Fighter Travel, of which I served as a Republican lead.
Using these testimonials would fill a gap that our bipartisan task
force identified in a bipartisan manner.
I thank Chairman McCaul, who has led this effort.
I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).
Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I certainly don't question the motivations
of the gentleman who has sponsored this bill. He is a good man, a good
American, and loves his country, but I believe it is misdirected. I
really do.
In my hand, if you remember, there is a report from 2009, the
beginning of the Obama administration. All that work was done in the
previous administration on this report. The report is quite revealing.
Anybody who is on Homeland Security should read it because it tells
us that we need not only to carry out the oath of office, half of it,
but we should defend the country against foreign intruders. Also, it
says in our oath ``domestic'' as well.
This report lays out very clearly what is going on in the United
States of America in our backyards. It was squashed.
I remember the day when a Democratic Secretary of the Homeland
Security heard from me about it, that she should not have bent over
because those on the other side wanted this report squashed.
There have been articles written since that time, 2009, of how it was
squashed. They didn't want the American people to read this. That is
quite, quite a report.
So I rise in opposition, Mr. Speaker, to H.R. 4820. No one loves this
country more than the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson). I am
not on that committee anymore, but no one respects it more than Bennie
Thompson.
Why is he opposed to this? Is he opposed to this because he doesn't
love his country as much as the folks on the other side of the aisle? I
don't think so. Does he oppose it because he didn't sponsor it? I don't
think so.
He opposes it because this excludes very specific things which we
should not exclude.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from
New Jersey an additional 1 minute.
Mr. PASCRELL. The House should not be picking and choosing what
sources of terrorism the Department should focus on without taking into
account all the facts. The House continues to ignore the threats posed
by violent extremism, which are not limited to a single ideology.
Eric Hoffer, in the book ``The True Believer,'' written many years
ago, said that extremism is inspired by a range of reasons, including
religious, political, or ideological beliefs. He says that these
movements, regardless of the motive or end goal, simply need isolated
individuals who are dispossessed in some way or other and need to feel
part of something bigger than themselves.
Why don't we really get at the sources of the people who want to kill
our kids and want to damage our properties, whether they come from afar
or whether they are grown right here? Homegrown. Homegrown. And we are
ignoring it. The FBI reports that time and time again.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Hurd).
Mr. HURD of Texas. ``It's not a revolution or jihad. It's a
slaughter. I was shocked by what I did.''
``I found it very, very hard to live there. ISIS fighters don't
represent the religion. I don't see them as good Muslims.''
Mr. Speaker, those are the words of Americans who traveled overseas
to fight alongside ISIS. They left home believing they were headed
toward a great adventure. They were promised glory and honor, but what
they found was death and a perversion of the religion they believe in.
These fighters were originally recruited to fight for ISIS through
social media. Every day ISIS spreads their lies and propaganda, drawing
in naive young Americans.
They do this in dozens of different languages, reaching people across
the world. Even while ISIS loses ground on the battlefield, they are
working hard to make it up in the digital sphere.
The Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act will allow us to take these
powerful words of truth and use them to combat the lies that ISIS is
spreading on social media.
Some may say this is unnecessary. Some may say: Why aren't we already
doing this? We aren't. That is why we need this piece of legislation.
This bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to use the
testimonials of former extremists and defectors as part of an ongoing
effort to stop terrorist recruitment. These are individuals who have
seen the brutality of terrorist groups firsthand and have rejected it.
This bill is not limited to specific groups. Let me repeat that one
more time: This bill is not limited to specific groups.
It gives our counterterrorism professionals the flexibility needed to
fight back against extremists as the threat environment and terrorist
tactics change.
It also requires DHS to coordinate these efforts with other agencies,
nongovernmental organizations, and foreign partners so that we do this
the right way, finding the best outlets for undermining terrorist
propaganda.
[[Page H1964]]
The bipartisan Foreign Fighter Task Force I served on recommends that
we use these credible voices to fight against ISIS' online efforts.
The nonpartisan Homeland Security Advisory Council has urged DHS to
use the testimonials of former extremists in our counternarrative
efforts. Our foreign partners are already using these tactics and
finding them effective.
Our young people are being targeted. We have the tools to help
protect them. These tools can stop others in our hometowns from making
a terrible mistake. We need to get in the online fight, but time is not
on our side.
I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of the Combating Terrorist
Recruitment Act. Having spent 9\1/2\ years as an undercover officer
chasing terrorists across the world, there is no such thing as a silver
bullet. We have to do this piecemeal, and this bill is one step going
in that direction.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), the ranking member on the House
Transportation Committee.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as one who served from the
creation of the Homeland Security Committee until just a couple of
years ago.
I am concerned about what I am hearing here today on the floor, and I
am surprised. Perhaps we should insert the word ``some,'' combating
some terrorist recruitment in 2016.
Now, the chairman said that DHS certainly has the flexibility to
address domestic terrorism. Well, that is true. But why leave out
explicit mention of domestic terrorism?
{time} 1645
Are you afraid of offending some rightwing nuts out there? What is
the deal?
Seriously, I just went through this in Oregon. I have been on the
Department of Justice and the FBI for about 2 years: Go get Cliven
Bundy, get his cattle off the land, put the guy in jail.
They didn't do it. And what happened?
He taught his kids the way it was done. You show the government a
gun, and they will run away, and you keep doing what you want, and you
can deny that the Federal Government has the right to own any public
lands in this country and try and take them over for private
individuals.
Now, this is a serious threat. The Murrah building, there were no
foreign terrorists involved, 168 dead, hundreds injured, and we can't
explicitly put into this bill all terrorism, including domestic
terrorism.
I really fear that some are worried that some of these rightwing
extremist groups out there might be offended if we were to say that
they are a threat to our Nation. Well, they are very much a threat, and
this bill omitting that should have this bill denied passage on this
floor and bring it back in a comprehensive way next week.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan).
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4820, the
Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act authored by Mr. Fleischmann.
This bill is one step in implementing the recommendations of the
Committee on Homeland Security's Foreign Fighter Task Force. This
bipartisan team was charged with studying how our government can combat
Western citizens who become radicalized and take up arms with
terrorists. The President, senior national security officials, industry
leaders, and experts have all expressed support for this concept.
While all self-radicalized terrorists deserve the consequences of
their behavior, some realize just how profound they were mistaken after
seeing the reality of life under ISIS. They sometimes recant and tell
the truth about the atrocities that they have witnessed or committed.
That is valuable information.
What this bill does is common sense. It directs the Secretary of
Homeland Security to use testimony from these individuals as part of
our efforts to combat violent extremists. President Obama himself
stated that we need to ``lift up the voices'' of former extremists in
order to expose the hypocrisy of ISIS, but this bill does not limit the
Department's ability to countermeasure terrorist groups that threaten
us no matter where they are located.
As we speak, ISIS is using social media and the Internet to
radicalize young Americans who are vulnerable to a message of inclusion
in a grand cause, no matter how sinister. Before they make a mistake
that could cause them and others their lives, let's take every
opportunity to counter ISIS' poisonous narrative. To hear from others
like them who wanted to believe in ISIS and found the truth too late is
a tactic we should utilize.
I urge my colleagues to pass this bill, which received bipartisan
support in committee.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers
and I am prepared to close.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from
Tennessee for offering this bill, as well as Chairman McCaul for
bringing it to the floor.
When the terrorists attacked in San Bernardino, many Americans said:
What are we doing?
When you find out that these folks are trafficking on the Internet
and messaging, they say: Where is our FBI? Where are the services
protecting us, and why aren't they doing everything they can?
This is one thing they can do is offer testimonials from people who
have been there who can give other people who might be interested in
joining the truth. Yet there are some folks here who don't want to do
that. They are interested in misrepresenting this bill.
I want to remind everybody that this bill is the result of a
bipartisan task force, a bipartisan task force, Member-led, that said
we need to do exactly this, and unanimously move this forward to the
full committee.
They say it is unnecessary. Well, if it is unnecessary, why isn't
Homeland Security doing this already? Why not? How long are they going
to wait?
They say that they offered amendments. Really? They offered
amendments?
They couldn't be bothered to answer the chairman's call when he said:
Hey, can you collaborate with us on this so we have a good bill that
everybody is involved in.
They waited until the day of the markup, and then came in with a
bunch of amendments and concerns. It was apparent that all they wanted
to do was slow the process down and, as a matter of fact, move the
process to some other date.
How long are we going to wait? Do you want to ask the relatives of
those who are killed by these people how long they want to wait? How
about the next ones?
Now, some on the other side have picked this up as this is a
politically motivated agenda. I say some because not all. As a matter
of fact, many on the other side voted to move this bill right to the
floor where it is now.
I don't understand why they would want to have America be less safe.
I don't understand, Mr. Speaker. We spent 4 hours--4 hours--going over
a two-page bill. Two pages. We entertained what they wanted to change,
and we did make some changes, but it was apparent that all they wanted
to really do was stall and stall and move this process forward down the
line and never get to it.
Mr. Speaker, we don't have any choice. We have to move forward now.
Those in opposition are simply willfully refusing to see what all
America sees. We need to address this threat immediately. It is a two-
page bill, and it doesn't deny Homeland Security from doing anything
that it has already been doing.
As a matter of fact, these folks on the other side demanded at that
markup--they demanded--that we say that Homeland Security must do this.
And the chairman said: Okay, if you want to demand that they do it, we
will demand that they do it.
Mr. Speaker, I think we ought to make America safe and pass this
bill.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, in recent years, from
Boston to Charleston, we have seen individuals operating within our
communities and living among us plot to cause mass harm in the name of
a violent extremist and hateful ideology. Today much has been made of
the fact that the FBI has open investigations of ISIL-inspired activity
in all 50 States. Far less
[[Page H1965]]
attention has been given to the number of open investigations of anti-
government and militia groups, a number that grew by one-third in 2015
alone.
We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the threats posed by any
terrorist group or organization, as the bill before us today would do.
Therefore, it is imperative that DHS use testimonials from violent
extremists involved in all forms of violent extremism. Public
testimonials can be a powerful tool to reach individuals who otherwise
might be susceptible to terrorist propaganda.
Given the diversity in the threat landscape that we face, it just
makes sense that any such effort should be comprehensive.
Unfortunately, the bill's sponsors have decided that this bill should
turn away from the comprehensive approach.
Mr. Speaker, again, let me indicate that the only real issue before
us is the domestic aspect of terrorism. Domestic terrorist
organizations have demonstrated time and time again, they have killed
more Americans here on our soil than foreign terrorists have. The
reason we are in opposition is we don't recognize that in this
legislation. Our effort in markup, as well as here on the floor, is to
make sure that all of the bad people get recognized, those
international and foreign, but also those who are domestic.
Some of us have lived in parts of the country where domestic
terrorism was a way of life for a lot of us, and because of that, we
are very passionate on that subject. The Charleston situation was very
unfortunate. That was an act of domestic terrorism. There is no
question about it.
So why wouldn't we want to add those kind of extremist activities in
this legislation so we can cover everyone?
That is really the opposition that we have had. For that reason, I
urge my colleagues to join me in opposing H.R. 4820.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, Paris, Brussels, Chattanooga, San Bernardino. How many
more?
Mr. Speaker, it is time to act, and act today on this important
legislation that is bipartisan. It is important to point out--I know
the ranking member has good intentions, but our bill allows DHS to
combat terrorist recruitment by all dangerous organizations, as was
brought out at the markup.
The President's Homeland Security adviser, Lisa Monaco, said: ``Our
efforts will be the most effective when they focus on amplifying
authentic voices,'' such as former violent extremists. These voices can
convince others from going down the path to violence.
The President's national security adviser, Susan Rice, added that
they are already amplifying the voices of ISIL defectors overseas. And
she explains that ``these voices are eroding ISIL's appeal.''
This countermessaging works, and it has worked for the State
Department, but we are not doing it at home. We need to do it here at
home and not just overseas. That is why I urge strong support for this.
I don't understand after it being the product of a bipartisan task
force with bipartisan support out of the committee, the very week that
the Brussels attack occurred, we marked up this bill. Mr. Speaker, it
is time to act. I urge passage of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to H.R.
4820, the ``Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act of 2016,'' because
regrettably the bill was not improved as I had hoped and expected
between the Committee markup and, floor consideration.
Specifically, Section 2 of H.R. 4820, directs the Secretary of
Homeland Security, inter alia, to employ ``Counter-messaging of foreign
terrorist organization communications and narratives.''
However, the bill is silent on the issue of domestic terrorists and
the threat they pose to the safety and security of Americans.
This was a point raised by the minority members during the markup,
but an agreement could not be reached to include the words ``and
domestic terrorist'' in the bill.
As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and
Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism,
Homeland Security, and Investigations, I appreciate the concerns the
bill is intended to address but in my view the bill's scope is too
limited in view of the number and frequency of violent domestic
extremist attacks such as the one occurring in the evening of June 17,
2015 at the historic Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church
in Charleston, South Carolina.
Combating violent extremism is too important to become the subject of
partisan political disputes.
Instead, we should work together to find common ground that
reconciles the competing interests of collective security and
individual liberties.
We must not focus on one religion as being a threat--this would be
wrong and counterproductive.
Mr. Speaker, there have been other attacks by foreign and domestic
violent extremists.
The Fort Hood Texas attack committed by Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who
opened fire and killed 13 U.S. military personnel.
The Boston Marathon attackers were two Chechen brothers Dzhokhar
Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev who carried out a bombing that took 3
lives and injured 264 others.
Later, the brothers killed university police officer Sean A. Collier.
On December 2, 2015, 14 people were killed and 22 were seriously
injured in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, which
consisted of a mass shooting and an attempted bombing.
The perpetrators, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, a married
couple living in the city of Redlands, who the San Bernardino County
Department of Public Health training event and holiday party, of about
80 employees.
This threat of attack by foreign terrorists on American soil is real
and substantial and requires vigilance by the Administration and this
Congress.
However, threats of domestic terrorist attacks are also real.
Mr. Speaker, we cannot be unmindful of the fact that since September
2001, there have been 250 deaths at the hands of home grown violent
extremists as opposed by 50 by foreign terrorists.
The seminal act of homegrown domestic terror occurred in 1995, when
the domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh detonated the truck bomb that
destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 persons
and injured over 680 people.
At the time, it is the largest loss of American lives at the hands of
a domestic terror group since the Civil War.
Today, the challenge is countering the messages of violent extremism
no matter the source and not to fall for thinking that one type of
violent extremism is less of a threat than another type of violent
extremism.
Radical and extremist groups, both domestic and international,
systematically prey upon the vulnerabilities of young persons by
offering inducements such as financial assistance, familial-like bonds,
or the promise of an exciting and heroic life.
In some cases, youth have been forcibly recruited or tricked into
participating in terrorist activities, including suicide bombings.
The heinous attack in Mother Emmanuel Church was a defining moment in
our nation's history for many reasons, but the final chapter will be
written by those who are charged with keeping our nation and its people
safe while preserving the way of life that terrorist seek to change.
One of the enduring challenges for members of the Homeland Security
Committee is how we guide the work of the Department of Homeland
Security.
I hosted DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson in Houston for two days of
discussions, and tours that were insightful and probing on a range of
regional and national homeland security issues.
The issue of violent extremism is one of several efforts that the
Department of Homeland Security has prioritized and begun efforts to
address both the international threat and the domestic threats.
DHS defines ``Domestic Terrorism'' as: ``Any act of violence that is
dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical
infrastructure or key resources committed by a group or individual
based and operating entirely within the United States or its
territories without direction or inspiration from a foreign terrorist
group.''
Groups and individuals inspired to commit terrorist acts are
motivated by a range of personal, religious, political, or other
ideological beliefs--there is no magic formula.
Further, the complexity of adding social media as a new source of
recruitment for violent extremists is complicating the efforts of law
enforcement, domestic security and national defense.
The line between lawfully protected speech and activity that may be a
threat should be clearly defined by law.
Taking care to protect civil liberties and constitutional rights
means that our system of laws must acknowledge that reading, writing,
or speaking of one's views or beliefs even when they are unpopular is
not a crime.
[[Page H1966]]
Hate speech is not a crime--while an act of violence motivated by
hate is.
Violent extremist threats within the United States can come from a
range of violent extremist groups and individuals, including Domestic
Terrorists and Homegrown Violent Extremists (HVEs).
The troubling violent nature of the attack at Mother Emanuel AME
Church, its location in the South, on a night devoted to prayer
services, by a young man still in his twenties awaken fears that many
of us who represent majority minority congressional districts had hoped
were receding with the passage of time.
In the wake of the killings at Mother Emanuel in Charleston, several
African American Churches have fallen victim to fires.
Historically, African American churches are the center of religious,
social, cultural and political life for the communities they serve.
Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, members serving in
this body were mindful of the history that we worked not to repeat.
Today, we are still working to assure the public that appropriate
checks must be made certain in how increased in government authority is
controlled.
The demographics of young persons' becoming involved in terrorist
groups also appear to be changing.
In many cases the persons implicated are younger than reported in the
past and there appear to be more female youth joining the ranks of
terrorist organizations.
Additionally, more young supporters are coming from Western countries
that are further removed from actual conflict areas.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas have recruited children as
young as thirteen to be suicide bombers and children as young as eleven
to smuggle explosives and weapons.
During 2003, thirteen-year-old twin sisters who had been recruited by
al-Qaeda linked groups were caught attempting to commit a suicide
bombing against Western businesses and local government buildings in
Morocco.
Counter-recruitment and counter-radicalization initiatives should be
tailored locally, and should engage members from across the community
who are in a position to address specific underlying factors or
identify potential radicalization indicators.
Counter-recruitment and radicalization initiatives must evolve with
the young audiences they are intended to reach, adapt along with the
adversaries, incorporate new developments in technologies, and address
changes within environments where young persons are susceptible.
I encourage my colleagues to withdraw this bill and allow for it to
be considered under an open rule or for the bill to be sent back to the
committee for further consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Perry). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4820, 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. THOMPSON of Mississippi. 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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