[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H47-H48]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              POST-CALIPHATE THREAT ASSESSMENT ACT OF 2017

  Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 4564) to require a threat assessment on current 
foreign terrorist fighter activities, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4564

       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 ``Post-Caliphate Threat 
     Assessment Act of 2017''.

     SEC. 2. THREAT ASSESSMENT.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, in 
     coordination with the Secretary of State and Director of 
     National Intelligence, shall conduct a threat assessment of 
     current foreign terrorist fighter activities. Such assessment 
     shall include the following:
       (1) A detailed summary of current foreign terrorist fighter 
     travel and trends, including countries of origin, travel 
     destinations, and means of travel.
       (2) An analysis of any country or region with a significant 
     increase in foreign terrorist fighter activity.
       (3) An analysis of foreign terrorist fighter travel trends 
     in and out of Iraq and Syria.
       (b) Congressional Communication.--Not later than 180 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security shall report to the Committee on Homeland 
     Security, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and 
     the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate on the 
     threat assessment required under subsection (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Higgins) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana.


                             General Leave

  Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Louisiana?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise to offer for consideration H.R. 4564, the 
Post-Caliphate Threat Assessment Act of 2017, for House consideration.
  The Homeland Security Committee's Task Force on Denying Terrorist 
Entry into the United States, which I am a member of, spent the last 
year taking a deeper look at how terrorist organizations and lone-wolf 
attackers are entering the nations they are targeting. One of the most 
concerning issues that the task force learned is that an estimated 
40,000 foreign fighters traveled to ISIS-occupied territories to join a 
force of over 100,000 radical Islamic terrorists.
  Through major victories by anti-ISIS forces, the Islamic State's 
self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria has been mostly defeated as a 
whole, driving these terrorists into hiding. Many thousands of these 
battle-trained jihadists are now unidentified and their location is 
unknown. The United States is a primary target.
  Of particular concern for the United States are those fighters 
seeking to return to Europe or the U.S. These fighters may seek to 
exploit direct flights to the United States as well as the Visa Waiver 
Program.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation is about ensuring that we have the best 
possible data to defeat this threat. Specifically, my bill would direct 
the Secretary of DHS, in coordination with the Secretary of State and 
Director of National Intelligence, to conduct a threat assessment of 
current foreign terrorist fighter activity and report their findings to 
Congress. It would also ensure that Congress and the Executive gain 
better clarity on foreign terrorist travel and trends post-caliphate, 
which will strengthen our defenses as the diaspora unfolds.
  Before closing, I would like to thank task force Chairman Gallagher, 
Representative Katko, committee Chairman McCaul, bipartisan members of 
the Homeland Security Committee, and other members of the task force 
and their staffs for the hard work put in over the last year to make 
the report we issued this past December a reality.
  I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in favor of 
this commonsense legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 4564, the Post-Caliphate Threat Assessment 
Act of 2017. The Post-Caliphate Threat Assessment Act requires the DHS 
to conduct an intelligence threat assessment of foreign fighter 
activities.
  With the military defeat of ISIL's caliphate, we are concerned about 
the threat of foreign terrorists returning to the West. While the vast 
majority of foreign fighters originated from Russia, Central Asia, and 
the Middle East, about 20,000 foreign fighters traveled to Iraq and 
Syria from at least 110 countries. We must address foreign fighters who 
are ready to return home. We must stay abreast of their movements and 
stop them from coming to the United States.
  Requiring DHS to conduct a threat assessment of current foreign 
fighter activities will help DHS to continue to focus on travel 
screening on the risk-based dangers that we face. Let's focus our 
policies on preventing terrorism by keeping dangerous individuals from 
coming to this country.
  H.R. 4564 requires a detailed report by the Secretary of Homeland 
Security, coordinating with the Secretary of State and the Director of 
National Intelligence, on foreign fighter movements to help DHS focus 
on preventing their activities.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this measure. I want to thank Mr. 
Higgins for this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4564.
  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. HIGGINS of Louisiana. 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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