[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 16, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E46]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     COUNTER TERRORIST NETWORK ACT

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                               speech of

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 9, 2018

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4578--
Counter Terrorist Network Act. This legislation will allow the U.S. 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to enhance border security 
operations that will interrupt and dismantle transnational criminal and 
foreign terrorist networks that threaten the security of our country. 
The purpose of this bill is to ensure the CBP has the authority 
necessary to prevent terrorists from exploiting legitimate avenues of 
traveling to and entering the United States.
  We must continue to provide our law enforcement and security agencies 
with the appropriate resources to protect our great nation from 
terrorist networks. The CBP's primary mission is to keep the United 
States borders and ports safe against all threats domestic and foreign. 
The CBP mainly deals with transnational criminal organizations, 
smugglers and human traffickers, and terrorist networks. All of these 
groups pose significant threats to our national security and the safety 
of the American people. The CBP's border security mission uniquely 
situates this agency to combat terrorist threats that begin far from 
our homeland. Despite all the work performed by the CBP, the agency 
doesn't have explicit legal authorization to combat threats or to 
assign their personnel to other U.S. agencies both domestically and 
internationally to support their mission. This bill seeks to provide 
such explicit authorization.
  As a former member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have 
always voted to support our law enforcement and our security agencies. 
This legislation will help provide the CBP with the proper 
authorization to collect intelligence on foreign terrorist threats 
before they reach the border. This will help ensure the safety of our 
homeland and the security of our border. I support H.R. 4578 and I urge 
my fellow members to lend their support as well.

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