[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 47 (Monday, March 19, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1666-H1667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               VEHICULAR TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2018

  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 4227) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security 
to examine what actions the Department of Homeland Security is 
undertaking to combat the threat of vehicular terrorism, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4227

       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 ``Vehicular Terrorism 
     Prevention Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. STRATEGY ON VEHICULAR TERRORISM.

       (a) In General.--Not later than six months after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security shall--
       (1) assess the activities the Department of Homeland 
     Security is undertaking to support emergency response 
     providers and the private sector to prevent, mitigate, and 
     respond to the threat of vehicular terrorism; and
       (2) based on such assessment, develop and submit to the 
     Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate a strategy to improve the 
     Department's efforts to support the efforts of emergency 
     response providers and the private sector to prevent, 
     mitigate, and respond to such threat.
       (b) Contents.--The strategy required under subsection (a) 
     shall include the following:
       (1) An examination of the current threat of vehicular 
     terrorism.
       (2) Methods to improve Department of Homeland Security 
     information sharing activities with emergency response 
     providers and the private sector regarding best practices to 
     prevent, mitigate, and respond to the increasing threat of 
     vehicular terrorism.
       (3) Training activities the Department can provide, 
     including possible exercises, for emergency response 
     providers to prevent and respond to the threat of vehicular 
     terrorism.
       (4) Any additional activities the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security recommends to prevent, mitigate, and respond to the 
     threat of vehicular terrorism.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Emergency response providers.--The term ``emergency 
     response providers'' has the meaning given such term in 
     section 2(6) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
     101(6)).
       (2) Vehicular terrorism.--The term ``vehicular terrorism'' 
     means any action that utilizes automotive transportation to 
     inflict violence and intimidation on individuals for a 
     political purpose.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Estes) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kansas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4227, the Vehicular Terrorism 
Prevention Act, introduced by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).
  H.R. 4227 requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to examine the 
threat of vehicular terrorism and develop a strategy to improve DHS 
support for the efforts of emergency responders and the private sector 
to prevent, mitigate, and respond to such a threat.
  Terror groups, including ISIS and al-Qaida, have urged supporters to 
carry out attacks in their home countries using any means necessary, 
including vehicle ramming. Terrorists and inspired homegrown extremists 
have heeded this directive and have carried out vehicle-based attacks 
in the past several years, including in France, England, Spain, Ohio, 
and, most recently, New York City.
  The majority of prevention, mitigation, and response activities 
related to vehicle attacks are carried out by first responders and the 
private sector. DHS has existing resources and programs that can be 
better utilized to prepare frontline personnel in local communities to 
address this threat. This includes guidance related to the use of 
existing grant programs, increased information sharing, promoting 
suspicious activity reporting, increasing available exercises and 
training programs, dedicated research and development targeting 
mitigation measures, and utilizing critical infrastructure protection 
programs for vehicle ramming prevention.
  H.R. 4227, the Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act, requires the 
Secretary to develop a plan on how to improve and increase those 
capabilities. This bill passed by voice vote in the Committee on 
Homeland Security in early March.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Latta for his work on 
this important measure, and I urge my colleagues to support the 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.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4227, the Vehicular Terrorism 
Prevention Act of 2018.

[[Page H1667]]

  Mr. Speaker, terror groups have urged their supporters to carry out 
acts of violence by any means necessary, including by ramming a vehicle 
into a crowd. In fact, both ISIS and al-Qaida have published propaganda 
encouraging such vehicle-based terrorist attacks.
  Sadly, over the past few years, vehicle-based terrorist attacks have 
been carried out at home and abroad, taking the lives and injuring too 
many innocent people. One of the most shocking attacks was carried out 
on July 14, 2016, when a truck plowed into a crowd celebrating France's 
Independence Day, which resulted in the deaths of 86 people and injured 
nearly 500.
  More recently, in October of 2017, a driver took the lives of eight 
people when he purposely careened his truck into a path in Lower 
Manhattan that was full of pedestrians and cyclists.
  This tactic has not confined itself to one ideological group. On 
August 12, 2017, a self-professed neo-Nazi drove his car into a crowd 
of counterprotestors demonstrating the march held by alt-right 
activists in Charlottesville, Virginia. The attack killed Heather D. 
Heyer and injured 35 others.
  Just this month, a former Marine Corps reservist rammed his pickup 
truck into a convenience store in Watson, Louisiana. Later, we learned 
that he mistakenly believed the store was owned by Muslims.
  To address this emerging threat, H.R. 4227 would require the 
Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress on support 
provided to emergency responders and private sector partners to counter 
the threat of vehicle-based attacks.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this timely legislation and believe that 
enactment would improve DHS' efforts to prevent and reduce impacts of 
such attacks.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta), the sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 4227, 
the Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act.
  This bipartisan legislation requires the Secretary of Homeland 
Security to assess the activities the Department is undertaking to 
combat the threat of vehicular terrorism and submit a strategy to 
Congress on its findings and recommendations.
  Over the past several years, I have been alarmed with the increased 
frequency that terrorists in Europe and around the world have used 
vehicles--oftentimes, rental vans or trucks--to commit heinous acts of 
violence. From Paris to Barcelona and Jerusalem to London, at least 138 
people have been killed and countless others injured because of these 
attacks.
  With the October attack in New York City showing that these extremist 
groups will not hesitate to carry out the same attack on American soil, 
it is critical that the Department of Homeland Security is doing their 
due diligence regarding this threat.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation would specifically require DHS to 
assess the activities the Department is undertaking to support 
emergency response providers and the private sector to prevent, 
mitigate, and respond to the threat of vehicular terrorism.

  Within 6 months of the bill's enactment, the Department must complete 
this assessment and submit to Congress a strategy that includes an 
examination of the current threat of vehicular terrorism, methods to 
improve information-sharing activities with emergency first responders 
and the private sector, and training activities the Department can 
undertake to prevent and prepare to respond to these attacks. The 
Secretary must also include any additional activities that DHS 
recommends to address the threat of vehicular terrorism.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member 
Thompson, Representative Donovan, and the entire House Homeland 
Security Committee for their work in advancing this bill to the House 
floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join with me in taking the next 
step to addressing this dangerous threat by passing H.R. 4227.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, the emergence of lone wolves who choose to ram vehicles 
into innocent people to advance their violent ideologies is a modern-
day homeland security challenge. As threats to our homeland continue to 
evolve and as violent extremists continue to exploit soft targets, the 
risk to innocent bystanders grows. We must do our part to ensure that 
first responders in our cities, towns, and all places of living 
throughout the country have access to the necessary resources to keep 
themselves safe and secure. This legislation seeks to ensure that DHS 
does all it can to support such efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also note that this bill complements H.R. 5131, 
which is also being considered today and which directs DHS to 
disseminate best practices to stakeholders regarding ways to enhance 
transportation security against the threat of vehicle-based attacks.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 4227, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Ranking Member Thompson.
  I once again urge my fellow colleagues to support this 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 Kansas (Mr. Estes) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4227, 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. ESTES of Kansas. 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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