[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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