[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 102 (Tuesday, June 19, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H5269-H5271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SHIELDING PUBLIC SPACES FROM VEHICULAR TERRORISM ACT
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4627) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to
authorize expenditures to combat emerging terrorist threats, including
vehicular attacks, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4627
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 ``Shielding Public Spaces from
Vehicular Terrorism Act''.
SEC. 2. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended--
(1) in paragraph (11) of section 302 (6 U.S.C. 182), by
inserting ``research and development to combat emerging
terrorist threats, such as vehicular attacks, and'' before
``the long-term''; and
(2) in subparagraph (B) of section 308(b)(2) (6 U.S.C.
188(b)(2))--
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking
``expertise in--'' and inserting ``expertise in the
following:'';
(B) by redesignating clause (xiv) as clause (xv); and
(C) by inserting after clause (xiii) the following new
clause:
``(xiv) Combatting emerging terrorist threats, including
vehicular attacks.''.
SEC. 3. ALLOWABLE USES.
Section 2008 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C.
609) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (11) through (14) as
paragraphs (12) through (15), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (10) the following new
paragraph:
``(11) addressing security vulnerabilities of public
spaces, including through the installation of bollards and
other target hardening activities;''; and
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking ``(a)(10)'' and
inserting ``(a)(12)''; and
(B) by adding at the end the folllowing new paragraph:
``(6) Firearms.--
``(A) In general.--A grant awarded under section 2003 or
2004 may not be used for the provision to any person of a
firearm or training in the use of a firearm.
``(B) No effect on other laws.--Nothing in this paragraph
may be construed to preclude or contradict any other
provision of law authorizing the provision of firearms or
training in the use of firearms.''.
SEC. 4. REPORT.
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 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 report on
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potential terrorism vulnerabilities relating to emerging
automotive technologies that support driverless vehicles and
the associated threat such vehicles may pose to people in
public spaces. Such report shall also compare any public
benefit of such vehicles against any such vulnerabilities and
threats.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Donovan) and the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include any extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4627, the Shielding Public
Spaces from Vehicular Terrorism Act. As Secretary Nielsen testified
before the Committee on Homeland Security earlier this year, the
threats to our Nation from terrorist groups are serious and more
dispersed.
{time} 1715
As she noted: ``Terrorists are adapting. They are taking an all-of-
the-above approach to spreading violence. That includes promoting
attacks on soft targets. . . . `'
Rather than solely focusing on recruiting people to join the fight
overseas, terrorist organizations, like ISIS, are encouraging
extremists to commit terrorist acts in their homeland by any means
necessary. In fact, in September 2014, now-deceased ISIS senior leader
Abu Mohammed al-Adnani urged those attacks, stating: ``Smash his head
with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your
car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison
him.'' Unfortunately, people are heeding this call.
The Committee on Homeland Security's Terror Threat Snapshot has
documented 21 ISIS-linked terror plots against the West using vehicles,
79 using or attempting to build or use explosives, and 56 using a knife
or other edged weapon.
We have seen examples of this in the United States as recently as the
vehicular attack on a pedestrian pathway in October and the detonated
explosive device at a transit station in December, both in my hometown
of New York City.
As terror tactics evolve, so must our ability to combat them. That is
why I introduced the Shielding Public Spaces from Vehicular Terrorism
Act. This bipartisan bill requires the Department of Homeland
Security's Science and Technology Directorate to conduct research and
development activities to combat emerging terrorist threats, such as
vehicular attacks.
The bill also ensures that our Nation's first responders can use
vital State Homeland Security Grant Program funding and Urban Areas
Security Initiative funding to address the security vulnerabilities of
public spaces, such as surface transportation facilities and mass
gathering locations.
In this time of increased threats, it is necessary to assess security
vulnerabilities, identify and implement the most effective safeguards,
and support our first responders to the greatest extent possible in
order to protect innocent lives in public spaces.
This bill is supported by the Security Industry Association. Mr.
Speaker, I include in the Record their letter of support.
Security Industry Association,
January 31, 2018.
Hon. Dan Donovan,
Chairman, House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency
Preparedness, Response and Communications, Washington,
DC.
Hon. Donald Payne,
Ranking Member, House Homeland Security Subcommittee on
Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Donovan and Ranking Member Payne: On behalf
of the Security Industry Association (SIA), I would like to
express our strong support for H.R. 4627, the Shielding
Public Spaces from Vehicular Terrorism Act, which would
assist our communities in addressing this evolving threat.
SIA is a non-profit international trade association
representing nearly 800 companies that provide security and
life safety solutions vital to enhancing public safety.
H.R. 4627 requires the DHS Science and Technology
Directorate to engage in research and development activities
to address emerging terrorist threats such as vehicular
attacks, and stipulates that federal homeland security grants
can be used to address ``security vulnerabilities of public
spaces, including through the installation of bollards and
other target hardening activities.''
Unfortunately, public areas and places where crowds gather
for events have become targets for vehicular attacks around
the world and recently in New York City and Charlottesville,
VA. In addition to purposeful attacks, accidents involving
vehicles and buildings or crowded events injure thousands and
kill hundreds of Americans every year.
The strategic placement of bollards, traffic control
systems and other security barriers in key locations are
critical to protecting the public in these locations, and
require significant security and engineering expertise to
deploy affordably and effectively. As you know, these safety
systems saved countless lives in Times Square during an
incident on May 18, 2017, stopping a vehicle used in a
ramming attack by a drugged driver.
We believe leadership and assistance from DHS is critical
as many community leaders responsible for public safety seek
to increase these protections. SIA and its members stand
ready to serve as a resource to you as you continue work on
this critical issue. Thank you for your leadership and
attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Don Erickson,
CEO, Security Industry Association.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting
the Shielding Public Spaces from Vehicular Terrorism Act, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4627, the Shielding Public
Spaces from Vehicular Terrorism Act.
Mr. Speaker, the tactics and targets of terrorist organizations are
ever changing. Most recently, ISIL-inspired groups have called for
jihadists to use vehicles to carry out attacks on so-called soft
targets like shopping malls, mass transit centers, and other places
where people gather.
ISIL has claimed credit for 21 vehicular terrorist attacks in major
cities like Berlin, Nice, London, and Barcelona. These attacks have
also hit closer to home, including in October 2017 in New York City,
when a terrorist used a rented pickup truck to mow down pedestrians on
a popular bike path, killing eight and injuring 13.
In light of the elevated terror environment, H.R. 4627 would direct
the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate
to conduct research on emerging and evolving terrorist threats, like
vehicular attacks.
The bill would also provide flexibility for homeland security grant
funding to be used for securing public spaces through target-hardening
activities, including the installation of bollards.
Additionally, I am pleased that the bill includes key language
authored by my friend Representative Val Demings, the gentlewoman from
Florida, to codify a current Department practice that prohibits the use
of grant funding to purchase firearms or for training on the use of
firearms.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan) for
his words of support on this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 4627 to help
secure our public spaces from emerging terrorist threats, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings).
Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island
(Mr. Langevin) for the time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4627.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Mr. Donovan, for this important
legislation, which contains a critical provision to ensure that our
antiterrorism funds go to their intended purpose.
Three months ago, we heard rumors of plans to use precious homeland
security funding to distribute guns to teachers. I introduced language
to block this idea, and I am glad to say that this language has,
indeed, been included in H.R. 4627.
As a former law enforcement commander, I was assigned to Orlando
International Airport during the 9/11 attacks. I have seen firsthand
the vital
[[Page H5271]]
need for our antiterrorism funding to be used wisely, carefully, and
precisely to prevent terrorist attacks before they occur.
It is essential that our students go to school safely. Arming
teachers would be both impractical and immoral. Requiring teachers to
stop mass shooters not only shifts our responsibilities as lawmakers to
them, but it also shifts the hurt, the pain, the guilt, and,
potentially, the liability when they find themselves outskilled and
outgunned by a shooter with a weapon of war.
We already, as you all know, ask our overworked and underpaid
teachers to do too much. We must find ways to continue to allow them to
teach. Let's support them in helping all of our children reach their
full potential and continue to work with our law enforcement
departments to reduce gun violence.
Our limited homeland security funding should be used to prevent
terrorist attacks in our local communities. Therefore, I join my
colleagues here on the floor, and I urge all of my colleagues to
support H.R. 4627.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I, again,
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
In closing, I once again thank Chairman Donovan from the great State
of New York for his support of this bill and for his comments, and I
thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings) for her work on this
important piece of legislation.
I want to reiterate my support for the Shielding Public Spaces from
Vehicular Terrorism Act. Passing this bill will reenforce our
commitment to combating emerging and evolving terrorist threats and
protecting public spaces.
As the co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, I am well
aware of how technology can dramatically alter our conceptions about
homeland security. The advent of more connected devices from pacemakers
to power grids has only impacted the attack surface, and the internet
makes it possible for these devices to be targeted from anywhere on the
globe.
With respect to vehicle attacks, imagine a connected car being hacked
to run down pedestrians or an autonomous vehicle's sensors being
tricked to not see humans at all. These are the emerging challenges
that we face, and it is imperative that we continue to do whatever is
necessary to strengthen the capabilities that we depend on to keep all
of our citizens safe.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to recognize Sarah Jorgenson of
my subcommittee staff. This is Sarah's last week with the subcommittee,
and I thank her for her work on this bill and for all of her work on
the subcommittee to enhance the security and resiliency of our Nation.
I wish her the very best in her new role at the Department of the
Interior.
Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4627,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 4627, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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