[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 158 (Tuesday, October 1, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1239]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM DOCUMENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF 
                         THREATS IN AMERICA ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 2019

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a 
letter endorsing H.R. 3106 from the Leadership Conference on Civil and 
Human Rights.

                                         The Leadership Conference


                                    on Civil and Human Rights,

                               Washington, DC, September 26, 2019.
       Dear Representative: On behalf of The Leadership Conference 
     on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 200 
     national organizations committed to promoting and protecting 
     the civil and human rights of all persons in the United 
     States, we urge you to support the Domestic and International 
     Terrorism Act (DATA Act) (H.R.3106).
       Congress should use its oversight and appropriations power 
     to demand that federal agencies make public how it is using 
     its resources to fight white supremacist violence. Congress 
     must pass pertinent legislation like the DATA Act to 
     strengthen laws related to hate violence in this country.The 
     DATA Act will provide Congress information about the federal 
     government's approach to counterterrorism, including data on 
     investigations and prosecutions.
       We support the DATA Act because it promotes increased 
     oversight of federal counterterrorism activities without 
     creating enhanced authorities or resources like new offices.
       The most recent data from FBI documented that hate crimes 
     against African Americans, Latinos, the LGBTQ community, 
     Native Americans, Jews, and Muslims all increased in 2017. 
     Through the DATA Act, Congress has devised ways to improve 
     federal and state responses to hate violence, including how 
     to address FBI Hate Crime Statistics Act underreporting. The 
     DATA Act comes at a crucial time, when too many people in 
     this country feel unwelcome, unsafe, and marginalized due to 
     acts of terror. There is little question that violence 
     committed against individuals because of their race, 
     religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender 
     identity, disability, or sexual orientation remains a serious 
     problem in America. The DATA Act will study these current 
     trends with the intention of combatting hate.
       The Leadership Conference applauds Chairman Thompson for 
     placing this key legislation on the suspension calendar for a 
     House vote. The DATA Act will assist Congress in its efforts 
     to elevate the fight against white supremacy and end a 
     climate in which individual perpetrators feel emboldened to 
     act.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Vanita Gupta,
     President & CEO.

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