[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2062]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          DEADLINE FOR A STRATEGY TO COMBAT ISLAMIC EXTREMISM

  (Mr. LaHOOD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, last week the Obama administration failed to 
meet a congressionally mandated deadline to submit a strategy to combat 
Islamic terrorism.
  To comply with the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, President 
Obama was required to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy to 
defeat ISIS by Monday, February 15, 2016. That was over a week ago. We 
still have not received his strategy. Confronting this threat is of 
utmost importance to the safety and security of the United States and 
our allies.
  While there is an absence of leadership from our Commander in Chief, 
the House has taken several steps to keep America safe from terrorism. 
We passed the Visa Waiver Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention 
Act to help prevent foreign terrorists from entering the United States. 
We also passed the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act, a 
bill to pause the government's Syrian refugee program.
  Just yesterday the House passed two additional measures to ensure our 
Federal agencies are working to disrupt the travel of terrorists and 
those seeking help from terrorists.
  The House alone cannot keep America safe. We need action from this 
administration, and submitting an incomplete plan to remove dangerous 
terrorists to the United States from Guantanamo Bay doesn't count. It 
just threatens our security more. ISIS is a very grave threat that is 
clearly not contained.
  Today I urge the President to comply with the National Defense 
Authorization Act and submit a plan to Congress.

                          ____________________