[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9278-9285]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                COUNTERING TERRORIST RADICALIZATION ACT

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5471) to combat terrorist recruitment in the United States, 
and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5471

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Countering 
     Terrorist Radicalization Act''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

          TITLE I--AMPLIFYING LOCAL EFFORTS TO ROOT OUT TERROR

Sec. 101. Countering violent extremism training.
Sec. 102. Countering violent extremism assessment.
Sec. 103. Department-sponsored clearances.
Sec. 104. Definitions.

           TITLE II--COUNTERMESSAGING TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

Sec. 201. Directive.

               TITLE III--COUNTERTERRORISM ADVISORY BOARD

Sec. 301. Department of Homeland Security Counterterrorism Advisory 
              Board.

                  TITLE IV--PROHIBITION ON NEW FUNDING

Sec. 401. Prohibition on new funding.

          TITLE I--AMPLIFYING LOCAL EFFORTS TO ROOT OUT TERROR

     SEC. 101. COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM TRAINING.

       (a) Authorization of Training.--The Secretary of Homeland 
     Security is authorized to provide training for personnel, 
     including Department of Homeland Security personnel, State, 
     local, tribal, and territorial representatives at State and 
     major urban area fusion centers for the purpose of 
     administering community awareness briefings and related 
     activities in furtherance of the Department's efforts to 
     counter violent extremism, identify and report suspicious 
     activities, and increase awareness of and more quickly 
     identify terrorism threats, including the travel or attempted 
     travel of individuals from the United States to support a 
     foreign terrorist organization (as such term is described in 
     section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1189)) abroad.
       (b) Coordination.--To the extent practicable, in providing 
     the training under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
     coordinate with the heads of other Federal agencies engaged 
     in community outreach related to countering violent extremism 
     and shall also coordinate with such agencies in the 
     administration of related activities, including community 
     awareness briefings.

     SEC. 102. COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM ASSESSMENT.

       (a) Assessment Required.--Not later than 120 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security, in consultation with appropriate State, local, 
     tribal, and territorial representatives, shall assess the 
     efforts of the Department of Homeland Security to support 
     countering violent extremism at the State, local, tribal, and 
     territorial levels. Such assessment shall include each of the 
     following:
       (1) A cataloging of departmental efforts to assist State, 
     local, tribal, and territorial governments in countering 
     violent extremism.
       (2) A review of cooperative agreements between the 
     Department and such governments relating to countering 
     violent extremism.
       (3) An evaluation of departmental plans and any potential 
     opportunities to better support such governments that are in 
     furtherance of the Department's countering violent extremism 
     objectives and are consistent with all relevant 
     constitutional, legal, and privacy protections.
       (b) Submission to Congress.--Not later than 150 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this Act and consistent with the 
     protection of classified information, the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security shall submit to the appropriate 
     congressional committees the findings of the assessment 
     required under subsection (a) together with any related 
     information regarding best practices for countering violent 
     extremism at the State, local, tribal, and territorial 
     levels.

     SEC. 103. DEPARTMENT-SPONSORED CLEARANCES.

       Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall notify the 
     appropriate congressional committees of the number of 
     employees of State, local, tribal, and territorial 
     governments with security clearances sponsored by the 
     Department of Homeland Security. Such notification shall 
     include a detailed list of the agencies that employ such 
     employees, the level of clearance held by such employees, and 
     whether such employees are assigned as representatives to 
     State and major urban area fusion centers.

     SEC. 104. DEFINITIONS.

       In this title:
       (1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (A) the Committee on Homeland Security and the Permanent 
     Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
     Affairs and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the 
     Senate.
       (2) The term ``violent extremism'' means ideologically 
     motivated international terrorism or domestic terrorism, as 
     such terms are defined in section 2331 of title 18, United 
     States Code.

           TITLE II--COUNTERMESSAGING TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS

     SEC. 201. DIRECTIVE.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
     incorporate, to the extent practicable, into Department of 
     Homeland Security efforts to combat terrorist recruitment and 
     communications the public testimonials of former violent 
     extremists or their associates, including friends and family. 
     Such efforts may include the following:
       (1) Countermessaging of foreign terrorist organization 
     communications and narratives.
       (2) Related community engagement and public education 
     efforts.
       (b) Coordination.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
     shall, where appropriate, coordinate the efforts described in 
     subsection (a) with the heads of other Federal departments 
     and agencies, as appropriate, and, to the extent practicable, 
     engage nongovernmental and international partners in the 
     identification and use of testimonials described in such 
     subsection.
       (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
     construed to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to 
     collect testimonials directly from former violent
     extremists or their associates, including friends and family.

               TITLE III--COUNTERTERRORISM ADVISORY BOARD

     SEC. 301. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY COUNTERTERRORISM 
                   ADVISORY BOARD.

       (a) In General.--At the end of subtitle A of title II of 
     the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 121 et seq.) 
     insert the following new section:

     ``SEC. 210G. DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION ON COUNTERTERRORISM.

       ``(a) Establishment.--There is in the Department a board to 
     be composed of senior representatives of departmental 
     operational components and headquarters elements. The purpose 
     of the board shall be to coordinate and integrate 
     departmental intelligence, activities, and policy related to 
     the counterterrorism mission and functions of the Department.
       ``(b) Charter.--There shall be a charter to govern the 
     structure and mission of the board. Such charter shall direct 
     the board to focus on the current threat environment and the 
     importance of aligning departmental counterterrorism 
     activities under the Secretary's guidance. The charter shall 
     be reviewed and updated every four years, as appropriate.
       ``(c) Members.--
       ``(1) Chair.--The Secretary shall appoint a Coordinator for 
     Counterterrorism within the Department who will serve as the 
     chair of the board.
       ``(2) Additional members.--The Secretary shall appoint 
     additional members of the board from among the following:
       ``(A) The Transportation Security Administration.
       ``(B) United States Customs and Border Protection.
       ``(C) United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
       ``(D) The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
       ``(E) The Coast Guard.
       ``(F) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
       ``(G) The United States Secret Service.

[[Page 9279]]

       ``(H) The National Protection and Programs Directorate.
       ``(I) The Office of Operations Coordination.
       ``(J) The Office of the General Counsel.
       ``(K) The Office of Intelligence and Analysis.
       ``(L) The Office of Policy.
       ``(M) The Science and Technology Directorate.
       ``(N) Other Departmental offices and programs as determined 
     appropriate by the Secretary.
       ``(d) Meetings.--The board shall meet on a regular basis to 
     discuss intelligence and coordinate ongoing threat mitigation 
     efforts and departmental activities, including coordination 
     with other Federal, State, local, tribal, territorial, and 
     private sector partners, and shall make recommendations to 
     the Secretary.
       ``(e) Terrorism Alerts.--The board shall advise the 
     Secretary on the issuance of terrorism alerts pursuant to 
     section 203 of this Act.
       ``(f) Prohibition on Additional Funds.--No additional funds 
     are authorized to carry out this section.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 
     1(b) of such Act is amended by inserting after the item 
     relating to section 210F the following new item:

``Sec. 210G. Departmental coordination on counterterrorism.''.
       (c) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the 
     Coordinator for Counterterrorism, 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 the status and 
     activities of the board established under section 210G of the 
     Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a).

                  TITLE IV--PROHIBITION ON NEW FUNDING

     SEC. 401. PROHIBITION ON NEW FUNDING.

       No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this Act or the amendments made by this Act.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, we are a nation at war, and our own city streets have 
once again become the front lines. The tragedy in Orlando is the 
deadliest terrorist attack on American soil in the homeland since 9/11. 
It reminds us that nearly 15 years after that fateful day, our enemies 
are still dead set on attacking us from outside and from within.
  To defend our Nation, we need to take decisive action, and that is 
why we are here today. We will not stand on the sidelines while 
fanatics try to brainwash Americans. We will not allow Islamist 
radicals to bring terror to our cities. We will not wait patiently and 
hope the threat goes away.
  To honor the memory of the victims in Orlando, we must dedicate 
ourselves to preventing terrorists from gaining a foothold in our 
communities. That is why, today, I urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 
5471, the Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act. The bill is an 
important step toward stopping acts of terror in our homeland, and I 
only wish it had been sent to the President's desk sooner.
  We have combined three counterterrorism bills into one. All of the 
bills were voted out of the House earlier this year with strong, 
bipartisan majorities. Together, these measures ramp up our efforts to 
keep violent extremists from luring Americans down the path to 
violence.
  This bill will put into place measures to help communities spot signs 
of violent radicalization and to actively combat the propaganda of 
terrorist groups like ISIS. For instance, it requires the Department of 
Homeland Security to use the testimonials of former extremists to 
dissuade others from making the wrong choice. Such individuals know the 
brutality of terrorist groups firsthand, and they can be powerful 
messengers for shutting down radical recruitment.
  Overall, this bill implements several important recommendations from 
a bipartisan task force we created last year to look at the threat and 
vulnerabilities to the homeland. Task force members found glaring gaps 
in our security and declared that we were not doing enough here at home 
to fight terror and terrorist radicalization--and they were right.
  Islamist terrorists were working to infiltrate our country online and 
across borders, and we have failed to keep up with the pace. In just 
the past 2 years, ISIS alone has been linked to nearly 100 plots 
against the West, and the United States was the top target.
  Sadly, the violence has become so frequent that we have begun 
referring to attacks by their location: Boston, Chattanooga, Paris, San 
Bernardino, Brussels, and now Orlando. We must resolve to do everything 
in our power to keep our cities from being added to this deadly list, 
and today we can make a difference.
  I would like to thank Representatives John Katko, Barry Loudermilk, 
and Chuck Fleischmann for their leadership on these bills that were 
incorporated into this piece of legislation. I would also like to thank 
the committee's ranking member, Bennie Thompson, for his leadership and 
the other Democrats on our committee for their bipartisan work on this 
task force and on these measures.
  While radicalism may be resurgent worldwide, I want to remind my 
colleagues that we still have the upper hand. Our resilient response to 
the Orlando tragedy has sent a message to America's enemies that we 
will not be intimidated, we will not allow fanatics to attack our 
freedoms, and that resolve will allow us to prevail over anyone who 
seeks to do this country harm.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 5471, the Countering Terrorism 
Radicalization Act.
  Mr. Speaker, America is still absorbing the devastation that was 
inflicted on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, over the weekend. 
This attack is the deadliest mass shooting in American history. Forty-
nine innocent, mostly young, people were killed, and 53 others were 
maimed.
  We do not know with any certainty what exactly drove the perpetrators 
to carry out this hateful act, but there is one thing we do know beyond 
the shadow of a doubt: divisive rhetoric that pits Americans against 
each other and empty gestures will do nothing to heal Orlando's deep 
wounds or prevent the next attack.
  Unfortunately, railing against the American Muslim community is all 
that some, including the presumptive Republican nominee, are offering. 
Meanwhile, empty gestures like yet another moment of silence and an 
expedited House consideration of repackaged measures that are already 
pending in the Senate is as far as the House Republican leadership is 
willing to go.
  Although there is little to object to in H.R. 5471, particularly 
since it codifies what the Department of Homeland Security is already 
doing, it is important to state on the record that it offers little 
response to the Orlando attack.
  Sadly, when it comes to preventing mass shootings in houses of 
worship, schools, workplaces, or other public spaces, the American 
public has come to expect very little from this Congress. The 
legislation before us today will not change that. It authorizes a 
counterterrorism coordinating body that already exists within DHS; 
training on how to do community awareness briefings, which DHS already 
does; the utilization of public testimonies to counter violent 
extremism, which the Department has repeatedly told Congress it already 
has the authority to do; and an assessment of how DHS partners with 
local communities to counter violent extremism.
  The House has spoken on provisions of H.R. 5471, and DHS is already 
carrying out the activities it authorizes. As such, there is nothing 
objectionable

[[Page 9280]]

on the four corners of the pages of this bill, Mr. Speaker.
  What I do object to, Mr. Speaker, is the House not acting on measures 
that could help prevent the next mass shooting. For instance, there is 
H.R. 1076, the so-called No Fly, No Buy Act, a bipartisan measure 
introduced by my Republican colleague from the Committee on Homeland 
Security, Peter King, to allow the FBI to prohibit a person on the 
terrorist watch list from purchasing a firearm. Mr. Speaker, you can't 
fly, but you can buy a gun in the United States of America. This could 
be and should be fixed.
  Closing this Homeland Security gap in our laws has the support of 83 
percent of Americans, including gun owners like myself. Moreover, 180 
Members of this Chamber have signaled their support by signing a 
discharge petition to demand the bill's immediate consideration.
  Analysis issued this week by the Government Accountability Office 
underscores the need for action. It found that 90 percent of the people 
on the terrorist watch list who attempted to legally purchase firearms 
were successful. Mr. Speaker, 90 percent of the people who are on the 
terrorist watch list bought guns in this country.
  Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks the 1-year anniversary of the terrorist 
attack on Mother Emanuel in Charleston, South Carolina. That deadly 
attack carried out in furtherance of a violent ideology claimed the 
lives of nine people gathered in prayer and fellowship. It was carried 
out by a domestic terrorist who, like the perpetrators of attacks in 
San Bernardino and Orlando, were radicalized by Internet propaganda. 
Nothing in the legislation we are considering today would have stopped 
that ideologically motivated mass shooting.
  Before I reserve my time, I would take this opportunity to again 
highlight that those with a single-minded focus on one foreign 
terrorist organization, namely ISIL, as is the case with H.R. 5471, are 
turning a blind eye to a gathering storm.
  In just the past year, the number of antigovernment groups espousing 
violence has increased threefold. Since 2008, when the Southern Poverty 
Law Center numbered antigovernment groups at 149, there has been a 670 
percent increase. Yes, today, there are 998 antigovernment groups in 
America.
  Mr. Speaker, the victims of past mass shootings, their families, and 
all Americans deserve meaningful action, not empty gestures.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
5471, the Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act, so we can improve 
efforts in fighting radical Islamic terrorism.
  Horrific lone-wolf terrorist attacks like the one that occurred in 
Orlando only a few days ago continue to threaten our Nation.
  H.R. 5471 is a package of three bills that will accomplish three 
goals in our fight against terrorism: it will increase our efforts to 
counter radicalization of terrorist recruitment; it will increase 
countermeasures to prevent ISIS from using social media to recruit and 
radicalize potential recruits in our communities; and it will ensure 
agencies like the Department of Homeland Security are effectively using 
intelligence, operations, and policy to fight terrorism. With the 
passage of this bill, we will give our law enforcement officers and our 
communities greater resources to fight against terrorism.
  I commend Chairman McCaul and the sponsors of each of the underlying 
bills for their leadership and hard work on this legislation.
  I would also like to offer my thoughts and prayers to the families 
and victims of the Orlando terrorist attack.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the assistant leader for 
the Democratic Caucus.
  Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, on tomorrow, we are going to commemorate 
the first anniversary of the events that occurred at Emanuel AME 
Church.

                              {time}  0930

  On Sunday, AME churches all over the country will be commemorating 
this great loss. I will be in Lakeland, Florida, at the Bethel AME 
Church, and we are going to be praying and singing and hoping, hoping 
that at some point in the not too distant future this House, this 
Congress will recognize that we have a big, big problem that must be 
solved.
  Why is it that this young man, who was not eligible to purchase a 
firearm, was able to get one?
  He got one because there is a loophole in that law that says the 3-
day background check is not operative if you don't complete the 
background check in 3 days. So the reasons that exist for him not to 
have a firearm still existed on the fourth and fifth day.
  Now, I have no idea of why the information got keyed in wrong. It was 
Columbia versus West Columbia. And when they detected it, this 
gentleman had the firearm and was off to Charleston, South Carolina, my 
congressional district, where he murdered nine people. He allowed one 
of them to live so she could tell the story, and two others played 
dead. The Charleston 12. Well, I am hopeful that the people of goodwill 
in this body will do something to close this loophole.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), the majority whip.
  Mr. SCALISE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, Chairman McCaul, for 
bringing this package of bills to the House floor, and I especially 
want to thank Representatives Fleischmann, Katko, and Loudermilk for 
their leadership in saying that we need to focus our efforts on the 
problem that we have in this country, and that is terrorists are 
radicalizing Americans.
  Time after time now we have seen more than a dozen terrorist attacks 
on American soil in the last 7 years. Unfortunately, some people around 
this town want to try to take advantage of that as an opportunity to 
talk about gun control, taking away rights of law-abiding citizens, Mr. 
Speaker, instead of focusing on the problem. They don't just use guns. 
They use pressure cookers, they use pipe bombs, they use axes, they use 
the Internet to recruit Americans. It is time we put a sharper focus on 
solving this problem and addressing the fact that Americans are being 
radicalized and carrying out terrorist attacks here in the United 
States. It is going to continue until there is a sharper focus.
  This package of bills puts the focus where it needs to be. It is time 
for the President to join with us to actually speak out in getting more 
tools to our intelligence agencies to go and do a better job of rooting 
out the attacks that are here on our homefront. This is no hypothetical 
problem. Terrorism has come to the United States.
  Our hearts and prayers are with the victims of the attack in Orlando 
as well as the attacks that we have seen all throughout this country 
and that, no doubt, are being planned right now against Americans here 
on our home soil.
  It is time that we take action. I am so glad that the House has 
already moved a package of bills. This package right here that we are 
passing today puts a sharper focus on the real problem, and that is 
rooting out radicalization of Americans on our home soil. Let's stop 
the terrorism here. Pass this bill.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I support the majority 
whip's position. We have already voted on the bills. We have already 
sent them over to the Senate. It is just repackaging them again and 
sending them over again. They are in charge.
  I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson).
  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, is this some kind of cruel 
joke? We have already passed these bills, and we are bringing them up 
again today?
  Just a few days ago we lost 49 innocent lives in the worst mass 
shooting our country has ever seen. Sadly, this isn't an isolated case. 
In the 3 years since the tragedy at Sandy Hook, there

[[Page 9281]]

have been over 1,100 mass shootings and more than 34,000 lives have 
been cut short by someone using a gun.
  What have we done?
  We have held 30 moments of silence since Sandy Hook, but we haven't 
taken a single vote on legislation that would help keep guns out of 
dangerous hands. That is shameful. The American people deserve more 
than silence. The American people deserve a Congress that is willing to 
stand up and do what it takes to help keep our communities safe.
  Republican leaders claim that these bills brought before the House 
for consideration today are a significant response to the worst mass 
shooting in U.S. history. They claim that because this was an act of 
terrorism, we don't need to take a vote on legislation to prevent gun 
violence.
  The fact of the matter is, this act of terrorism was an act of gun 
violence. Over 100 people were shot, 49 shot dead, and today in 
America, suspected terrorists can still legally buy guns. Individuals 
on our FBI's terrorist watch list can walk into a gun store, pass a 
background check, and walk out with the gun or guns of their choosing, 
legally.
  Since 2004, more than 2,000 suspected terrorists were able to 
purchase guns. I think that is wrong and so does the overwhelming 
majority of the American people. There is bipartisan legislation that 
would prohibit those on the terrorist watch list from being able to 
purchase firearms in our country. That is the bill we should be voting 
on today, not three bills that we have already voted and passed out of 
the House.
  If Republicans agree that suspected terrorists shouldn't be able to 
buy guns, bring up that bill for a vote today.
  What is it that the majority is afraid of? Is your fear greater than 
that of the fear of the people hiding for their lives in that nightclub 
in Orlando?
  Give us a vote.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Loudermilk).
  Mr. LOUDERMILK. Mr. Speaker, terrorism is no longer just a national 
issue as we deemed it after 9/11. The attacks of terrorism are 
affecting our local communities, and we must address those that are 
perpetrating these attacks, not just simply go after the tools that 
they choose to use. The Boston bombers chose to use a pressure cooker, 
a bomb. There have been attacks using knives, there have been attacks 
using hatchets, there have been attacks using cars. It is the 
perpetrator of these acts of violence that we must address.
  Earlier this year, the House passed a bill called the ALERT Act, a 
bill that I authored that is amplifying local efforts to root out 
terrorism, which, by the way, removes bureaucratic barriers and paves 
the way for the Federal Government to enhance State and local law 
enforcement's involvement in fighting the war on terrorism. By 
providing the tools and training needed to combat terrorism on multiple 
levels, the act provides for more efficient cooperation and 
coordination with State and local officials.
  Today, everyone has to play a part in protecting against terrorism, 
from the neighbor next door to the local law enforcement officer. While 
no legislation in itself will end the threat of terrorism against our 
Nation, we can better utilize the valuable resources found right within 
our communities.
  In hopes of getting the ALERT Act and two other key pieces of 
Homeland Security legislation to the President's desk, we have packaged 
them into one comprehensive bill entitled the ``Countering Terrorist 
Radicalization Act.'' I appreciate Chairman McCaul's leadership and 
sponsorship in this important piece of legislation to help stop future 
acts.
  As we are experiencing an increase in acts of terrorism by radical 
Islamic terrorists that directly threaten our own communities, we must 
reevaluate how we combat these terrorist threats. This joint piece of 
legislation will better secure America by helping local law enforcement 
combat terrorism, keeping terrorists from entering our borders, 
stopping radicalization, and evaluating better security methods as we 
move forward.
  I also want to thank my colleagues, Mr. Katko and Mr. Fleischmann, 
for their hard work on advancing their bills. I appreciate their 
collateral effort as we strive to protect Americans from violent 
terrorist attacks.
  Because threats against America are rapidly increasing, we cannot 
afford to be stagnant. We must act, and we must act now.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond).
  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me 
the time today.
  Let me just say that we face a very serious problem in this country, 
and when you face a very serious problem, it deserves a serious, 
thoughtful response that actually goes toward solving the problem.
  So what do we have here today after 49 innocent lives were taken in 
Orlando? When we had mass shootings in Aurora, Newtown, Roseburg, San 
Bernardino, and mass shootings that occur in urban communities far too 
often, what do we do?
  We just heard it. We repackaged bills that we passed on January 29, 
April 26, and May 16 so that somebody could come up here today and say 
that we solved or attempted to solve a problem on June 16 by doing what 
we did the last couple of months. That is not leadership, and it is not 
a serious, thoughtful solution to the problems we have.
  We could be talking about, debating, and passing no fly, no buy. We 
could talk about and pass the Charleston loophole. We could talk about 
high-capacity magazines that allow one person to walk into a nightclub 
and mow down 49 people and injure another 53. There is no deer hunting, 
there is no legitimate purpose for a high-capacity magazine other than 
to expeditiously take human life. If you are not at war, it has no 
place on the streets of America. We can also talk about assault 
weapons.
  Mr. Chairman and Mr. Ranking Member, let me just say this: It is sad 
to say that this response today is a response that lacks leadership. It 
is a response that does nothing new. We passed this legislation with 
bipartisan support. So I would just say that this is a very impotent 
response to a very serious problem so that we can repackage, rebrand, 
and mislead the American people by saying we did something when, in 
fact, we did nothing.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Katko).
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, our Nation has experienced a tragedy for 
sure. This past weekend's terrorist attack in Orlando is just the 
latest in an increasingly long list of homegrown violent extremist 
attacks. Our Nation is not only grieving the loss of 49 innocent 
people, but is also facing the reality of having witnessed the most 
deadly terrorist attack in the U.S. since 9/11.
  I am concerned about ISIS' persistence in inflicting harm to all 
those who disagree with their ideology. Authorities are investigating 
over 800 ISIS-linked cases and have discovered 89 plots against the 
West, including 25 in the United States, and the list is growing year 
after year.
  This body has been investigating radical extremism since I came to 
this Chamber 18 months ago. I was fortunate and honored to lead the 
bipartisan Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter 
Travel, which highlighted many of the vulnerabilities which came to 
light in Orlando, Chattanooga, Garland, and San Bernardino. The nature 
of the task force shows that domestic radicalization has been on the 
rise. The issue is not a partisan issue. It is an American issue.
  Omar Mateen's cowardly actions are a stark reminder of the resilience 
of the enemy we face today. However, this Chamber, with the leadership 
of Speaker Ryan and Chairman McCaul, has put forth solutions. The bill 
before us today encapsulates several ideas that my peers and I have 
worked on for months that outline ways to improve our counterterrorism 
efforts here at home.
  Included in this bill is a provision which authorizes the 
Counterterrorism

[[Page 9282]]

Advisory Board, which is modeled after a bill introduced earlier this 
year in Congress, H.R. 4407. This section specifically codifies the 
administrative body that would integrate intelligence, operations, and 
policy components so our law enforcement and intelligence partners can 
coordinate actions more effectively and expeditiously; in short, 
getting them talking together better, getting them working together 
better, getting them sharing information together better, and getting 
better chances of stopping these acts from happening.

                              {time}  0945

  This bill provides flexibility in the board's charter to ensure the 
continued ability to encounter tomorrow's threats.
  Finally, I would like to end by thanking Speaker Ryan and Chairman 
McCaul for their continued leadership on this issue.
  My heart goes out to the victims and families of Sunday's tragic 
attacks in Orlando.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, we have had a number of 
people talk about San Bernardino. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Aguilar), whose district includes San Bernardino, 
where the shooting occurred.
  Mr. AGUILAR. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to speak on something that, 
frankly, I am sick and tired of having to discuss: House Republicans' 
refusal to address our Nation's gun violence epidemic.
  On December 2, I will never forget how I felt as I walked off this 
House floor. I had just voted to allow debate on keeping guns out of 
the hands of suspected terrorists--the no fly, no buy--which was 
blocked by House Republicans, when I received a barrage of text 
messages about what was unfolding in my hometown of San Bernardino.
  When I heard the news this weekend on Sunday morning, my heart sank. 
Again. This time, Orlando. This time.
  We cannot afford to stand in silence when people are being massacred 
in bars, when coworkers are being slaughtered at their holiday parties, 
when churchgoers are being murdered in their place of worship, and when 
first graders are assassinated in classrooms.
  Where do we draw the line? When will we say: Enough is enough?
  Preventing domestic abusers, convicted felons, and terrorists from 
obtaining guns will make our communities safer without infringing on 
responsible gun owners' right to bear arms. There is no reason to 
believe that the Second Amendment and commonsense gun reform are 
mutually exclusive.
  Thoughts and prayers are nice, but they don't stop suspected 
terrorists from getting a firearm. Thoughts and prayers are nice, but 
they don't perform comprehensive background checks on domestic abusers 
and those convicted felons who want to kill. Thoughts and prayers are 
nice, but they don't stop rounds of bullets from ripping out of an 
assault weapon and inflicting mass casualties on innocent Americans. 
And thoughts and prayers should not be used as a replacement for taking 
meaningful action to make our communities safer.
  Just hours ago, we heard from Senator Murphy that the other Chamber 
has reached a bipartisan agreement to allow votes on two important gun 
safety measures.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an 
additional 30 seconds.
  Mr. AGUILAR. We just heard that, on those measures, they have reached 
a bipartisan agreement to at least allow votes.
  When will this Chamber do the same? When will we work to address 
meaningful solutions rather than acting on recycled bills from months 
ago that do little to address the issue?
  I have said before that House Republicans' most significant action to 
curb gun violence has been to hold a moment of silence, and I was 
wrong. They have consistently and deliberately worked to prevent 
commonsense reform from even being discussed in this Chamber. For that, 
they should be ashamed.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann).
  Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act.
  I want to thank the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, 
Chairman McCaul; Mr. Katko; and Mr. Loudermilk for joining the 
legislation that I promoted and we passed in this House by a large 
bipartisan majority.
  Mr. Speaker, several weeks ago, a strong bipartisan group of Members 
passed my legislation, H.R. 4820, the Combating Terrorist Recruitment 
Act.
  It is hard to believe that almost a year has passed since the 
horrific shootings at two military installations in Chattanooga, 
Tennessee, my hometown and the town in which I proudly represent those 
great people in the United States House of Representatives. As many may 
remember, four marines and one sailor were killed in the attack while 
several others were wounded.
  Just this past December, following the FBI investigation, Director 
James Comey concluded that the shootings ``were motivated by foreign 
terrorist organization propaganda.''
  We have seen this pattern repeat in the evil attack in Orlando as 
well as the attacks in San Bernardino, Paris, and Brussels. We need to 
use every tool in our toolbox to combat Islamic extremism.
  The Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act section of the bill 
implements one key recommendation made by the Homeland Security 
Committee's bipartisan task force specifically designed to counter 
terrorist and foreign fighter travel. While it doesn't forbid DHS from 
countering all forms of extremism, the bill does provide examples of 
how DHS can fulfill the requirement, such as counter-messaging foreign 
terrorist organizations that are actively recruiting in our country at 
an alarming rate.
  This bipartisan legislation requires the Secretary of Homeland 
Security to amplify testimonials of former extremists and defectors to 
fight the propaganda and recruitment of terrorist groups like ISIS.
  Foreign terrorists are using technology to radicalize Americans at a 
troubling pace that continues to increase. We must combat this.
  More than 250 Americans have traveled or attempted to travel to fight 
with jihadists in Syria and Iraq, and the FBI states that there are 
open counterterrorism investigations in all 50 States, mostly ISIS-
related. Many of these individuals were pulled in by terrorist 
propaganda.
  ISIS is luring Americans with false promises that do not reflect true 
reality on the ground in places like Syria and Iraq. The true reality 
centers on fear, suffering, and the murder of innocent people 
throughout the region and around the world.
  Several recent defectors from ISIS have admitted that joining the 
group was a terrible mistake. One young fighter said that he found it 
very hard to live in the region and no longer believes the group 
represents the religion.
  I must state that we must do all we can to amplify the messages from 
these disillusioned terrorists. We are doing this with the State 
Department. We need to pass this bundle of bills. We need to come 
together, Mr. Speaker, as Americans to fight radical Islamic terrorism 
now. The American people deserve no less.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how 
much time each side has remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Mississippi has 5\1/4\ 
minutes remaining. The gentleman from Texas has 5 minutes remaining.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) the minority leader.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for 
yielding, and I thank him for his tremendous leadership to keep our 
homeland secure.
  I come to the floor with the deepest sympathy for those lost in 
Orlando. Of

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course, all of our prayers and thoughts are with their families.
  Earlier this week, we had a moment of silence, another moment of 
silence; silence, which was followed by silence, silence, silence. No 
action.
  Today, on this floor, we are taking up legislation which is the 
legislative equivalent of silence. We are putting some warmed-over stew 
bills that have passed the House, combined in one bill, once again, to 
go forward. But we are not taking the action necessary, action that has 
bipartisan support overwhelmingly in the country and has sufficient 
support in this House to be passed.
  I beseech our Republican colleagues to join us in the no fly, no buy 
legislation, which 87 percent of the public overwhelmingly--
Republicans, Independents, and even NRA members--support. It has 
support in our country. It has understanding in our country. The only 
place that it runs into trouble is in the House of Representatives.
  The Senate has said now that they will promise a vote after a 
substantial and most remarkable filibuster on the part of Senator Chris 
Murphy all day yesterday and into the night.
  The American people saw what the challenge was in getting something 
done in Congress. He was promised a vote. I hope that we can have a 
vote in the House on two bills that are overwhelmingly supported by the 
public and have bipartisan support in the House.
  Of course, we have the one bill: no fly, no buy. That means if you 
are on the no-fly list, you cannot buy a gun.
  In addition to that, we have the bill that has, by consensus, been 
put together for sensible, reasonable background checks. That means, no 
matter what the weapon is, unless you can pass a background check, you 
can't buy it, whether it is a pistol or an AK-47.
  Shamefully, the assault weapon ban has expired. There are those in 
our midst who would like to remove the sunset from that bill, and that 
is another conversation.
  Right now, today, we are asking for two things. One, no fly, no buy. 
Two, the Peter King of New York and Mike Thompson of California--a 
Republican and a Democrat--cosponsored bills which would pass this 
House, if given a vote.
  I have seen some criticism on the part of the Republican leadership 
in the House of those who have tired of doing moments of silence. I, 
myself, think that it is appropriate for us to do that, but it is no 
substitute for action. We have to question the sincerity of it, if we 
mourn and don't act.
  We carry the names of these young people who were killed in Orlando 
in our hearts. It is clearly a hate crime. It is the one place where we 
see very clearly where gun safety and homeland security come together. 
Whatever the percentage of motivation was--terrorism, and the other, a 
hate crime--on the part of the perpetrator, it doesn't matter. What 
matters is that it was an assault on our homeland security. And what 
matters is that it was a hate crime motivated in this pub where many 
LGBT community members were gathered.
  Let's lower the temperature on our interactions with each other. We 
have said over and over again: Here we go with another moment of 
silence. If we were real about it, if we were sincere about it, we 
would act upon it. Clearly, we are all complicit, as long as we have 
moments of silence and no legislation.
  We are not a commemorative body. Yes, we have our resolutions and 
moments of silence, but we are a legislative body, and we are supposed 
to provide solutions. We are supposed to work together as much as 
possible in a bipartisan way for those solutions. We are supposed to be 
a reflection, a representative of the American people.
  The American people are so far ahead of us in terms of common sense--
commonsense legislation: if you are on the no fly list, you can't buy a 
gun; no fly, no buy--and common sense in saying that we want to have 
reasonable, commonsense background checks, which has bipartisan support 
in the House. I say it over and over again.
  We have said we are Paris; we are Orlando. But what are we? We are 
doing nothing. It would be the equivalent of somebody who is very sick 
and the doctor says: I am going to give you a get well card, but I am 
not going to give you any antidote for the pain or the problem that you 
have.

                              {time}  1000

  And this is what we have become, words, not deeds; words, not action.
  The Gospel of James--I don't know if Mr. Clyburn, when he spoke 
earlier, spoke about James, the Book of James, act deeds, not words. 
And we are not even words. We are silent. We are silent.
  So I beseech my colleagues to listen to the American people, to 
understand the pain. And this happens so frequently. Since Orlando, 100 
people have been shot in gun violence across our country--that was as 
of yesterday, may be more by this morning.
  So it is not just about the mass murders, as appalling as they are 
and how strongly they hit home; it is about what is happening in the 
streets of our country on a regular basis.
  As I said, and I say this, I cannot see how, with all the good 
intentions of silence and the rest of it, that this Congress can be a 
handmaiden of the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of 
America. We are here to represent the people, and we should be doing 
that.
  Again, this is heartbreaking. Newtown was heartbreaking. Aurora was 
heartbreaking. Columbine was heartbreaking. The reference our colleague 
made earlier to assault on our military facilities is heartbreaking. 
The assault on a Planned Parenthood clinic is heartbreaking. It is not 
right. This isn't how we debate, discuss, disagree, come to solutions, 
not with guns.
  We all respect the Second Amendment. We all respect the Second 
Amendment and the right to bear arms, but that doesn't mean in an 
unfettered way, by people who have no business having them because of 
their orientation. Let's have background checks to check that.
  We can work together on the no fly, no buy in terms of how people are 
informed, how law enforcement is informed across the board. But we 
cannot go down a path that has been suggested by some who say, okay, 
let's do that; now take it to court. Well, by the time you take it to 
court, more people will die, just as Mr. Clyburn stated, as we are 
observing the June 17, 1-year anniversary of the South Carolina 
massacre. If you are not denied in 3 days, then you are cleared, when 
they had a technical error that cleared somebody who should not have 
been cleared.
  So let's make it right, but let's do something. Let's act on the 
values that we share to protect and defend the American people. That's 
our first responsibility in terms of national security, in terms of 
homeland security, in terms of community and personal security.
  Let's not use these bills that we are taking up, once again, as an 
excuse, as if we did something. No, we didn't do anything more. We are 
just trying to make it look as if we did, and that is really 
incriminating the Congress of the United States, when we know what to 
do, we have bipartisan support to do it.
  So I beseech our colleagues to join together, in a nonpartisan way, 
to do the right thing, exercise common sense on behalf of the American 
people. Again, we are Orlando.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Mimi Walters).
  Mrs. MIMI WALTERS of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong 
support of the Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act.
  As we mourn the death of the 49 Americans and pray for a full 
recovery of the 53 who were injured in the terrorist attack in Orlando, 
we know we must do more to combat radical Islamic extremism. The 
Federal Government's primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of 
the American people. This means strengthening our response to the 
threat ISIS and other terrorist organizations pose to our homeland.
  The House has passed several bills to combat radical Islamic 
terrorism, prevent attacks, stop radicalization on our soil, and keep 
terrorists from entering America. Each of the three bills

[[Page 9284]]

included in this legislation has already passed the House with wide 
bipartisan support, but we must do everything we can to get them signed 
into law as soon as possible.
  I urge my colleagues to support the Countering Terrorist 
Radicalization Act. We must send this bill to the Senate and on to the 
President for his signature, and this must be done immediately. This is 
essential to defeating ISIS and preventing radicalization here at home.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, 
and I reserve the balance of my time to close.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Hurd).
  Mr. HURD of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have spent most of my adult life 
chasing down terrorists. I have gathered intelligence on their tactics 
and their plans. I know how they think. I understand their motivations, 
and I know what it takes to stop them.
  Our Nation just experienced the worst terrorist attack on our 
homeland since 9/11. While we mourn for our losses, we must also 
determine to do what is necessary to keep ISIS and other terrorists 
from ever doing this again.
  Let me first say that some of the suggestions coming from both sides 
of the aisle on how to stop terrorists are the wrong solutions. Banning 
guns is not going to stop terrorists. Banning Muslims from entering our 
country is not going to stop terrorists.
  So what will work to keep these murderers away from our shores? How 
do we keep terrorists out of our country? How do we stop ISIS from 
radicalizing Americans they have never met and are thousands of miles 
away?
  The House has already taken several steps to do what is needed when 
we passed the ALERT Act, by my colleague, Representative Loudermilk of 
Georgia; the Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act, by my colleague, 
Representative Fleischmann of Tennessee; and the Counterterrorism 
Advisory Board Act, by my colleague, John Katko of New York.
  The House has led in counterterrorism efforts, spearheaded by one of 
the most effective committees in the House, the Committee on Homeland 
Security, led by my colleague from Texas, Chairman Michael McCaul, and 
I am proud to serve on that committee.
  These three bills are before the House today in Chairman McCaul's 
Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act. These bills will ensure 
greater coordination between Federal and local government agencies when 
it comes to seeing radicalization and stopping it before an attack 
happens.
  Our first responders are the tip of the spear when it comes to 
attacks like Orlando and San Bernardino. We need to do more to ensure 
they have the intelligence necessary to detect and stop these kinds of 
attacks. These bills will require DHS to use effective countermessaging 
tactics to help keep Americans from falling prey to the propaganda 
spread by ISIS on social media.
  I have said it many times, but I am going to say it one more time. If 
we get the right information to the right people at the right time, we 
will keep terrorists off our shores and on the run. I speak from the 
experience of running successful counterterrorism operations during my 
time in the CIA.
  These bills are part of the solution to keeping terrorists from 
attacking the homeland. Let's take the fight to them, and I encourage 
my colleagues to vote for the passage of the Countering Terrorist 
Radicalization Act.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Yesterday, I cohosted, with the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. 
Grijalva), a forum that took expert testimony on the homeland security 
threat posed by armed militia and antigovernment groups. We were forced 
to hold a forum because the chairmen of our respective committees, 
Homeland Security and Natural Resources, have rebuffed our repeated 
requests for a hearing to examine domestic terrorism. The House 
Republican leadership refuses to acknowledge the threat of domestic 
terrorism, ergo, its unwillingness to take action to prevent further 
mass shootings.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, while I generally do not 
object to H.R. 5471, and I will support its passage, it cannot be the 
sum total of what this Congress is willing to do in response to the 
mass shootings in Orlando, San Bernardino, Charleston, and the concerns 
of Americans across the Nation. We are tasked with identifying 
vulnerabilities.
  Mr. Speaker, a vulnerability in the minds of the public is that, if a 
person cannot buy a ticket to fly on a plane but can go buy a gun, that 
is a vulnerability. The high-capacity magazines that this individual in 
Orlando and in other places have used, that is a vulnerability that 
this Congress should address.
  Background checks, the 3-day requirement that if it is not completed, 
you get approval to buy a gun, you know, there are some things that 
take longer, so the Charleston loophole is applicable to what we are 
talking about, too.
  So, for whatever reasons, guns have been used from time to time to 
perpetrate terrorist activities. We hardened cockpits on airplanes 
because people wanted to hijack airplanes. We banned box cutters from 
being on airplanes because they were used to hijack airplanes.
  If terrorists are using guns to do harm to American citizens, these 
are terrorists who are born in the United States, they are American 
citizens, so we have to do something about it.
  There is no problem with the three bills that were packaged here 
today, but I implore this body to look at the broader issue of domestic 
terrorism, and let's get on with the business of addressing it. The 
moments of silence, you know, all of us in our own respective ways, we 
care about the people; but after the moment of silence, after we get 
off our knees from praying, when are we going to work and resolve the 
challenge?
  So this do-over package is going back to the Senate again. It is 
already over there. So we will go back, and we will say to the 
Republican leadership in the Senate your colleagues say do something.
  I say, if Democrats were in charge, Mr. Chairman, we would do 
something.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  What happened in Orlando was a terrorist attack, an attack by ISIS in 
the homeland. The Orlando shooter said as much in his 9-1-1 call. The 
Islamic State took credit for it, saying he was a soldier of the 
caliphate.
  What keeps me up at night, Boston, Chattanooga, San Bernardino, and 
now Orlando all perpetrated--all perpetrated--by Islamist terrorists. 
We have to define the enemy to defeat it. That is a basic military 
strategy.
  The 9/11 Commission, bipartisan, in its wisdom, so many years ago, 
said: ``The enemy is not just `terrorism,' some generic evil. This 
vagueness blurs the strategy. The catastrophic threat at this moment in 
history is more specific. It is a threat posed by Islamist terrorism--
especially the al Qaeda network, its affiliates, and its ideology.''
  The 9/11 Commission, Mr. Speaker, not the Republican Party, the 9/11 
Commission.
  Winston Churchill didn't dance around the Nazis on fascism. We 
defeated fascism by calling it what it was and going to war with it.
  President Kennedy and President Reagan didn't dance around communism. 
They defeated communism by defining the enemy.
  Today, the enemy, in a generational, ideological struggle is radical 
Islamist extremism, and if this President, this administration, will 
not recognize that, this body needs to. This Congress understands what 
the threat is, and when we define it, we will defeat it, Mr. Speaker.
  I yield back the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1015

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 5471.
  The question was taken.

[[Page 9285]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. McCAUL. 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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