[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 96 (Thursday, June 16, 2016)] [House] [Pages H3919-H3925] From the Congressional Record Online through the 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. [[Page H3920]] ``(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. ``(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 [[Page H3921]] 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 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 [[Page H3922]] 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 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 Advisory Board, which is modeled after [[Page H3923]] 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 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 [[Page H3924]] 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 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. [[Page H3925]] 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 911 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. 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. ____________________