House Homeland Security OKs Online Terrorist Recruitment Bill
The House Homeland Security Committee fast-tracked approval Wednesday of the Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act. It would counter terrorist groups’ online recruitment, but some committee Democrats were concerned the bill places too much emphasis on recruitment by Islamic terrorist groups. HR-4820, which Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., filed Monday, would require the Department of Homeland Security to counteract online terrorist recruitment by using the “public testimonials” of former terrorists and their families in “counter-messaging” communications and community engagement efforts. House Homeland Security cleared HR-4820 16-5. Also Wednesday, a conference heard from panelists about spreading terrorism online (see 1603230039)
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House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, pushed for the committee to act Wednesday on the bill, saying “we can’t afford to wait and do nothing in this Congress” given the terrorist attacks in Brussels Tuesday (see 1603220043). The series of attacks in Brussels killed at least 31 people and injured 270. “We shouldn’t be playing politics with national security,” particularly after the Brussels attacks, said Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas. Ranking member Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., led committee Democrats in unsuccessfully pushing for McCaul to delay consideration of the bill until after the House returns from a planned two-week recess that begins Thursday.
Thompson later attempted to attach a series of amendments to HR-4820 to balance the perceived emphasis on Islamic terrorist groups but faced unanimous GOP opposition. “This is one of the committee’s lowest moments,” said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, saying HR-4820 doesn’t attempt to address domestic terrorist groups. HR-4820 may be “moving in a direction that we should consider, but it is not there” yet, said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J. “If we’re going to invade and send our undercover agents in mosques, then we need to send them to the Christian churches also.” McCaul responded to Democrats’ concerns that HR-4820 concentrated too much on Islamic terrorist groups, saying it mentions only “violent extremists” rather than singling out any religious or ethnic group. “This is not a race issue,” he said.
DHS separately raised concerns about HR-4820. It said in a statement to House Homeland Security that “public perception” of how DHS would obtain the proposed testimonials could negatively affect “community engagement and countering violent extremism efforts -- especially with the Muslim community.” DHS’ outreach efforts depend on “gaining and maintaining the trust of the community,” the department said.