Tracking Foreign Fighters in Terrorist Safe Havens Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4239) to require intelligence community reporting on foreign fighter flows to and from terrorist safe havens abroad, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 4239
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Tracking Foreign Fighters in Terrorist Safe Havens Act''. SEC. 2. INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY REPORTING TO CONGRESS ON FOREIGN FIGHTER FLOWS.
(a) Reports Required.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 days thereafter, the Director of National Intelligence, consistent with the protection of intelligence sources and methods, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on foreign fighter flows to and from terrorist safe havens abroad.
(b) Contents.--Each report submitted under subsection (a) shall include, with respect to each terrorist safe haven, the following:
(1) The total number of foreign fighters who have traveled or are suspected of having traveled to the terrorist safe haven since 2011, including the countries of origin of such foreign fighters.
(2) The total number of United States citizens present in the terrorist safe haven.
(3) The total number of foreign fighters who have left the terrorist safe haven or whose whereabouts are unknown.
(c) Form.--The reports submitted under subsection (a) may be submitted in classified form. If such a report is submitted in classified form, such report shall also include an unclassified summary.
(d) Sunset.--The requirement to submit reports under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is two years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(e) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) in the Senate--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services;
(B) the Select Committee on Intelligence;
(C) the Committee on the Judiciary;
(D) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs;
(E) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs;
(F) the Committee on Foreign Relations; and
(G) the Committee on Appropriations; and
(2) in the House of Representatives--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services;
(B) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence;
(C) the Committee on the Judiciary;
(D) the Committee on Homeland Security;
(E) the Committee on Financial Services;
(F) the Committee on Foreign Affairs; and
(G) the Committee on Appropriations.
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Mr. LoBIONDO. 4239.
Mr. Speaker, terrorism remains one of the greatest threats facing our Nation today. As a member of both the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Armed Services, I have seen how the brave men and women of our Nation's Armed Forces and the intelligence services battle this threat on a daily basis.
But the recent terrorist attack in San Bernardino has highlighted that this is not just a threat to be faced by our servicemen and - women. We face this threat here at home, in our communities, from individuals who have been radicalized abroad and entered our country with the intent to do us harm.
We must focus our intelligence efforts and bring them to bear directly on the problem of individuals radicalizing abroad and traveling to commit terrorist acts here at home. We must ensure that this important information gets into the hands of our Nation's representatives here in the United States Congress.
The bill we are debating today will do just that. The Tracking Foreign Fighters in Terrorist Safe Havens Act requires the intelligence community to report to Congress three important categories of information:
The total number of foreign fighters who have traveled to terrorist safe havens, including their country of origin;
The number of U.S. citizens present in terrorist safe havens; and
The total number of foreign fighters who have left terrorist safe havens or whose whereabouts are unknown.
This information is crucial to policymakers. It will help Members understand the size and scope of the threats we face, the potential risk of terrorism at home, and how terrorist safe havens can undermine our national security.
By ensuring that this information goes to a wide range of congressional committees, the bill ensures that relevant committees of Congress can begin to address this growing threat.
This legislation is also bipartisan. I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell) for cosponsoring this legislation.
I want to also thank Chairman Nunes and Ranking Member Schiff and my colleagues on Homeland Security, Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson.
Before closing, I want to take a moment to thank the men and women of this country who serve our intelligence community and our Armed Forces. I am honored to know so many of them in the course of my oversight work and to see their diligent efforts in helping to keep our Nation safe.
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Mr. LoBIONDO. McSally).
Once again, I join in thanking my colleague from California (Mr. Swalwell). I think the approach we have had to this is exactly what we need in combating terrorism.
It is hard to imagine, even just a few years ago, that we would be facing this threat that we face today and this threat of terrorism that we have seen, this barbaric face in Paris and in San Bernardino, the fact that the enemy is evolving in so many different ways, and the fact that we have to be right 100 percent of the time and that they have so many different avenues that they can pursue.
This piece of legislation is another piece to the puzzle which will help our country and our agencies be able to figure things out. Our intelligence community works tirelessly with law enforcement to be able to figure out what the next challenge is.
I hope the people of America understand the expertise and professionalism that the intelligence community and law enforcement bring to the table to keep our country safe. I hope my colleagues understand how important this legislation is and everyone votes ``yes'' to support it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
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