I want to thank the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Jackson Lee, for introducing H.R. 4240.
H.R. 4240, the No Fly for Foreign Fighters Act, is a common sense bill that requires the U.S. Government Accountability Office to conduct an independent review of the operation and administration of the Terrorist Screening Database (or TSDB), which is sometimes referred to as the terrorist watchlist. The watchlisting and screening processes support the U.S. government's efforts to combat terrorism by consolidating the terrorist watchlist and providing screening and law enforcement agencies with information to help them respond appropriately during encounters with known or suspected terrorists, among other things. At the same time, we must ensure that the watchlist and the accompanying processes and procedures comport with the Constitution and the values of the American people.
The GAO previously conducted a study of the terrorist watchlist following the December 25, 2009 attempted bombing of Northwest Flight 253 which exposed weaknesses in how the federal government nominated individuals to the terrorist watchlist and gaps in how agencies used the list to screen individuals to determine if they posed a security threat. Several improvements were made to the watchlisting processes and procedures following the December 25, 2009 attempted bombing.
However, concerns have been raised over the effect the watchlisting processes and procedures may have on law-abiding persons, including U.S. citizens, based on inaccurate or incomplete information in the database, or similar or identical names to watchlisted individuals.
The GAO stated in its 2012 watchlisting report that routine, government-wide assessments of the outcomes and impacts of agencies' watchlist screening or vetting programs could help ensure that these programs are achieving their intended results or identify if revisions are needed. Such assessments could also help identify broader issues that require attention, determine if impacts on agency resources and the traveling public are acceptable, and communicate to key stakeholders how the nation's investment in the watchlist screening or vetting processes is enhancing security of the nation's borders, commercial aviation, and other security-related activities.
This bill provides for an independent review of the operation and administration of the watchlist. It reaffirms our commitment to our nation's security, while upholding the constitutional values that make America unique in the world. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.