Personal Explanation

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on April 26, 2016, I was unavoidably detained and missed roll call votes 164 and 165. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on roll call 164, the Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act, and ``yes'' on roll call 165, the Investor Clarity and Bank Parity Act.

Despite missing the vote, I remain strongly opposed to H.R. 4820, the Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act. As a former Homeland Security official and a Member of the House Intelligence Committee, I understand the importance of a complete intelligence picture to counterterrorism operations. As this bill indicates, part of understanding threats to our homeland is receiving testimony from reformed terrorists. Responsible collection would involve looking at threats from every angle, including Islamic, right wing, environmental and other types of extremism. This bill fails in that regard, choosing instead to focus on those associated with foreign terrorist organizations.

This bill also plays into a disturbing narrative that Muslims are the sole source of terrorism in the United States. The reality, supported by academic research and federal agency testimony, is that the threat from right wing extremism is even more pervasive. While the attacks in Chattanooga and San Bernardino were carried out by Muslim extremists, the attacks at a church in Charleston and a Sikh temple in Wisconsin were by right wing extremists. Extremism, regardless of ideological basis, is dangerous and must be countered. Further perpetrating a false narrative about the outsized threat posed by Muslims does nothing but promote fear of American Muslims and ostracize them in communities across our country.

It is important for us to remember that an attack by a sovereign citizen or racial supremacist is just as devastating as an attack by a Muslim terrorist. If Congress hopes to strengthen our national security apparatus, rather than stoke fear, we should be looking for every possible opportunity to balance our counterterrorism efforts. We need to look at all threats, both foreign and domestic.

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