Letter to the Hon. Nita Lowey, Chairwoman of the House Committee on Appropriations, the Hon. Kay Granger, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations, the Hon. Lucille Roybal-Allard, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security of the House Appropriations Committee, and the Hon. Chuck Fleischmann, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee - Pascrell Wins $90 Million for Anti-Terrorism Efforts

Letter

Dear Chairwomen Lowey and Roybal-Allard and Ranking Members Granger and Fleischmann:

Thank you for your work in helping to ensure additional resources for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019. Additionally, we appreciate that funding in the 2020 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act (H.R. 3931) for NSGP was increased. Funding the NSGP program is critical to protecting communities across our nation from threats. As you finalize appropriations for FY20, we respectfully ask you to fund the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) at $50 million and State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) NSGP at $40 million.

The NSGP provides critical funding to support physical security enhancements to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack. The program has improved efforts to keep nonprofit organizations safe by promoting emergency preparedness coordination and collaboration activities between public and private community representatives as well as state and local government agencies. Since today's threat environment continues to evolve quickly, the NSGP helps nonprofits plan for and ready themselves against a terrorist attack.

FBI Director Chris Wray testified before the House Homeland Security Committee on October 30, 2019 that "Homegrown Violent Extremists (HVEs) are the greatest, most immediate terrorism threat to the homeland" and "domestic violent extremists collectively pose a steady threat of violence to the United States."[i] Director Wray noted that underlying drivers for domestic violent extremism include racism, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia and that the threat remains constant. The FBI is "most concerned" by lone actor shootings because they have primarily served as the dominant lethal type of domestic violent extremist attacks.[ii] In recent years, more deaths were caused by domestic violent extremists than international terrorists.

At least 12 white supremacists have been arrested for allegedly attacking, planning attacks against or threatening the Jewish community in the year since the attack on the Tree of Life synagogue building in Pittsburgh, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).[iii] The same report notes that white supremacists have targeted Jewish institutions' on at least 50 occasions since October 27, 2018. These attacks appear to have been inspired by previous attacks. "From the Poway synagogue attack to a religious service interrupted by shouts of 'Heil Hitler,' white supremacists have presented very real threats to Jews across the country," the ADL Center on Extremism research has found.[iv]

Other reporting supports this growing concern. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the number of hate groups in the United States has increased by 30 percent over the past four years and has risen to the highest level in at least 20 years. Recent incidents targeting synagogues, churches, mosques, and other religious centers and nonprofit organizations include shooting and mass shooting, arson and fire bombing, attempted bombing, assault, death threats, hoaxes, vandalism, and property damage. These incidents illustrate the many credible threats against nonprofit institutions across the country and must be taken seriously.

With the rise of hate groups in our nation, the record of threats facing members of our community, and the FBIs continued concern about domestic violent extremism, now more than ever Congress needs to strengthen the NSGP program. For these reasons, we respectfully request you fund the UASI NSGP at $50 million and SHSGP NSGP at $40 million in the final FY20 appropriations bill. These funds help ensure our nation does all it can to prevent direct threats to our communities and protect at-risk nonprofit institutions from these grave threats.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

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