Poe Amendments Included in FY2016 Intel Appropriations Bill

Press Release

Today, Congressman Ted Poe (TX-02) Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-proliferation and Trade issued the following statement on the passage of his amendments to H.R.2596 the Intel Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016.

POE AMENDMENTS:

(1) Require the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to produce a report on wildlife trafficking, how terrorist organizations are involved, and its impact on US national security.

(2) Require the DNI to report to Congress how terrorists are using social media, assess the intelligence value of social media posts by terrorists, and evaluate the impact that terrorist use of social media has on our national security.

(3) Require the DNI, in coordination with the relevant agencies, to produce a comprehensive strategy to defeat ISIL, al Qaeda, and affiliated groups.

"On June 8th, President Obama announced that "we don't yet have a complete strategy" to combat ISIS. The group now controls more territory than any other terrorist group since WWII. A strategy from this Administration is long overdue. This strategy should go after ISIS on all battlefields and through all means. We must go after them financially by stopping the money flow. And we should counter their efforts to use American social media companies to advance their cause.

Osama bin Laden and his band of extremists carried out the most deadly attack on U.S. soil since Pearl Harbor with just half a million dollars. Since 2001, terrorist groups worldwide have grown into sophisticated, well-armed and well-financed criminal enterprises. If we want to fight terrorists, we must follow the money trail. One source of funding often overlooked is wildlife trafficking. Terrorists have tapped into this multi-billion dollar industry and it is time that the Administration to start taking this connection seriously.

Terrorists also fundraise and recruit through social media which has played a key role as tens of thousands of foreign fighters have flocked to fight for ISIS in Iraq and Syria. America fights back by cutting off terrorist bank accounts; it's time we cut off their Twitter accounts too."

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