The Challenge of our Times: Keeping Americans Safe

Appropriations Committee Approves Funding for New Jersey Water Supply

Salute to the Madison Rotary

The Challenge of our Times: Keeping Americans Safe

Over last weekend, we saw the worst terror attack on our soil since 9/11. Of course, we continue to pray for the victims and their loved ones. At the same time we need to be clear about who did this: this was another act of war against America by those who claim allegiance to radical Islam. 

Because we must stop people who want to do us harm from coming here, we must give our military and intelligence community the tools and the resources that they need to meet current and future threats.

As Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Committee, I brought the Fiscal Year 2017 funding bill (H.R. 5293) for the Department of Defense and 17 intelligence agencies to the floor of the House this week. 

You can access the official Congressional Record and read my opening statement here:

For a bill summary, please visit: http://appropriations.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=394520

For the text of the bill, please visit: https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr5293/BILLS-114hr5293rh.pdf

For the bill report, please visit: https://www.congress.gov/114/crpt/hrpt577/CRPT-114hrpt577.pdf

Over the past several years, our military and intelligence community has largely focused on the dangers posed by Islamic terrorist organizations – al Qaeda, the barbaric ISIS, Al Nusra and others.   They remain a clear and present danger.

But in recent years, new threats have emerged:

• A more aggressive and more capable Russia;
• An expansionist China;
• Emboldened states like Iran;
• Rogue nations like North Korea;

At the same time, we were dealing with fiscal constraints imposed by sequestration and budget caps which have degraded our Armed Forces.  

• our readiness levels are alarmingly low for our soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen;
• our decisive technological edge over our adversaries is eroding;
• our adversaries’ resolve and their capability are only growing.

The bill debated by the House this week started to reverse these trends by providing more money for national security:

• more funding for more troops;
• more training;
• more modern equipment;
• expanded cyber security;
• more intelligence-gathering capability;
• bigger paychecks for our servicemen and women and
• better healthcare outcomes for our troops and their families. 

The House of Representatives strongly endorsed this approach when it approved my bill yesterday afternoon by a bipartisan vote of 282-138.

Beyond the Defense Appropriations bill, House Republicans last week unveiled a plan to keep Americans safe. This proposal includes more than 67 detailed policy recommendations, including several specifically focused on defeating radical Islamic terrorism: homegrown or from abroad.

The plan discusses the importance of countering extremist ideology by amplifying strong countervailing views from former radicals and the need to push back against the surge of “online” radicalization. The plan also calls on the president to present a clear strategy to defeat ISIS.

Since ISIS launched its offensive in Iraq and Syria in January 2014, we have urged President Obama to address the threat that ISIS and other Islamist terrorists pose to Americans at home and abroad and jettison the political correctness that characterizes his speeches and statements.

In addition, yesterday afternoon, the House moved quickly on legislation that will better protect our communities and the homeland.  H.R. 5471,Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act, introduced by House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), responds to the heightened threat environment.

This legislation includes measures to enhance security and prevent radical Islamist extremism from luring more Americans, especially young people, down the path of radicalization and terrorism here at home.

The legislation is comprised of three previously House-passed national security bills. Each was sent to the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan majorities, or unanimously. By bundling the bills, the House hopes to move the bills through the legislative process more swiftly and to the President’s desk without delay.

The Countering Terrorist Radicalization Act includes three House-passed bills rolled into one:

H.R. 4401– Amplifying Local Efforts to Root out Terror (ALERT) Act (Rep. Loudermilk): The ALERT Act “scales-up” U.S. government efforts to counter radicalization and terrorist recruitment nationwide by allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to better use existing fusion centers to reach out to communities. There are nearly 80 fusion centers nationwide that bring together law enforcement agencies, intelligence representatives, first responders, and other state and local organizations, and these nodes can be an important point of outreach to help communities with spotting signs of radicalization and disrupting potential attacks.

H.R. 4820– Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act (Rep. Fleischmann): The bill requires DHS to do more to counter-message terrorist organization like ISIS that are using social media propaganda to recruit and radicalize potential operatives within our own communities. It requires DHS to use the testimonials of former extremists to fight back against terrorist recruitment. The narratives of former extremists and defectors can help prevent other individuals from being lured down the path to violence and terrorism.

H.R. 4407– Counterterrorism Advisory Board Act (Rep. Katko): The bill firmly establishes the Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB) into law and ensures DHS is effectively integrating intelligence, operations, and policy to fight terrorism. The CTAB is the central counterterrorism decision making body at DHS and sets the procedures for issuing terrorism alerts. The legislation ensures that the CTAB keeps pace with today’s evolving threats, outlines its core duties, requires the Secretary to appoint a DHS-wide Coordinator for Counterterrorism to oversee the board, and puts the CTAB on a strong footing for the future.

In addition, the House passed a number of other bills aimed at strengthening our counterterrorism tools to help prevent homegrown and overseas terrorism:

• HR 4239 – Tracking Foreign Fighters in Terrorist Safe Havens Act (December 2015, passed 423-0)
• HR 4408 – National Strategy to Combat Terrorist Travel Act (February 2016, passed 392-0)
• HR 4402 – Foreign Fighter Review Act (February 2016, passed 397-0)
• HR 4314 – Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act (March 2016, passed 371-2)
• HR 4403 – Enhancing Overseas Traveler Vetting Act (April 2016)
• HR 4240 – No Fly for Foreign Fighters Act (April 2016)

These are some of the steps the House is taking to protect our homeland. 

Let no one doubt that we are a nation at war with Islamist terrorists. Theirs is a hateful ideology that respects no borders and which poses a threat to our people at home and abroad. Our security depends on our refusal to back down in the face of terror.

Appropriations Committee Approves Funding for New Jersey Water Supply

The House Appropriations Committee this week approved an additional $10 million for the federal Highland Conservation Act (HCA), legislation I introduced years ago to protect New Jersey’s critical water supplies. The Highlands is a critical watershed region which provides drinking water for millions.  It must be protected. While we have been successful in protecting thousands of acres over the last decade, there is still work to be done.  The funding contained in the FY 2017 Interior Appropriations bill will advance that work.

Most recently, the FY16 Omnibus Appropriations bill provided $10 million for the HCA.  To date, over $27 million has been appropriated for the HCA, which has protected over 5,500 acres in the 4-state Highlands Region.   

Since 2004, the HCA authorized $10 million per year for land conservation partnership projects and open space purchases from willing sellers.  Additionally, the law authorized one million dollars annually for the Forest Service to provide continued technical assistance and research in the four-state Highlands region: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut. 

Salute to the Madison Rotary for upholding its motto of "Service Above Self," by presenting grants to 53 local charitable organizations -- representing the arts, education, social services, youth programs and athletics -- at its recent Charitable Grants Award Luncheon.  The Rotary is distributing more than $80,000 in direct support to the local community, including college scholarships, youth exchange programs, dictionaries for Madison third graders, and the "End Hunger 3.6 Project."  Madison Rotarians also contribute thousands of hours of volunteer time to make our community and the world a better place!