“Terrorists at home and overseas are bringing the battle into our homes through the internet. We cannot afford to complacently watch the threats mushroom. It is time for action, and to treat this issue like the priority that it is… These terrorists prey on potential recruits online, and after they spend hours on the internet, reading and chatting in dark spaces with terrorists, it is too late. We have to work on the front end to prevent the radicalization from happening in the first place.”

This bill was passed unanimously by the House Homeland Security Committee via voice vote, but it is not without its detractors. It has been criticized as not doing enough to engage with groups that may be vulnerable to anti-American propaganda in ways that demonstrate a commitment to the principles of freedom of religion and equality. Some of this legislation’s supporters have pointed out that to be a success, this program must not single out particular groups for additional scrutiny, and needs to counteract violent extremism of all sorts.

Of Note: A report compiled by the House Homeland Security Committee cited failures by the U.S. intelligence community to recognize the threat of Al Qaeda’s operations in America prior to the 1993 and 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. There have been several notable attacks carried out by radicalized Americans in the post-9/11 era, including 2009 shootings at a military recruiting office in Little Rock and at Fort Hood, in addition to the Boston Marathon bombing, among other incidents.

Media:

• House Homeland Security Committee Press Release
• CBO Cost Estimate
• Security Debrief
• Washington Times
• Brennan Center (Opposed)
• The Hill (Opposed)
• Reason (Opposed)