{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr4314-114/featured_counterterrorism-screening-and-assistance-act-of-2016-1457632254.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr4314-114/featured_large_counterterrorism-screening-and-assistance-act-of-2016-1457632254.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr4314-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2016-01-05","title_override":"Should the U.S. Help Foreign Governments Secure Their Borders Against Terrorists?","summary_override":"

This bill expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. federal agencies should coordinate their assistance to foreign governments for counterterrorism screening. It adds that assistance should be prioritized for countries at the highest-risk for travel by terrorists and foreign fighters.

The Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Dept. would be directed to accelerate their plans to provide versions of the following systems to foreign governments:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Automated Targeting System;
State Dept. Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System.

DHS may offer (with exceptions) surplus nonlethal equipment, supplies, and related training to foreign governments if doing so would:

Further U.S. homeland security interests;
Enhance the foreign government’s capacity to mitigate the threat of terrorism, infectious disease or natural disaster, protect lawful trade and travel, or enforce intellectual property rights.

Before offering any systems, equipment, or supplies to a foreign government, DHS would have to notify Congress. DHS would also report to Congress annually through 2021 regarding foreign government efforts to combat terrorist and foreign fighter travel.

","official_title":"To require a plan to combat international travel by terrorists and foreign fighters, accelerate the transfer of certain border security systems to foreign partner governments, establish minimum international border security standards, authorize the suspension of foreign assistance to countries not making significant efforts to comply with such minimum standards, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the U.S. government must ensure that capacity-building assistance to combat terrorist travel is coordinated among departments and agencies as well as with foreign implementing partners, and (2) such assistance should be prioritized for the highest-risk countries for travel by terrorists and foreign fighters.\n\nThe Department of State shall submit to Congress biennially a foreign partner engagement plan that catalogues existing capacity-building initiatives abroad to combat travel by terrorists and foreign fighters and identifies areas for adjustment to align efforts with risk-based priorities.\n\n The plan shall be developed in coordination with all relevant U.S. government departments and agencies.\n\n The plan shall:\n\n include a risk assessment of each country that includes identification of the number of U.S.-bound flights that originate from last points of departure in the ...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Federal agencies and departments that offer counterterrorism and border security assistance to foreign governments, people in the U.S., Congress, and the DHS.","argument_for":"Countries that are vulnerable to being used as transit points or havens for terrorists and foreign fighters need to shore up their border security. 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","page_title":"US Federal legislation related to Foreign Aid, International Trade and Relations and Human Rights - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/black_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/grey_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/international-trade-and-affairs/white_international-trade-and-affairs-1429042060.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Aspros","vote_count":140,"photos":{"large":"https://graph.facebook.com/10102788670259428/picture?width=150&height=150","small":"https://graph.facebook.com/10102788670259428/picture?width=75&height=75","tiny":"https://graph.facebook.com/10102788670259428/picture?width=20&height=20","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/10102788670259428/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/Lm4JvrEW/following","followers":"/api/users/Lm4JvrEW/followers"},"about_me":"Puerto Greekan Floridian passionate about policy & the United States","twitter_id":"@BDTallyho","facebook_id":"","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":"http://www.AnhaicaToday.com","slug":"aspros","issue_count":62,"is_following":null,"influence_score":1435,"influence_level":30,"follower_count":1,"following_count":12,"position_count":120,"id":"Lm4JvrEW","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"21350a93-0a52-4f94-bea8-71ba02375d4a","argument_for":null,"argument_against":"As in World War II, wait until we are attacked. We don't need to intervene if they feel no need to help us in this fight as well. Squatters should not be rewarded with our armed forces. Money & aid could be better spent elsewhere in the defense budget.","show_argument_for":false,"show_argument_against":true,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":null,"upvotes_against_count":0,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/21350a93-0a52-4f94-bea8-71ba02375d4a"},"body":"As in World War II, wait until we are attacked. We don't need to intervene if they feel no need to help us in this fight as well. Squatters should not be rewarded with our armed forces. Money & aid could be better spent elsewhere in the defense budget.","stance":"nay","created_at":"2016-05-20T21:25:36.425Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/21350a93-0a52-4f94-bea8-71ba02375d4a.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr4314-114","user_id":"Lm4JvrEW","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Should the U.S. Help Foreign Governments Secure Their Borders Against Terrorists?