Ed Royce: “Again, it was revealed yesterday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security actually prohibited immigration officials…”

“Again, it was revealed yesterday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security actually prohibited immigration officials from reviewing the social media postings of all foreign citizens applying for U.S. visas and only sporadically began looking at posts from some visa applicants. The failure to incorporate a review of social media posts into the visa approval process is absurd. Ignoring the online statements of those terrorists trying to enter the United States puts our country at risk. This must be fixed. Destroying ISIS will require determined leadership. It is going to require Presidential leadership. And the President must use his authority as Commander in Chief to lead this fight to destroy ISIS--not to contain it--to destroy ISIS and other extremist groups. So it has been said that a virtual caliphate awash in hate and propaganda exists online. Yet U.S. Government efforts in this area are failing. A strategy to combat terrorist use of social media is one of many measures the administration must develop so we can win the fight. Promised in 2011, this strategy is overdue. With this bill, Congress is demanding that the administration deliver its strategy so that the Federal agencies can effectively prevent terrorists from using social media to spread hate, fear, and violence.…”