Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 1302, the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act of 2017. Every day, communities across this country are confronted by evolving threats. Since the beginning of the year, we have seen a number of bomb threats against Jewish Community Centers. A year and a half ago, a 21- year-old White gunman hoping to start a race war opened fire at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, killing nine of its parishioners. The year 2015 went on record as the year with most threats, reports of harassments, and vandalism against mosques in the United States. In light of the emboldened White nationalist, anti-Semitic, and antigovernment movements, as well as ongoing threats from abroad, we must ensure that our first responders are prepared to respond to the evolving threats to our great country. This bill will direct FEMA's national exercise program to design scenarios that include emerging terrorist threats. To be clear, the legislation does not require FEMA's national exercise program to focus exclusively on terrorist threats, but, rather, seeks to ensure that FEMA continues to develop exercises that are responsive to threats as they may emerge. The bill also requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out exercises related to terrorist threats domestically and abroad. H.R.…”