On the recordJune 16, 2015
Mr. Chairman, I offer this bipartisan amendment with the support of Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul and Representatives Katko and Loudermilk to help Congress identify ways to improve intelligence sharing on the flow of foreign fighters around the world--with particular attention to their travel to and from Iraq and Syria. Already, this legislation that we are considering today makes substantial strides in ensuring that intelligence surrounding the flow of foreign fighters is shared with Congress. These continuous reports will shed light on the total number of attempted and successful fighters since the beginning of 2011. My amendment would require the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress on the intelligence community's progress in forging information-sharing agreements with foreign partners and help Congress identify the challenges impeding coordinated intelligence efforts. Over 20,000 foreign fighters have traveled to join rebel and terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria, including ISIS and al Qaeda affiliates like al-Nusrah. Their movements are proving increasingly difficult to track in our globalized world, particularly given the uneven or nonexistent tracking efforts from some of our foreign partners.…





