Bill Keating: “The recent events involving the plan of radicalized individuals in Massachusetts to target law enforcement…”

“The recent events involving the plan of radicalized individuals in Massachusetts to target law enforcement officials--police, in particular--underscore the truth that protecting America will require the efforts of local, State, and Federal law enforcement. Since the Boston Marathon bombings, the FBI has made great efforts to improve their information-sharing efforts with the Joint Terrorism Task Force and other Federal agencies. With my work and the work of my colleagues on the congressional investigation of the Boston Marathon bombings through the Homeland Security Committee, I can attest to the seriousness in which the Federal Bureau of Investigation has set out to improve their information-sharing practices. However, the FBI's efforts to institutionalize sharing across law enforcement and intelligence are still a work in progress. The current version of this bill eliminates the requirement for the FBI to report to Congress on their progress to implement information- sharing principles. This is a reporting requirement that has kept Congress aware of the FBI's information-sharing practices since 2004, and it has been vital to understand what works and what can be improved. This amendment will reinstate that requirement, with the recognition that the FBI has more work to do on information sharing to better protect the American public.…”