Lee Zeldin: “I thank the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee as well as his great staff for all of their incredible…”

“I thank the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee as well as his great staff for all of their incredible assistance in making sure that this legislation not only came to the House floor for a vote, but came to the House floor for a vote swiftly and, fortunately, with very strong bipartisan support. So I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, especially to Chairman Royce and to Chairman McCaul as well of the House Homeland Security Committee, for all of their efforts. I rise today in support of my bill, the Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016. This legislation is about protecting America's security at home and abroad. Foreign fighter movement is a very serious challenge that has resulted in the well-recognized need for improved border security around the world and better information sharing between governments. The horrific terror attacks in Paris that killed over 100 people showed us just how easy it is for terrorists to move undetected across borders. This attack was largely carried out by European nationals, many of whom traveled to train and fight in Syria and then later returned to Europe through Greece and Turkey. Although local authorities already knew some of the attackers, they were still able to move across borders without detection and, in some cases, using fraudulent passports. It is essential that the United States work with the international community to monitor and stop the movement of terrorists abroad.…”