Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4402 the ``Foreign Fighter Review Act of 2016,'' which requires the president, acting through the Homeland Security Secretary, to initiate a review of known instances since 2011 in which a person has traveled or attempted to travel from the United States to a conflict zone in Iraq or Syria to join or provide material support or resources to a terrorist organization. As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, I take seriously threats to the security of the homeland and our responsibility to put in place adequate measures to defeat them. That is why in the first session of this Congress I introduced H.R. 48 ``No Fly for Foreign Fighters Act,'' which reviews the completeness of the Terrorist Screening Database and the terrorist watch list utilized by the Transportation Security Administration. I support H.R. 4402 because it would evaluate any flaws in existing programs or procedures that aim to prevent such travel and identify ways to improve their effectiveness. Since 2011, more than 30,000 foreign fighters from over 100 different countries have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight for ISIL. In the last 18 months, the number of foreign fighters traveling to Syria and Iraq has more than doubled. In the first six months of 2015, more than 7,000 foreign fighters have arrived in Syria and Iraq.…”