Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank my colleague, Congressman Ted Poe from Texas for his work on H.R. 3654, Combatting Terrorists' Use of Social…”

“I thank my colleague, Congressman Ted Poe from Texas for his work on H.R. 3654, Combatting Terrorists' Use of Social Media Act of 2015. The proliferation of terrorism is an existential threat to our homeland greater than ever before because of the viral spread of extremism on the world-wide web. The challenge before us is balancing civil liberties such as freedom of speech with our national security interests. Various social media platforms are being utilized by Daesh leaders and their affiliates across the globe to reach, engage and radicalize-- instantly and for free. One only needs to view the gruesome propaganda videos put online by Daesh with evocative music, clearly edited to inspire violence with imagery that conjures an ``us vs. them'' emotion. The world-wide web was intended as a platform to share productive and creative knowledge and ideas. The sensory impact of the violent propaganda video is so powerful that a powerful counter-narrative is imperative. Through its online campaign, Daesh instantly gains access to vulnerable and impressionable minds, whether teenagers going through teenage angst or unemployed educated women and men who have limited economic prospects and feel disenfranchised from society. So what we have is a melange of Daesh recruits, copycats and wannabes all inspired vis a vis the worldwide web, ready to carry on and die for an ideology they don't fully grasp its gravity on them and their future.…”