The House of Representatives approved legislation on Monday that was introduced by U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) to streamline and coordinate counterterrorism activities within the Department of Homeland Security.
Under H.R. 4407, a Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB) would be established to advise the secretary of homeland security on the issuance of terrorism alerts.
The CTAB was one of the key recommendations of the Department of Homeland Security’s bipartisan Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel.
“Combating global terrorism and foreign fighter travel requires a smart, coordinated, and collaborative effort — and (on Monday), the House passed my eleventh bipartisan bill to bolster our counterterrorism efforts and ensure that the Department of Homeland Security is acting efficiently and using every tool it has available to respond to terrorist threats and keep our country safe,” Katko said.
The bill would require DHS to report to Congress on the status and activities of the CTAB to ensure continued oversight.
“Our enemies continue to target security gaps to threaten America and our allies — yet our counterterrorism defenses have not kept pace with the evolving threat,” U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said. “We need to be as nimble as the terrorists we are facing, and we must deny them any opportunity to strike. Rep. John Katko’s bill helps to put efforts like the DHS Counterterrorism Advisory Board on a stronger footing and will help ensure our efforts to protect the homeland and the American people are efficient and effective.”