Keating Amendments to Monitor Foreign Fighters and Require FBI Accountability Pass House

Press Release

Today, Rep. Bill Keating submitted two amendments to the Intelligence Authorization Bill that passed the House. These amendments continue Rep. Keating's long-standing work to strengthen our homeland security by identifying and curtailing foreign fighters and requiring accountability from the FBI, respectively.

The first Keating Amendment improves intelligence sharing on the flow of foreign fighters around the world -- with particular attention to their travel to and from Iraq and Syria. It requires the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress on the Intelligence Community's progress in forging information sharing agreements with foreign partners, helping Congress to identify the challenges impeding coordinated intelligence efforts. Rep. Keating sought cosponsorship on this amendment from Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), with whom Keating often partners on issues of national security and in particular on the Boston Marathon investigation, as well as Representatives John Katko (R-NY) and Barry Loudermilk (R-GA).

"The Intelligence Authorization Act makes substantial strides in ensuring that intelligence surrounding the flow of foreign fighters are shared with Congress," said Rep. Keating. "However, blind spots still remain with respect to these fighters stemming from a lack of information sharing from our international partners. Any inability -- or unwillingness -- to effectively track foreign fighters through both secure and porous borders represents a major risk to the safety of the American people and has made the task of monitoring foreign fighters more challenging. Once radicalized, individuals return to their homelands from Iraq and Syria -- Europe in particular -- they can travel between international borders with relative ease, which makes tracking them a truly difficult feat. My amendment demands insight into our current intelligence sharing relationships and will give Congress the opportunity to highlight best practices while also revealing areas for improvement."

Speaking on the House floor of the Keating Amendment, Rep. McCaul stated: "I applaud Mr. Keating for his hard work on the amendment and for his strong participation in our delegation overseas where we learned quite a bit. It's not very often you can pass something you think can save American lives and I think this is one of them and I want to thank the gentleman again."

The second Keating Amendment preserves FBI accountability and continues to improve their information sharing with local law enforcement authorities. The Intelligence Authorization Act eliminated the statutory requirement for the FBI to report to Congress on their progress in implementing information-sharing principles. The Keating Amendment reinstates that requirement with the recognition that the FBI has more work to do on information sharing to better protect the America public.

"The recent events involving the plan of radicalized individuals in Massachusetts to target law enforcement officials underscore the fact that protecting America requires the joint efforts of local, state, and federal law enforcement," said Rep. Keating. "Since the Boston Marathon bombings, the FBI has gone to great lengths to improve their information-sharing efforts with the Joint Terrorism Task Forces and other federal agencies. However, the FBI's efforts to institutionalize sharing across law enforcement and intelligence are a work in progress. My amendment reinstates necessary reforms, including re-executing FBI's current Memorandas of Understanding with local partners. Without information on the progress the FBI is making on these reforms, Congress is hindered in taking the critical steps needed to protect the American public."

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