Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016
Floor Speech
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Mr. ZELDIN. Mr. Speaker, 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.
Additionally, this legislation helps us counter the spread of infectious diseases like Zika. With the recent outbreak of the mosquito-borne Zika virus which has spread at rapid rates across South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and the number of Zika cases among travelers visiting or returning to the United States, we must take action now.
As evidenced with the Ebola outbreak in 2013, which decimated populations across Western Africa, if the proper effort is not implemented proactively, the consequences can be truly devastating.
The Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act recently passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously with bipartisan support.
This bill would establish international border security standards to close security gaps that currently exist that allow terrorists and foreign fighters to travel internationally.
These standards would be developed in coordination with all relevant U.S. Government departments and agencies in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, Director of National Intelligence, and Director of the FBI.
Our resources would be utilized in the most efficient way possible, with a special focus on high-risk and medium-risk countries to boost security.
A reporting system would also be established to monitor efforts of foreign governments to combat terrorism and foreign fighter travel and to suspend foreign assistance to countries not making significant efforts to comply.
Furthermore, the bill would put in place a monitoring system that would screen for infectious diseases to contain and prevent any potential outbreaks, which will help quarantine viruses by authorizing the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide the necessary equipment and supplies to mitigate the risk or threat of infectious diseases such as Zika, a disease that has caused widespread alarm as it has continued to spread across the global community.
I also thank Congressman John Katko for his assistance as well.
The Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016 is a bipartisan measure long overdue to not only protect our homeland from terrorism, but also ensure the U.S. is always prepared to combat the spread of any infectious diseases.
I strongly encourage my colleagues in Congress to join me in this important effort to address a serious national security threat and vote today to pass the Counterterrorism Screening and Assistance Act of 2016 to keep America safe.
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