Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Terror groups, including ISIS and al-Qaida, have urged supporters to carry out attacks in their home countries using any means necessary, including vehicle ramming. Terrorists and inspired homegrown extremists have heeded this directive and have carried out vehicle-based attacks in the past several years, including in France, England, Spain, Ohio, and, most recently, New York City.

The majority of prevention, mitigation, and response activities related to vehicle attacks are carried out by first responders and the private sector. DHS has existing resources and programs that can be better utilized to prepare frontline personnel in local communities to address this threat. This includes guidance related to the use of existing grant programs, increased information sharing, promoting suspicious activity reporting, increasing available exercises and training programs, dedicated research and development targeting mitigation measures, and utilizing critical infrastructure protection programs for vehicle ramming prevention.

H.R. 4227, the Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act, requires the Secretary to develop a plan on how to improve and increase those capabilities. This bill passed by voice vote in the Committee on Homeland Security in early March.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Latta for his work on this important measure, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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