Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4227, the Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2018.

Mr. Speaker, terror groups have urged their supporters to carry out acts of violence by any means necessary, including by ramming a vehicle into a crowd. In fact, both ISIS and al-Qaida have published propaganda encouraging such vehicle-based terrorist attacks.

Sadly, over the past few years, vehicle-based terrorist attacks have been carried out at home and abroad, taking the lives and injuring too many innocent people. One of the most shocking attacks was carried out on July 14, 2016, when a truck plowed into a crowd celebrating France's Independence Day, which resulted in the deaths of 86 people and injured nearly 500.

More recently, in October of 2017, a driver took the lives of eight people when he purposely careened his truck into a path in Lower Manhattan that was full of pedestrians and cyclists.

This tactic has not confined itself to one ideological group. On August 12, 2017, a self-professed neo-Nazi drove his car into a crowd of counterprotestors demonstrating the march held by alt-right activists in Charlottesville, Virginia. The attack killed Heather D. Heyer and injured 35 others.

Just this month, a former Marine Corps reservist rammed his pickup truck into a convenience store in Watson, Louisiana. Later, we learned that he mistakenly believed the store was owned by Muslims.

To address this emerging threat, H.R. 4227 would require the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress on support provided to emergency responders and private sector partners to counter the threat of vehicle-based attacks.

Mr. Speaker, I support this timely legislation and believe that enactment would improve DHS' efforts to prevent and reduce impacts of such attacks.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the emergence of lone wolves who choose to ram vehicles into innocent people to advance their violent ideologies is a modern- day homeland security challenge. As threats to our homeland continue to evolve and as violent extremists continue to exploit soft targets, the risk to innocent bystanders grows. We must do our part to ensure that first responders in our cities, towns, and all places of living throughout the country have access to the necessary resources to keep themselves safe and secure. This legislation seeks to ensure that DHS does all it can to support such efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I would also note that this bill complements H.R. 5131, which is also being considered today and which directs DHS to disseminate best practices to stakeholders regarding ways to enhance transportation security against the threat of vehicle-based attacks.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 4227, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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