Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. LUTTRELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Guest for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to advocate for the passage of H.R. 1327, the Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act.

When the Assad regime was toppled in Syria late last year, the threat of terrorism did not disappear. It just actually shifted, adapted, and found new ways to survive.

For decades, the Assad regime gave terrorist groups a place to train, organize, and plan attacks. You don't just swipe away the leadership and make the terrorism go away. Those threats don't disappear overnight, and we would be foolish to think otherwise.

Although Syria's Government is in transition and terrorist designations against its new leadership have been lifted, we must not be naive to other terrorist threats that may still originate in the region.

This bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a threat assessment posed to the U.S. by individuals in Syria associated with foreign terrorist organizations.

As this body and this administration determine how best to engage with Syria in a post-Assad era, this threat assessment ensures that we have the information we need to make these decisions with eyes wide open. By doing so, we can better examine and mitigate emerging threats from the region.

Our mission is clear. We must protect American lives and prevent future attacks on the homeland by strengthening our counterterrorism efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Correa for his support, and I urge my colleagues to support this sensible legislation.

Mr. GOLDMAN of New York.

Mr. Speaker, we have a duty to be vigilant about potential terrorist threats to the homeland. This bill ensures that the Department of Homeland Security will do just that.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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