Tulsi Gabbard: Domestic-Terrorism Bill Is ‘Targeting Almost Half of the Country’

The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021 was introduced in the House last week. The text for the legislation is not available at this time. HR350 authorizes dedicated domestic-terrorism offices within the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the FBI to “analyze and monitor domestic terrorist activity and require the federal government to take steps to prevent domestic terrorism.” Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic representative from Hawaii, voices her concern over the idea that domestic terrorists are religious extremists, racists, bigots, and Libertarians. She says this could include Christians, all white people, males, libertarians, people who have an American flag outside their house, or anyone who ever attended a Trump rally. She said it targets almost half the country. -GEG

Excerpt from Patch:

The legislation is nearly identical to the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2020, which was endorsed by a broad coalition, including the Anti-Defamation League, Arab American Institute, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, Human Rights Campaign, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Muslim Advocates, NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., Sikh Coalition, Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund, and Unidos.

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Current Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021.

Click here for full text of prior Senate Bill 894 Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2019/2020, that is nearly identical to the current bill.

Summary:

Introduced in Senate (03/27/2019)

Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2019

This bill authorizes domestic terrorism offices in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and requires specified steps to prevent and report on domestic terrorism.

The bill also authorizes a Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee, which shall coordinate with key public safety officials to promote information sharing and ensure an effective joint effort to combat domestic terrorism.

The joint terrorism task forces of the FBI and state, local, and regional fusion centers shall each, in coordination with the committee and such offices (1) share intelligence to address domestic terrorism activities; (2) conduct an annual, intelligence-based assessment of domestic terrorism activities in their jurisdictions; and (3) formulate and execute a plan to address and combat such activities.

DOJ, the FBI, DHS, and the Department of Defense shall establish an interagency task force to combat white supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of the uniformed services.