Washington, D.C. (Sept.20, 2019)- Today, Chairmen Jamie Raskin and Stephen F. Lynch held a joint Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and Subcommittee on National Security hearing entitled, “Confronting Violent White Supremacy (Part III): The Transnational Terrorist Threat."
TAKEAWAYS
* Dr. Geltzer and Ms. Mulligan both called for U.S. national security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies to apply existing counterterrorism authorities and resources to address the threat of transnational white supremacist violence. For example, Dr. Geltzer suggested clarifying the mandate of the National Counterterrorism Center to ensure it is empowered to fuse and analyze information related to both domestic and white supremacist threats, and to share that intelligence with foreign partners and allies. Ms. Mulligan further recommended that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence make white supremacist violence a priority in the National Intelligence Priorities Framework.
* Both witnesses emphasized the importance of ensuring that counterterrorism resources are not misused in violation of Americans’ civil rights and civil liberties, especially those from vulnerable populations and minority communities.
* Dr. Geltzer testified how foreign nations, such as Russia, aim to fuel white supremacist extremism by recruiting foreign terrorist fighters to join the conflict in Ukraine, and through online misinformation campaigns that inflame anti-immigrant and nationalistic sentiments.
* Echoing testimony from previous Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee hearings, Dr. Belew testified that federal law enforcement agencies inadequately and inconsistently collect data on hate-motivated crimes in the U.S. Nonetheless, she confirmed that the data is clear that violent white supremacy is a growing transnational threat.
WITNESSES
Dr. Joshua Geltzer
Director
Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection
Georgetown Law
Dr. Kathleen Belew
Assistant Professor of U.S. History and the College
The University of Chicago
Katrina Mulligan
Managing Director for National Security and International Policy
Center for American Progress
Ms. Candace Owens (minority witness)
Founder, Blexit, Host, Candace Owens Show
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