U.S. House Democrats pulled a domestic terrorism bill that was to be voted on later this week after far left Squad members and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) voiced opposition.
According to Punchbowlnews, it is unclear if and when the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act (DTPA) will be brought back. Before that can happen, the Department of Justice has to examine potential changes to the legislation.
The move by House Democrats came after opposition from Squad member Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) and CAIR.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said in a statement that it was concerned about the postponement of the bill, urging Democrats to promptly pass the legislation.
“Domestic terrorism is a top security threat, according to the intelligence community, law enforcement, and independent organizations like ADL. Because of this, we strongly reiterate our calls to promptly pass the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act. This legislation marks a significant step in securing our communities from the threat of domestic terrorism and also creates important oversight mechanisms,” the ADL said.
They noted that in April 2019, the Department of Homeland Security closed its office to analyze domestic terrorism threats.
“The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act would remedy these mistakes by codifying into law offices to address the threat from domestic extremists,” they explained. “The bill would not add new surveillance authorities, but would ensure that the government appropriately prioritizes and combats the threat within existing authorities, cementing the federal government's stance that domestic terrorism is a serious issue and one that will withstand politics. The bill would also create critical oversight functions, like ensuring transparent reporting from the federal government on the threat and instituting training on domestic terrorism threats and also anti-bias training.”
Praising the support of Representatives Schneider and Fitzpatrick, along with Senator Durbin in the Senate, for their work to advance the bill, which the ADL termed “critical legislation,” they said: “The DTPA now has more than 200 cosponsors and enjoys not only bipartisan support in Congress but also broad support among the public.”