Rep. Joe Walsh, an incumbent Republican congressmen running for reelection in Illinois, issued a statement Saturday vowing to "pursue and expose" the radical Islamic threat, following the arrest of a terror suspect from Hillside, Illinois.
Prosecutors announced Saturday that the terror suspect had been arrested on the previous night, in Chicago. The suspected left Villa Park with an undercover agent and fake explosives and attempted to detonate a bomb outside a bar in downtown Chicago. A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office stated the suspect “expressed an interest in engaging in violent jihad, in either the United States or overseas.”
Congressman Walsh reacted in a statement, “Fortunately, due to the great work of the FBI and law enforcement, a threat against Illinoisans and America was thwarted. We owe our law enforcement officers a debt of gratitude for their efforts and vigilance. As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I have spoken about this threat, and this event is an alarming reminder on the threat of homegrown terror...”
“This is not a political issue,” Walsh continued. “The issue of homegrown terror is an issue that Attorney General Eric Holder says keeps him up at night…"
Walsh concluded, “.... As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I vow to pursue and expose this radical strain of Islam. This issue is far too vital to our country to allow political correctness to prevent us from addressing this threat.”
Walsh is now running against Tammy Duckworth, who can be seen in this video appearing in a Muslim hijab at an Islamic cultural center. According to Attorney Mark Langfan, Walsh is "one of the three most pro-Israel congressmen currently serving."