Oversight Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on the Biden Administration’s Counterterrorism Strategy
Chairman Raskin to Hold Sixth Hearing in Subcommittee Series on Confronting Violent White Supremacy
Washington D.C. (September 27, 2021)—On Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. ET, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, will hold a hybrid hearing to examine the Biden Administration's whole-of-government strategy to combat domestic terrorism and how the Administration will seek to balance civil rights and civil liberties with the people's need to address the rise of violent white supremacists and other forms of violent extremism threatening democratic government.
On June 15, 2021, the Biden Administration released a whole-of-government counter-extremism strategy, which is the first time a federal counterterrorism strategy has focused explicitly on the increasing dangers of domestic terrorism. The strategy builds on a March 2021 assessment by the Director of National Intelligence that identified violent white supremacist and anti-government militia extremists as the "most lethal" domestic threats facing the country. For years, the Subcommittee has called for a more robust federal response to violent white supremacy and other forms of domestic extremism.
The sweeping objectives outlined in this strategy—from increased state-federal coordination on extremism to reduction of potential insider threats—will require enormous implementation efforts and oversight. In addition, civil liberties advocates have raised concerns that the strategy does not clearly establish safeguards to curtail federal government's use of counterterrorism powers to infringe on the privacy of Americans. Prior counterextremism initiatives, such as the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) program, have come under fire for their tendency to target and surveil minority populations.
This hearing will focus on the Administration's plan to balance these new investigative and enforcement priorities with safeguards that will protect the civil liberties of all Americans.
| WHAT:
| Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties hearing entitled, "Confronting Violent White Supremacy (Part VI): Examining the Biden Administration's Counterterrorism Strategy"
|
| WHEN: | Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. ET
|
| WHO:
| John Cohen Department of Homeland Security
Brad Wiegmann Department of Justice
Timothy Langan Federal Bureau of Investigation
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| WATCH: | A livestream will be available on YouTube and the Committee on Oversight and Reform website. |
MEDIA
Per the Office of the Attending Physician's guidelines, and in consultation with the Architect of the Capitol, the Chief Administrative Officer, the Sergeant at Arms, and the Committee on House Administration, the hearing room has been reconfigured to provide for social distancing. In light of current guidance from CDC and OAP, media must comply with the Committee's COVID guidelines, including by continuing to wear masks at all times, regardless of vaccination status.
Seating in the hearing room is extremely limited and as a result, credentialed media must RSVP to their respective Press Gallery no later than 5 p.m. ET September 28, 2021.
For more information, please contact the Gallery:
House Radio/TV Gallery: Ryan.Dahl@mail.house.gov 202-225-5214
House Periodical Gallery: periodical.press@mail.house.gov 202-225-2941
House Daily Press Gallery: dailypressgallery@mail.house.gov 202-225-3945
Photographer Gallery: Press_Photo@saa.senate.gov 202-224-6548
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