Vehicular Terrorism: Should Homeland Security Tell Congress How it’s Mitigating the Threat? (S. 2077)

What is S. 2077?

(Updated November 15, 2018)

This bill would require the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) to examine actions it’s undertaking to combat the threat of vehicular terrorism. Within six months DHS would have to provide the homeland security committees in Congress detailing: the current threat level for vehicular terrorism; actions DHS is taking to guard against vehicular terrorism; ways to mitigate the threat; the extent to which DHS is doing outreach or training with private sector partners to respond to vehicular terror threats; and ways Congress can held DHS mitigate the threat.

Argument in favor

Vehicular terrorism poses a serious threat, and Congress should work with the Dept. of Homeland Security to reinforce and expand upon actions being taken to mitigate the threat. This bill ensures that happens.

Argument opposed

While it’s helpful for the Dept. of Homeland Security to report on what it’s doing and what more can be done to prevent vehicular terrorism, this bill won’t directly lead to any actions being taken.

Impact

The Dept. of Homeland Security; and Congress.

Cost of S. 2077

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced this bill to ensure DHS and Congress are doing all they can to mitigate the threat of vehicular terrorism:

“With radical Islamic terrorists and other extremists seeking new ways to harm Americans, it’s important the Department of Homeland Security does a thorough job combating threats. This bill will help give Congress the information it needs to guard against terrorist attacks involving , and help law enforcement keep Americans safe.”

Of Note: In recent years there have been several high profile domestic incidents of vehicular terrorism, including by radical Islamic terrorists at Ohio State University in 2016 (13 injured), in New York City on October 31, 2017 (eight dead, 11 injured), and by a white nationalist in Charlottesville, Virginia (one dead, 19 injured). Additionally there have been numerous vehicular terrorist attacks carried out in Europe, including in London, Paris, and Barcelona.

Media:

• Sponsoring Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) Press Release
  
• Ripon Advance