The U.S. House and Senate handled different versions of the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act last year, but none became law. Sen. Dick Durbin says it’s time to try again. The bill would require investigations of extremist threats coming from within the country’s borders. The agencies that investigate them would be required to periodically assess the threats and report to Congress.
While introducing the new bill on it is happening in the wake of Pres. Trump supporters’ attack on the U.S. Capitol building two weeks ago, Durbin says he’s against violence from the left, right, and center. Durbin also says he’s mindful of the abuses that happened when the House Committee on Un-American Activities investigated suspected Communists.
Cong. Brad Schneider of Illinois says the bill is to coordinate investigations and monitoring of any groups that could become violent. He says the biggest threats that are manifest lately are from white supremacist and far right groups, so of course they will be a focus.
Cong. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, a former FBI agent, says preliminary behind-the-scenes looks are given when someone makes an accusation. Overt investigations aren’t done until there’s something credible to go on.
There was a lot of grief during the Red Scare when someone could publicly accuse someone of being a Communist and the House committee would pressure people to name other suspected Communists. Durbin says America has, at times, gone too far in efforts to preserve the country. He says he’s not against anyone peacefully demonstrating but we also shouldn’t allow violence in the name of constitutional freedoms.