FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Committee Advances Legislation to Defend Homeland Against Terror Threats, CCP's Malign Influence
WASHINGTON—Today, the House Committee on Homeland Security advanced legislation to help defend the homeland against evolving terrorism threats, increase transparency while understanding the consequences of the Biden-Harris border crisis, bolster security at our ports of entry, and counter malign activity by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) released the following statement in response to the passage of these critical bills:
“I am proud of this Committee’s work to advance legislation that protects Americans from growing threats to our homeland and our way of life. For far too long, the CCP has tried to influence American higher education, target and harass dissidents on U.S. soil, and infiltrate our critical infrastructure and government networks. Today, this Committee stood up to China, advancing bills from Chairman Pfluger and Rep. Ogles to counter the real and growing threat they pose in our own backyard.
“We also will not forget the serious threats sparked by the Biden-Harris administration’s historic border crisis. That’s why Committee Republicans advanced bills from Reps. Greene and Higgins to demand transparency on the number of Special Interest Aliens encountered at our borders and enhance efforts to detect deadly drugs like fentanyl at our land ports of entry. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to swiftly pass these bills to increase transparency and give Custom and Border Protection (CBP) more enforcement tools.
“With the evolving threat of terrorism at our doorstep, the Committee took important measures to enhance DHS’ counterterrorism mission. From addressing the rising threat of vehicular terrorism in the wake of the New Year’s Day attack, to identifying threats posed by individuals in Syria with terror ties, members voted unanimously to advance legislation from Reps. Gimenez and Luttrell to enhance the safety and security of Americans.”
Read highlights from the markup below.
Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) delivered remarks on his bill, H.R. 881, the “DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes Act” and H.R. 2158, the “Countering Transnational Repression Act of 2025”:
“National security experts and law enforcement officials have continuously raised alarm bells about the CCP’s increasing subversive activities inside our country through organizations like Confucius Institutes and their affiliate groups…This legislation would prohibit DHS from funding American universities that host a Confucius Institute or maintain relationships with Chinese entities of concern…The DHS restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act would play a vital role in protecting our students, intellectual property, and our national security.”
“The Chinese Communist Party, the Iranian regime, and other maligned entities have reached into American soil to silence American citizens and residents who defend human rights and advocate for free speech. These unacceptable acts of hostility are a direct challenge to our sovereignty, the rule of law, and the U.S. government must respond to defend our homeland. That’s why I’m proud to lead H.R.2158, which would establish a dedicated transnational repression working group with DHS.”
Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee Chairman Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) delivered remarks on his bill, H.R. 1608, the “DHS Vehicular Terrorism Prevention and Mitigation Act”:
“On New Year’s Day, our nation was shaken by a horrific act of terror in New Orleans when an ISIS-inspired attacker took the lives of 14 innocent people and injured dozens more. The individual used a vehicle as a weapon, driving into a crowd on Bourbon Street before engaging in a shootout with law enforcement. This was a calculated and ideologically motivated assault, and it highlights a deeply troubling trend in the United States and abroad in which terrorists increasingly use vehicles to inflict mass harm. In response, I introduced H.R.1608, the DHS Vehicular Terrorism Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2025. This legislation directs the Department of Homeland Security to address the growing threat posed by vehicle-based attacks.”
Representative Clay Higgins (R-LA) delivered remarks on his bill, H.R. 1569, the “CATCH Fentanyl Act”:
“With new technologies, we can, and we will, improve on our mission of efficiency through the reduction of wait times for commercial traffic and our goal of more effectively screening and intercepting illegal drugs like fentanyl… With this legislation, we can ensure that technology is placed on the frontlines to battle the cartels. The pilot program created under this bill would further empower CBP to test and evaluate new technologies for deployment at U.S. points of entry with the ultimate goal of improving the efficiency and enhancing the effectiveness of our cargo screening process.”
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) delivered remarks on her bill, H.R. 275, the “Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2024”:
“To maintain proper oversight of the executive branch and for Congress to fulfill its responsibility to the American people, we must know how many special interest aliens are crossing our borders and from where… That is why I am urging support for my legislation, which would require DHS to publicly release information monthly on the number of special interest alien encounters, including the number of individuals coming into the country and their countries of origins or last habitual residence.”
Representative Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) delivered remarks on his bill, H.R. 1327, the “Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act”:
“We simply cannot sit back and wait for another attack on the homeland. The Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act ensures the Department of Homeland Security conducts an assessment of terrorist threats the United States posed by individuals in Syria with an affiliation to a foreign terrorist organization or a specially designated global terrorist organization. By doing so, we can better examine and mitigate emerging threats from this region.”
Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN) delivered remarks on his bill, H.R. 2659, the “Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act”:
“The Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State Sponsored Threats Act is an important step to confronting the escalating cybersecurity threats we face from the Chinese Communist Party and its state-sponsored cyber actors. We must do what’s necessary to protect our nation’s critical infrastructure and to hold our adversaries accountable by closing dangerous gaps, and inter-agency coordination. This bill is a statement. It tells the Chinese Communist Party that we are not asleep at the wheel. It tells our allies we take these threats seriously, and it tells the American people that this Congress is committed in a bipartisan fashion to defending our homeland.”
Representative Gabe Evans (R-CO) delivered remarks on his bill, H.R. 2116, the “Law Enforcement Support and Counter Transnational Repression Act”:
“Many Americans and local law enforcement officials have never even heard of the term transnational repression; that is precisely what I hoped to change with this bill… So, to counter these threats, my bill…instructs DHS to create a public service announcement campaign to educate the public on the growing threat of transnational repression. It expands access to the FBI’s national repression hotlines…And it equips boots-on-the- ground state and local law enforcement officials with the necessary tools to prosecute perpetrators and stop our biggest adversaries from harming people on US soil.”
Additional legislation advanced out of Committee includes:
- H.R. 2139, the “Strengthening State and Local Efforts to Combat Transnational Repression,” introduced by Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI)
- H.R. 1508, the “DHS Special Events Program and Support Act,” introduced by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV)
- H.R.820, the “Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act,” introduced by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
- H.R. 2285, the “DHS Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act of 2025,” introduced by Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ)
