Dear Friends,
Like many of you, I was horrified and shocked by the terrorist attack in San Bernardino last week. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the first responders who reported to the scene.
We now have yet another case of radicalization fueled by the internet and social media – a method that terrorists have exploited for years.
The threats posed by radical Islamist terrorists have evolved, but the Administration’s policies have not. If we're going to keep the American people safe, the Administration must put forward a broad and aggressive strategy to defeat Islamist terrorism and protect our country.
Counterterrorism efforts have atrophied. Containment has failed. ISIS is now using safe havens in countries like Syria to plan and inspire massacres here in the United States.
In the House, we’re committed to providing the support needed. That’s why this week we’ll vote to strengthen the Visa Waiver Program, and advance legislation through the Foreign Affairs Committee to combat terrorists’ use of social media, and get critical weapons to the Kurdish forces fighting ISIS on the ground in Syria.
Ultimately, however, defeating ISIS will require determined presidential leadership. President Obama must use his authority as Commander-in-Chief to lead this fight to destroy ISIS.
Sincerely,
Ed Royce |
News for Nov. 30 - Dec. 7, 2015
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Royce Supports Bill for CA Transportation Infrastructure
Last Thursday, Rep. Royce voted in favor of H.R. 22, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. The five-year reauthorization bill passed the House by a vote of 359 to 65. Rep. Royce successfully amended the bill to allow California to receive a waiver from federal HOV regulations that would harm the state.
“Our ports are the nation’s gateway to world trade, and projects like the 57/60 confluence expansion are critical to the movement of commuters and goods throughout our region. This bill will further enable our state to repair, modernize, and expand California's infrastructure,” said Rep. Royce. "Prior to adoption of my amendment, the bill could have made construction of California's highways more expensive, reduced the incentive to purchase alternative fuel vehicles, and negatively impacted our air quality."
Learn More
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Rep. Royce Moves to Remove Term "Orientals" from Federal Law
Recently, Rep. Royce successfully amended H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015, to strike the term "Oriental" from preexisting federal law and replace it with “Asian American.” The amendment also removes the terms "Negroes," "Indians," and "Eskimos" from the same law.
"Orientals is an offensive and antiquated term, especially so when referring to America's vibrant Asian American community," said Rep. Royce. "Using this term in federal law lends it a legitimacy it doesn't deserve, which is why I have moved to remove it."
H.R. 8, which later passed the full House of Representatives, is legislation that seeks to promote energy efficiency inside the federal government and improve the security of energy-related infrastructure throughout California and the nation.
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| Chairman Royce Plans to Tighten Security for Visa Waivers |
House Republican leaders on Thursday unveiled a proposal to overhaul a visa waiver program being scrutinized following the Paris terror attacks, pledging to bring it up for a vote next week and predicting it will receive overwhelming bipartisan support.
But the measure has key differences with a Senate proposal that will have to be worked out before Congress can clear legislation both parties agree is critical.
The House bill is a product of negotiations conducted by a task force of committee chiefs convened in the wake of the Paris terror attacks. It aims to give the government more opportunities to screen visitors entering the country under the visa waiver program, which was created in the 1980s to streamline travel to the United States and boost tourism. Currently, passport holders of 38 countries – 30 of them in Europe – are eligible to take advantage of the reduced-screening system that allows them to visit the United States for 90 days without a visa.
Like the Senate bill drafted by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), the House legislation would require participating countries to issue enhanced passports with chips containing a traveler’s biometric information, share information on stolen passports with Interpol and share information between countries on suspected terrorists.
But the House and Senate bills differ in how they determine which individuals are too dangerous to take advantage of the program.
The House bill would ban anyone who has traveled to Syria, Iraq, Sudan or Iran since March 1, 2011, which is when Syrian civil war started, from being able to take advantage of the program. The Senate bill only places specific limits on people who have traveled to Iraq and Syria in the last five years. Both bills contain a provision that would allow the Homeland Security Department to expand the list of restricted countries.
The Senate proposal, unlike the House bill, also would require that biometric screening of all visa waiver travelers be done before people leave their home countries.
The limitations are intended to ensure that people who traveled to places where they could have been radicalized by terrorist organizations go through a full, in-person screening before being granted permission to come to the United States.
“The challenge we have is that over 5,000 foreign fighters with passports have traveled to Syria, but then traveled back to Europe,” said House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.), who is part of the task force. “We don’t want to end up fast-tracking the ability of people who have that European passport to come into the United States… and carry out the same types of attacks here that they’re planning right now in Europe.”
Read more in the Washington Post |
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