Legislation Will Bridge Key Gap, Demand More Data on Mass Violence
The DATA Act Will Help Protect Vulnerable Communities and Victims of Hate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kristen Voorhees, [email protected], 202.548.7166
WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement on the passage of the Domestic and International Terrorism DATA Act (H.R. 3106) in the House of Representatives:
“The fact that hate remains pervasive in America contradicts the fundamental values upon which our nation was built. Every person in our country—regardless of color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, immigration status, or disability—deserves to live free from hate. But to effectively fight hate, we must first gain access to the right tools to document it, and oversight of those who track it. The Domestic and International Terrorism DATA Act will make fighting hate on all fronts more achievable by embedding necessary accountability into the system. The Senate must pass this legislation to protect the communities that need it most, so that every person in America can live more freely.”
The Domestic Terrorism DATA Act (H.R. 3106) provides Congress with information about the federal government’s approach to counterterrorism and authorizes research and education activities on acts of mass violence. This will enable better congressional oversight. Most importantly, the bill does not create a new domestic terrorism statute, which The Leadership Conference would oppose. Read The Leadership Conference’s letter on the Domestic and International Terrorism DATA Act here.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org