Vote YES on H.R. 350, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act
May 18, 2022
Dear Representative:
On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 230 national organizations committed to promoting and protecting the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, and the undersigned 33 organizations, we write to express our support for H.R. 350, the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act (DTPA). We applaud the changes to the bill in the manager’s amendment, and urge you to vote YES on the legislation. The Leadership Conference plans to score your vote in our voting records for the 117th Congress.
As we respond to the tragic shootings in Buffalo, Dallas, Orange County, and elsewhere, the need for this bill is clear. The DTPA authorizes the Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and FBI offices that are responsible for monitoring threats to offer training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in understanding, investigating, prosecuting, and deterring acts of domestic terrorism. The legislation mandates that these agencies issue joint annual reports to the House and Senate Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Intelligence Committees in order to evaluate the domestic terrorism threat posed by white supremacists; examine domestic terrorism incidents that occurred in the previous year; and offer transparency through a public quantitative analysis of domestic terrorism-related assessments, investigations, incidents, arrests, indictments, prosecutions, convictions, and weapons recoveries. Through its inclusion of the Community Relations Service, the DTPA recognizes that communities targeted for hate must be at the center of policies and programs intended to address hate violence and to ensure that the people targeted have the resources and support that they desire and need. Importantly, this bill does not add a new domestic terrorism charge.
The DTPA comes at a crucial time, when too many people in this country feel unwelcome, unsafe, and marginalized. Divisive rhetoric and discriminatory policies that cast wide aspersions on Muslim, immigrant, and other marginalized communities have heightened concerns that our country is increasingly legitimizing hate. Members of Congress should not reinforce counterterrorism policies, programs, and frameworks that have inherent flaws rooted in bias, discrimination, and denial or diminution of fundamental rights like due process. The DTPA will not negatively impact marginalized communities. Instead, it implements common sense processes that will combat white supremacy while placing safeguards to ensure racial and religious minorities do not become unintentional targets of any proposed policy.
We join the overwhelming majority of the public, both Republicans and Democrats, who support finding solutions to the rising levels of hate-motivated acts of terror and white supremacy. We urge you to support the DTPA and oppose any harmful amendments. Congress must restore the faith of the American people so that incidents of terror do not further splinter and segregate our communities by eroding the diverse fabric of American life. If you have any questions, please contact Nadia Aziz, Senior Director, Fighting Hate and Bias, at [email protected].
Sincerely,
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
ADL (the Anti-Defamation League)
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Arab American Institute (AAI)
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Center for Disability Rights
Center for Responsible Lending
Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism
Hindu American Foundation
Human Rights Campaign
Impact Fund
Japanese American Citizens League
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Matthew Shepard Foundation
Muslim Advocates
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
NAACP
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
National Action Network
National Council of Jewish Women
National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)
National Urban League
Not In Our Town
People For the American Way
PFLAG National
Public Justice
Rabbinical Assembly
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
Sikh Coalition
Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund
UnidosUS
Union for Reform Judaism
United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries