Congressman Johnson introduces bill to counter all forms of violent extremism

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) has introduced the "Reaffirming DHS' Commitment to Countering All Forms of Violent Extremism Act."

This bill is in response to the increasing number of violent hate crimes, bomb threats, and public vitriol being directed at minorities across the country.

H.R. 1453 would ensure that funds appropriated to DHS are used to address all forms of violent extremism in the United States, including right-wing, Islamic, and white nationalist extremism. As a recent report stated, "since 2002 right-wing militants have killed more people in the United States than jihadis have."

"H.R. 1453 reaffirms to the American people that the Department of Homeland Security is committed to rooting out all threats to the homeland – whether they come in the form of Islamic jihadis, bomb threats against religious community centers, or hateful individuals who shoot their fellow man in cold blood simply because they look different," said Rep. Johnson.

Congressman Johnson, with the support of 11 of his democratic colleagues, looks to prevent President Trump's short-sighted efforts to narrowly focus the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) efforts to Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) on just Islamic Extremism.

Such a move by the Administration ignores the rapid rise in hate crimes perpetrated by right-wing extremists over the past year.