The House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday to authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the State Department to develop open-source software designed to screen travelers by cross referencing law enforcement databases and terrorist watch lists.
The Enhancing Overseas Traveler Vetting Act, H.R. 4403, was introduced by U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX).
“Many of our European partners have failed to conduct adequate counterterrorism screening. These gaping security gaps are being exploited by extremists overseas and putting the U.S. Homeland in danger,” Hurd said. “This bill is about empowering our partners to work together to better fight terrorism. By closing these information loopholes, we can keep terrorists on the run and off our shores.”
Hurd, a former CIA officer, now serves on the House Committee of Homeland Security.
“The global threat of terrorism has never been as high as it is today,” Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Ed Royce (R-CA) said. “In just the last 12 months, we’ve seen terrorists strike in my home state of California, and in France, Belgium, Turkey, India, Tunisia, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Pakistan and Iraq – to name a few. No country is immune. The ideology of violent extremism knows no boundaries – allowing individuals to become radicalized by terrorists overseas without leaving their neighborhood.”
“This bill reflects the recommendations made by our colleagues on the Task Force, which we have worked together on,” Royce said. “I thank Mr. Hurd and Chairman McCaul for their leadership working to make our nation safer against terrorist threats.”