McCaul elected to chair House Homeland Security Committee for third term

The House Republican Conference voted last week to select U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) for a third term as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee in the 115th Congress.

“I am honored to continue my service as Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and want to thank the entire Republican Conference for supporting our efforts of shielding the homeland from international and domestic threats,” McCaul said. “The committee intends to build on our successes from the 114th Congress and looks forward to working with the new administration to make our country safer.”

McCaul’s confirmation follows his recent unveiling of his counterterrorism strategy, A National Strategy to Win the War Against Islamist Terror. The plan contains more than 100 policy ideas, recommendations and principles for fighting terrorists propaganda online, countering homegrown radicalization and dealing with terrorists’ use of encryption.

McCaul said his strategy brings the country’s homeland security policies into the digital age by improving screening of foreign visitors, immigrants and refugees using new technologies and better intelligence, including social media, to keep terrorists from infiltrating the country. Through this, Homeland Security is keeping up the an evolving enemy and utilizing a strategy to defeat the Islamist terror movement, not just one group.

“As radical Islamist terror continues to sweep the globe, it has become clear that we are not winning the overall fight against it,” McCaul said. “The eyes of the world are now upon us, and American leadership is needed to defeat this evil.  My plan is a guidepost—for Congress and the next president—to do what is needed to win this generational struggle.”