Authorities of the Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB), which coordinates the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) various intelligence, operational and policy-making functions, would be extended for four years under bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate last week.
Established following the attempted “underwear bomber” attack aboard a Northwest Airlines flight in 2009, the CTAB weighs in on the issuance of National Threat Alert System alerts and helps respond to aviation threats, border threats, homegrown violent extremists, and cyber threats.
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) introduced the Counterterrorism Advisory Board Advisory Act to codify CTAB’s authorities for another four years.
“The Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB) is an important component of the Department of Homeland Security’s work in preventing terrorist attacks by identifying and reducing security threats and vulnerabilities,” Rubio said. “This bill will ensure that the CTAB facilitates a cohesive operational strategy so that DHS components and their partners are best enabled to detect, deter and disrupt terrorist operations.”
Passage of the bill, Hassan said, would ensure that the full resources of the federal government are coordinated to prevent terrorist attacks on the homeland.
“This bill is about ensuring that everyone inside the Department of Homeland Security committed to preventing and responding to terrorist incidents are able to communicate and coordinate effectively with each other,” McCaskill said. “The men and women heroically contributing to our counterterrorism efforts are the best in the world and this bill will augment their efforts.”