Senate Homeland Security Committee advances bill to strengthen DHS counterterrorism coordination

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced this week a bill intended to bolster counterterrorism efforts under an updated Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB).

The Counter Threats Advisory Board Act seeks to authorize and rename CTAB, would codify the board for another two years, and would also guarantee continued work from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced the bill.

“Protecting our nation against terrorist attacks and other threats is a fundamental obligation of government, and I am pleased the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs took action on our bipartisan legislation,” Rubio said. “I look forward to this legislation heading to the Senate floor so we ensure DHS components and their partners are working in coordination to devise joint strategies to deter and disrupt terrorist operations and other threats to our homeland.”

CTAB was established in 2010 following a failed underwear bomber on a Northwest Airlines flight headed for Detroit. The board provides recommendations for the National Threat Alert System, helps responses to aviation, border, domestic terrorist and cyber threats, and in general, supports coordination among leadership in the intelligence, operational and policy-making spheres of government.

“Identifying and preventing terrorist attacks and other threats before they occur is vital to the safety and security of countless Granite Staters and Americans, and the Counterterrorism Advisory Board plays an important role in those efforts,” Hassan said.