The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007 was a bill sponsored by Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)Harman at govtrack<http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1955>(accessed Dec 27, 2007)Harman's homepage<http://www.house.gov/harman/>GovTrack: H.R. 1955: Text of Legislation in the 110th United States Congress. Its stated purpose is to deal with "homegrown terrorism and violent radicalization"GovTrack.us. H.R. 1955--110th Congress (2007): Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007, GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation) <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=h110-1955> (accessed Oct 31, 2007) by establishing a national commission, establishing a center for study, and cooperating with other nations.
The bill was introduced to the House as H.R. 1955 on April 19, 2007,GovTrack.us. H.R. 1955--110th Congress (2007): Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007, GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation) <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=main&bill=h110-1955>(accessed Oct 31, 2007) and passed on October 23, 2007.HR 1955 passage date<http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-1955#votes>(last accessed Dec 27, 2006) It was introduced to the Senate on August 2, 2007, as S-1959.GovTrack.us. H.R. 1955--110th Congress (2007): Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007, GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation) <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=main&bill=h110-1955> (accessed Dec 26, 2007) The bill defines some terms including "violent radicalization," "homegrown terrorism," and "ideologically based violence,"HR 1955 Full Text. <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1955>(accessed December 6, 2007) which have provoked controversy from some quarters.Kucinich on 1955<http://www.indypendent.org/2007/12/02/kucinich-on-hr-1955/> (accessed December 2, 2007)Ron Paul on HR1955 'Homegrown Terror' Act an Attack on Internet Freedom? <http://www.antiwar.com/paul/?articleid=12015> (accessed December 5, 2007)ACLU public statement on 1955 <https://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/32886prs20071128.html>(accessed December 6, 2007) The bill failed to become law during the 110th Congress.
Summary The bill would have:
Amended the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to add provisions concerning the prevention of homegrown terrorism (terrorism by individuals born, raised, or based and operating primarily in the United States). Directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to: Establish a grant program to prevent radicalization (use of an extremist belief system for facilitating ideologically based violence) and homegrown terrorism in the United States; Establish or designate a university-based Center of Excellence for the Study of Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism in the United States; Conduct a survey of methodologies implemented by foreign nations to prevent radicalization and homegrown terrorism. Prohibited the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to prevent ideologically based violence and homegrown terrorism from violating the constitutional and civil rights, and civil liberties, of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
Defined terms Violent Radicalization - the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change. Homegrown Terrorism - the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. Ideologically Based Violence - the use, planned use, or threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual to promote the group or individual's political, religious, or social beliefs.
Co-sponsors House In addition to Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), who introduced the bill to the House, it had 15 co-sponsors as of October 24, 2007: Rep. Christopher Carney (D-PA) Del. Donna Christensen (D-VI) Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA) Rep. Norman Dicks (D-WA) Rep. Al Green (D-TX) Rep. James Langevin (D-RI) Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) Rep. Daniel Lungren (R-CA) Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
Senate In addition to Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who introduced the bill to the Senate, it had one co-sponsor as of December 26, 2007: Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Current status House This bill was passed in the House on October 23, 2007, with a vote of 404 to 6.DemocracyNow.org. Headlines for October 30, 2007. House Passes Bill on "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism"> (accessed Oct 31, 2007) Twenty-two representatives missed the vote. The only six representatives who voted against the bill GovTrack: Details on how US Representatives voted <http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2007-993> (accessed Nov 21, 2007) were: Jeff Flake, R-Arizona Dana Rohrabacher, R-California Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii Jerry Costello, D-Illinois Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio John Duncan, R-Tennessee
Representative Ron Paul (R - TX), who was not present at the time of the vote, subsequently rose on the House floor to express his opposition to the bill.Paul's comments at House.gov/paul
Senate The bill was introduced to the Senate on August 2, 2007, as Senate Bill 1959, and has been referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The Bill was introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and has been co-sponsored by Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN).
Timeline House Introduced: April 19, 2007 Scheduled for Debate: August 1, 2007 Passed House [details]: October 23, 2007
Senate Introduced: August 2, 2007 Scheduled for Debate: - Voted on in Senate: - Signed by President: -
Criticism and reaction Points of criticism The bill has provoked controversy on several fronts, including from groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union.
One criticism is that the definitions of "force," "home grown terrorism," and "violent radicalization" (section 899A) are overly broad or vague, and that the vagueness in these definitions would permit the government to classify many types of venerated American political activity normally protected by the First Amendment, such as civil disobedience, as terrorism. Critics frequently cite Section 899A, which reads, in part: "The use, planned use, or threatened use, of force ...to coerce the ..government, (or) civilian population ..in furtherance of political or social objectives",HR 1955 section 899A<http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-1955>(accessed December 8, 2007) as particularly problematic. They argue that major societal reforms, which are now accepted but were perceived at the time as threatening to the government, such as civil rights, women's suffrage, and others, would be classified as terrorism.editorial from Baltimore Sun and others<http://www.hr1955.info/Commentary.html>(accessed December 21, 2007)Reporter Justin Mohn for Maneater<http://www.themaneater.com/article.php?id=28488](accessed December 8, 2007)Columnist Matt Renner for truthout<http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00455.htm>(accessed December 12, 2007)Reporter Don Williams for Knoxville Voice<http://www.knoxvoice.com/blogs/truthserum/2007/11/27/help-stop-vaguely-worded-thought-crime-bill-that-could-make-this-blog-illegal/> (accessed December 12, 2007)
Political reaction Then-presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich said he believed the bill to be "unconstitutional" and has referred to the bill as a "thought crime bill".Kucinich on 1955, December 2, 2007.
Representative Ron Paul (R-TX),Remarks on Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act'Homegrown Terror' Act an Attack on Internet Freedom?, December 7, 2007. addressed the bill in the House on Dec. 5, 2007 saying:
This seems to be an unwise and dangerous solution in search of a real problem. Previous acts of ideologically motivated violence, though rare, have been resolved successfully using law enforcement techniques, existing laws against violence, and our court system.
In North Carolina, Republican Congressional candidate BJ Lawson has made the bill a theme in his campaign against Democrat David Price, who voted in favor of the bill.
Media reaction The Baltimore Sun published an opinion article by professor emeritus Ralph E. Shaffer and R. William Robinson, titled "Here come the thought police."also reprinted at commondreams.org and other sites
The Pioneer Press published an article by Professor Peter Erlinder, pointing out disturbing parallels to the House Un-American Activities Committee.Peter Erlinder, Giving birth to a son of HUAC? Inherent powers, ignoble history make new idea anything but innocuous, December 20, 2007; also reprinted at commondreams.org and other sites
In an interview aired on Democracy Now, academic and author Ward Churchill said: "HR 1955, as I understand it, provides a basis for subjective interpretation of dissident speech...."
Kamau Franklin of the Center for Constitutional Rights said that the bill "concentrates on the internet as a place where terrorist rhetoric or ideas have been coming across into the United States and to American citizens."Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act Raises Fears of New Government Crackdown on Dissent, Democracy Now! interview, November 20, 2007.
The Hartford Advocate, noting that all of Connecticut's Representatives had voted for the bill, sought to interview one of them, but reported that none of them would comment on the record, personally or through a spokesperson, about their reasons for voting in favor. The Advocate concluded that the problem with the bill was "not that the bill threatens anything specific, but that it's far too vague."Jennifer Abel, "The Thought Crime Law", Hartford Advocate, January 3, 2008
An op-ed in the San Francisco Chronicle, discussed HR 1955 in the context of the Homeland Security concept of Endgame. The article garnered several hundred readers comments when it was originally published. "HR 1955 is an important topic that continues to be largely absent from mainstream media as of Nov 23, 2008. President elect Obama, served on Lieberman's Homeland Security committee in the US Senate wherein the Senate bill version Titled: S-1959 continues to be discussed, absent mainstream scrutiny, but has garnered widespread internet-web scrutiny." (accessed on Nov 23, 2008) ", San Francisco Chronicle, page B - 7, Open Forum, February 4, 2008
The New York Times editorialized that "The Internet is simply a means of communication, like the telephone, but that has not prevented attempts to demonize it — the latest being the ludicrous claim that the Internet promotes terrorism." (accessed on Jan 2, 2009). "" Joe Lieberman, Would-Be Censor", NYTimes, page B - 9, Editorial, Sunday, May 25, 2008
The internet, if considered to be "new media" includes this offering by OpenCongress.org, a project of the Sunlight Foundation and PDF. All 26 comments about S. 1959 dating from 2008. ", OpenCongress.org, Accessed Dec. 26, 2008
Institutional reaction The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) issued a statement saying: "Law enforcement should focus on action, not thought. We need to worry about the people who are committing crimes rather than those who harbor beliefs that the government may consider to be extreme."
The National Lawyers Guild and the Society of American Law Teachers issued a joint statement opposing the Bill: "The National Lawyers Guild and the Society of American Law Teachers strongly urge the Senate to refuse to pass the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007."