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FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Senate Hearing on Terrorism in Europe and U.S. Security

Original title: TERROR IN EUROPE: SAFEGUARDING U.S. CITIZENS AT HOME AND ABROAD

January 1, 2017

terrorism homeland security national security foreign policy intelligence biosecurity

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing informs federal policy regarding how the U.S. monitors and prevents terrorist threats both abroad and within domestic borders.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

U.S. Citizens

The hearing addresses national security policies intended to safeguard citizens from terrorist threats.

Federal Bureau of Investigation

The agency's investigative work and success in foiling domestic plots were highlighted as part of the committee's oversight.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2017.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This Senate Committee on Homeland Security hearing examined the root causes of terrorist activity in Europe and its implications for U.S. national security. The session featured testimony from security experts and addressed both international threats and domestic incidents, such as a in Milwaukee.

Key Facts

The hearing was held on April 5, 2016, by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The hearing was originally planned to focus on biosecurity but was expanded to include terrorism in Europe following the Brussels attacks.
Chairman Ron Johnson cited a January 2016 foiled plot against a Masonic Temple in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, involving Samy Mohamed Hamzeh.
The committee heard testimony from experts representing the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Center for a New American Security, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
The hearing included opening statements from eight senators and prepared statements from the committee leadership.
The record includes post-hearing responses to questions from all four expert witnesses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the primary purpose of this hearing?

To examine the root causes of terrorist activity in Europe and discuss the implications of these threats for the United States.

Did the hearing cover topics other than European terrorism?

Yes, the committee also discussed threats and a specific domestic terrorism case involving a in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Why It Matters

The hearing informs federal policy regarding how the U.S. monitors and prevents terrorist threats both abroad and within domestic borders.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Expansion of Hearing Scope

The committee pivoted from a planned focus on biosecurity to include European terrorism in response to the Brussels attacks.

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Connected Entities

personJuan C. Zarate“Senior Advisor, Center for Strategic and International Studies”Map →

personSamy Mohamed Hamzeh“Individual involved in a foiled plot against a Milwaukee Masonic Temple”Map →

organizationFederal Bureau of Investigation“Responsible for foiling the Milwaukee plot”Map →

personRon Johnson“Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs”Map →

organizationCommittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs“Senate committee conducting the hearing”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance75
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz10
Current news / social attention level

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