Freshman U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., was named to a new group looking to ensure terrorists do not enter the United States.
On Monday, Rutherford announced that he was named to the Task Force on Denying Terrorists Entry into the United States by U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Tex., the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Rutherford pointed to his background in law enforcement, including twelve years as the sheriff of Duval County, as his credentials for the new assignment.
“As a former sheriff, the safety of our nation is my highest priority,” Rutherford said on Monday. “The United States government has a duty to protect our citizens, and identifying threats and gaps in our national security is our first line of defense against foreign threats. We must keep a vigilant eye on terrorist groups and we must do everything we can to identify pathways that can jeopardize the safety of our nation. Stopping terrorism is incredibly important, and I want to thank Chairman McCaul for appointing me to this task force focused on protecting American citizens.”
"The threat of terrorist entry into the United States is real and we must act in close coordination with the administration to protect Americans from those who wish us harm,” McCaul said. “I commend Congressman Rutherford for his commitment to this task force and the crucial task of protecting our homeland."
Rutherford, who also sits on the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee and Emergency Preparedness and Response Subcommittee, is one of five Republicans who joined three Democrats on the new task force. The First Coast congressman is the only member of the Florida delegation on the task force which will be led by U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc.
According to the Homeland Security Committee, the task force “will examine all pathways by which extremists might infiltrate the homeland and will seek to identify gaps in U.S. government information sharing and vetting procedures.” The group will start its work in March and send a report to the Homeland Security Committee.
“In the current threat environment, stopping terrorists will continue to be a top committee priority,” McCaul said when he announced the launch of the task force on Friday. “Closing gaps in our counterterrorism screening and vetting procedures is especially important in the face of continuing global instability and the desire of ISIS and other terrorist groups to strike the West. The task force members have a difficult mission ahead of them, but the threat is real and we must act in close coordination with the administration to best protect Americans from those who wish us harm.”
