From his perch on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., is looking to ensure all levels of law enforcement are on the same page when it comes to tracking terrorists.
On Thursday, Rutherford, a career police officer who served as sheriff of Duval County before being elected to Congress last year, brought out the “Terrorist Release Announcements to Counter Extremist Recidivism Act” (TRACER Act). Rutherford’s proposal would ensure the federal government notifies state and local law enforcement agencies when federal prisoners convicted of terrorism are released from prison and based in the local area. The First Coast congressman’s office noted that this information is not always shared with local law enforcement agencies.
“Every day, America’s public safety officers place themselves in harm’s way,” Rutherford said when he introduced his bill. “For this they deserve not only our gratitude, but every tool necessary to keep our communities and families safe. That is why, as we observe National Police Week, I am introducing the TRACER Act, which will require the Department of Homeland Security to share information regarding potential terrorism risks with law enforcement at the local level. We have the best law enforcement in the world, and by encouraging them to work together, they will become an even stronger force against the evils of terrorism."
Rutherford pointed to statistics from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) which noted that more than 200 convicted terrorists currently held by the federal government will be released between now and 2030.
The bill was sent to the Homeland Security Committee. So far, Rutherford’s bill has only one co-sponsor but it is big one: U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee.
During his brief time in Congress so far, Rutherford has been able to rely on McCaul’s help on several fronts. At the start of March, Rutherford brought out the “Reducing Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Cost Growth Act” with McCaul as the first co-sponsor. The proposal would, according to Rutherford’s office, “hold DHS agencies more accountable in administering their major acquisition programs and would give Congress greater oversight of troubled programs to prevent wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars by agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).” The bill passed the House with ease. At the end of February, McCaul named Rutherford to the Task Force on Denying Terrorists Entry into the United States.
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