Dennis Ross Named to Task Force on Terrorism Funding

U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., part of the GOP leadership as senior deputy majority whip, announced on Monday he had been named to the bipartisan task force to investigate terrorism financing. U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, the chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, named Ross, who serves on that committee, to the task force.

Radical terrorist organizations like the Islamic State have numerous financial resources that have perpetuated their use of terror and rise in power in unstable regions of the Middle East," said Ross. "Our goal is to choke off funding to these groups who wish to do harm to Americans and our allies abroad. I want to thank Chairman Hensarling for appointing me to this newly formed task force. I look forward to working with my colleagues to improve our nations security and prevent terrorist organizations from acquiring funds to continue their reign of terror.

We are committed to making sure our government is doing everything possible to stop the Islamic State and other terrorists from using the global financial system to finance their acts of evil, said Hensarling. Fighting the financial war against terror demands constant innovation and vigilance. The task force to investigate terrorist financing will examine what, if any, changes are needed to upgrade and improve our nations ability to starve terrorists of the money they need to carry out their attacks.

U.S. Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., will lead the task force and he offered his take on its role on Monday

As the United States pushes back against the tide of terror and extremism that is the enemy of freedom and peace everywhere, it must do so with every tool available including within the financial system," said Fitzpatrick. It is my hope that this new task force will encourage and produce true bipartisan measures to devastate and disrupt the ability of terror groups to finance and fund their warped ideologies.