A congressional heavyweight announced he was backing U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan’s, R-Fla. and U.S. Sen. John McCain’s, R-Ariz., bill ensuring the federal government screens the social media of everyone who applies for a visa to visit the United States.
Buchanan announced back in December that he would sponsor McCain’s bill ensuring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) examines the social media of all foreigners looking to enter the U.S. on a visa.
“As terrorist threats continue to evolve, so too must our policies to safeguard our country,” Buchanan said when he brought out the bill in December. “We need every tool to protect Americans – and a key component is vetting all avenues of communication. My bill will ensure that our government reviews all social media accounts before allowing foreign visa applicants into the United States.”
In December, Buchanan pointed to reports noting the terrorists behind the San Bernardino attacks posted messages in support of Islamic jihad on Facebook and urged the White House to show more leadership in monitoring social media.
“This country cannot afford to turn another blind eye,” Buchanan said. “It is time we put the safety of Americans ahead of the privacy of foreigners and political correctness.”
McCain also pointed to the San Bernardino terrorist attacks when he brought out his bill in the Senate.
“Following the tragedy in San Bernardino, we have learned that the Obama administration has declined to review information available on social media platforms to screen for threats from foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States,” McCain said. “This purposeful refusal to examine publicly available information defies belief, especially as we grapple with complex technical questions to address the problem of criminals and terrorists ‘going dark,’ or utilizing readily available encryption to escape court-ordered government search. It is unacceptable that Congress has to legislate on this, and that it wasn’t already the Department of Homeland Security’s practice to take such commonsense steps when screening individuals entering this country.”
McCain also took a shot at President Barack Obama’s handling of terrorism. The Arizona Republican lost to Obama in the 2008 presidential election.
“This is just the latest, unfortunate example of this administration’s refusal to proactively address very real threats to our national security,” McCain said. “It is critical that we have the strongest policies and procedures in place for background checks that reflect the evolving security threats facing our nation.”
On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, announced he was backing the bill.
“This legislation adds an important and necessary layer of screening that will go a long way in properly vetting the online activities of those wishing to enter the United States,” said McCaul. “A simple check of social media accounts of foreign travelers and visa applicants will help ensure that those who have participated in, pledged allegiance to, or communicated with terrorist organizations cannot enter the United States. I know this will be a useful tool for the Department of Homeland Security and will aid in securing our homeland.”
Earlier this week, McCaul attended a townhall event with Buchanan in Sarasota and praised the bill, noting Islamic State (ISIS) forces and other terrorist groups were using social media to advance their agenda. Testifying before Congress this week, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper agreed with McCaul’s assessment.
For his part, Buchanan welcomed the support of the Texas congressman.
“The United States cannot be complacent as extremists try to spread their fanaticism and inspire attacks using social media,” Buchanan said. “We must do everything in our power to protect Americans.”
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
