WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released the following statement after the Senate passed the Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act (H.R. 4227), legislation he spearheaded to better prevent terrorists from using vehicles to attack Americans.
“This bill will help keep Americans safe by making sure our counterterrorism efforts are top-notch when it comes to preventing extremists from using vehicles to carry out deadly attacks,” said Dr. Cassidy. “I look forward to the House passing this bill and the president signing it into law.”
Last month, a man in Los Angeles attempted to run over Jews with his car near a synagogue. In August a suspected terrorist targeted pedestrians with his vehicle outside the Houses of Parliament in London, and in July two Americans were killed in Tajikistan in an attack claimed by ISIS.
The legislation directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide a report to Congress regarding its efforts to assess and prevent terrorist attacks involving vehicles. The report would include the current threat level, details on DHS’s collaboration with private sector partners, and recommendations on legislation necessary to support DHS’s efforts to prevent terrorism.
Cassidy introduced the Senate version of the bill in November 2017 and U.S. Representative Bob Latta (R-OH) introduced the House version of the bill.