Terrorism

It is equally as important to protect ourselves from both international and domestic terrorism. We eliminate one terrorist leader only for them to be replaced by a greater one. Creating a martyr is not my idea of victory. We must do more. To that end, we must not only rid these groups of their terrorist leaders, but we must prevent the rise of new ones. We do that by preventing the spread of their message, eliminating their resources as much as possible and developing new, strategic ways of stopping them from acquiring followers.

The events of September 11, 2001, ensured that terrorism would continue to dominate discussions in the opening decades of the 21st century. Almost 3,000 people died that day from acts of terror including hundreds of police officers and firefighters. Shortly after, it was President George W. Bush who initiated a “war on terror” that’s been with us even until today.

Since then, the United States has been engaged in a campaign to eliminate terror right where it begins. However, in doing so, we must not forget other forms of terrorism which take place right here at home on American soil. I believe both international and domestic terrorism should be equally prioritized. To that end, as a U.S. Senator I intend to support the following:

Legislation which encourages legal immigration and guards against all forms of illegal immigration as it greatly increases the risk of terror in this country
The Arms Trade Treaty and other international arms sales agreements which would help ensure that the United States isn’t dealing with terrorists and contributing to human suffering
Guarding against autonomous artificial intelligence. For example, we need a global treaty enforcing stronger laws of the air on where/how drones can be deployed. Defensive mechanisms are necessary to prevent any potential dangers or immediate threats that can come from a growing number of mechanisms using algorithms to make decisions.
Providing our law enforcement and foreign intelligence agencies with the tools they need to successfully combat terrorism in all forms as best they can for the safety and security of the American people
Support the USA Patriot Act in its effort to provide tools to law enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat terrorism while preserving the civil liberties of Americans. The information sought must be relevant, warrant-based, and material to an ongoing investigation
Support and create legislation which helps prevent the spread of terrorists’ messages on social media platforms, and to provide our military and other governmental personnel with top surveillance technology for the purposes of intercepting resources which may be used by individuals to commit further acts of terror
I support a clear and precise definition for domestic terrorism. It should be made a federal crime for the purposes of strategic prevention.