U.S. Congressional Representatives' Stance on Jihad and the War of Ideas
By Jeffrey Imm
The Counterterrorism Blog
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2008/07/congress_on_jihad.php
Last week, there was an interesting development in the U.S. House of
Representatives that will give Americans a clear view as to exactly where
their individual representatives stand on the war of ideas in fighting
Jihad.
Per my previous article on this subject, on May 8, 2008, Congressman Peter
Hoekstra attempted to add an amendment on the "terror lexicon" to a House
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence bill on 2009 intelligence
funding
(House Resolution 5959).
Hoekstra's amendment condemned efforts by the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), and the State
Department to recommend a "terror lexicon" that prohibits use of words
such
as "Jihad," "jihadist," "Islamist," "mujahadeen," "caliphate," etc. In
this
amendment, Congressman Hoekstra called for the House of Representatives to
prohibit the use of intelligence funding in sup****t of such "terror
lexicon"
efforts. The House Intelligence Committee voted against this amendment,
and
over 900 people signed a petition condemning the actions of the House
Intelligence Committee that was sent to members who voted against the
amendment.
But on July 16, 2008, H.R. 5959 was presented to the full House of
Representatives for debate and adoption, including Congressman Hoekstra's
amendment to bar the use of intelligence funding for such "terror lexicon"
measures. This time the amendment passed by the margin of 249-180 (with 10
abstentions).
The amendment was incor****ated in H.R. 5959 as follows:
"None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act may be used
to prohibit or discourage the use of the words or phrases 'jihadist',
'jihad', 'Islamo-fascism', 'caliphate', 'Islamist', or 'Islamic terrorist'
by or within the intelligence community or the Federal Government."
Per my congressional sources, the House of Representatives passed (via
voice
vote) House Resolution 5959 "Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year
2009," including the amendment on the issue of the "terror lexicon" from
Congressman Peter Hoekstra. Efforts to send H.R. 5959 back to the House
Intelligence Committee (by a motion to recommit with instructions) failed,
so now H.R. 5959 represents the House's resolution on 2009 intelligence
funding.
Most im****tantly, Americans can see how their individual representatives
in
the House voted (Roll Call 500) on this issue, demonstrating where their
individual congressional representatives stand on the war of ideas in
fighting Jihad.
During the discussion on this House Amendment 4 to H.R. 5959 (aka
"Hoekstra
of Michigan Amendment No. 2"), on the "terror lexicon" efforts by DHS,
NCTC,
and the State Department, Congressman Hoekstra stated, per the
Congressional
Record:
"Al Qaeda itself uses these terms to describe its fight against America,
our allies, and moderate Muslims around the world. Why then would we
prohibit our intelligence professionals from using the same words to
accurately describe al Qaeda's stated goals?"
"Yet that is exactly what some in Wa****ngton are attempting to do. I was
dismayed to learn that over the past few months, intelligence bureaucrats
at
the State Department, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the
Department of Homeland Security have issued memos imposing speech codes on
how their employees can describe al Qaeda and other radical jihadist
groups.
They won't even be able to use the words these groups use themselves to
describe themselves. These agencies within the intelligence community
won't
be able to use those words."
"Mr. Chairman, free speech should not be controversial, nor should
candid,
accurate, and fair discussion of the self-professed goals of the
terrorists
that attack our homeland and have sworn to kill more Americans."
"I find it more than ironic that some who have complained the loudest
about politicization in the intelligence community would oppose this
simple
amendment to prevent the politically correct politicization of our
Nation's
intelligence community. We all know that political correctness can be the
enemy of clarity."
"We also know that radical jihadists have made repeated efforts to
stifle
free speech in the West, including the murder of Dutch film maker, Theo
van
Gogh, and frequent death threats against authors, cartoonists, and
journalists."
"Let's not give the radical jihadists a victory here by imposing a
speech
code on America's intelligence community."
"How will America understand the nature and the character of our enemy
if
we can't use the words that they use to describe themselves and we need to
come up with a whole new language that is totally out of context with the
enemy and the nature of the threat that we face today?"
Congressional Representatives Who Voted Against Hoekstra's Amendment on
"Terror Lexicon"
Whether or not this amendment to H.R. 5959 ultimately is part of an
approved
bill signed by President Bush, the greatest value of this amendment is
that
it gets most congressional representatives on the record on their position
regarding the efforts of groups to remove any suggestion of Islamic
supremacism or Jihad when it comes to "terrorism."
Those in Congress who voted against (or abstained from voting on) the
Hoekstra amendment should be asked to publicly explain their position to
their constituents, as their vote against the Hoekstra amendment can
readily
be perceived as reluctance to recognize the ideological basis behind
Jihadist terrorism. The House of Representatives provides a ready online
tool to allow Americans to identify their congressional representatives,
and
knowing your ZIP Code+4 number will greatly expedite that process.
Clearly the following members of the House of Representatives should be
asked to explain their vote against the Hoekstra amendment:
House of Representatives' Members Voting Against Hoekstra Amendment:
Rep. Neil Abercrombie [D, HI-1]
Rep. Jason Altmire [D, PA-4]
Rep. Robert Andrews [D, NJ-1]
Rep. Joe Baca [D, CA-43]
Rep. Brian Baird [D, WA-3]
Rep. Tammy Baldwin [D, WI-2]
Rep. John Barrow [D, GA-12]
Rep. Xavier Becerra [D, CA-31]
Rep. Howard Berman [D, CA-28]
Rep. Robert Berry [D, AR-1]
Rep. Sanford Bishop [D, GA-2]
Rep. Timothy Bishop [D, NY-1]
Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D, OR-3]
Rep. Madeleine Bordallo [D, GU-0]
Rep. F. Allen Boyd [D, FL-2]
Rep. Nancy Boyda [D, KS-2]
Rep. Robert Brady [D, PA-1]
Rep. Bruce Braley [D, IA-1]
Rep. Corrine Brown [D, FL-3]
Rep. George Butterfield [D, NC-1]
Rep. Lois Capps [D, CA-23]
Rep. Michael Capuano [D, MA-8]
Rep. Russ Carnahan [D, MO-3]
Rep. Andre Carson [D, IN-7]
Rep. Kathy Castor [D, FL-11]
Rep. Donna Christensen [D, VI-0]
Rep. Yvette Clarke [D, NY-11]
Rep. William Clay [D, MO-1]
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver [D, MO-5]
Rep. James Clyburn [D, SC-6]
Rep. Steve Cohen [D, TN-9]
Rep. John Conyers [D, MI-14]
Rep. Jim Cooper [D, TN-5]
Rep. Joe Courtney [D, CT-2]
Rep. Robert Cramer [D, AL-5]
Rep. Joseph Crowley [D, NY-7]
Rep. Danny Davis [D, IL-7]
Rep. Susan Davis [D, CA-53]
Rep. Peter DeFazio [D, OR-4]
Rep. Diana DeGette [D, CO-1]
Rep. Rosa DeLauro [D, CT-3]
Rep. Norman Dicks [D, WA-6]
Rep. John Dingell [D, MI-15]
Rep. Lloyd Doggett [D, TX-25]
Rep. Michael Doyle [D, PA-14]
Rep. Donna F. Edwards [D, MD-4]
Rep. Thomas (Chet) Edwards [D, TX-17]
Rep. Keith Ellison [D, MN-5]
Rep. Rahm Emanuel [D, IL-5]
Rep. Anna Eshoo [D, CA-14]
Rep. Bob Etheridge [D, NC-2]
Rep. Eni Faleomavaega [D, AS-0]
Rep. Sam Farr [D, CA-17]
Rep. Bob Filner [D, CA-51]
Rep. Barney Frank [D, MA-4]
Rep. Charles Gonzalez [D, TX-20]
Rep. Raymond (Gene) Green [D, TX-29]
Rep. Raul Grijalva [D, AZ-7]
Rep. Luis Gutierrez [D, IL-4]
Rep. John Hall [D, NY-19]
Rep. Phil Hare [D, IL-17]
Rep. Jane Harman [D, CA-36]
Rep. Alcee Hastings [D, FL-23]
Rep. Brian Higgins [D, NY-27]
Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D, NY-22]
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa [D, TX-15]
Rep. Mazie Hirono [D, HI-2]
Rep. Paul Hodes [D, NH-2]
Rep. Rush Holt [D, NJ-12]
Rep. Michael Honda [D, CA-15]
Rep. Darlene Hooley [D, OR-5]
Rep. Steny Hoyer [D, MD-5]
Rep. Jay Inslee [D, WA-1]
Rep. Jesse Jackson [D, IL-2]
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D, TX-18]
Rep. William Jefferson [D, LA-2]
Rep. Henry Johnson [D, GA-4]
Rep. Stephanie Jones [D, OH-11]
Rep. Paul Kanjorski [D, PA-11]
Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D, OH-9]
Rep. Patrick Kennedy [D, RI-1]
Rep. Dale Kildee [D, MI-5]
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick [D, MI-13]
Rep. Ronald Kind [D, WI-3]
Rep. Dennis Kucinich [D, OH-10]
Rep. Ray LaHood [R, IL-18]
Rep. James Langevin [D, RI-2]
Rep. Rick Larsen [D, WA-2]
Rep. John Larson [D, CT-1]
Rep. Barbara Lee [D, CA-9]
Rep. Sander Levin [D, MI-12]
Rep. John Lewis [D, GA-5]
Rep. Daniel Lipinski [D, IL-3]
Rep. David Loebsack [D, IA-2]
Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D, CA-16]
Rep. Nita Lowey [D, NY-18]
Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D, NY-14]
Rep. Edward Markey [D, MA-7]
Rep. Doris Matsui [D, CA-5]
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy [D, NY-4]
Rep. Betty McCollum [D, MN-4]
Rep. James McDermott [D, WA-7]
Rep. James McGovern [D, MA-3]
Rep. Kendrick Meek [D, FL-17]
Rep. Gregory Meeks [D, NY-6]
Rep. George Miller [D, CA-7]
Rep. R. Bradley Miller [D, NC-13]
Rep. Alan Mollohan [D, WV-1]
Rep. Dennis Moore [D, KS-3]
Rep. Gwen Moore [D, WI-4]
Rep. James Moran [D, VA-8]
Rep. Christopher Murphy [D, CT-5]
Rep. Patrick Murphy [D, PA-8]
Rep. John Murtha [D, PA-12]
Rep. Jerrold Nadler [D, NY-8]
Rep. Grace Napolitano [D, CA-38]
Rep. Richard Neal [D, MA-2]
Rep. James Oberstar [D, MN-8]
Rep. David Obey [D, WI-7]
Rep. John Olver [D, MA-1]
Rep. Solomon Ortiz [D, TX-27]
Rep. Frank Pallone [D, NJ-6]
Rep. William Pascrell [D, NJ-8]
Rep. Edward Pastor [D, AZ-4]
Rep. Ronald Paul [R, TX-14]
Rep. Donald Payne [D, NJ-10]
Rep. Collin Peterson [D, MN-7]
Rep. Earl Pomeroy [D, ND-0]
Rep. David Price [D, NC-4]
Rep. Nick Rahall [D, WV-3]
Rep. Charles Rangel [D, NY-15]
Rep. Silvestre Reyes [D, TX-16]
Rep. Laura Richardson [D, CA-37]
Rep. Ciro Rodriguez [D, TX-23]
Rep. Mike Ross [D, AR-4]
Rep. Steven Rothman [D, NJ-9]
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard [D, CA-34]
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger [D, MD-2]
Rep. Timothy Ryan [D, OH-17]
Rep. John Salazar [D, CO-3]
Rep. Linda Sanchez [D, CA-39]
Rep. Loretta Sanchez [D, CA-47]
Rep. John Sarbanes [D, MD-3]
Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D, IL-9]
Rep. Adam Schiff [D, CA-29]
Rep. Allyson Schwartz [D, PA-13]
Rep. David Scott [D, GA-13]
Rep. Robert (Bobby) Scott [D, VA-3]
Rep. Jose Serrano [D, NY-16]
Rep. Joe Sestak [D, PA-7]
Rep. Albio Sires [D, NJ-13]
Rep. Ike Skelton [D, MO-4]
Rep. Louise Slaughter [D, NY-28]
Rep. Adam Smith [D, WA-9]
Rep. Victor Snyder [D, AR-2]
Rep. Hilda Solis [D, CA-32]
Rep. Jackie Speier [D, CA-12]
Rep. John Spratt [D, SC-5]
Rep. Fortney Stark [D, CA-13]
Rep. Betty Sutton [D, OH-13]
Rep. Ellen Tauscher [D, CA-10]
Rep. Bennie Thompson [D, MS-2]
Rep. C. Michael Thompson [D, CA-1]
Rep. John Tierney [D, MA-6]
Rep. Edolphus Towns [D, NY-10]
Rep. Niki Tsongas [D, MA-5]
Rep. Tom Udall [D, NM-3]
Rep. Christopher Van Hollen [D, MD-8]
Rep. Nydia Velazquez [D, NY-12]
Rep. Peter Visclosky [D, IN-1]
Rep. Timothy Walz [D, MN-1]
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D, FL-20]
Rep. Maxine Waters [D, CA-35]
Rep. Melvin Watt [D, NC-12]
Rep. Henry Waxman [D, CA-30]
Rep. Peter Welch [D, VT-0]
Rep. Robert Wexler [D, FL-19]
Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D, CA-6]
Rep. David Wu [D, OR-1]
Rep. John Yarmuth [D, KY-3]
House of Representatives Members Abstaining from Voting on Hoekstra
Amendment:
Rep. Leonard Boswell [D, IA-3]
Rep. William Delahunt [D, MA-10]
Rep. Jo Ann Emerson [R, MO-8]
Rep. Luis Fortuno [R, PR-0]
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest [R, MD-1]
Rep. Al Green [D, TX-9]
Rep. Eddie Johnson [D, TX-30]
Rep. Frank Lucas [R, OK-3]
Rep. Eleanor Norton [D, DC-0]
Rep. Bobby Rush [D, IL-1]
Sources and Related Do***ents:
House Resolution 5959 - "Section 507. Jihadists"
July 16, 2008 - Congressional Record: Discussion on Hoekstra Amendment to
H.R. 5959
July 16, 2008 - Press Release: Hoekstra Votes for Republican-Improved FY
'09
Intelligence Authorization Bill -- Hoekstra Amendment on Radical Jihadists
Approved
Official House Roll Call 500 Vote on Hoekstra Amendment
Open Congress: House Roll Call 500 Vote - On Agreeing to the Amendment:
Amendment 4 to H R 5959
U.S. House of Representatives: Find and Write Your Representative
US Postal Service - Identifying Your Zip+4 Zip Code
House of Representatives Roll Call Votes
House Resolution 5959 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009
May 8, 2008 - Jihad and U.S. Intelligence Resources -- Counterterrorism
Blog - by Jeffrey Imm
March 14, 2008 - National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) - Counter Terror
Communications Center (CTCC) Memorandum, Volume 2, Issue 10 - "Words that
Work and Words that Don't: A Guide to Counterterrorism Communication"
January 2008 - Department of Homeland Security Office for Civil Rights and
Civil Liberties - Terminology to Define the Terrorists: Recommendations
from
American Muslims
"War of Ideas" Sources on the Debate over the Identity of the Jihadist
Enemy
Petition on Defining the Jihadist Enemy
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