AG Garland, DHS Sec. Mayorkas Agree that the White Supremacists Pose the Most Lethal Threat to the Homeland

LEAHY earlier you were ░░░░░░░░ lead prosecutor in the ░░░░░░░░ City bombing case And ░░░░░░░░ some ways that feels ░░░░░░░░ that was yesterday but ░░░░░░░░ m sure even more ░░░░░░░░ to you you had ░░░░░░░░ pretty unique perspective into ░░░░░░░░ country s efforts to ░░░░░░░░ domestic violent extremism When ░░░░░░░░ commemorated the 26th anniversary ░░░░░░░░ the Oklahoma City bombing ░░░░░░░░ month you noted that ░░░░░░░░ the terror we faced ░░░░░░░░ is still with us ░░░░░░░░ it appears to me ░░░░░░░░ the threat has evolved ░░░░░░░░ part because of violent ░░░░░░░░ groups So my question ░░░░░░░░ you attorney general how ░░░░░░░░ the Justice Department adapt ░░░░░░░░ approach combating domestic violent ░░░░░░░░ to address how this ░░░░░░░░ has evolved over the ░░░░░░░░ few years Garland Thank ░░░░░░░░ Mr Chairman And that ░░░░░░░░ an excellent question That ░░░░░░░░ what we ve been ░░░░░░░░ on for several months ░░░░░░░░ which is something that ░░░░░░░░ department has been working ░░░░░░░░ over the years That ░░░░░░░░ has changed There are ░░░░░░░░ lot of different factors ░░░░░░░░ have made it change ░░░░░░░░ of course the most ░░░░░░░░ is the ability to ░░░░░░░░ over the Internet at ░░░░░░░░ speed and to be ░░░░░░░░ to communicate in secret ░░░░░░░░ encrypted and other channels ░░░░░░░░ the days of Oklahoma ░░░░░░░░ the co conspirators had ░░░░░░░░ meet together and it ░░░░░░░░ a considerable amount of ░░░░░░░░ In addition the degree ░░░░░░░░ lethal weaponry available now ░░░░░░░░ substantially higher than it ░░░░░░░░ then Then it took ░░░░░░░░ 000 pounds of ammonium ░░░░░░░░ to bring down that ░░░░░░░░ it would take considerably ░░░░░░░░ of modern explosives to ░░░░░░░░ the same So that ░░░░░░░░ is considerably with respect ░░░░░░░░ its risk of lethality ░░░░░░░░ than it ever was ░░░░░░░░ are using all the ░░░░░░░░ that we re learned ░░░░░░░░ the past decades including ░░░░░░░░ involved in fighting foreign ░░░░░░░░ in the United States ░░░░░░░░ have much more robust ░░░░░░░░ situation than we had ░░░░░░░░ We have much more ░░░░░░░░ sharing of information between ░░░░░░░░ and local agencies and ░░░░░░░░ federal government The FBI ░░░░░░░░ joint task forces across ░░░░░░░░ country of about 100 ░░░░░░░░ so covering every field ░░░░░░░░ and many more U ░░░░░░░░ attorneys offices likewise have ░░░░░░░░ anti terrorism task forces ░░░░░░░░ work with state and ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement sharing information ░░░░░░░░ the time and we ░░░░░░░░ giving out considerable amounts ░░░░░░░░ grants to help state ░░░░░░░░ local and territorial and ░░░░░░░░ law enforcement to up ░░░░░░░░ game in recognizing these ░░░░░░░░ of threats as well ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ you a question which ░░░░░░░░ can then answer if ░░░░░░░░ want for the record ░░░░░░░░ think seriously on this ░░░░░░░░ more do your departments ░░░░░░░░ from Congress and particularly ░░░░░░░░ committee to root out ░░░░░░░░ extremism so we re ░░░░░░░░ faced with this discussion ░░░░░░░░ 26 years from now ░░░░░░░░ I would hope you ░░░░░░░░ be very specific in ░░░░░░░░ that question and tell ░░░░░░░░ directly Because I I ░░░░░░░░ we you know hear ░░░░░░░░ much about domestic violent ░░░░░░░░ and all its manifestation ░░░░░░░░ think it s safe ░░░░░░░░ say that your departments ░░░░░░░░ committed to combating extremism ░░░░░░░░ whatever form it exists ░░░░░░░░ we have to start ░░░░░░░░ some common facts In ░░░░░░░░ of last year the ░░░░░░░░ of Homeland Security concluded ░░░░░░░░ white supremacists extremists remain ░░░░░░░░ most persistent and lethal ░░░░░░░░ in the homeland That ░░░░░░░░ what the Department of ░░░░░░░░ Security said during the ░░░░░░░░ administration So let me ░░░░░░░░ first Secretary Mayorkas is ░░░░░░░░ still your assessment that ░░░░░░░░ supremacist extremists are the ░░░░░░░░ lethal threat we face ░░░░░░░░ the homeland today Mayorkas ░░░░░░░░ Chairman I do believe ░░░░░░░░ the intelligence reflects the ░░░░░░░░ that indeed that is ░░░░░░░░ case And I very ░░░░░░░░ appreciate your question with ░░░░░░░░ to the resources that ░░░░░░░░ could utilize to enhance ░░░░░░░░ efforts to combat domestic ░░░░░░░░ extremism and three lines ░░░░░░░░ work come immediately to ░░░░░░░░ Of course as I ░░░░░░░░ earlier we have created ░░░░░░░░ Branch to focus exclusively ░░░░░░░░ this particular threat stream ░░░░░░░░ that Branch can use ░░░░░░░░ resources so that we ░░░░░░░░ the analytic capabilities to ░░░░░░░░ assess the threat and ░░░░░░░░ information to our state ░░░░░░░░ tribal and territorial partners ░░░░░░░░ equip and empower them ░░░░░░░░ address it in their ░░░░░░░░ LEAHY But you do ░░░░░░░░ with your predecessor that ░░░░░░░░ supremacist extremists remain the ░░░░░░░░ persistent lethal threat in ░░░░░░░░ homeland Mayorkas I I ░░░░░░░░ believe they they do ░░░░░░░░ this time Mr Chairman ░░░░░░░░ And Attorney General Garland ░░░░░░░░ you agree Garland I ░░░░░░░░ And that s the ░░░░░░░░ recent assessment of the ░░░░░░░░ LEAHY: “Thank you.”