Congressman August Pfluger, representing Texas's 11th district and serving as Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, led a significant legislative session. This session marked the subcommittee's first markup of the 119th Congress, focusing on legislation aimed at enhancing national security through improved coordination between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and various law enforcement levels.
During this session, ten pieces of legislation were reviewed. Among these were two bills introduced by Chairman Pfluger: the Countering Transnational Repression Act and the Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act.
Ahead of this legislative review, Chairman Pfluger organized a hearing titled "The Digital Battlefield: How Terrorists Use Online Networks for Recruitment and Radicalization." The hearing explored methods to balance First Amendment rights with proactive measures against future terrorist threats.
Earlier in March, Chairman Pfluger proposed the Countering Transnational Repression Act of 2025. This act aims to establish a dedicated office within DHS focused on transnational repression. The goal is to ensure that federal authorities can recognize, assess, and counter threats from foreign authoritarian regimes or agents targeting American citizens or lawful permanent residents.
Additionally, Chairman Pfluger introduced the Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act. This legislation mandates that DHS conduct annual assessments regarding terrorist threats posed by organizations such as ISIS and Al Qaeda. These assessments will utilize generative artificial intelligence applications to evaluate potential terroristic activities.