Commonwealth Policy Center

Following the attack in Buffalo that killed 10 people, Congress is considering a bill that attempts to preempt domestic terrorism. If passed, the Departments of Homeland Security and Justice, and the FBI, would monitor, investigate, and prosecute cases of domestic terrorism. The legislation would also mandate unclassified reporting by governmental agencies on threats of white supremacy. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), the bill’s primary sponsor, said this will “ensure that federal law enforcement has the resources they need to best preemptively identify and thwart extremist violence wherever the threat appears.” Yet, there’s pushback from the Left and the Right, particularly from the ACLU. While efforts to thwart domestic terrorism are laudable, there are larger questions of whether the civil rights of law-abiding citizens will be upheld.