II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4080 

To counter White identity terrorism globally, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 25, 2020 

Mr. MENENDEZ introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

A BILL 

To counter White identity terrorism globally, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Countering Global 

5 White Supremacist Terrorism Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) ‘‘White identity terrorism’’ is the term used 

9 by the Department of State to encompass White na10 tionalist and White supremacist terrorists. Individ11 uals who adhere to White nationalist and White suVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:21 Jul 11, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4080.IS S4080

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1 premacist ideologies share a common belief that 

2 White people and ‘‘White identity’’ in western coun3 tries are under siege and pursue the destruction of 

4 pluralistic values intrinsic to the American way of 

5 life. 

6 (2) The Global Terrorism Database and cor7 responding Global Terrorism Index have recorded a 

8 rise in the number and lethality of White identity 

9 terrorist incidents during the past decade, both do10 mestically and internationally. 

11 (3) Various individuals, networks, and organiza12 tions fall under the umbrella of the global White 

13 identity terrorist movement, whose adherents are be14 coming increasingly internationalized, with fighters 

15 and terrorist ideology moving across borders. 

16 (4) Irresponsible social media sites are enabling 

17 the internationalization of the White identity ter18 rorist movement in terms of organization and re19 cruitment. State and nonstate actors have helped to 

20 build a global, online White identity terrorist echo 

21 chamber, including by translating terrorist mani22 festos and promoting other violent extremist content. 

23 This activity includes countries using ‘‘troll farms’’ 

24 to exacerbate fears of immigrants, Muslims, Jews, 


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1 and other minorities in western countries among po2 tentially sympathetic audiences. 

3 (5) There is evidence that adherents of the 

4 White identity movement in the United States are 

5 increasingly traveling overseas for training, further 

6 contributing to the internationalization of White 

7 identity terrorism. Jihadist experiences in Afghani8 stan, Iraq, and Syria highlight the dangers that such 

9 individuals can pose because of the connections and 

10 capabilities they bring with them when they return 

11 home. 

12 (6) The global White identity terrorist move13 ment has manifested a decentralized organizational 

14 approach that encourages individuals to operate 

15 independently from one another and execute ter16 rorist attacks on their own. This approach poses 

17 challenges to law enforcement efforts to track, mon18 itor, and disrupt planned violence. In the same way 

19 that Islamist terrorists have looked to figures in al20 Qaeda and the Islamic State, White identity terror21 ists draw on one another for inspiration. 

22 (7) The growing global interconnectivity of the 

23 White identity terrorist movement means that the 

24 United States must confront this threat as part of 

25 an integrated, whole-of-government approach. 


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1 SEC. 3. COUNTERING WHITE IDENTITY TERRORISM GLOB2 ALLY. 

3 (a) STRATEGY AND COORDINATION.—Not later than 

4 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

5 Secretary of State shall— 

6 (1) develop and submit to the Committee on 

7 Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee 

8 on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 

9 a Department of State-wide strategy entitled the 

10 ‘‘Department of State Strategy for Countering 

11 White Identity Terrorism Globally’’ (in this section 

12 referred to as the ‘‘strategy’’). 

13 (2) designate the Coordinator for Counterter14 rorism of the Department of State to coordinate De15 partment of State efforts to counter White identity 

16 terrorism globally, including with United States dip17 lomatic and consular posts, the Director of the Na18 tional Counterterrorism Center, the Director of the 

19 Central Intelligence Agency, the Attorney General, 

20 the Director of National Intelligence, the Secretary 

21 of Homeland Security, the Director of the Federal 

22 Bureau of Investigation, the Secretary of the Treas23 ury, and the heads of other relevant Federal depart24 ments or agencies. 

25 (b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy shall, at a minimum, 

26 contain the following: 


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1 (1) An assessment of the global threat from 

2 White identity terrorism abroad, including geo3 graphic or country prioritization based on the as4 sessed threat to the United States. 

5 (2) A description of the coordination mecha6 nisms between relevant bureaus and offices within 

7 the Department of State, including United States 

8 diplomatic and consular posts, for developing and 

9 implementing efforts to counter White identity ter10 rorism. 

11 (3) A description of how the Department of 

12 State plans to build on any existing strategy devel13 oped by the Bureau of Counterterrorism— 

14 (A) to adapt or expand existing Depart15 ment programs, projects, activities, or policy in16 struments based on existing authorities for the 

17 specific purpose of degrading and delegitimizing 

18 the White identity terrorist movement globally; 

19 and 

20 (B) to identify the need for any new De21 partment programs, projects, activities, or pol22 icy instruments for the specific purpose of de23 grading and delegitimizing the White identity 

24 terrorist movement globally, including a de25 scription of the steps and resources necessary 


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1 to establish any such programs, projects, activi2 ties, or policy instruments, noting whether such 

3 steps would require new authorities. 

4 (4) Detailed plans for using public diplomacy, 

5 including the efforts of the Secretary of State and 

6 other senior executive branch officials, including the 

7 President, to degrade and delegitimize White iden8 tity terrorist ideologues and ideology globally, includ9 ing by— 

10 (A) countering White identity terrorist 

11 messaging and supporting efforts to redirect po12 tential supporters away from White identity ter13 rorist content online; 

14 (B) exposing foreign government support 

15 for White identity terrorist ideologies, objec16 tives, ideologues, networks, organizations, and 

17 internet platforms; 

18 (C) engaging with foreign governments and 

19 internet service providers and other relevant 

20 technology entities to prevent or limit White 

21 identity terrorists from exploiting internet plat22 forms in furtherance of or in preparation for 

23 acts of terrorism or other targeted violence, as 

24 well as the recruitment, radicalization, and inVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:21 Jul 11, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4080.IS S4080

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1 doctrination of new adherents to White identity 

2 terrorism; and 

3 (D) identifying the roles and responsibil4 ities for the Office of the Under Secretary of 

5 State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs 

6 and for the Global Engagement Center in devel7 oping and implementing such plans. 

8 (5) An outline of the steps the Department of 

9 State is taking or will take in coordination, as ap10 propriate, with the Director of the National 

11 Counterterrorism Center, the Director of the Central 

12 Intelligence Agency, the Attorney General, the Di13 rector of National Intelligence, the Secretary of 

14 Homeland Security, the Director of the Federal Bu15 reau of Investigation, the Secretary of the Treasury, 

16 and the heads of any other relevant Federal depart17 ments or agencies to improve information and intel18 ligence sharing with other countries on White iden19 tity terrorism based on existing authorities by— 

20 (A) describing plans for adapting or ex21 panding existing mechanisms for sharing infor22 mation, intelligence, or counterterrorism best 

23 practices, including facilitating the sharing of 

24 information, intelligence, or counterterrorism 


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1 best practices gathered by Federal, State, and 

2 local law enforcement; and 

3 (B) proposing new mechanisms or forums 

4 that might enable expanded sharing of informa5 tion, intelligence, or counterterrorism best prac6 tices. 

7 (6) An outline of how the Department of State 

8 plans to use designation as a Specially Designated 

9 Global Terrorist (under Executive Order 13224 (50 

10 U.S.C. 1701 note)) or foreign terrorist organization 

11 (pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and 

12 Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189) to support the 

13 strategy, including— 

14 (A) an assessment and explanation of the 

15 utility of applying or not applying such designa16 tions when individuals or entities satisfy the cri17 teria for such designations; and 

18 (B) a description of possible remedies if 

19 such criteria are insufficient to enable designa20 tion of any individuals or entities the Secretary 

21 of State considers a potential terrorist threat to 

22 the United States. 

23 (7) A description of the Department of State’s 

24 plans, in consultation with the Department of the 

25 Treasury, to work with foreign governments, finanVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:21 Jul 11, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4080.IS S4080

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1 cial institutions and other related entities to counter 

2 the financing of White identity terrorists within the 

3 parameters of current law, or if no such plans exist, 

4 a description of why such plans were not developed. 

5 (8) A description of how the Department of 

6 State plans to implement the strategy in conjunction 

7 with ongoing efforts to counter the Islamic State, al8 Qaeda, and other terrorist threats to the United 

9 States. 

10 (9) A description of how the Department of 

11 State will integrate into the strategy lessons learned 

12 in the ongoing efforts to counter the Islamic State, 

13 al-Qaeda, and other terrorist threats to the United 

14 States. 

15 (10) An identification of any additional re16 sources or staff needed to implement the strategy. 

17 (c) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—The Secretary of 

18 State shall develop the strategy in coordination with the 

19 Director of the National Counterterrorism Center and in 

20 consultation with the Director of the Central Intelligence 

21 Agency, the Attorney General, the Director of National 

22 Intelligence, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Di23 rector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sec24 retary of the Treasury, and the heads of any other rel25 evant Federal departments or agencies. 


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1 (d) STAKEHOLDER INCLUSION.—The strategy shall 

2 be developed in consultation with representatives of 

3 United States and international civil society and academic 

4 entities with experience researching or implementing pro5 grams to counter White identity terrorism. 

6 (e) FORM.—The strategy shall be submitted in un7 classified form that can be made available to the public, 

8 but may include a classified annex if the Secretary of 

9 State determines such is appropriate. 

10 (f) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 3 months 

11 after the submission of the strategy, the Secretary of State 

12 shall begin implementing the strategy. 

13 (g) CONSULTATION.—Not later than 3 months after 

14 the date of the enactment of this Act and not less fre15 quently than annually thereafter, the Secretary of State 

16 shall consult with the Committee on Foreign Relations of 

17 the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

18 House of Representatives regarding the development and 

19 implementation of the strategy. 

20 SEC. 4. ANNUAL COUNTRY REPORTS ON TERRORISM. 

21 Section 140(a) of the Foreign Relations Authoriza22 tion Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 

23 2656f(a)) is amended— 

24 (1) in paragraph (3)(B), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

25 the end; 


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1 (2) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at 

2 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

3 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(5) all credible information about White iden5 tity terrorism, including— 

6 ‘‘(A) relevant attacks; 

7 ‘‘(B) the identity of perpetrators and vic8 tims of such attacks; 

9 ‘‘(C) the size and identity of organizations 

10 and networks; and 

11 ‘‘(D) the identity of notable ideologues.’’. 

12 SEC. 5. REPORT ON SANCTIONS. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 

14 submission of each of the Annual Country Reports on Ter15 rorism pursuant to section 140 of the Foreign Relations 

16 Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 

17 U.S.C. 2656f), and 240 days thereafter, the President 

18 shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 

19 Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

20 House of Representatives a report that determines wheth21 er the foreign persons, organizations, and networks identi22 fied in such reports satisfy the criteria to be designated 

23 as— 


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1 (1) foreign terrorist organizations under section 

2 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 

3 U.S.C. 1189); or 

4 (2) Specially Designated Global Terrorist Orga5 nizations under Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 

6 1701 note). 

7 (b) FORM.—Each determination required under sub8 section (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but 

9 may include a classified annex, if appropriate. 

10 SEC. 6. REQUIREMENT FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY TO MAP 

11 THE GLOBAL WHITE IDENTITY TERRORISM 

12 MOVEMENT. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 

14 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 

15 shall enter into a contract with a federally funded research 

16 and development center with appropriate expertise and an17 alytical capability to carry out the study described in sub18 section (b). 

19 (b) STUDY.—The study described in this subsection 

20 shall provide for a comprehensive social network analysis 

21 of the global White identity terrorism movement— 

22 (1) to identify key actors, organizations, and 

23 supporting infrastructure; and 


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1 (2) to map the relationships and interactions 

2 between such actors, organizations, and supporting 

3 infrastructure. 

4 (c) REPORT.— 

5 (1) TO THE SECRETARY.—Not later than 1 

6 year after the date on which the Secretary of State 

7 enters into a contract pursuant to subsection (a), 

8 the federally funded research and development cen9 ter referred to in such subsection shall submit to the 

10 Secretary a report containing the results of the 

11 study required under this section. 

12 (2) TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 30 days 

13 after receipt of the report under paragraph (1), the 

14 Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on 

15 Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee 

16 on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 

17 such report, together with any additional views or 

18 recommendations of the Secretary. 

Æ 


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