Bill to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as Terror Organization Gains Support
Ten more members of Congress have agreed to cosponsor the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2015 since our last update. The legislation identifies three U.S. – based groups — including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) — as part of the Brotherhood network linked to financing Hamas.
If passed, the bill would state that Congress believes the Muslim Brotherhood fits the State Department’s criteria of a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The Secretary of State would be required to designate the Brotherhood within 60 days or to provide a detailed report explaining why it does not. Three U.S.-based Brotherhood entities named in the bill are CAIR, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT).
The House version of the bill (HR3892) was introduced by Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) with Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Randy K. Weber (R-TX), Diane Black (R-TN) and Mike Pompeo (R-KS) as original cosponsors. They are now joined by Reps. Steve King (R-IA); Steven Palazzo (R-MS); Kay Granger (R-TX); Jim Jordan (R-OH); Steve Stivers (R-OH); Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA); Ilena Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL); Charles W. Dent (R-PA); Bill Johnson (R-OH) and David A. Trott (R-MI).
HR3892 was referred to the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security on December 4, 2015. Two cosponsors, Rep. Gohmert and Rep. Trott, sit on that subcommittee.
The Senate version of the bill (S2230) was introduced by presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and later cosponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT). It was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 3. Two of Senator Cruz’s presidential rivals, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) sit on that committee and have not taken a position on the bill.
Although the bill has yet to earn bi-partisan support at this early stage, it is supported by members of Congress from different spectrums of the Republican Party. It includes endorsers of the presidential campaigns of Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and John Kasich and not only supporters of Ted Cruz.
As our original article about the legislation explained, the bill could be a watershed moment in the fight against Islamist extremism. It is important for voters to know where their representatives stand on this important issue.
We encourage readers to contact their representatives and Senators and ask them for a position statement. Please forward any official statement to the Clarion Project so we can update readers on where they stand on the Muslim Brotherhood. A statement of opposition is just as important as a statement of support.
Of particular interest are the members of Congress who are assigned to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Below is a table of those who sit on those committees and have yet to take a position:
| House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration & Border Security | Senate Foreign Relations Committee |
| Ken Buck (R-CO) | Barbara Boxer (D-CA) |
| Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Chairman | John Barrasso (R-WY) |
| Luis Gutirrez (D-IL) | Ben Cardin (D-MD); Ranking Member |
| Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) | Christopher Coons (D-DE) |
| Raul Labrador (R-ID), Vice Chairman | Bob Corker (R-TN); Chairman |
| Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) | Jeff Flake (R-AZ) |
| Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR) | Cory Gardner (R-CO) |
| John Ratcliffe (R-TX) | Johnny Isakson (R-GA) |
| Ron Johnson (R-WI) | |
| Tim Kaine (D-VA) | |
| Edward Markey (D-WA) | |
| Bob Menendez (D-NJ) | |
| Chris Murphy (D-CT) | |
| Rand Paul (R-KY) | |
| David Perdue (R-GA) | |
| James Risch (R-ID) | |
| Marco Rubio (R-FL) | |
| Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) | |
|
Tom Udall (D-NM) |
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EDITORS NOTE: The featured image is of CAIR Founder and Executive Director Nihad Awad (right) with Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR’s spokesperson and national communications director. (Photo: © Reuters)
