Congressman Anthony Brown Applauds NDAA Inclusion Of Amendment To Counter Extremism Within The Ranks

Statement

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and 30-year Army veteran, released the following statement applauding the inclusion by a vote of 31-28 on his amendment tackling extremism within the armed services during the House markup of the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act:

"The vast majority of men and women who serve in uniform do so with honor, integrity, and character. But that cannot blind us to the ever-present and growing threat of extremism within the ranks of our armed services, nor the urgency for action to combat domestic terror, uphold good order and discipline and defend our shared values.

"I applaud the support for my amendment within this NDAA to begin tackling this well-documented issue within our military that has gone unaddressed for far too long. We put immense trust, training, and resources into our service members for our security and to represent the best our country has to offer. Racism, white supremacy, antisemitism, discrimination, and other extremist beliefs are not in line with the values of our armed services and have no place in our ranks."

Congressman Brown's amendment mirrors the forthcoming Countering Extremism in the Armed Forces Act of 2021, which would provide:

Resources and Accountability: Establish an Office of Countering Extremism within USD (P&R) to lead the Department in developing, coordinating, and overseeing policy to address extremism throughout DoD.

Transparency & Reporting: Create a comprehensive database to track the prevalence of extremism in the Armed Forces and coordinate fluid information and resource sharing with other law enforcement agencies, security organizations, and insider threat programs.

Training & Education: Requires the Department to create and provide training for commanders, recruiters, ROTC, military service academies, and servicemembers transitioning to civilian life.

Clarification of Authorities: Prohibits membership in an extremist organization or engaging in extremist activities for any member of the armed services. Additionally, provides the Secretary the authority to utilize social media as cause for separation from the Armed Forces.

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