Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif) released a majority staff report entitled, "Report on the Importance of Peer Support in Preventing Domestic Violent Extremism." This report is based on findings from the Committee's March 2022 investigative hearing examining key factors that place a small but growing number of veterans at risk of radicalization and recruitment by domestic violent extremist groups.
Chairman Takano recognized the thorough and detailed staff work that culminated in the final report and offered the following statement:
"This report is the result of diligent and thorough work by Committee staff to shed light on an issue that could jeopardize the strength of our democracy. As I said during this Committee's hearing in March: ideologically motivated violence must be rejected by everyone in public office -- and it must be a bipartisan concern. Acknowledging the small but growing threat of violent extremism among the veteran population does not impugn all veterans. But ignoring this phenomenon is a disservice to those who continue to support and defend the Constitution, and forsakes our ability to formulate effective solutions for countering it."