2/16/2016
Three more representatives have signed on as cosponsors for the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act. Last week, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Ron Johnson (R-WI), endorsed the companion bill. The Clarion Project thanks all the readers who responded to our requests to contact their congressmen and Senators to ask for position statements and to facilitate briefings for their staff.
The three additional cosponsors are Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) and Rep. David Joyce (R-OH). The support of Rep. Smith is particularly helpful because he sits on the House Judiciary Committee, along with five other cosponsors.
If passed, the bill would state that Congress believes the Muslim Brotherhood fits the State Department’s criteria of a FTO. 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.
The legislation explicitly identifies the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) as U.S. Muslim Brotherhood entities and includes evidence tying them to a Hamas support network.
The bill (HR3892) was introduced by Rep. Diaz-Balart (R-FL) and referred to the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security. Three members are cosponsors (Reps. King, Buck and Trott). The Senate version (S2230) was introduced by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and referred to the Foreign Relations Committee, where only Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) has signed on. Johnson is also the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
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.
There have been no public positions taken by the following members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security:
| House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration & Border Security | Senate Foreign Relations Committee |
| Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Chairman | Barbara Boxer (D-CA) |
| Luis Gutirrez (D-IL) | John Barrasso (R-WY) |
| Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) | Ben Cardin (D-MD); Ranking Member |
| Raul Labrador (R-ID), Vice Chairman | Christopher Coons (D-DE) |
| Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) | Bob Corker (R-TN); Chairman |
| Pedro Pierluisi (D-PR) | Jeff Flake (R-AZ) |
| John Ratcliffe (R-TX) | Cory Gardner (R-CO) |
| Johnny Isakson (R-GA) | |
| 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) |
Below is the complete list of endorsers of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act in the House and Senate:
| Rep. Diane Black (R-TX) | Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK) |
| Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) | Rep. Curt Clawson (R-FL) |
| Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) | Rep. Charlie W. Dent (R-PA) |
| Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) | Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) |
| Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) | Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) |
| Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) | Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) |
| Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) | Rep. Steve King (R-IA) |
| Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) | Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-MS) |
| Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) | Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL) |
| Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) | Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) |
| Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC) | Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) |
| Rep .Steve Stivers (R-OH) | Rep. David A. Trott (R-MI) |
| Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) |