June 15, 2021 - Herring Praises Biden-Harris Administration for Taking Proactive Steps to Combat Domestic Terrorism

~ For years, Herring has been sounding the alarm on the rise in white supremacist violence and domestic terrorism in Virginia and around the country ~

RICHMOND (June 15, 2021)- Attorney General Mark R. Herring today praised the Biden-Harris Administration for taking proactive steps to combat domestic terrorism. This morning, President Biden announced the country's first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, following a 100-day comprehensive review by President Biden's national security team into the federal government's efforts to address domestic terrorism. President Biden's strategy includes four pillars: 1) understand and share domestic terrorism-related information 2) prevent domestic terrorism recruitment and mobilization to violence 3) disrupt and deter domestic terrorism activity 4) confront long-term contributors to domestic terrorism.

'I have been sounding the alarm on the rise in white supremacist violence and domestic terrorism for years and it is so refreshing to now have a partner in the White House who recognizes the gravity of this threat and is committed to combating it,' said Attorney General Herring. 'Sadly, Virginia is all too familiar with white supremacist violence and the devastating effects it can have on communities, which is why I have made combating it a top priority. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the threat of domestic terrorism in the United States and having the support of the federal government will be instrumental in successfully stopping it. I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to addressing the serious threat of domestic terrorism in this country by taking these proactive steps to combat it.'

For years Attorney General Herring has been raising awareness of the threat of white supremacist violence and proposing new laws to keep Virginians safe. Attorney General Herring's proposed bills would update the Commonwealth's hate crime and domestic terrorism laws, protect Virginians from violence and intimidation by hate groups and white supremacists, and make it harder for hate groups and white supremacists to threaten, intimidate, or hurt Virginians with firearms.

Last month, Attorney General Herring sent a letter to Representative Jaime Raskin, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, calling for more federal resources to combat the threat of militia extremism in Virginia and around the country. Attorney General Herring sent the letter ahead of today's Subcommittee hearing 'Confronting Violent White Supremacy (Part V): Examining the Rise of Militia Extremism.'

In addition to his legislative proposals, Attorney General Herring launched NoHateVA.com to give vulnerable communities more information and resources to protect themselves from hate crimes and white supremacist violence. Last month, Attorney General Herring updated NoHateVA.com dedicating it to focus exclusively on the rise of anti-Asian hate, abuse, discrimination, and violence that has coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic.

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