US House plans to move domestic terrorism bill for a vote this week

The recent mass shootings have renewed calls for action to curb any racially-motivated acts of violence around the US. House Democrats are planning to bring the domestic terrorism bill for a vote this week.

In a report by The Hill, House Democrats are planning to move the domestic terrorism bill to the floor for a vote Tuesday, following the recent mass shooting at Buffalo, New York. Democratic House Rules Committee Chair, Rep. Jim McGovern, told reporters Monday that the panel will consider moving the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act on Tuesday.

The House is expected to vote on the legislation this week, but it remains to be seen which day it will take place. Democratic leaders originally sought to pass the bill earlier this month through a fast-track process but scrapped the plan due to opposition from some progressive Democrats.

Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider, who drafted the bill, told reporters Monday that the bill has been modified so that its contents do not undermine First Amendment rights.

Schneider also pressed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to schedule a vote for the bill, which would direct the FBI, and the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to watch and monitor potential domestic terrorist activity.

Schneider cited the recent shootings that occurred in the country, including the mass shooting in Buffalo that killed 10 people, and the shooting in Laguna Woods, California, that killed one person. 11 of the victims in the Buffalo shooting were Black, with the suspected gunman, a white male named Payton Gendron, reportedly espousing the racist “Great Replacement Theory” conspiracy.

In other related news, the House is also tackling the sudden baby formula shortage that occurred in the country. Pelosi told reporters during a news conference that following the probes by several congressional committees, indictments may have to be made.

Prior to Pelosi’s remarks, House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Rosa DeLauro zeroed in on the Food and Drug Administration and the baby food manufacturer Abbott Nutrition, saying that people must be held accountable. The House Oversight, Energy, and Commerce Committees also launched their respective probes into the crisis.

This comes as Abbott Nutrition closed its company in Sturgis, Michigan, after the FDA launched an investigation into the facility.

Four babies that drank the company’s formula were found to have bacterial infections and were hospitalized, two of which died. Abbott has denied wrongdoing.