{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://vanepps.house.gov/media/press-releases/major-non-nato-ally-terror-threat-assessment-act-advances-out-of-homeland-committee-markup", "Major Non-NATO Ally Terror Threat Assessment Act Advances out of Homeland Committee Markup", "2026-06-25", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "TN", "Matt Van Epps", "V000139", "vanepps.house.gov", "vanepps", "https://vanepps.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.- Rep. Van Epps\u2019 (TN07) new bill, the Major Non-NATO Ally Terror Threat Assessment Act, advanced out of the Committee on Homeland Security.\n\nThis bill requires DHS, working with State and the Intelligence Community, to deliver a classified report to Congress within 180 days, mapping terrorist groups operating in key partner countries and the risk they pose to the United States, with updates every two years. It forces a clear accounting of where Foreign Terrorist Organizations are active, how they operate, whether partner governments are taking action, and whether we have the tools to stop threats before they reach our borders. This closes an oversight gap and ensures we are not blind to terrorist activity in countries we work closely with on security.\n\nWatch Rep. Van Epps\u2019 Remarks here.\n\n\u201cThank you, Chairman Garbarino. When the United States designates a nation as a Major non-NATO ally, it comes with real benefits, like security cooperation and defense trade eligibility. But the threats we face today are adept at moving beyond borders, and it\u2019s critical that Congress has insight into terrorist organizations that may be operating within our partner nations,\u201d Rep. Van Epps said.\n\nRep. Van Epps continued, \u201cThis legislation strengthens coordination between the DHS and Congress to better assess and support MNNA partners as they confront threats within their own borders. It requires the administration to provide Congress with a comprehensive assessment identifying foreign terrorist organizations operating within MNNA countries, as well as each partner\u2019s capacity to counter those threats. These partnerships are important, but we must also ensure our own national interests and security are being protected. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor of this bill and yield back.\u201d\n\nRead Rep. Van Epps\u2019 original press release here.\n\nRead the bill here.\n\nRead the one-pager here.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe \u201cMajor Non-NATO Ally\u201d (MNNA) designation is linked to provisions of the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act. Over time, limited oversight of the MNNA program has created a gap where U.S.-designated terrorist organizations are present in, or operating from, MNNA countries. This bill addresses this gap by providing Congress with regular visibility into where these groups operate, how they function, how partner governments are responding, and whether the United States has the capabilities and resources needed to help our partners mitigate threats before they reach the homeland. There are currently 20 countries designated as MNNAs plus one unofficial designation (Taiwan).", 1, "2026-06-26T06:29:35Z", "2026-06-26T06:31:46Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://vanepps.house.gov/media/press-releases/major-non-nato-ally-terror-threat-assessment-act-advances-out-of-homeland-committee-markup"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7927302978932858, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}