House Homeland Security Committee chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) just announced that his committee would be labelling and discussing the Charlottesville rally as a domestic terrorist attack at an upcoming hearing with law enforcement officials.

The announcement came in a letter to the committee’s Ranking Member Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). McCaul was responding to a request from Thompson to hold a separate hearing about hate groups and domestic terror.

The full letter can be read here:

“Dear Ranking Member Thompson,

Thank you for your August 15th letter regarding the heinous attack in Charlottesville, Virginia that claimed the life of Heather Heyer and injured many others. We must stand together and reject racism, bigotry, and prejudice, including the hateful ideologies promoted by Neo-Nazis, the KKK, and all other white supremacy groups. They do not define who we are as Americans and their repulsive values must not be allowed to infect our neighborhoods and spread violence in our communities.

On September 12th, we will hold a full committee hearing and have invited the leaders of the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Counterterrorism Center to discuss the most serious threats America faces. I strongly encourage members of both parties to engage the witnesses on the dangers posed by domestic terrorists and other extremist groups.

Racial intolerance deserves no place in America, and it is imperative that we find ways to rid our nation of the scourge of white supremacism.

I am grateful for your dedication to protecting the American people from the ever-growing number of threats confronting the United States, and I look forward to discussing the matters raised in your letter further as we continue our efforts to find bipartisan solutions and keep our homeland safe.

Sincerely,

Michael T. McCaul

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