2013: Schweikert Voted Against Increasing Anti-Terrorism Funds For Large Metro Areas by $22 Million. In June 2013, Schweikert voted against an amendment that would have increased funding for DHS' Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) by $22 million, which, according to the amendment's sponsor, Rep. Heck (R-NV), was "for the purpose of funding the [UASI] program to the top 35 eligible metropolitan areas." According to CQ.com, the funding increase would have been "offset by a total reduction of the same amount for the Office of the Under Secretary for Management, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, and salaries and expenses at FEMA and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol." The amendment failed, 156 to 258. [House Vote 196, 6/5/13; Congressional Record, 6/5/13; Congressional Quarterly, 6/6/13; Congressional Actions, H. Amdt. 101; Congressional Actions, H.R. 2217]
DHS: UASI Program Provided Funds To "High-Threat, High-Density Urban Areas" For Anti-Terrorism Infrastructure. According to DHS, "UASI program funds address the unique planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas, and assists them in building an enhanced and sustainable capacity to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism." [Federal Emergency Management Agency, 5/16/13]
Amendment Aimed At Making Sure That Las Vegas, Other Previous UASI Recipients Would Receive Funding Despite New UASI Funding Criteria. According to Rep. Heck (R-NV), "due to a recent change in qualification criteria, a number of major metropolitan areas will be going without UASI funds despite being qualified for such funds last year. Those areas that will be without funds to prevent and respond to threats include Riverside, California; Portland, Oregon; Orlando, Florida; Indianapolis, Indiana; New Orleans, Louisiana; San Antonio, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Las Vegas, Nevada. Now, if those sound like high-threat, high-density locations to you, you'd be correct. They are. Yet despite recent events, they are not going to be receiving UASI funds this year. Now, I cannot speak for all of these areas, Mr. Chairman, but I can tell you that Las Vegas, which holds more high-profile, highly attended events than any city in the country, is worthy of UASI funding." [Congressional Record, 6/5/13]
Ranking Member Opposed Amendment As Replacing DHS Risk-Based Assessment Of Priorities With That Of House Floor. Rep. Price, the Appropriations Committee Ranking Member, "Now, the grant programs can always use more money. I've championed those programs for years, especially the risk-based UASI program. But we need to think carefully what this amendment is really about. This is a risky path for this body to go down. It really seems to be about adding cities to UASI, adding cities. Now, UASI-eligible cities, and there are 25 of them, are picked on a risk basis. There's a formula involving threat and vulnerability and consequence. The estimates are updated every year. This is probably the most strictly risk-based assessment that DHS undertakes. Do we really want to substitute that for picking these cities on the House floor? I'm afraid that's what this amendment is all about, or at least it's the path that it could put us on. And so, therefore, I urge its rejection." [Congressional Record, 6/5/13]
2023: Schweikert Voted Prevent Financing Of And Other Assistance To Hamas. In November 2023, according to Congressional Quarterly, Schweikert voted for "motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill that would state that it is U.S. policy to prevent Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the Lion's Den, or any affiliate or successor thereof from accessing its international support networks. It would also state that it is U.S. policy to oppose such groups from using goods, including medicine and dual use items, to smuggle weapons and other materials to further acts of terrorism, including against Israel. Among other provisions, the bill would require the president to impose sanctions on foreign individuals and states that engage in significant financial transactions or provide significant material support to such groups. It would terminate the bill's provisions seven years after the date of enactment, unless the president certifies to Congress at a sooner date that Hamas is no longer designated as a foreign terrorist organization, or that Hamas and the other listed terrorist organizations no longer meet the criteria to be subject to anti-terrorist financing sanctions under U.S. law." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill by a vote of 363 to 46. [House Vote 561, 11/1/23; Congressional Quarterly, 11/1/23; Congressional Actions, H.R. 340]
2015: Schweikert Voted To Extend The Terrorism Insurance Act Through 2020. In January 2015, Schweikert voted for legislation that would have, according to Congressional Quarterly, "extend[ed] the Terrorism Insurance Act for six years, through 2020, and raise[d] the threshold of insured losses at which federal assistance kicks in, reducing the share of losses that federal assistance will cover and increasing the amounts that the government recoups from the insurance industry. It also would [have] clarify[ied] that certain entities, or so-called 'end users', who trade in derivatives are not subject to margin requirements for those derivatives." The vote was on passage. The House passed the measure by a vote of 416 to 5. The Senate later passed the measure, and the president then signed it into law. [House Vote 8, 1/7/15; Congressional Quarterly, 1/7/15; Congressional Actions, H.R. 26]