After receiving several letters from North Texans urging him to take action, Congressman Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX-26), released the following statement calling for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to step down:

“The Department of Homeland Security’s controversial report released last week listed, among others, many of our nation’s veterans as possible domestic terrorists or assassins.  I find this astonishingly insensitive.  In a letter to Secretary Napolitano I called this a ‘baseless claim’ and ‘sensational at best and…dishonorable and disrespectful to their service.’  Many of my constituents in North Texas agree, and have written to me urging me to call for the secretary to step aside.  To those North Texans I say, consider your message delivered. 

“I read on the House floor last night several heartfelt letters from Texans back home.  One was from a couple who had both served in the Army, and you could feel their pain in the letter.  This is a man and a woman who have honorably served their country, and now they are being equated with someone who would want to harm their country, the same country they spent their lives defending.  This is unacceptable.

“I do not believe Secretary Napolitano understands the depth of the disruption she has caused back home in my district, and across the country, and I believe it will be very difficult to reestablish that trust. I think the appropriate thing for her to do is step down.”

Below is a copy of the letter Congressman Burgess sent Secretary Napolitano last week.

April 16, 2009

The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Secretary
United States Department of Homeland Security
108 Federal Office Building
Washington, DC 20502

Dear Secretary Napolitano:

I am writing to express my concerns regarding a recent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report entitled, "Rightwing Extremism:  Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment."  This report claims to provide law enforcement officials with the tools to help them deter, prevent, preempt, correspond to terrorist attacks against the United States.  I understand the purpose of shared intelligence, however, I am concerned that by broadly characterizing those who support a conservative ideology with terrorism the DHS may have mischaracterized and offended several million Americans and placed them at risk of profiling bylaw enforcement officials.

This report states, "The Economic downturn and the election of the first African American president present unique drivers for rightwing radicalization and recruitment."   The report goes on to connect associations with right-leaning ideology with the Oklahoma City bombing, the murder of law enforcement officials, bank robbery, attacks on infrastructure, and racism and bigotry in general.  

This report claims that "high unemployment leads to alienation, increasing an individual's susceptibility to extremist ideas."  This report appears to claim that high unemployment among Caucasians, Christians, Second Amendment supporters, and Armed Forces Veterans has a causal relationship with radicalism and violence against the state.  I call into question this underlying assumption and baseless claim.  The implication that veterans returning home from serving our country are at risk of becoming domestic terrorists or assassins is sensational at best and is dishonorable and disrespectful to their service.

Profiling based on race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or life experiences is always wrong.  I believe the Department of Homeland Security owes an apology to the Americans that are offended by this report, especially the men and women of our Armed Forces. Furthermore, the Department should rescind this report so those local, state, and federal law enforcement officials who received it are not compelled to profile individuals as terrorists simply because they associate themselves with conservative organizations.  

I urge you to enact these recommendations on behalf of the constituents of the 26th District of Texas. 

                                                                        Sincerely,
                                                                        Michael C. Burgess, M.D.