Chairmen Green, Pfluger Press the White House on ‘Havana Syndrome’ Response

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This week, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green and Subcommittee on Counterterrorism Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) sent a letter to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, requesting a briefing from the National Security Council (NSC) on the Biden administration's response to the growing number of anomalous health incidents (AHIs), also referred to as 'Havana Syndrome,' taking place within the United States homeland. Read the full letter here and excerpts below.

Read more from Tom Rogan via the Washington Examiner

In the letter, the Chairmen state, "The Committee has heard testimony from a variety of stakeholders, including victims who have suffered from the debilitating ailments caused by AHIs, and attorneys who represent dozens of AHI victims. For instance, just this past May, the Committee's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence held a hearing with a nongovernmental panel of witnesses on the topic of AHIs that have taken place here in the homeland. The testimony from the witnesses painted a chilling picture of the threats our nation faces from these perceived acts of foreign aggression. We have also held numerous classified briefings related to AHIs, one with AHI victims and two with government agencies working to combat and treat AHI incidents. That being said, it still remains unclear how the Biden-Harris Administration is working to address AHIs."
The Chairmen continue, "These incidents are an assault on our nation's sovereignty. We implore the Administration to take decisive action to investigate the causation and attribution of AHIs, disrupt and deter the operations of any foreign entities conducting these attacks, and send a clear message to the world that these actions will not be tolerated. We also ask that the administration be fully transparent with the American people on the gravity these threats pose."
The Chairmen conclude, "After signing the HAVANA Act of 2021 into law, President Biden stated in a press release that "addressing these incidents are top priority for my Administration" and that the Administration plans to bring 'to bear the full resources of the U.S. Government to make available first-class medical care to those affected and to get to the bottom of these incidents, including to determine the cause and who is responsible.' We ask that the Administration uphold this commitment and work to prioritize getting to the bottom of who and what are behind these attacks."
Background:

Since 2014, several U.S. diplomatic, military, and intelligence officials and their families have reported medical symptoms that have affected their auditory and sensory motor skills. These instances became public in late 2016 after a group of Canadian diplomats and U.S. government employees and their families, assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Cuba began experiencing similar symptoms.

Following the reported incidents in Havana, government officials and their families began reporting similar symptoms in the China, Vietnam, Germany, Austria, Serbia, Australia, Taiwan, Colombia, and here in the United States.
In May, the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, led by Chairman Pfluger, held a hearing with a nongovernmental panel of witnesses to examine AHIs that have taken place in the homeland. In addition to the hearing, the subcommittee held a classified briefing with victims of AHI in April, and two briefings with governmental agencies working to combat and treat AHI incidents in July.

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