Chairman McCaul Sponsors 2015 Congressional Open Forum

On September 17, 2015 INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. National Central Bureau (USNCB), held its third Congressional Open Forum in the Rayburn House Office Building. The forum was attended by many Congressional staffers as well as some INTERPOL Washington staff. These events are intended to educate staffers and members of Congress about what INTERPOL Washington is and how the agency functions. They are incredibly important for building and maintaining relationships between INTERPOL Washington and Congress as well as helping new staff to learn key facts about the agency and dispel any misconceptions that they may have.

This Congressional Open Forum was sponsored by Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX-10), the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. The Chairman opened the forum by taking time to explain how INTERPOL Washington fits into the current climate of politics and international current events and then briefly took questions from the audience. The Chairman specifically touched on the refugee crisis in the European Union and the expanding role that INTERPOL Washington could take in helping to screen any refugees who come to the United States.

The audience received an extensive INTERPOL 101 presentation and then the discussion was opened to the panel of experts who took questions from the audience. The panel included Director Shawn Bray, Deputy Director Geoff Shank, Senior Advisor to the Director Skip Sigmon, Principal Policy Advisor Wayne Salzgaber, General Counsel Kevin Smith, and Assistant Director Royce Walters. The panelists discussed the expanding Stolen and Lost Travel Document program (SLTD) and the role INTERPOL Washington plays in tracking and apprehending Foreign Terrorist Fighters.

The INTERPOL Washington Congressional Open Forum was a fantastic opportunity for all those involved and another success for the agency. The agency would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank all of those who attended the event or contributed to its success in any way.