John Carter

Mr. CARTER of Texas

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the retirement of Jade Stawasz. On January 27, 2015, she closes out 47 years of incredible service to the U.S. Army and begins the next exciting chapter of her life. Jade is a valued member of the Army's Civilian Service. More than 330,000 strong, Army civilians serve as an integral part of the Army team. This global family is devoted to ensuring our warriors are prepared to shoulder any challenge that comes their way. Widely admired and respected for her leadership and work ethic, Jade excelled at numerous responsibilities over the years. From her work as Director of Executive Services for Ill Corps and Fort Hood to her efforts on behalf of Army leadership ranging from Kansas to Hawaii, she's long been someone both her supervisors and colleagues could rely upon. Jade's great work has not gone unnoticed. For her efforts she was awarded a Superior Civilian Service Award, Commander's Award for Civilian Service, and a Commander's Award for Public Service. The United States Armor Association honored her with the Order of St. Joan D'Arc Medallion for her contributions to the morale, welfare, and spirit of armor and cavalry families during their spouse's absence. Her commitment to service doesn't end when she leaves the office. As a member of the Harker Heights and Killeen Chambers of Commerce, she works tirelessly to strengthen bonds between Fort Hood and the surrounding communities. I commend Jade Stawasz's selfless service to the United States Army. Her patriotism, citizenship, and commitment to excellence reflect the very best values of Central Texas. I join Jade's friends, family, and colleagues in wishing her all the best in her much-deserved retirement.

Mr. CARTER of Texas

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks, including extraneous material, on further consideration of H.R. 240, and that I may include tabular material on the same. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania.) Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Texas?

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from the Judiciary Committee. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Madam Speaker, may I remind my colleague from New York that we put $300 million in those fusion centers in the bill. At this time, because this is clearly primarily about the amendments that are on this bill, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Gowdy).

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment. The executive actions of November 20, 2014, and the Morton memos of 2011 and 2012 are in direct contravention of congressional intent and have no standing in current law and must be dismantled. Apparently, the President learned nothing from the devastating results of his previous executive amnesty, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, which led to nearly 70,000 children arriving on our southern border last summer at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars to the American taxpayer. This amendment turns back the President's shortsighted executive overreach, and for that reason, I strongly support its passage. Mr. Chairman, we will also consider four additional amendments today. All of them seek to correct many of the dangerous actions the President has taken on this issue and restore the rule of law. I plan to support all of these amendments and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. CARTER of Texas

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Alither Mae Stephens of Copperas Cove, Texas as she celebrates her 100th birthday on January 15, 2015. Even with a century of living behind her, she remains a vibrant part of her growing central Texas community. Born in Cassatt, South Carolina, Alither kept her southern heritage alive when she moved to Copperas Cove. Devoted to family, Alither and her beloved Edward had one daughter, eight grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren. She knows the keys to a long life are eating healthy, staying positive, and remaining active. Alither continues to cook for herself and church, bowling, and civic duties help fill her days. In her century of living, Alither witnessed her nation's brave soldiers defend freedom on foreign shores, watched a humble midwesterner take mankind's first steps on another world, and marveled at technological advances beyond any of her dreams. She listened to the soaring words of a southern minister as he worked to bring equality to all Americans and she saw people of all races, creeds, and backgrounds join together to make our nation a beacon of hope and freedom. Alither saw how America has been defined by extraordinary men and women who fought for a country brave enough to confront its past imperfections and hopeful enough to embrace a better tomorrow. The City of Copperas Cove, Texas proclaimed January 15, 2015 as Alither Mae Stephens Day, a fitting tribute to an amazing lady who has lived a long life, blessing all she has come into contact with along the way. I join her family and friends in celebrating Alither as we wish her the happiest of birthdays and nothing but health and prosperity in the years ahead.

Mr. CARTER of Texas

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 240 and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today, I am privileged to present to the House this bipartisan- bicameral agreement providing appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security, DHS, for fiscal year 2015. Before I describe the details of this agreement, I want to thank everyone who has worked on this bill here today because, despite its importance to national security and public safety, its path to the floor has been far from certain. First, to the Speaker and majority leader and your staffs, thank you for doing what is necessary to get this bill to this stage of the legislative process. To Mr. Rogers and the full committee staff, thanks for fighting for this bill. It wouldn't be on the floor without you. To the House and Senate subcommittee staffs and to my personal staff--Darek Newby, Kris Mallard, Cornell Teague, Laura Cylke, Anne Wake, Steve Gilleland, Bill Zito, Jonas Miller, and Val Baldwin--thank you for your advice and counsel in crafting this agreement. Your work takes you away from home and from your families, and I appreciate your efforts. Finally, to the Honorable David Price, who is the ranking member of the subcommittee, much thanks to David. Our partnership is critical to this bill's success. His experience and measured approach makes this agreement even better. Thank you, David, for your service and, more importantly, for your friendship. As everyone knows, several amendments will be proposed to stop the President's recent executive actions on immigration. I plan to vote for these amendments because, like many Americans, I believe the President's actions exceed the authority provided to the Executive in the Constitution. We need to have this debate, but after all of the arguments have been presented, the underlying appropriations bill must be enacted because it is critical to the Nation's security and to public safety. Mr. Chairman, last week, we watched a terrible tragedy unfold in Paris as armed terrorists killed innocent French citizens who were doing nothing more than going about their daily lives. Like 9/11, this event and others that have occurred this year remind us that our democratic values are under constant attack, and they serve as a warning that we must remain vigilant. Make no mistake, what happened in Paris can happen anywhere, including in the United States, and we must provide the resources necessary to find and to root out the seeds of terrorism. Therefore, passing the Homeland Security Appropriations bill is an imperative we cannot fail to meet. Mr. Chairman, this agreement is very good, and I am proud of it. It supports DHS' frontline personnel and its essential security operations and maintains fiscal discipline. Specifically, for Customs and Border Protection: this agreement adds $42 million above the request to assure the 24/7 surveillance of all land, sea, and air approaches; it increases air and marine flight hours from 74,000 to 95,000 per year; this agreement fully funds 23,775 CBP officers to continue efforts to reduce the wait times of passengers arriving at the Nation's international airports without resorting to burdensome user fees as proposed by the President; funds are included for 21,370 Border Patrol agents, the highest operational force in DHS history; funds for tactical communications equipment and border security technology are increased by $20 million above the request; substantial increases are included for targeting systems and data analysis to support counterterrorism efforts. For Immigration and Customs Enforcement: custody and deportation operations are increased by $862 million above the request to ensure the full funding of 34,000 legislatively-mandated detention beds and to detain, deport, and deter the influx of families and children illegally crossing the southwest border. Included in this amount are 3,732 new family detention units to deter the illegal migration of families. Also included are 207 new enforcement officers to expedite the process of returning illegal immigrants to their countries of origin. ICE's investigative capability is increased by $82.4 million over the request, which will result in more convictions of child pornographers, drug smugglers, human traffickers, and other criminals; full funding is provided for E-Verify and all existing 287(g) agreements. For the Transportation Security Administration: TSA screeners are capped at 45,000--1,000 below last year's level; privatized screening is increased by $12.1 million over the request; funds are reduced from TSA's current request and prior year balances, saving the taxpayers almost $300 million. For the U.S. Coast Guard: operational hours in critical source and transit zones are increased by $16.7 million over the request; depot level maintenance, which is crucial for the Coast Guard's readiness, is increased by $52.7 million over the request; the eighth National Security Cutter is fully funded; and $95 million over the request is added for an additional C-130J aircraft. For the United States Secret Service: $25 million in additional funds are provided to address training shortfalls highlighted by the White House fence jumper and to enhance perimeter security, including for additional K-9 teams. For the National Protection and Programs Directorate: funds are provided so DHS can effectively manage the collection of biometrics and protect and enhance the resilience of the Nation's physical and cyber infrastructure. For the Federal Emergency Management Agency: $7 billion is provided to fully fund operational needs for disaster relief; first responder grants are increased by $300 million above the President's request to sustain funding for State and local grants, firefighter assistance grants, and Emergency Management Performance Grants. For Science and Technology: $23.7 million above the request is provided for vital research efforts, including biological defense, cybersecurity, border security, and first responder technology; $300 million is included to complete the construction of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. Finally, this agreement provides absolutely no discretionary funds or mandatory funds to implement the President's executive actions on immigration. As you know, the costs of processing immigration applications are paid entirely by individual applicants when they submit their supporting documentation. Fees from those transactions are collected in a specific amount in the Treasury, as mandated by the Immigration and Nationality Act. The hard-earned income of American taxpayers does not subsidize the costs of immigration applications, and the spending bill under consideration today has no funding for these purposes. In closing, Mr. Chairman, this Homeland Security bill meets the security needs of our Nation and the fiscal stewardship expected by the taxpayers. I believe it is worthy of every Member's vote, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr. Hal Rogers, the chairman of the full committee

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the honorable chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Jeb Hensarling, the honorable chairman of the Committee on Financial Services.

Mr. CARTER of Texas

Mr. CARTER of Texas. At this time, Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr).

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Marino).

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I believe we have no further speakers, so at this time, I am prepared to close. I would just like to clarify a few things. Nobody is going to lose a paycheck, no agency is going to go broke, as we have this constitutional discussion and this constitutional debate that has taken place today and will probably take place tomorrow, when the amendments will actually be before this august body for a determination of whether they will be included or not included in this bill. There has been some confusion, I think, that some may think these things are already here, but we will follow the regular process tomorrow on the amendments that have been made in order. No one is trying to put the security of the United States at risk in this bill, and we will have a normal debate, as we do here. What better body to address constitutional issues than the Congress of the United States? With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I move the Committee do now rise.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I will yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the State of Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).

Mr. CARTER of Texas. At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Pittenger).

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hurd), another Member of the 114th Congress, a man who probably has more of the southern border of the United States than any other Member of Congress.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. At this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart).

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Madam Chairman, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), a member of our committee.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. I yield the gentleman another minute.

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Chair, before I proceed, may I ask how much time is left on both sides, please?

Mr. CARTER of Texas. Madam Chairman, at this time I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to my good friend and colleague from Texas (Mr. Poe), a colleague not only of this House but of the judiciary prior to that time.