Christopher Carney

Mr. CARNEY

Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I would inquire as to whether the gentleman from Florida has any more speakers.

Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on House Resolution 134. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CARNEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CARNEY

Mr. CARNEY. Madam Speaker, our Nation must remain vigilant against all threats to the homeland, including acts of terrorism and natural disasters. Department of Homeland Security employees stand willing, ready, and able to respond should catastrophe strike. They work long hours to deter, detect, and prevent acts of terrorism against the homeland. As protectors of our Nation's borders, airports, seaports, rail lines, and other transit systems, they are always on call. Together with other agencies and departments of the Federal Government, they work with State, local, and tribal partners to enhance preparedness at all levels of Government. On January 24th, the Department of Homeland Security marked its fourth anniversary. The Department, which has more than 208,000 employees, plays a vital role in ensuring the Nation's security and preparing the American people for future catastrophes. In light of this anniversary, it is fitting and appropriate for the House of Representatives to take a moment to honor the employees of the Department for their contributions in protecting the homeland and the sacrifices they make to protect the American people.

Mr. CARNEY

Mr. CARNEY. Madam Speaker, the Department of Homeland Security purchases $10 billion worth of goods and services per year. Unfortunately, the Department's procurement process is rife with problems that need to be addressed. Whether buying ice to aid disaster victims or cameras and sensors to secure our borders, the Department has struggled. The bill I am introducing today is a first step toward addressing some of the Department's most pressing needs in this area. It is an outgrowth of the excellent bi-partisan work spearheaded during the last Congress by then-Chairman Mike Rogers of Alabama and then- Ranking Member Kendrick Meek in the Subcommittee on Management, Integration, and Oversight of the Committee on Homeland Security. Specifically, this bill requires regular procurement training for the Department's acquisition employees and the development of courses for both new and experienced employees. To assist the Chief Procurement Officer in developing policies and curriculum for the training, it establishes a ``Council on Procurement Training'' made up of eight component-level chief procurement officers in the Department. In order to ensure that training occurs as required, the Chief Procurement Officer is required annually to submit a report on training activities to the Secretary. Selection of able and responsible contractors is, of course, crucial to any procurement success. To that end, this bill puts new requirements on the Department to review the past performance of all offerors seeking contracts. And to ensure that all contractors are on an equal playing field, it requires offerors to provide information concerning any role the offeror or its employees played in developing a contract solicitation or similar document. Further, if an offeror is delinquent or in default on any payment of tax, the bill requires offerors to disclose this information. The bill also directly addresses one area that requires particular attention, the use of purchase cards. A Goverment Accountability Office (GAO) review released this past July revealed a disturbing lack of guidance and controls over their use. It highlighted potential incidents of fraud, waste, and abuse that could run into the millions of dollars. To address this problem, the bill directs the Department to develop and quickly disseminate Department-wide guidance concerning the use of such cards. Finally, the bill directs the GAO to issue a report on the contracting processes of the Department within six months of enactment. This bill will not solve all of the problems of the Department's procurement operations. It will, however, start the process of reform that is badly needed.

Mr. CARNEY

Mr. CARNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th anniversary of the PA Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs. The Federation is one of the oldest and largest conservation organizations in Pennsylvania. Since 1932, the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs has been the leading advocate of our outdoor heritage, wildlife habitat and environmental protection in the Commonwealth. For three-quarters of a century this great organization has worked diligently to defend the rights of individuals under the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, as well as ensure the rights of all citizens to a healthy environment. The Federation was the driving force behind the passage of the Nation's first environmental laws, including PA's Clean Streams Law in 1937. Throughout its proud history, the Federation has been a strong partner in conservation with our State and Federal natural resource and wildlife management agencies, such as the PA Game Commission, the PA Fish and Boat Commission, and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. In cooperation with these public agencies, the Federation has helped to conserve precious wildlife habitat, protect clean water, and provide countless recreational opportunities for millions of American citizens. In closing, Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the members of the PA Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, past and present, for their 75 years of distinguished service to the United States of America.

Mr. CARNEY

Mr. CARNEY. Madam Speaker, some of the nation's most dedicated citizens stand at the ready each and every day, working to detect and prevent the next terrorist attack on our soil. They are vital to our security and are to be commended. Often, they fulfill this critical homeland security work with significant help from what we have come to call ``man's best friend.'' Canines trained to detect explosives and other dangerous materials regularly roam our nation's airports, subways, and ports, anywhere else that they are needed to deter, prevent, detect and respond to terrorist threats. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the United States Secret Service, the Coast Guard, and the Federal Protective Service regularly use canine detection teams to secure National Special Security Events and to protect Federal buildings and their occupants. As a consequence of September 11, demand for trained explosive detection dogs has increased dramatically. Today, there simply are not enough trained dogs to meet the demand. There also are no national standards to certify a dog as a capable bomb-sniffing dog or drug- sniffing dog. In the absence of national training and certification standards, there have been a number of cases of fraudulent operations and the use of inadequatelytrained canines and canine handlers. In one documented case, a Virginia man, Russell Lee Ebersole, was hired to protect several government buildings, including the Federal Reserve Board. In multiple tests his dogs failed to detect 50 pounds of dynamite, 50 pounds of TNT, or 15 pounds of C-4 in the agency's parking facilities. The ``Canine Detection Team Improvement Act of 2007,'' which Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama is introducing today and on which I am the Democratic original cosponsor, will make the United States more secure by addressing the shortage of trained canine detection teams and establishing standards for canine detection teams and an accreditation process to assure Federal, State, local and tribal authorities that the dog they look rely on to help defend the homeland can get the job done. Specifically, the bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to coordinate all training programs within the Department, including research and development of new canine training methods. The bill also directs the Secretary to consult on the use of canines with other Federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, universities, and private training facilities in order to increase the number oftrained canines available to Federal, State, and local law enforcement. By coordinating all programs within the Department and working with outside resources, section 2001 empowers the Secretary to build upon the synergy of multiple resources to enhance dog training programs. Section 2002 of the bill addresses canine procurement. It directs the Secretary to make it a priority to increase domestically bred canines used by the Department, and includes a provision encouraging the use of universities and private and non-profit organizations to accomplish this effort. This bill's section also directs the Secretary to consult with other public and private entities to not only encourage the use of domestic bred canines, but also to work with them to consolidate canine procurement wherever possible in the hopes to reduce the cost of purchasing canines across the Federal Government. Section 2003 of the bill is a ``Domestic Canine Breeding Grant Program'' for further encouragement of the development and growth of canine breeds best suited for detection training purposes. However, perhaps the most significant accomplishment of this law is the establishment of an accreditation board, which will ensure proper certification standards. The board will consist of experts in the field of canine training and explosives detection from Federal and State agencies, universities, other research institutions, and the private sector. It is modeled after the executive board of the Scientific Working Group on Dog and Orthogonal Detectors, or SWGDOG as it is popularly known. This group has already done a tremendous job in bringing together the major stakeholders in canine detection and I applaud them for their work on this issue. This law will build upon the success of SWGDOG in order to ensure the proper standards for voluntary certification are applied and maintained. The board will maintain a public list of accredited entities upon which other agencies, Federal, State, and local can rely for qualified canines. The aim of this board is to reduce misrepresentative, fraudulent or otherwise improper certification of dogs and their training organizations, but ultimately the board will ensure public safety and the safety of law enforcement. Before closing, I want to personally thank Mike Rogers from Alabama. Under his leadership in the previous Congressional session, the Committee on Homeland Security began to address this issue. He held a hearing in the previous Congress entitled ``Sniffing Out Terrorism: The Use of Dogs in Homeland Security.'' Many of the findings from that hearing were a source of guidance in writing this legislation and I thank him for his stewardship on this issue. I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in passing this very critical legislation.

Mr. CARNEY

Mr. CARNEY. Thank you, Mr. Hodes, and thank you for your leadership in this class. It is going to be a historic class. I think we have already proven that in the last 100 hours. Mr. Speaker, in the last 2 weeks in the new Congress we have already taken remarkable action to pass this first 100 hours legislation. Now, as I traveled across my 10th District of Pennsylvania, I heard from so many families who were struggling to make ends meet. Our working families needed an increase to the minimum wage, and we provided that. Our working families needed affordable education. We provided that relief. Our seniors need lower prescription drug prices. We took steps to make sure they can have them. Our children need to know that they are growing up in a country that is safe, and we provided to enhance the security of this Nation. Two weeks into this new Congress and already I am proud of what this House of Representatives has achieved in a bipartisan and civil manner. We are listening to the concerns of our constituents and passing meaningful legislation on their behalf. I encourage our colleagues in the Senate to pass our legislation and for the President to sign it into law. Two weeks into the new Congress, and already I have heard from so many of my constituents who are appreciative of our concerns and their concerns being addressed. But they also remind me that we have only just begun. Two weeks in and still so much left to accomplish.

Mr. CARNEY

Mr. CARNEY. I would like to thank my colleague from California for the time. Mr. Speaker, today the House will vote for bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing the minimum wage and making an important change for the families of nearly 13 million American workers. It is unconscionable, Mr. Speaker, that the minimum wage has remained unchanged for nearly 10 years. During the past decade, consumer costs have skyrocketed. Energy, health care and education costs have all risen, while my constituents have seen their real incomes drop. It is wrong that millions of Americans work full time and year around and still live in poverty. I am voting to give them a raise, a raise that is long overdue. This bill will increase the minimum wage by $2.10 an hour over 2 years. This will mean an additional $4,400 for a family of three equaling 15 months' worth of groceries or 2 years' worth of health care. Helping them to keep up with the rising costs of these necessities is something that we have the moral obligation to do. As the father of five, I understand, I keenly understand the impact of rising costs on a tight family budget. Raising the minimum wage is the first step to a stronger economy for all Americans, not just for the privileged few. Our action today will make a real difference in the lives of America's working families and I am proud to vote for it, and I respectfully urge my colleagues to stand with our working families, as well.