Daniel Donovan

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1372) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure that the needs of children are considered in homeland security planning, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1372, the Homeland Security for Children Act. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are about 74 million children in the United States, and while we are constantly making progress to achieve national resilience in the face of the next emergency, we must continue to ensure special consideration is made to integrate emergency planning at the Department of Homeland Security that addresses the unique needs of children when emergencies arise. I want to thank Mr. Payne for introducing H.R. 1372, which will ensure such consideration is made. Recently, the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications held a series of hearings focused on the progress and the future of achieving national preparedness in the face of events like Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. Among the child safety efforts made in the last 10 years, FEMA created the National Emergency Child Locator Center within the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to ensure the swift reunification of children should a major emergency displace communities. Mr. Speaker, I know this personally, having been an elected official on Staten Island during the tragedy in lower Manhattan in September of 2001. All three bridges from Staten Island to New Jersey were closed, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge was closed, and ferry service was stopped from Staten Island to Manhattan. We had many of our residents stuck at work in Manhattan. Their children were on Staten Island and could not be reached when being released from school. I know Mr. Payne can comment on this as well, but I just want to publicly thank him, because I experienced that myself. The subcommittee heard from weather-tested first responders who, among other important issues, stressed the importance of integrating the needs of children into emergency planning, reminding us that, after all, children are not just mini-adults. While DHS and FEMA have taken steps to elevate the safety of our most important populations, DHS can still do more to ensure Department policies, programs, and activities to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against disasters, and also consider the needs of children throughout our impacted communities. By authorizing a children's needs technical expert at FEMA, as H.R. 1372 seeks to do, we can make certain that the needs of children are integrated into emergency preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation activities. Further, H.R. 1372 will require DHS's Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans to appropriately consider the needs of children throughout Departmental activities and report such efforts to Congress. H.R. 1372 provides peace of mind that the future of our most treasured assets, our children, are safe in the face of emergencies. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that this legislation would not have a significant impact on the Federal budget. I want to thank Chairman Shuster of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and Chairman Barletta of the Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management for working with the Committee on Homeland Security to see that this legislation receives timely consideration on the House floor. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, I am committed to ensuring FEMA has resources at its disposal to meet its mission of safeguarding a more resilient nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my fellow Members to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, March 10, 2017. Hon. Michael T. McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McCaul: I write concerning H.R. 1372, the ``Homeland Security for Children Act.'' This legislation includes matters that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In order to expedite Floor consideration of H.R. 1372, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will forgo action on this bill. However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding that forgoing consideration of the bill does not prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or similar legislation that fall within the Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. I request you urge the Speaker to name members of the Committee to any conference committee named to consider such provisions. Please place a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest in the Congressional Record during House Floor consideration of the bill. I look forward to working with the Committee on Homeland Security as the bill moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Bill Shuster, Chairman.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1372, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1365) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require certain acquisition innovation, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1365, the Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Innovation Act. The bill allows DHS to designate a senior official to manage acquisition innovation efforts; test, develop, and distribute acquisition best practices throughout the Department; and establish performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts. Republican amendments at the committee markup strengthened the underlying bill by encouraging DHS to obtain feedback from the private sector and incorporate this feedback into future efforts. As we have seen from numerous watchdog reports, the Federal Government's acquisition and contracting process is broken, cumbersome, and bureaucratic. DHS must continue to innovate to ensure the private sector can best support our critical homeland security needs. The Department has recently taken positive steps in using new contracting tools and collaborating with industry. This legislation supports those efforts and encourages their continued use. I commend Oversight and Management Efficiency Subcommittee Ranking Member Correa for all of his hard work on this legislation. I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1365, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1238) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Health Affairs responsible for coordinating the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security related to food, agriculture, and veterinary defense against terrorism, and for other purposes.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 1238, the Securing our Agriculture and Food Act, introduced by Congressman David Young of Iowa. This bill seeks to authorize the Department of Homeland Security's food, agriculture, and veterinary defense program within the Office of Health Affairs. Last year, the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications held a hearing to examine the potential devastating impacts of an intentional attack on, or a natural disruption of, U.S. agricultural or food production systems. The food and agriculture sector is critically important to our Nation's economy. U.S. food and agriculture accounts for roughly one- fifth of the Nation's economic activity, and contributed $835 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product in 2014, and is responsible for 1 out of every 12 U.S. jobs. Coming from Iowa and as a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Congressman Young of Iowa knows all too well the importance of protecting this sector, which is vital to the economy and our way of life. I appreciate him introducing this bill of which I am pleased to be an original cosponsor. I thank Chairman Walden of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Conaway of the Agriculture Committee for working with us to advance this bill. Mr. Speaker, we also look forward to working with our Senate colleagues, who recently approved companion legislation without amendment in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. This bipartisan legislation passed the House last September by voice vote, and I urge all Members to join me once again in supporting this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, March 16, 2017. Hon. Michael T. McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McCaul: I write in regard to H.R. 1238, Securing our Agriculture and Food Act, which was referred in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I wanted to notify you that the Committee will forgo action on the bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration. The Committee on Energy and Commerce takes this action with our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 1238, the Committee does not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation and will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or similar legislation moves forward to address any remaining issues within the Committee's jurisdiction. The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation and asks that you support any such request. I would appreciate your response confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 1238 and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in your committee's report on the legislation or the Congressional Record during its consideration on the House floor. Sincerely, Greg Walden, Chairman.

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

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Young).

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume, and I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1238. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Nicholas Caruselle for his lifelong commitment to providing quality hospital care to the community. Born on December 10, 1954, to Anna Maria and Paul Caruselle, Nicholas has lived on Staten Island his whole life. In 1974, he began working at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) as an oxygen technician, where he would spend the next 42 years of his life. It was there where he met his sweetheart, Janice, whom he later married on November 23, 1979. They have been happily married for 37 years with three wonderful children, all of whom were born at SIUH. Nick's dedication to patient-centered care is evidenced by how long he has worked at SIUH. After serving as an oxygen technician, he later went on to serve in various positions providing excellent cardiopulmonary care from 1977 to 1996. Later on, he served as Senior Vice President of Operations and retired as Deputy Executive Director and South Site Administrator for SIUH. Nicholas Caruselle has achieved numerous accomplishments throughout his career at SIUH. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, he tirelessly fought to obtain $40 million in government funding to rebuild crucial hospital infrastructure. Furthermore, he was instrumental in the development of the Sleep Medicine Institute, the Elizabeth A. Connelly Emergency and Trauma Center, the Regina McGinn, MD Education Center, and the Heart Tower. The enormous impact Nick has had on improving SIUH and the care of its patients is truly immeasurable. Mr. Speaker, Nicholas Caruselle has spent his entire career improving the lives of others. I thank him for his devotion to his community of work and I wish him a very happy retirement.

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Anthony Ferreri for his enduring devotion to serving others in need. A lifelong Staten Islander, Anthony has been at the forefront of providing quality hospital care. President and CEO of Staten Island University Hospital since 2003, he has overseen the hospital's growth with the addition of the Elizabeth A. Connelly Emergency and Trauma Center in 2009 and the Regina M. McGinn, MD Education Center in 2011. This dedication led Modem HealthCare Magazine to award Anthony its Community Leadership Award. In 2013, after being named as Executive Director of the North Shore-- LIJ Health System's Western Region, Anthony Ferreri was then appointed the Executive Vice President just two years later. With his new position came additional duties, as he also became the System's Chief Affiliation Officer and Regional Executive Director for Westchester County. His established track record of effective partnerships with area hospitals and medical centers made him an ideal choice for this position, at which he excelled. Anthony has also proven himself a steadfast servant to his community. He has served numerous nonprofit boards, among them the Friends of May Chang Foundation, New York Organ Donor Network, and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. Furthermore, he is the Chairman of the Board of Staten Island's Moore Catholic High School. He has been recognized on multiple occasions for his community service. One such example is that he was only the 12th graduate of New Dorp High School to be inducted into its Hall of Fame. Moreover, he was also awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations. Mr. Speaker, Anthony Ferreri has spent his life serving his community and providing quality care to hospital patients. I thank him for his lifetime of work and I wish him the best in retirement.

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th Birthday of Brooklyn's Dolores Bellucci Contes. Dolores was born on February 19, 1917, and has been a resident of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn for over 80 years. In fact, she has lived at the same address since 1950. In 1951, after her husband's sudden death, she was widowed at the age of 33. Despite her grief, she demonstrated strength and temerity by becoming a working mother in order to support her children. Dolores got remarried in 1961 to her late husband, George Contes, with whom she spent 50 joyous years. I cannot emphasize enough Dolores' determination and wisdom. She owned a local small business, ``Nail Elegance,'' for many years. Moreover, the fact that she worked until the age of 91 is simply astounding. It takes a special kind of person to have the kind of dedication and work ethic that Dolores has had her entire life. Mr. Speaker, I wish Dolores Bellucci Contes a very happy 100th birthday. Simply put, people like Dolores are what make Brooklyn great. She has truly lived a life worth living, and I am honored to represent her in Congress.

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 690) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance certain duties of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, and for other purposes.

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th Birthday of Staten Island's Michelena Cucchia. Michelena, or Minnie, as she is known to her friends and family, was born on January 21, 1917, in Manhattan to Charles and Grace Sciascia. After moving to Staten Island in 1932, Minnie met the love of her life, Salvatore ``Sam'' Cucchia. On December 19, 1936, Minnie and Sam were married at St. Joseph's Church. Afterward, they moved to a home in New Dorp on Staten Island to raise their daughters, Angela and Grace, and their son, Steve. At the age of 100 years young, Minnie Cucchia is still active. With six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great- grandchildren, she certainly enjoys spending time with the many members of her family. Moreover, she continues to partake in her favorite hobbies, such as crocheting blankets, hats, and scarves for babies that she then donates to a local hospital. To this day, Minnie still lives in the house in New Dorp where she and Sam raised their wonderful children. She truly is a lifelong Staten Islander. Mr. Speaker, I wish Minnie Cucchia a very happy 100th birthday. I applaud the tremendous life she has led. I am proud to call her one of my constituents, as she embodies the very essence of the American spirit.

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 549) to amend the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to clarify certain allowable uses of funds for public transportation security assistance grants and establish periods of performance for such grants, and for other purposes.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 549, the Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act. With more than 10 billion riders using surface transportation annually and limited security screening, it should not be surprising to us that terrorists have an interest in targeting mass transit. We saw it in London, Madrid, Brussels, and when a terrorist left a backpack of IEDs at a transit station in Elizabeth, New Jersey, last fall. Given the repeated calls from ISIS and other radical Islamic terrorist groups for lone wolves and sympathizers to plan smaller attacks where larger crowds gather, we must ensure that the first responders and transit agencies have the tools they need to secure our transit systems. That is why, last Congress, I introduced the Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act. This bill addresses concerns raised during a field hearing the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications held last year in Ranking Member Payne's district on preparedness for incidents impacting surface transportation. As chairman of that subcommittee, I introduced this legislation to ensure action follows our subcommittee's oversight, and that is why I reintroduced this commonsense legislation in the 115th Congress. Witnesses at last year's field hearing testified about the importance of the transit security grant program, but found that the period of performance was a challenging timeframe to meet, especially for completing vital, large-scale capital security projects. These projects are vital to transit agencies to help enhance their security features systemwide and harden infrastructure. H.R. 549 addresses this challenge by codifying the period of performance for transit security grant program awards at 36 months for the majority of eligible projects and extending the period of performance for large-scale capital security projects to 55 months. Additionally, transit security grant program awards can be used to provide personnel with effective security training. Unfortunately, recipients of these awards are not currently permitted to use transit security grant program funds to pay for backfilling personnel attending such training. In some cases, that extra cost at the transit agency has resulted in an inability to send staff for vital security training. My bill will permit transit security grant program funds to be used for this purpose, consistent with other Homeland Security grant programs. The current threat environment is evolving and complex, which makes it even more imperative that the transit security grant program provide flexible solutions for grant recipients. I am proud to sponsor this bipartisan legislation, which passed the House by voice vote last year. I urge all Members to join me in supporting H.R. 549. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DONOVAN

Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 584, the Cyber Preparedness Act of 2017. Cybersecurity is a major national security issue and the threat is real and immediate. Day in and day out nation-states or criminal actors target the United States' critical infrastructure, the private sector, and everyday Americans, and they are succeeding. However, even with the heightened awareness on cybersecurity, it appears that the United States is not adequately prepared to prevent and respond to cyber attacks. Since 2012, FEMA has released an annual National Preparedness Report, which highlights States' progress in meeting 32 core capabilities, as defined by the National Preparedness Goal. Every year, States have ranked their cybersecurity capabilities as one of their lowest. I found these facts very alarming and wanted to learn more about the current state of cyber preparedness. That is why, last Congress, my subcommittee, the Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications Subcommittee, held a joint hearing with the committee's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee to look at cyber preparedness and how the Federal Government can help States address some of the challenges they face. We heard from a Homeland Security adviser, a fusion center representative, the Center for Internet Security, a chief information officer, and a chief technology officer, who explained the great progress the United States has made in enhancing their security capabilities. However, they cautioned that challenges still remain, especially with regard to information sharing of cyber threats and risks, and whether Homeland Security grants may be used for cybersecurity enhancements. Last Congress, I introduced this bill to address the findings from that hearing. I introduced this bill in this Congress to ensure that States and first responders have the resources needed to prepare for and protect against cyber attacks. This commonsense legislation will: Enhance cyber risk information sharing with State and major urban area fusion centers; authorize representatives from State and urban area fusion centers to be assigned to the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center; and permit the NCCIC personnel to be deployed to the fusion centers. It will allow information sharing on cyber preparedness best practices with State and local stakeholders. It will clarify the eligibility of State Homeland Security Grant Program and Urban Area Security Initiative funding for cybersecurity enhancements; and it will work to combat the overclassification of cyber risk information so that it can be shared more broadly with stakeholders who have a need to know. I appreciate that Chairman McCaul, Chairman Ratcliffe, and Ranking Member Payne joined me again as original cosponsors of H.R. 584. This bipartisan legislation passed the House by voice vote last Congress. I am pleased that the House is willing to take up this measure again in the new Congress. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.