Will Hurd

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the SECURE Technology Act. This is a bill that I introduced with the majority leader, Kevin McCarthy, and Representatives Ratcliffe, Lieu, Vela, and Langevin. This bill includes two bipartisan proposals to strengthen Homeland Security. First, it requires a vulnerability disclosure policy and establishes a bug bounty program at the Department of Homeland Security. Second, it establishes requirements for supply chain security in products purchased by the Federal Government. Title I of the bill incorporates H.R. 6735, which is the Public- Private Cybersecurity Cooperation Act, which was introduced by Leader McCarthy and passed by a voice vote by this House in September. It is cosponsored by myself and Representatives Ratcliffe, Langevin, and Khanna. Senator Portman introduced the Senate companion to this bill, S. 3707, with Senator Hassan. This title seeks to protect the information systems of the Department of Homeland Security by establishing a program to report security vulnerabilities discovered on these systems. This program allows DHS to learn about security risks from private-sector experts and requires DHS to fix these at-risk systems. DHS operates many of the systems and services other agencies use to protect their networks, so DHS should set the example for securing its own information systems. Title I also includes S. 1281, the Hack the Department of Homeland Security Act of 2018, which was introduced by Senator Hassan with Senators Portman, McCaskill, Harris, and Gardner. Representative Lieu introduced the House companion to this bill, H.R. 2774, with Representative Taylor. It is cosponsored by Representatives Meehan, Khanna, Jayapal, Kilmer, Kelly, and Evans. The bill authorizes DHS to create a bug bounty pilot program to compensate people who report security vulnerabilities to DHS. Bug bounties are widely seen as an effective and inexpensive way to identify vulnerabilities in IT systems. Title II of this bill incorporates S. 3085, the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018, which was introduced by Senator McCaskill and cosponsored by Senators Lankford and Johnson. This bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent last night. This title helps ensure the integrity of information technology and communications equipment purchased by the Federal Government by addressing supply chain risks that are government-wide. The bill sets up an interagency council to identify products that pose unacceptable risk to these systems and to set policy on information sharing and risk mitigation in Federal IT systems. The bill recognizes the need to move away from an ad hoc approach to dealing with unacceptable products offered to the Federal Government by companies such as Kaspersky, ZTE, and Huawei. It also authorizes exclusion and removal orders for products found to pose an unacceptable risk to these Federal IT systems. This legislation provides for due process, including judicial review, and certainty about how lawsuits will be handled in the future. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the numerous Members in the House and Senate who worked tirelessly on these two pieces of legislation, especially Leader McCarthy, members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and Committee on Homeland Security, and members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Mr. Speaker, I want to urge my colleagues to support the SECURE Technology Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I make my friend, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, whom I always take every opportunity to work with, aware that I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, this is another example of how we can actually get things done up here in Washington, D.C., if we work together. This is a piece of legislation that is going to help secure our networks, make sure we are protecting the American people, and I urge the adoption of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2454) to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a data framework to provide access for appropriate personnel to law enforcement and other information of the Department, and for other purposes.

Mr. HURD. 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 the bill under consideration.

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2454, the Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act. This legislation provides the first ever authorization for the DHS data framework. Under this initiative, the Department is bringing together vital DHS databases, including travel and cargo information, investigative data, and critical infrastructure data, among other things. Mr. Speaker, Americans would not only be surprised, but appalled to learn about the number of information-sharing stovepipes that still exist within the Department of Homeland Security. This bill will bring together the datasets in each of the classified and unclassified spaces to ensure that the men and women working at the Department have the information they need to keep our Nation safe. This bill also mandates privacy and security safeguards, training for departmental personnel, and requires the Secretary to ensure information in the framework is both protected and auditable. The House has overwhelmingly supported this measure twice before as part of the DHS Authorization Act, on July 20, 2017, and again as a standalone measure on September 12, 2017. The Senate made some minor changes to the bill and passed it on December 6. With today's vote, we will send this bill to the President's desk for his signature. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to again support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I want to urge my colleagues to support this piece of legislation once again. Again, we are authorizing the Department of Homeland Security's data framework. It holds DHS accountable with aggressive timelines, includes robust requirements for privacy and data standards and data safeguards, as well as ensuring important congressional notifications continue. I would like to thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson for their support in moving this measure through the House, as well as all of our colleagues on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for moving this bill through the Senate. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HURD. 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. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague for arranging this conversation. I want to join my colleagues and a mourning nation today as we continue to honor the legacy of President George H.W. Bush, a giant of a man that we should all aspire to be. He was also a man of integrity who focused on his family and his faith. He was a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who treated his friends and his foes with kindness, civility, and respect. I will be forever grateful that he fell in love with Texas A&M University, my alma mater, because that is where I had the opportunity of meeting and becoming friends with the late President. He encouraged me to join the CIA and had a lasting impact on me and many of my peers to answer the call to service and work toward causes greater than ourselves. I will be forever grateful for him instilling this spirit in me. Forty-one was the epitome of a public servant and a beacon of light in this world embodying America at its best. Rest in peace, Mr. President. Thank you for your selfless service, and thank you for being an example to us all.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, it should come as no surprise to anyone in this Chamber that technology is integrated into every facet of our daily lives. We have come a long way since the bill that established the role of the Federal Chief Information Officer, the E-Government Act, when it was originally passed. Less than 50 percent of the U.S. population had access to the internet in 2001. Nearly every American now has access to the internet. Just 62 percent of Americans had cell phones when the original bill passed. Now 95 percent of Americans own cell phones and 77 percent own smartphones. Mobile apps were non-existent in 2002. Today, over 2.2 million apps are available to consumers. This bill recognizes how far technology has come. It codifies the position of the Federal CIO and elevates the office to report directly to the head of the Office of Management and Budget. This bill establishes the role of the Federal CISO, the Chief Information Security Officer, who reports to the CIO and leads OMB's cybersecurity efforts. Empowering CIOs at the Federal agencies is consistent with the principles of the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act and the Federal CIO should not be treated differently. $90 billion is spent on purchasing IT goods and services. Eighty percent of that is on old, outdated technology. We need a strong Federal CIO to make sure American taxpayer dollars are being spent wisely. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friends, my colleagues--Mark Meadows from North Carolina; Gerry Connolly from Virginia; my partner in crime on the Information Technology Subcommittee, my good friend, Robin Kelly from Illinois; and also Brenda Lawrence from Michigan--for showing the American people that bipartisanship actually happens up here in Washington, D.C., in order to make sure we are keeping Americans safe. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that we say goodbye to Damon Nelson, an Air Force veteran, a tireless public servant, and a friend to so many. I was fortunate enough to know Damon through my role on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence where he protected some of the Nation's most classified information and navigated complicated national security issues with absolute confidentiality and professionalism during a highly polarizing and rocky time. Damon provided a steady hand when our country needed it most. I want his wife, Dana, to know that her family is bigger than she may realize, and we all love her so very much. Ernest Hemingway said: ``Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.'' Damon did much to distinguish himself in this life, and he is finally home. We will miss him.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Oklahoma yielding. Since the birth of our Nation, brave, selfless, and patriotic individuals have committed to putting their lives on the line to keep America safe, including along the border. No matter which side of the aisle you are on, there is no debating the fact that our selfless Border Patrol agents play a vital role in our national security. We, as lawmakers, owe a debt of gratitude to ensure our Border Patrol agents are treated fairly. As a Member of Congress who represents a district with over 800 miles of the southern border, I am all too aware of the day-to-day dangers and obstacles our Border Patrol agents face. As a result of bureaucratic inefficiencies, many Border Patrol agents are not receiving the pay they have rightfully earned and, in some cases, are being forced to work dangerously long shifts to make up for the onerous and arcane regulations handed down to them from OPM. The purpose of the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Amendments Act of 2018 is to fix this broken system and allow our agents to receive the pay they have earned. I want to thank my colleagues on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for recognizing the urgency of these problems and passing this bill with a voice vote in May. Additionally, I appreciate the willingness of Customs and Border Protection, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Border Patrol Council to sit down and work out an agreement on these pressing issues. I have to thank my colleagues Martha McSally and Filemon Vela for their support and work on this piece of legislation. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. -Mr. Speaker, I was unable to vote last night due to illness. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on Roll Call No. 394; yea on Roll Call No. 395; and yea on Roll Call No. 396.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a premiere resource for businesses and leading advocate of economic growth in the state of Texas. The Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has been a critical institution in the area since its founding in 2006. In just over 10 years, the Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has supported a range of businesses in the border area. This Chamber of Commerce has established itself as a leader in strengthening and supporting small, minority and women-owned businesses and providing opportunities for business development and growth in the community. I applaud the extraordinary efforts of this Chamber of Commerce and congratulate them for their recognition as the Small Hispanic Chamber of the Year. The work of this institution resonates across Texas' 23rd Congressional District, and will undoubtedly continue to have a lasting positive impact across Texas and the United States.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible contributions and life of Mr. Valentine ``Rock'' Grundman of San Antonio, Texas. Rock's service to the United States began in 1957 when he received a commission as an Air Force Judge Advocate General Officer. From there, he served as counsel at the Federal Trade Commission, and as an advisor to Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. Throughout his career, Rock Grundman remained active in the military, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1992. During this service, he successfully defended the Secretaries of the Army and the Air Force in the first antitrust case brought against the U.S. Government. For these efforts, he received the Meritorious Service Medal in 1980. While serving in the Air Force Reserves, Rock also served as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Texas at Dallas Graduate Business School. Rock Grundman lived a life of public service that extended well beyond his career and military service. He was a member of the vestry and senior warden for St. William Laud Episcopal Church and President of the Pittsburg Rotary Club. His leadership and service to his community are truly a testament to the character and spirit of Texas's 23rd Congressional District. Rock Grundman passed away on June 13, 2018, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy and family. While we mourn the loss of Rock, his reputation and the values he represented will live on through his family, his friends, and community. I would like to extend my most sincere condolences to Mr. Grundman's family during this difficult time and am proud to recognize all that he did for the great state of Texas and the United States of America.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Pecos County State Bank on their 90th Anniversary. Pecos County State Bank was first founded by farmers and ranchers on July 3, 1928. From its beginnings in pre-Depression-era America, to its current range of locations, services and clientele, the Pecos County State Bank has truly become an example of innovation and growth in Texas's 23rd Congressional District. Since its opening day, the Pecos County State Bank has maintained strong customer relationships throughout the community and expanded its operations to six locations across the southwest region of Texas. I am proud to represent the hardworking men and women of Pecos County State Bank and celebrate the 90 years of economic prosperity it has experienced. I want to thank the dedicated employees of the Pecos County State Bank for their service to the community and look forward to continuing my work with them moving forward.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take this opportunity to offer my sincere gratitude to Ms. Joni McGee upon her retirement from 15 years of service with the Pecos County Veterans Service Office. Her commitment to the Pecos County community has and will continue to have an impact on all those she has worked with. I am proud to serve alongside hardworking men and women like Ms. McGee in the 23rd Congressional District of Texas. Her time as a County Veteran Service Officer has undoubtedly had a tremendous impact on the wellbeing of veterans in our community. I wish her all the best in the many years to come.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 263.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from California for yielding to me and for the work that we have been able to do together. In my 3\1/2\ short years in Washington, D.C., I have learned a very simple thing: if you want to get big things done, you have to actually do it together. And the only way that this body gets things done is if we work across the aisle to get things done. I have learned that way more unites us as a country than divides us, and that it is actually possible to disagree without being disagreeable. This is something that I have learned firsthand with the distinguished gentleman from California and the distinguished gentlewoman from New Mexico. I would say that, through this process, learning more about these young men and women, who have only known the United States of America as their home, over a million men and women who are in school, who are working hard, 5 percent of the DACA population are entrepreneurs, which is more than twice the national average, these are men and women--in Texas alone, the DACA population has a $7 billion impact on the State's GDP. That is pretty big. These are young men and women that are already contributing to our history, our culture, our economy, and they are already Americans. We are going to continue to work in a bipartisan way to solve the problem of DACA, and also solve the problem of border security. I have more border than any Member of Congress--820 miles. It is 2018 and we still don't have operational control of our border. But we are not going to solve this problem with a 30-foot high concrete structure that takes 4 hours to penetrate. We are going to solve it by using technology. The technology exists today to determine the difference between a bunny rabbit and a person and be able to deploy a drone to track and actually secure our communities. We are already seeing that happen, if you haven't read a Wired article from this week talking about some entrepreneurs from the gentleman's great State that are working on solving this problem. I will close with this. If we are going to get anything done to solve real big problems in this country, we have to do it in a bipartisan fashion. I am proud to stand with a number of Republicans and Democrats, and I am proud to have to be one of the sponsors of the only bipartisan piece of legislation in solving border security and committing to solve the problem: a permanent legislative fix for the young men and women that are DACA recipients. We are going to continue to do this, we are going to continue to work hard, and we are going to continue to do it in a bipartisan fashion. As always, I am looking forward to spending more time with my friends from New Mexico and California.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 231.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer my sincere congratulations to the San Elizario High School Men's Soccer Team for winning the District 4-A Championship. This milestone is truly a testament to the team, their dedicated work ethic, perseverance, and talents. I am proud to represent a group of young men that are as determined and hard working as this team. San Elizario High School is fortunate to have such a dedicated group of individuals representing the student body. I am confident that the skills and lessons they have learned through this experience will continue to serve them well. I have no doubts that their dedication and team work will help them in their future endeavors. I encourage these young men to continue to serve others and to be active voices in their community as they continue their education. Congratulations again on this fine achievement.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer my sincere congratulations to Mr. John Paschall upon his appointment to the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Cadet Flight Academy. This appointment is one of the first of its kind and speaks to Mr. Paschall's work ethic and commitment to excellence. I am proud to represent hardworking young men and women like John in Texas's 23rd Congressional District. W. H. Taft High School is fortunate to have such a dedicated individual representing the student body. I am confident that the skills and lessons he will learn through this experience will continue to serve him well. I have no doubt that John's talents and abilities will help him in his future endeavors. I encourage this young man to continue to serve others and be an active voice in his community as he continues his education. Congratulations again on this fine achievement.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible contributions and life of Mr. Wallace Martin from Carrizo Springs, Texas. Wallace's roots run deep in South Texas. In 1948, Mr. Martin took over Dixondale Farms, growing onion transplants, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower. However, Wallace's career began in the military. He honorably served his nation in World War II, when he flew over Omaha Beach on D-day, and conducted numerous heroic missions throughout Germany. As a farmer, Wallace oversaw the growth and expansion of Dixondale Farms during railroad expansions and stoppages, hard freezes, and moves. His leadership is truly a testament to the character and spirit of Texas's 23rd Congressional District. I had the honor of meeting Mr. Wallace Martin this past August. I saw Mr. Martin at a Town Hall and was able to speak to his contribution to the community. Wallace Martin passed away on January 25, 2018, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy and family. While we mourn the loss of this great man, I know his reputation and the values he represented will live on through his family, his friends, and community. I would like to extend my most sincere condolences to Mr. Martin's family during this difficult time and am proud to recognize all that he did for the great state of Texas and the United States of America.

Mr. HURD

Mr. HURD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of House Resolution 838, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.