William Keating

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 505. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally) for her work on this bill. Over the past several years, the Government Accountability Office has examined various Department of Homeland Security programs and concluded that the Department has not followed standard best practices for acquisitions management. Though DHS has taken steps to improve its performance, there remains specific deficiencies in how it carries out major acquisitions. When a DHS acquisition program falls short in terms of effectiveness or efficiency, this not only risks undermining that program, but also risks wasting the limited homeland security dollars that are available to us. We owe it to the American public not to repeat our mistakes. This bill is intended to strengthen accountability for the acquisition and use of border security technology by the Department of Homeland Security. This bill would require all major acquisitions for border security technology to have written documentation of costs, schedule, and performance thresholds and demonstrate that the program is meeting these thresholds. The bill also requires coordination and submission to Congress of a plan for testing and evaluation, as well as the use of independent verification and validation of resources for border security technology. Addressing border security technology acquisitions is an important step toward bettering acquisitions and management overall. We owe it to the American taxpayer to make sure we are managing these investments wisely and preventing wasteful spending. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 505 aims to focus and improve the way we invest and manage border security technology by providing a specific framework for accountability and oversight on behalf of the American taxpayer. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 677, the CBRN Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2017. Mr. Speaker, last Congress, the Committee on Homeland Security held several hearings to evaluate Federal, State, and local capabilities to prevent, identify, and respond to a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack, a CBRN threat. Although the State and local stakeholders we heard from were generally aware of the evolving CBRN threat, there was a consistent message from everyone who testified--from public health professionals to emergency managers, to first responders--improved information sharing would make our communities safer. H.R. 677 would facilitate improved CBRN information sharing by directing DHS to analyze CBRN-related terrorist threats and share relevant threat information with Federal, State, and local stakeholders. These activities will both improve situational awareness at all levels of government and help DHS grant recipients better target their limited grant dollars to address this particular threat. The CBRN Intelligence and Information Sharing Act passed the House overwhelmingly last Congress, and I urge my colleagues to support the measure once again. Information sharing is at the core of our ability to prevent, thwart, and respond to threats posed by bad actors. H.R. 677 would facilitate information sharing in the CBRN space where the threats are constantly evolving. This commonsense legislation costs next to nothing but will reap significant benefits. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 677. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 678, and I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally). I rise in strong support as a cosponsor of H.R. 678, the Department of Homeland Security Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2017. Since coming to Congress, I have worked to enhance and secure intelligence information sharing among both domestic and international partners. A key mechanism to fostering such information sharing has been the development of a network of fusion centers across the Nation. These centers allow Federal intelligence and homeland security information to be shared with State and local law enforcement and other key stakeholders. For fusion centers to realize their full promise, it remains critical that personnel assigned to fusion centers be able to access Department of Homeland Security information, data, and personnel. In the course of conducting oversight of fusion centers, the committee has learned that not enough State and local analysts and officials assigned to these centers have the TS/SCI clearances necessary to foster the timely sharing of homeland security information and intelligence. H.R. 678 would authorize the DHS to sponsor such State and local analysts for security clearances. Last Congress, this bill passed unanimously by our committee. I urge the passage of H.R. 678, the Department of Homeland Security Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2017. This is legislation that will help ensure that key fusion center personnel have access to the security clearances they need to keep our communities secure. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Madam Speaker, let me share with you and the Members an Affordable Care Act story from Gwyneth Packard, from my hometown of Bourne, Massachusetts. Gwyneth contacted me to tell me about her uncle, Wayne Dickason. It was Thanksgiving 2015, and Wayne went to see his doctor because he was not feeling well. His doctor ran some tests. The next day, Wayne received an unnerving call asking him to come back in. Before he could make the next appointment, Wayne's insurance provider called his employer to inform the company that its rates would be going up because one of its employees had cancer. Wayne had been a computer technician at his company for 18 years. His boss knew he had not been feeling well, so it was not hard for him to figure out which employee was the cause since Wayne was the only one who was sick. At work the next day, Wayne's boss called him into the office and said he was laying him off because his company couldn't afford the new premium. Thankfully, Wayne was able to purchase coverage through the insurance exchange. Wayne saw his doctor, got his official diagnosis, and began formulating a plan. Because he was able to purchase health care, even with his having preexisting conditions, Wayne got the lifesaving surgery he needed.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Genevieve M. Kuzia, who is turning 100 years old on January 5, 2017. Gerry, as she is known to all, was one of seven daughters born to Stephanie and Anthony Kazmierezyk in Boston, Massachusetts. As a child Gerry moved with her family down to Delaware for three years so her father could work on the railroad. In 1923, they moved back to the Commonwealth and settled in Hyde Park. After finishing at Hyde Park High School in 1935, Gerry worked for a law firm in Boston for several years. It was at the wedding of a family friend that Gerry met Francis A. Kuzia, who had just been honorably discharged from the Marine Corps. Francis, or Frank as he was known, and Gerry fell in love and were married on July 13, 1942 and settled in Hyde Park to have three children--Paul, Susan and Robert. After raising three wonderful children and spending her time as a fulltime caring and loving mother, Gerry went back to work for the Hyde Park branch of the Boston Public Library where she worked for 16 years till her retirement in 1982. After losing the love of her life, Frank, in 1993, Gerry moved to Braintree, Massachusetts before moving to the Cape Cod Senior Residences in 2009 due to failing eyesight. Always armed with a smile and a kind word, Gerry is beloved at Cape Cod Senior Residences. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Gerry on this joyous occasion. I ask that my colleagues join me in wishing her many more years of good health and continued happiness.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Article VI: ``All debts contracted and engagements entered into, before the adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation. ``This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any thing in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.''

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of PACTV's 20th anniversary. PACTV is a non-profit public access television station that operates six channels whose content is available to over 35,000 households in Duxbury, Kingston, Pembroke and Plymouth, Massachusetts. This community-based television station, first established in 1996 by the cable committee and selectmen in Plymouth, was founded with the idea that community television programming could be vastly improved. Over the past 20 years, PACTV has flourished and benefitted the communities it serves. PACTV has provided a state-of-the-art community multi-media facility and encourages citizens to participate in the democratic process by providing access to local government coverage and programming. Further, PACTV provides video production classes, has meeting spaces and an art gallery open to the public and helps local non-profits and community service providers to organize and promote events. Over the years, PACTV has accumulated a highly qualified staff that is constantly working with the community and a dedicated board of directors from both industry and non-profit organizations to bring greater quality programming to the Commonwealth. To this day, PACTV continues in the fine tradition of community access television providing a first amendment forum undiluted by commercial considerations. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor PACTV on this joyous occasion. I ask that my colleagues join me in wishing PACTV continued success in providing high quality television programming.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Edward J. Doherty on the occasion of his retirement after thirty six years of outstanding public service in our criminal justice system. Ed, as he is known to all, launched his career in the district court system in 1980 as an Assistant Clerk-Magistrate in the Attleboro District Court in Attleboro, Massachusetts. He quickly moved up to become the First Assistant Clerk-Magistrate, a position in which he excelled at for seven years before being appointed by then-Governor Paul Cellucci as the Clerk-Magistrate of the Wrentham District Court. Ed is well known to all those who practiced law in Massachusetts district courts as the embodiment of public service and dedicating one's life to the greater good. In addition to his wide array of responsibilities as Clerk Magistrate, Ed also has served on the Massachusetts Association of Magistrates and Assistant Clerks' Executive Board, the board of directors of New England Sinai Hospital, the Massachusetts District Court Task Force on Security, and as a Charter member of the Advisory Committee of the Human Rights Commission, among many other legal administration and public safety organizations. Through his participation in these organizations Ed has helped to shape and influence policy across the board from domestic violence law to human rights. He has also sponsored a Courthouse Speaker Series to bring awareness to the many topics of concern facing the court and the community. Throughout his years of service, Ed has never strayed from his commitment to providing each and every dispute, warrant and issue that comes before him the attention and care they deserve. His experience in the criminal justice system, professional and personal relationships with colleagues, law enforcement officers, and other professionals has allowed Ed to become an invaluable member of the district court system in the Commonwealth. In addition, Ed has spearheaded efforts to send holiday greetings to U.S. military service members deployed around the world. His ``Court Cards for Combat'' program has brightened the holidays of tens of thousands of our troops serving bravely overseas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in honor of Edward Doherty, who embodies all of the best qualities of a Clerk Magistrate. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this distinguished public servant and in wishing him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Lesley Chiller, who passed away Saturday, August 27, 2016, at the age of 40 as a result of complications from lupus. Lesley was born July 30, 1976, in Boston and raised in Sharon, Massachusetts. She graduated from Sharon High School where she excelled in English and writing. Following a year at the University of New Hampshire, Lesley earned a BA in Economics from the University of Massachusetts-Boston and a Certificate in Graphic Design from Pima College. An avid reader and music lover, Lesley enjoyed art, history, food anthropology, and politics where her deep passion for social justice was apparent. Family and friends knew Lesley to be wise and kind, but also armed with an unending sense of humor that was both intelligent and dry, even during the most trying times of her 10-year battle with lupus. Mr. Speaker, I co-founded the Congressional Lupus Caucus because we have a responsibility to fight back against this cruel and debilitating illness. Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can force your immune system to destroy healthy tissue, which often leads to terrible pain that can manifest itself throughout the body. I ask that my colleagues join me in the fight against lupus by joining the Congressional Lupus Caucus, and further by helping us boost federal funding to fight this disease through the National Institutes of Health and other means. We owe that not only to the memory of Lesley Chiller but also the 1.5 million Americans suffering with this affliction every day.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Barbara Meiggs, a resident of Hanson, Massachusetts, who will soon be celebrating her 101st birthday, and who is a recipient of the Boston Post Cane, presented to the oldest citizen of a town in a proud New England tradition. Barbara was born on October 17, 1915 in Brockton, Massachusetts and later moved to Whitman, Massachusetts where she graduated from Whitman High School at 18 years old. Shortly thereafter, she married Carlton Meiggs and was happily married for 67 years. In the intervening years, Barbara and Carlton raised their two sons, Russell and Weston, who in turn grew to have wonderful lives of their own, making her a grandmother and then great-grandmother. In addition to her accomplishments as a mother, Barbara was a dedicated volunteer in the Jordan Hospital community. First joining the information desk in 1978, and then becoming a fixture in the ``Bonnet for every baby'' program at Jordan Hospital, Barbara's acts of kindness were often the first to welcome children into the world. For her outstanding service, Barbara was presented an official citation from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1994, and the President's Call to Service Award a decade later. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor what has already been a distinguished and well lived life. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing her life and community service.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2285. I would like to thank my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Roskam) for his strong support in trying to eradicate a major funding source for a terrorist group that is causing great destruction all over the world now, ISIL. I rise in support of H.R. 2285. It is a bill to prevent stolen and illicit cultural property from financing terrorist and criminal networks, and also to improve enforcement and prosecution against trafficking in cultural property. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2285, the Prevent Trafficking in Cultural Property Act, is a bipartisan bill aimed at stopping ISIL and other terrorist groups from advancing their activities through the sale of stolen antiquities and other cultural property. Along with oil and hostage- taking, this is one of the leading sources of their terrorist financing. To date, ISIL has reportedly plundered tens of millions of dollars from antiquities stolen in Syria alone. In just one 4-month period, at the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015, ISIL earned more than $265,000 in what they term ``taxes'' on the sale of antiquities. I was struck by intelligence indicating that ISIL had stolen $36 million from one site alone in al-Nabuk, west of Damascus. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, we work with Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, and we have learned that there was a gap in enforcement of laws and regulations against trafficking in cultural property, and there was a real need to require greater information sharing across agencies and to better equip personnel to identify stolen antiquities and trafficking networks. This bill closes this gap by expanding trainings for personnel and by enhancing coordination between Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. H.R. 2285 also increases cooperation with agencies outside the Department of Homeland Security, authorizing memorandums of understanding with groups like the Smithsonian Institution to promote collaboration around cultural property protection activities and training our personnel to spot these illegal acts. ISIL forces have been terrorizing communities across the Middle East, targeting ethnic and religious minorities with acts of enslavement and genocide. Their attacks have been directed not only against people, but against ancient historic sites, works of art, objects, monuments, and buildings, as ISIL has worked to destroy all evidence of the region's rich cultural, historical, and religious identity. What ISIL does not destroy, it sells to generate income for their terrorist acts. This legislation would help cut off an important revenue stream for ISIL and, by working to close the illicit antiquities market in the United States, would ultimately reduce the incentives in Iraq and Syria to loot and steal antiquities in the first place. We must act to disrupt these smuggling and trafficking networks so that ISIL may not profit from the destruction of the cultural and heritage backgrounds of this region, so that the remaining treasured cultural and historic sites throughout Syria and Iraq will live on. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), the ranking member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam) for his support in this. I want to thank the 19 cosponsors of this legislation, including the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) who just spoke and who is the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) who is the chair of the Homeland Security Committee. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman Miller of Florida for his assistance with this amendment, as well as the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano). I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 5620 that would direct healthcare providers with VA affiliation to take continuing education courses specific to pain management, opioids, and substance abuse. Nationally, about 30 percent of Americans have some type of chronic pain that they report. However, for veterans--and our elderly veterans--that number escalates dramatically, with 50 percent reporting chronic pain. And it is even more--almost double that--as 60 percent of veterans returning from the current conflict in the Middle East report some type of chronic pain that needs administration. In fact, this type of malady is the most common medical problem experienced by returning combat veterans in the entire last decade. So it is the number one reported problem that our veterans returning home from combat have to endure. According to VA data, over half a million veterans are receiving prescriptions for opioids. The number of veterans with opioid use disorders has grown 55 percent over the last 5 years alone. Additionally, the American Public Health Association found that veterans are twice as likely to overdose on prescription opioids as are members of the general population. Of course, pain management isn't just a stand-alone problem for our veterans. The injury leads to co-occurring mental health disorders like brain trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. Approximately one out of every three veterans seeking treatment for substance use disorders also have brain trauma or PTSD. The amendment incorporates language that I have introduced earlier in the year, the Safe Prescribing for Veterans Act. It will help those who provide healthcare services to veterans learn the latest in pain management techniques, understand safe prescription practices, and spot the signs of potential substance use disorders. In our country, some of the States have moved ahead already with what this amendment does. There are 14 States in the country that require continuing education so that their physicians are schooled and kept up to speed with the most modern techniques in dealing with opioid abuse disorders. Even though there are 14, that number decreases in some of those States for the people administering these drugs, including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists, and others. So this is a problem that some States are addressing, but we are not addressing as a country to help our veterans. In those States that have this, they have that requirement for continuing education as part of treating those people who are seeking treatment. But in the remaining States, even if they have some kind of recommendations, there is no guarantee. And for our veterans nationwide, there is no guarantee. So this is something, I think, that is essential and that we do the most we can do to help the veterans and the heroes that have served us so well as they come back dealing with some of the effects and aftereffects of their combat, to be able to help them and be there for them the way that they were there for us. This Congress has already acted, in terms of the appropriations process, for the implementation of the costs attendant to this kind of support. This bill will be a corollary bill that deals with guaranteeing that that occurs. In my own area, just to show you the conflicts of treatment and the diversity of treatment, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is one of those 14 States that requires all medical personnel, all doctors, to able to have this continuing education requirement. That includes those doctors that serve the Veterans Administration. However, in my district in the southeast portion of Massachusetts, most of the veterans in my area go to Providence, Rhode Island, for their treatment, which does not have that guarantee. Just to show an example, they have recommendations of what to do, but they don't have that guarantee. So in my own State, one portion of the State and the veterans served mostly in that portion has that requirement to make sure that is the case. The other doesn't. I want to thank Mr. Rothfus of Pennsylvania for joining me as a cosponsor of this amendment. I want to thank my colleagues for this. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dudley Brown, a Plymouth, Massachusetts native who passed away on September 24, 2015 at the age of 88. A man truly devoted to the service of his country, Mr. Brown spent his life working to honor America both in and out of uniform. Mr. Brown, who served from 1944 to 1947 in World War II and from 1950 to 1952 in the Korean war, was not content to sit back and rest upon his return to civilian life. Balancing his career as a market researcher and salesman around the country for three decades, Mr. Brown sustained a lifelong passion for studying the genealogy of his family and the history of this country. As a direct descendant to William Brewster, one of the original Mayflower pilgrims and a respected religious leader within Plymouth County, Mr. Brown was a proud member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants. In 2014, Mr. Brown received an award for 20 years of membership with the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, and also acted with admirable integrity as a Private 1st Class within Boston's Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. In addition to his passion for family and American history, Mr. Brown was also an avid tennis player and enjoyed speed skating, biking and racing motorcycles as a young man. He is survived by his loving partner, three children, and four grandchildren. Known for his sense of humor and good cheer, Mr. Brown is sorely missed by his family and many friends. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Dudley Brown's many achievements on the anniversary of his passing. I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing his life and his service.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and accomplishments of Dr. Thomas Berry Brazelton. Throughout his 98 years, Dr. Brazelton has been celebrated as a critically acclaimed leader in pediatric medicine and a change-maker in the lives of countless Massachusetts families. Although Dr. Brazelton was born in Waco, Texas, the Bay State has been lucky to claim him as its own since 1945, when he completed his residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In the decades since, Dr. Brazelton became a pioneering expert in neonatal behavior, authoring more than 200 journal articles and textbook chapters on the subject. Any parent might recognize his name from one of his thirty books on child development and parenting. However, his primary contribution to the medical community is the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale. The scale itself is a metric to highlight behavioral differences among newborns within the first months of their lives. His methods drew the parallel between differing parental methods and infant behavioral development in the first four months of a child's life. These discoveries led to his recognition as a tireless advocate for paternal and medical leave, bringing him from the halls of Congress to interviews with Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres to advance that cause. His work earned him a Presidential Citation from President Obama in February of 2013. Today, Dr. Brazelton remains an active member of the pediatric medicine community. He has become a fixture at the Baby Center in Hyannis, helping the underprivileged parents of Cape Cod provide for their children. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, not simply for his dedicated service to the communities of Massachusetts, but for the work he has done for families across the globe.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Westport River Watershed Alliance on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. The Watershed Alliance, originally created to protest a septic- composting lagoon project on the Upper East Branch of the Westport River, was established by a small group of 14 concerned Westport residents. What started as a single protest in 1976 has grown to a membership of over 1,500 families and 4,800 volunteers that work on numerous conservation projects from running the longest water quality monitoring program in Massachusetts to planting over 20,000 beach grass seedlings in the past decade to stabilize eroded areas of the Town Beach dune system in the Commonwealth. The Watershed Alliance has successfully given voice to the natural resource concerns of the Westport River. It has become a leader in environmental preservation efforts in the region and represents the best of the Westport community. The Watershed Alliance has, over the years, worked with state legislators to remove granite blocks out from underneath a bridge that restricted flow to the Upper East Branch part of the river, it has hosted over 28 River Day festivals, has planted 6 rain gardens at the Westport Middle School which were used to capture and treat over 60% of the storm water that flowed previously unchecked into the water, and it is working with the Town of Westport and MA Estuaries Project to come up with alternatives to expensive sewer treatments to help solve the nitrogen pollution problem in an efficient and affordable manner. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Westport River Watershed Alliance's four decade commitment to protecting the Westport River. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the service and commitment of the members of the Westport River Watershed Alliance.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. KEATING. I am in its current form.

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My amendment doesn't delay or send back the underlying bill. It does, however, deny firearms transfers to international domestic terror suspects. Mr. Speaker, before I came to this Congress I was a prosecutor. I was a district attorney. And under Massachusetts law, I was individually responsible for investigating every death in my district for foul play. Many times, I was at a violent crime scene where families had lost a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, a mother or a father. Every time, I would meet with these families after these terrible tragedies, if not at the crime scene, then at the hospital, or at their home, or in my office. And what was the first thing I told them after telling them how sorry I was for this tragedy? I think every single person in this Chamber knows what I told them because I sincerely believe that every Member in this Chamber would say the same thing if they were in that position. I have come to know you, I have come to learn about you, and I sincerely believe that you would ask this very same question. That question is, if there is anything, anything at all that I can do for you, please let me know. There are few, if any, more helpless feelings I have ever felt in my life than during those moments. Never did I want to do so much, yet felt powerless to do so little. Even years after a conviction, during the appeals process, the family members would talk when we would meet as if it were yesterday. They would talk about things like how they still kept a jersey or some jeans in a drawer at home because they didn't want to let go of the memory of a son who would never wear those clothes again. Whether it was their faith in God or being strong for their family, they somehow went on. I never have witnessed courage quite like theirs. Invariably, there was one thing that they did ask me, every single family that I can remember, they said: Please do everything you can so that another family doesn't go through what we are going through. My team did everything we could so that those criminals we prosecuted did not do what they did to another person again. And isn't that what we are being asked to do in this Congress? We all realize that there is no single way to prevent every gun death, but we can reduce them. Some of the hardest cases I witnessed were motor vehicle homicide cases, lives snatched away in an instant. Yet, decades ago, Congress worked together to reduce the number of deaths on the road. They worked together for safer roads, safer cars with air bags and infant seats. In 1972, over 54,000 people were killed on the road in this country. Yet, 4 decades later, that number went down by 40 percent, all the while Americans driving more miles than they ever had any time before. The very same thing can be achieved with universal background checks, limiting the sales of assault weapons, restricting access of deadly weapons to those on the terror watch list. So families are asking us, because we are the only ones they have to ask, to do everything that you can so that another family doesn't go through what they went through. We can keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, and we will. Ninety percent of the public supports these actions. We will protect these families, and we will save lives. We are the only ones that are there to prosecute this case, and I respectfully--and I mean respectfully-- call for your help. It can't come soon enough. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in strong support of my legislation, H.R. 5056, the Airport Perimeter and Access Control Security Act. I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) for his hard work in the Committee on Homeland Security where we are colleagues, as well as his work trying to keep our Nation's security and our airport security at its highest level. Mr. Speaker, this bill was a long time coming. Since I was first elected to Congress in 2010, I have worked hard to secure our Nation's airports. The last case I had when I was a district attorney before entering Congress was the case of a young 16-year-old who had secreted himself on a commercial airliner penetrating the perimeter of the Charlotte- Douglas International Airport and, undetected, stowed himself away in the wheel well. Tragically, he went from North Carolina, and his body was found in Massachusetts in the district I represented. As we investigated the cause of that death, we found out what the circumstances were that he had penetrated all the security. In fact, I sent my investigators down from Massachusetts to look at that. Even knowing that this had occurred, there was no record, videowise or otherwise, of what he had done. So even looking backwards, we couldn't even find out where the security was breached until we made the conclusions at the end of our investigation and looked at the perimeter of that airport and how vulnerable that was. Since that time, I have demanded information on areas of perimeter and access security in our airports. Frankly, not satisfied with the progress in addressing these security issues, I requested an independent review in 2014 of all airports with a Transportation Security Administration presence. Released this spring, this independent report by the GAO found that while TSA has made some progress in assessing risks to airport perimeter and access control security, the agency had not taken new or emerging threats into consideration, as well as the unique makeup of individual airports, the points of access at those individual airports, and the unique perimeters surrounding those airports. Updating the risk to our airports with information that reflects the current threat ensures that the TSA bases its risk management decisions on current information and focuses its limited resources on the highest priority risks to each airport. Further, GAO found that TSA has not comprehensively assessed the vulnerability of commercial airports systemwide. In fact, from 2009 to 2015, TSA conducted these comprehensive assessments at only 81 of the 437 commercial airports nationwide or 19 percent. And that is cumulatively. Some years, that assessment only occurred in 3 percent of the airports. This legislation will make permanent the recommendations from this independent report. Specifically, the bill requires TSA to update transportation security sector risk assessments for the entire aviation sector. It requires it to update the comprehensive risk assessment perimeter access control with the most currently available intelligence. It requires that it conduct a thorough assessment of airport perimeters and access control points, such as the unique geography each individual airport entails. And it determines a future strategy of regular updates. Further, the bill incorporates the input of major airport operators, which we met with here in D.C. with the Committee on Homeland Security. We heard firsthand their concern of the lack of an individualized security strategy. A recent report of the Associated Press investigation found that intruders breach airport fences approximately every 10 days. Altogether, there were at least 39 breaches nationwide in 2015, which was also the annual average from 2012 to 2015. TSA's own calculation over a 10-year period ending in 2011 showed 1,300 perimeter breaches in the 450 domestic airports, but that figure does not account for continued perimeter security breaches since 2011, including stowaways, trespassing across tarmacs, scaling of perimeter fences, and driving vehicles through barriers across airport property. The landscape in which terrorists operate is constantly changing and it is challenging. We have to stay ahead of it. We have to look no further than the recent attacks in Paris, Brussels, and Istanbul to see what the threats are within access points and perimeters of airports. We were lucky here in the U.S. that the individuals that breach these access points and perimeters did not have the same nefarious intentions, but that doesn't mitigate the risk. It doesn't mitigate the fact that these people pose dangerous behavior potentially to our airports, to our employees and, of course, the passengers and travelers who rely on TSA officers and airport operators for their security. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5056. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, as I said, the attacks on airports currently in Europe show the challenging terrorist attack efforts that are currently a threat here in the United States. This bipartisan legislation will close loopholes in our airport security practices and procedures and bring us closer to ensuring that access control points and perimeters of all design are as secure as possible. Passage of this bill is an important step in the safety for passengers, pilots, and airport employees as well. I thank the chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security's Transportation Security Subcommittee, Mr. Katko; our ranking member, Miss Rice; full committee ranking member, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi; Mr. King; Mr. Richmond; Mr. Swalwell; and Mrs. Torres for joining me and supporting this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5056. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4404, the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act, sponsored by the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally), a colleague on the Committee on Homeland Security. Mr. Speaker, the threats our communities face are evolving rapidly, and we need to make sure our communities are prepared to respond. My community knows all too well the benefit exercises have on the ability of first responders to do their jobs safely and effectively. The year before the Boston Marathon bombings, through the UASI grant, Boston participated in Urban Shield, a 24-hour exercise during which responders were rotated through various training scenarios. More than 1,800 emergency response personnel from over 50 Federal, State, and local agencies participated. The goal of Urban Shield was to assess capabilities achieved through grant investments, improve proficiency at core capabilities, and identify capability gaps. Prior to that, the city of Boston participated in a Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop, where more than 200 participants from Federal, State, and local governments took part in a 24-hour-long integrated response exercise in which multiple coordinated assaults were simulated, much like the terrorist attacks in India in November of 2008. Regarding that 2011 exercise, then-Police Commissioner Ed Davis said: ``This workshop is like no other terrorism training exercise in which I've participated. The diversity of voices provides for robust and honest discussion about the common challenges we face--and new solutions necessary to address them.'' These and other exercises supported by the Urban Areas Security Initiative grant funds are what prepared our first responders to respond so bravely and heroically and effectively to the Boston Marathon bombings. As we are learning through events in San Bernardino, Orlando, and abroad, the tactics of our adversaries are constantly changing, and we must ensure our first responders have the training they need to address them. H.R. 4404 requires the DHS Secretary to carry out an exercise related to terrorist and foreign fighter travel. Additionally, the bill ensures that FEMA and FEMA's National Exercise Program includes scenarios designed, to the extent practicable, to include emerging terrorist threats. To be clear, this language would not require FEMA's National Exercise Program to focus exclusively on terrorist threats but, rather, seeks to ensure that FEMA continues to develop exercises that are responsive to threats as they emerge. In light of recent events, it is critical that we emphasize preparedness to evolving terrorist threats. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4404. Mr. Speaker, one thing we learned in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings is that training and preparatory exercises contribute to preparedness. The lessons learned from the first responder exercise that occurred in Boston prior to the bombings saved lives. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4404 so that our first responders will continue to benefit from exercises that are responsive to the evolving threat environment. I thank the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally) for her work in this regard. I am proud to be a cosponsor and proud to have the bipartisan effort that we do, as a whole, in the Committee on Homeland Security to try to work hard together to make our country safer. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KEATING

Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Pocasset Golf Club. In search of a place to gather, socialize and unwind during the summer months, the Club's founders purchased the Overlook House in Pocasset, Massachusetts in 1916. Initially designed as a nine-hole golf course, the founders contracted Donald Ross, widely regarded as one of the premier architects of golf courses, to outline the next nine holes. Mr. Ross' vision produced the renowned course we know today, spanning acres of Pocasset's scenic landscape. Like so many clubs of its time, the Pocasset Golf Club was hit hard by the Great Depression. Its owners at the time made the difficult decision to sell the club in subsequent years. It was during this period that the holes along Hen Cove were converted to houses. The club persevered and, in 1951, was acquired by William Carr. Under his careful stewardship, the club began to modernize--including the construction of the clubhouse that is still in use today. The current ownership group, Pocasset Golf Club, Inc., purchased the club in 1989 and in the intervening years they upgraded the clubhouse to its current form. With over 350 members, the Club continues to provide its members with a place to recreate and relax. The Pocasset Golf Club will remain a pillar in the community through its tireless commitment to developing the next generation of golfers. That development includes the club's junior golf program that attracts prospective players early, emphasizing the fundamentals of this life sport. The Pocasset Golf Club also offers itself as the home course for the Bourne High School golf team, where student athletes compete at the club, at no charge, against regional rivals. Finally, the membership annually supports the Massachusetts based Oiumet Scholarship Fund that provides student tuition for high school caddies to attend college. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the Pocasset Golf Club on its 100th anniversary. I ask that my colleagues join me in commemorating the Club's centennial and look forward to a future of continued prosperity.