Jim Langevin

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill is about innovation. It is a bill about bringing together the best minds in the U.S. and in Israel to help manage what has become an intractable problem. It is a bill that is sorely needed. In the past year, just by way of example, we have seen the first cyber attack on a power grid in Ukraine. Many devices that are part of the Internet of Things have been compromised and used to attack Web sites and services. Most disturbingly, the very foundation of our democracy, our voting system, has been targeted in a Russian information warfare campaign that leverages hacked documents. These are the national and Homeland Security threats that keep me up at night, and they are also the same types of threats that motivate the Israel National Cyber Bureau. Working together, I believe that we can make meaningful progress to reduce the nation-state specific risk both countries face and better secure the entire Internet ecosystem. I hope my colleagues in the Senate will move quickly to take up this issue. I would like to particularly thank my dear friend and home State colleague, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, for his efforts in this regard. He has been the leader in so many ways on the Senate side on cybersecurity, among other things, and has been an invaluable partner to me in this effort. Again, let me thank Representative Ratcliffe for his work on this bill and his leadership on the committee. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5843, the United States-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2016. Much like the previous bill, H.R. 5843 is about enhancing cooperation with our allies in Israel to develop innovative cybersecurity solutions that are directly responsive to the needs of our national security. Specifically, the bill creates a cybersecurity grant program for joint research and development ventures between Israeli and American entities. Projects would be selected after a merit-review--peer- review--process and would have to address requirements in cybersecurity that are determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The grants would also be subject to a cost-sharing requirement, with at least 50 percent of project funds coming from a non-Federal source. Importantly, H.R. 5843 leverages existing United States-Israel R&D infrastructure, specifically the Binational Industrial Research and Development, or BIRD, Foundation and the Binational Science Foundation, or BSF. Both organizations have a proven track record of encouraging joint research efforts. BIRD, for instance, has financed R&D and commercialization projects that have led to a cumulative $8 billion in commercial sales since its founding while BSF regularly funds collaborations between the top scientists in our respective countries, as 45 Nobel laureates have received support from the foundation. Using the existing infrastructure, as was done in 2007 when Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act, which led to the creation of BIRD Energy, also allows us to capitalize on both foundations' robust networks of American and Israeli entities to help seed these joint efforts. All of these factors are particularly critical in the fast-moving cybersecurity domain where offensive and defensive tactics and techniques change on a monthly or on even a weekly basis. As such, advances in the discipline require a near constant reexamining of assumptions, and having people from different backgrounds and security cultures working together engenders an environment where such reexamination is encouraged. While both the U.S. and Israel have robust cybersecurity communities, further collaboration is needed to spur more advances to combat the threats that we face. Although some of these advances are technological in nature, basic cybersecurity research, such as investigations into the psychology of secure interface design and social engineering, is also supported by the bill. All told, the programs authorized in H.R. 5843 and H.R. 5877 will both address urgent homeland security needs and build capacity for further transnational collaboration on cybersecurity, all while matching Federal investment with private dollars and funds from the Israeli Government. As with any bill to make it to the floor, both H.R. 5843 and H.R. 5877 owe much to the dedicated staff who spent hours behind the scenes reviewing the legislation. In particular, I would like to thank Brett DeWitt, Christopher Schepis, and Erik Peterson from the Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies, who joined Representative Ratcliffe and me on the congressional delegation trip that we took to Israel, as well as Emily Leviner on Mr. Ratcliffe's personal staff and Nick Leiserson on my own staff. I am also very grateful, of course, to Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Thompson, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Richmond for their continued leadership on the issue of cybersecurity and for their assistance in quickly actualizing the lessons we learned on our trip to Israel. Finally, once again, I owe a debt of gratitude to the gentleman across the aisle, Mr. Ratcliffe, who, in just in his first term, has immediately had a substantial impact on our Nation's cybersecurity, as I said previously, and with whom it has been a great pleasure to work. Mr. Speaker, taken together, H.R. 5843 and H.R. 5877 do three things: they encourage innovative approaches to address top priorities in homeland security R&D; they strengthen ties with Israel, one of our closest allies; and they do so in a public-private partnership that matches Federal investment. I urge Members to support H.R. 5843. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. LANGEVIN. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 15 seconds.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Apprenticeship Week. As co-chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus, I am proud to be joined by my friend and caucus co-chair, Representative G.T. Thompson from Pennsylvania, in recognizing this important week. I know he will be speaking in just a minute. I want to thank him for his outstanding leadership on this issue and so many others. Apprenticeships are a proven method of preparing students for in- demand jobs. By combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction, apprenticeships teach both job skills and how these skills are used in the workplace. Earlier this year, the House passed the Strengthening CTE for the 21st Century Act. This bill expands opportunities for apprenticeships and even allows teachers to gain direct knowledge of workplace skills. G.T. and I were proud to help champion House passage of this bill, which received overwhelming bipartisan support. We now urge the Senate to take up this measure before the end of the year to ensure that all students have access to high-quality CTE. It is the exact thing that our economy needs right now. It will close our skills gap, making sure that our workers, our young people, have the skills they need for in- demand jobs today and well into the future.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, it has been more than 2 years since the public health crisis in Flint, Michigan, exposed thousands of residents--including up to 12,000 children--to lead-tainted water. With only days left to avert a government shutdown, I am absolutely appalled by the continued resistance of Republican leaders to include critical funding in the year-end spending bill to help the families of Flint. None of our communities are immune to aging infrastructure. We must provide the resources to address these challenges head-on before pipes break, before a bridge collapses, or before a road becomes impassable. For most of us across the country, that means rebuilding our infrastructure before the worst happens. For the people of Flint, it means providing emergency assistance in the wake of this crisis that will allow them to rebuild their lives and their communities. Either way, it is incumbent upon us as Members of Congress to protect the health and safety of our constituents, and the time to act is now.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, in July, the Education and the Workforce Committee unanimously reported H.R. 5587, Strengthening CTE--or, its full name, Career and Technical Education--for the 21st Century Act. Later today, the full House will consider it here on the floor. I am so proud to be an original cosponsor of this bipartisan bill that reauthorizes important career and technical education programs to reflect the demands of the modern economy. I particularly want to salute and recognize my colleague and partner in this effort, G.T. Thompson from Pennsylvania, and also Katherine Clark from Massachusetts, for their efforts. This bill makes important investments in skills, training, and career exploration. H.R. 5587 expands two of my longstanding priorities: the role of school counselors in helping students find a career path that best fits their skill and access to work-based learning to bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace. Students will be able to tailor their classes to learn the skills that they know employers are looking for. It is time to close the skills gap and give students the tools to succeed. I want to also commend the chairman and ranking member of the full committee and all those who had a hand in bringing the bill to the floor that we will be voting on later today.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Massachusetts for yielding and for her outstanding leadership on reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. I am certainly pleased to join with five other bipartisan colleagues as original cosponsors of this bill. I would also, in particular, like to thank my friend and colleague, Representative G.T. Thompson of Pennsylvania, for his unwavering commitment to expanding CTE. As co-chairs of the Career and Technical Education Caucus, Representative Thompson and I have made Perkins reauthorization our top priority; and today it is the culmination of over 4 years of our work on the caucus together. I want to thank him and both his staff and my staff for their extraordinary efforts. We should also, of course, recognize everything that Chairman Kline, Ranking Member Scott, and their staffs did to get this bill to the floor today. Perkins has historically been a bipartisan bill, and we are all very happy to continue this tradition. H.R. 5587 was passed unanimously by the Education and the Workforce Committee and is the product of an inclusive and thoughtful process. Again, it passed unanimously. When does that happen, ever, it seems, these days in this Congress? This is extraordinary. The bill makes many necessary updates to Perkins, with an emphasis on training students for the skills they will need in high-growth sectors in the 21st century economy. I am particularly pleased that it emphasizes the role of school counselors in helping students choose their career path, incorporating ideas from my Counseling for Career Choice Act. By equipping counselors with local labor market information, they can better help students choose the field that best fits their skills and interests and will ultimately lead to a good- paying job. The bill also expands student access to work-based learning opportunities. This will help students to bridge the gap between classroom theory and workplace practice and align skills and training with employer needs. Providing workers with the skills necessary to thrive in the modern economy is essential to our economic prosperity. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill and the Senate to quickly take up this bipartisan legislation. Again, I thank all of my colleagues who were involved in this effort and the staff for bringing this bill to the floor today.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to state that on July 13, 2016, during House Roll Call number 444, I incorrectly voted ``aye'' when I had intended to vote ``nay.'' I strongly support the administration's implementation of the Well Control Rule, which was developed in the wake of the disastrous Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I would also like to state that I continue to advocate for adequate protection of our offshore natural resources and the conservation of our marine environment.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, 2016 is shaping up to be a banner year for cybersecurity, and not in a good way. From attacks on the Ukrainian power grid to attempts to undermine American electoral confidence through the dissemination of hacked documents from the Democratic National Committee, cyber tools are fully emerging as instruments of state power. If these incidents seem to be disproportionately affecting us and our allies, it is because our cybersecurity posture has not yet matched the threat we face. That being said, we recognize, of course, it is easier to attack than to defend. Thankfully, there are steps we can take to protect our networks. We can invest in our cyber defenses, we can clarify cybersecurity roles and responsibilities within government, we can build our workforce to take on these new challenges, and we can also build our resilience. The goal of our adversaries is not necessarily just to leak emails, but it is to shake faith in our electoral system. We cannot allow that to happen.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, Tuesday night, I joined my fellow Rhode Islander, Representative Cicilline, at a vigil for the Pulse nightclub victims. On that night, we marked the 1-month anniversary of that tragic shooting with candles and with speeches. But what we did not do, Mr. Speaker, is mark it with action. For that, I am profoundly sorry. I am sorry that, despite our efforts, fear continues to rule this body. Republican leaders' fear of the gun lobby is so powerful that they won't even allow a debate or a vote on proposals supported by over 80 percent of the American people for expanded background checks to keep guns out of the wrong hands or ensure that someone on a terrorist no-fly list can't buy a weapon. Republicans won't allow a vote because they are afraid our commonsense proposals would pass and that they would be blamed for allowing a majority of the House to work its will, the will of the American people. Mr. Speaker, it is time that we stop legislating from fear. It is time that we stop the silence in response to tragedy and uphold the commitments that we made to represent our constituents and to keep them safe. While the majority may hope that, by retreating to their districts, they will be able to dodge this issue, rest assured, we will not let them do so. We are not going away on this issue, Mr. Speaker. We are going to keep fighting for expanded background checks to keep guns out of the wrong hands, and we are going to keep fighting to ensure that someone on a terrorist no-fly list cannot buy a weapon.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, last week the Committee on Education and the Workforce unanimously reported H.R. 5587, the Strengthening CTE for the 21st Century Act, out of committee. This bipartisan bill reauthorizes the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which expired in 2012. I am so proud to be an original cosponsor, and I would particularly like to thank Representative G. T. Thompson from the great State of Pennsylvania, my good friend and colleague and co-chair of the CTE Caucus, for his outstanding efforts to reauthorize these programs. The program is certainly far better off where it is because of his due diligence, the hard work that he put into the bill. Thanks also to Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Scott for their commitment to bipartisanship on this critical legislation. As I said, it passed out of committee unanimously. When does that ever happen around here these days? H.R. 5587 is a bill that we can all be proud of. It aligns skills training with employer demands, allows teachers to gain direct knowledge of workplace skills, and ensures that all students have access to high-quality CTE. Madam Speaker, I urge you to bring this bill to the floor at the earliest opportunity.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment, and in support of the National Ocean Policy established by President Obama, an issue also championed by our junior Senator from Rhode Island, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. Far from being government overreach, National Ocean Policy is an excellent example of how government engages and partners with our States and local communities. In the Northeast, we recently celebrated the release of the draft Northeast Ocean plan for management of Federal waters off the coast of New England. Since 2012, the Regional Planning Body has worked with our constituents to build a plan that will be responsive to our region's needs. This type of collaboration would not have been possible without the implementation of the National Ocean Policy, which requires agencies to work together in a more efficient and collaborative manner. Due to this important program, we are now moving toward a more effective use of our common ocean resources. Mr. Chairman, our oceans are enjoyed and utilized by beachgoers, commercial fishermen, boaters, recreational anglers, wind farms, and others. With proper collaboration, these mixed uses can thrive. So I ask all of my colleagues to oppose this amendment. By supporting National Ocean Policy, we can continue to engage our citizens, effectively use our resources, and ensure that our ocean is sustainable for years to come.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, I joined my colleagues in an historic sit-in on the House floor, demanding action on gun violence in the wake of yet another mass shooting. Since then, I have heard from hundreds of Rhode Islanders who, like over 80 percent of Americans and a high percentage of gun owners themselves, support our efforts for commonsense legislation to keep guns out of the wrong hands and to address this public health crisis. Frustratingly, sadly, and inconceivably, Republican leaders in this Chamber continue to ignore the demands of the American people and, most especially and sadly, continue to ignore the pleas of so many victims of gun violence and their families. Republicans trot out old, tired arguments, saying that we oppose the Second Amendment, that we oppose due process, that backgrounds checks are ineffective. Mr. Speaker, these assertions are simply not true. But rather than allow an open debate and a vote, Republicans continue to follow the playbook of the gun lobby. But, Mr. Speaker, we will not allow silence to fill that void of leadership. Until the House acts on meaningful gun violence prevention legislation, my colleagues and I will continue to speak for Americans who demand action. We will be silent no more.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Alicia Norman, a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the House floor.

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, as someone with a background in law enforcement and someone who lives with the damaging effects of what guns can cause every day, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, also to honor the memory of Doris Dooley, a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of action on the House floor.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I have great respect for the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. And although we respectfully disagree, I hope my colleagues will see the wisdom of following what the House Armed Services Committee did and add additional funding for this great capability, which is a game-changing technology which will better protect both our fleet, also ultimately all of our military assets, and our men and women in uniform who serve. I would urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANGEVIN. I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to offer this bipartisan amendment today with my friends, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Conaway, Mr. Lamborn, and Mr. Nugent. The Navy's electromagnetic rail gun is a technology described as revolutionary and a potential multimission game changer for long-range, land-attack, ballistic, and cruise missile defense, and antisurface warfare. Mr. Chairman, the best mix of air and missile defenses will consist of complementary kinetic and nonkinetic weapons systems, enhancing our capability to defeat larger salvos of air and missile threats. Rail guns have the capability to fire at higher velocities, which means longer ranges. Under certain conditions, a 32-megajoule gun will be able to launch projectiles more than 100 nautical miles. And it is more cost-effective. Whereas low-cost kinetic defenses run around $400,000 each, surface-to-air interceptors and guided hypervelocity projectiles can be as low as $25,000 to $40,000 each. My amendment also provides for the mount for the rail gun, a necessity that was promised to the Navy, appropriated but ultimately never delivered. So this bipartisan amendment tracks the funds authorized in the FY17 NDAA and continues to provide imperative assistance to our Navy as they pursue high-tech, game-changing weapons systems across the fleet. We must also not leave our sailors high and dry on a technology that we promised, one that is critical to the future of our military and promises to change the landscape of our missile defense capabilities at sea. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway).

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his comments. I support what he had to say and concur. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn), the distinguished co-chair of the Directed Energy Caucus.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, the tragic events over the weekend in Orlando defy comprehension. There is no way that reason can underlie this staggering loss of life, for the act itself flies in the face of reason. My thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their lives and their families, and my thoughts and prayers are with those who were injured and are recovering from their wounds. This attack is the truest example of senseless violence and pure evil. Today, we mourn as a Nation because we will not allow hate to invade our own hearts and minds. America is better than that. But tomorrow, tomorrow, Mr. Speaker, and in the days and months to come, we can do something. We must do something. We must ensure that our LGBT brothers and sisters are welcomed by their communities, not subjected to discrimination. We must ensure that access to deadly weapons are sensibly controlled, and we must ensure that Congress no longer sits idly by while hate and violence continue to take innocent lives. But, today, Mr. Speaker, we pray for Orlando, though we know our prayers, our thoughts, our moments of silence, they are not enough.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, last month I had the opportunity to join my colleague on the Committee on Homeland Security, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ratcliffe), on a trip to Israel to learn about their efforts in cybersecurity. As we all know, the security threats Israel faces are enormous, and they extend well into the cyber domain. Israel's response to attacks on her networks has been truly extraordinary, as Israel is now the second largest exporter of cybersecurity products and services, second only behind the United States. The development of this industry, led in large part by the Prime Minister, has been catalyzed by public-private partnerships such as the CyberSpark initiative, which brings together public servants, academic innovators, and business leaders in Be'er Sheva in the Negev Desert, their version of the Silicon Valley. The United States and Israel already collaborate very closely on so many issues, and I strongly believe that the United States and Israel can learn from each other in this emerging field, both in terms of cutting-edge technologies and novel policy approaches. I look forward to working to develop these partnerships. I thank the Prime Minister and the government for a wonderful learning experience.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. I am opposed to the bill in its current form.

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which would not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. Mr. Speaker, this amendment is simple. It adds $20 million to nuclear nonproliferation accounts so that nuclear materials do not fall into the wrong hands. The possibility that terrorists or rogue nations will acquire nuclear weapons, fissile material, or radiological material that could be used in a dirty bomb are among the gravest threats facing our Nation and the international community. Right now, luckily--though there are, of course, exceptions--these most dangerous weapons are in the hands of responsible actors. We cannot allow that dynamic to shift, and we must ensure that these weapons never fall into the hands of bad actors who would seek to do us or the rest of the international community harm. However, today, there is more fissile material in the world than at any other time in our history, and the bad actors are taking notice. According to several studies conducted at Harvard, at least two terrorist groups--al Qaeda and the Japanese terror cult Aum Shinrikyo-- have made serious efforts to buy, steal, or otherwise obtain nuclear weapons in recent years. There is clear evidence that ISIL would, if given the opportunity, strive to do us great harm. After all, it only takes a grapefruit-sized amount of highly enriched uranium to make a nuclear weapon, and there are hundreds of metric tons of material out there, some of which is still vulnerable to theft. Now, according to reports, ISIL has been monitoring a senior official of a Belgian facility, by way of example, with substantial stocks of highly enriched uranium. We absolutely cannot assume the risk that the United States would be ambushed by a rogue nuclear threat, and we must not leave ourselves exposed to a threat that would forever change our American way of life. While we can never protect against every threat, we can, however, mitigate it by working with our international partners, Federal agencies, national laboratories, and the private sector to more quickly secure and eliminate vulnerable nuclear materials. Small investments, such as the ones offered in this amendment, can yield significant national security benefits. By moving $20 million into the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account, we would ultimately make our country--and the world--a safer place to live. Mr. Speaker, Congress has worked across the aisle on this issue many times before, and we have seen some incredible success stories that have a profound impact on the security of our nuclear materials. During the fiscal year 2012 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, the House approved an amendment--by a voice vote, no less--offered by Congressman Fortenberry and Congresswoman Sanchez to do exactly what this motion to recommit seeks to do today. Their amendment to increase appropriations for the Global Threat Reduction Initiative under the Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account was enthusiastically supported on both sides of this Chamber, securing an important bipartisan victory for the international effort to secure vulnerable fissile material and keeping our Nation safe from the threat of nuclear terrorism. Mr. Speaker, this House did not cower when faced with this challenge back then, and we must not do so today. Let today be another one of those bipartisan success stories. Let us redouble our efforts to prevent the proliferation and catastrophic abuse of sensitive nuclear materials and technologies across the globe and here at home. I beseech my fellow Members, adopt this amendment, keep our Nation safe, and deny the nuclear terrorists who would seek to do us harm their own success story. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, this week I was thrilled to participate in the fifth annual Foster Youth Shadow Day. It was truly an honor to host Randy Colon, a young man from my home State of Rhode Island, as my shadow. He is a bright young man full of potential despite the many challenges he has faced. Randy is now studying to become a veterinarian while working full time. Unfortunately, success stories like his are all too rare, and we need to make sure that every child has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. This week I introduced the All Kids Matter Act, which directs funds to help children and families avoid the trauma of foster care placements in the first place and promotes family unity and stability. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass) for organizing Foster Youth Shadow Day, and I urge all of my colleagues to join us in this endeavor next year.