Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. 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 this measure.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4622, a bill to honor Ronald E. Rosser, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5794, a bill to honor First Sergeant Leonard Funk. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Michael F. Doyle), chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7337) to require the Archivist of the United States to submit a plan to Congress to eliminate the records backlog at the National Personnel Records Center, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. 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 this measure.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Access for Veterans to Records Act would address the serious backlog of requests for veterans' records currently pending at the National Personnel Records Center, or NPRC, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration. This bill has received bipartisan support, and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including Ranking Member Comer and Representative Fred Keller, who have cosponsored this legislation, along with a number of other Members. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the NPRC has accumulated a backlog of veterans' records requests, which reached a peak of 603,000 during March of 2022. Veterans and their families need these records to access critical services, including housing and healthcare. Many of these records are only available as paper documents. That limitation, combined with limited building operations and a reduced workforce to protect NPRC employees during the coronavirus pandemic, have been the primary cause of this backlog. The NPRC has made some progress to reduce the backlog. As of February 28, the NPRC workforce has returned to full capacity at its facility in St. Louis, Missouri. NPRC also added overtime shifts on weekends and some holidays. However, the backlog, which currently stands at 515,000 records requests, remains significant and can only be remedied with legislative intervention. This bill has two components. First, it requires National Archives to provide the Oversight and Reform Committee with a detailed plan and target timeframes to eliminate the backlog and strategies to prevent a future records requests backlog. This includes submitting biannual status updates on the backlog and maintaining staffing levels to meet the goal of responding to 90 percent of requests in 20 days or less. Second, the bill would authorize $60 million for NARA to make upgrades to its information technology infrastructure. The upgrades are necessary for NARA to improve its ability to digitize documents and to prevent future backlogs. The committee has already voted to approve $60 million for National Archives in an amendment offered by Representative Keller to another bill. Congress must take action to help our veterans, many of whom put their lives on hold waiting for records from the NPRC. I urge my colleagues to support the veterans by supporting this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 7337, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7535) to encourage the migration of Federal Government information technology systems to quantum-resistant cryptography, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 7535, the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act. Today, the processes we use to encrypt data are incredibly reliable and can keep sensitive data secure from unauthorized users during storage or transmission. But tomorrow, that may no longer be the case. Researchers around the world are accelerating advances toward quantum computing, which refers to the application of quantum physics to computers. This will allow the computers of tomorrow to perform calculations many magnitudes faster and more powerfully than they do today. While quantum computers have the potential to provide considerable benefits to society through unimaginable innovation, they could also equip our adversaries with the ability to break the best encryptions available today. Capabilities of this magnitude are estimated to be a decade or more away, but China and other adversaries are expected to begin stealing sensitive encrypted data much sooner with the intent of unlocking it when they have the ability to do so. It is essential that the Federal Government prepare for this inevitability now while we still have time to protect data that is critical to our national and economic security. The process of migrating all Federal IT systems to post-quantum cryptography will be complex and costly, but putting the right steps in place now will help us stay at the forefront of this frontier. I applaud Representative Ro Khanna, as well as Representatives Nancy Mace and Gerry Connolly, for introducing this thoughtful bipartisan bill to establish this process. Within a year of enactment, the bill would require the Office of Management and Budget to submit a report to Congress containing a strategy for addressing the risk posed by quantum computing, the funding needed to secure Federal information technology systems from quantum computing threats, and a review of related coordination efforts. This will allow time for assessment of this strategy before the National Institute of Standards and Technology issues its post- quantum cryptographic standards, which are expected in 2024. OMB would then be required to prioritize and designate Federal IT systems for migration to post-quantum cryptography using those standards and to submit an annual report to Congress on progress toward transitioning Federal agencies to the new standards. The bill has been carefully aligned with the national security memorandum released by the Biden-Harris administration in May, which made important strides to advance U.S. leadership in quantum computing by strengthening collaboration and partnerships with private-sector leaders, securing critical capabilities, and making strategic investments. I am grateful to Representative Ro Khanna for leading on this important issue and setting an ambitious but achievable framework to both maximize the benefits and minimize the threats of quantum computing for the U.S. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Khanna).

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Pennsylvania has no further speakers, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 7535, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 521) to permit disabled law enforcement officers, customs and border protection officers, firefighters, air traffic controllers, nuclear materials couriers, members of the Capitol Police, members of the Supreme Court Police, employees of the Central Intelligence Agency performing intelligence activities abroad or having specialized security requirements, and diplomatic security special agents of the Department of State to receive retirement benefits in the same manner as if they had not been disabled, as amended.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 521, the First Responder Fair RETIRE Act, which was introduced by the chairman of the Government Operations Subcommittee, Representative Connolly, along with Representatives Fitzpatrick and Langevin. This bipartisan bill makes an important change to the law governing certain retirement programs which cover Federal first responders and law enforcement officials in the event that they become disabled on the job and continue government service in a different capacity. Currently, these Federal employees are enrolled in and pay into a system with mandatory retirement at the age of 57, or after 20 years of service. This system also requires greater retirement contributions from the employee. Under current law, when these employees become injured and disabled in the course of their work--which is inherently dangerous--they lose the benefits they earned before they became disabled. H.R. 521 would allow employees in positions covered by enhanced retirement programs to retain their original benefits if they are injured and disabled on the job and choose to continue working for the Federal Government. The employees covered under this bill include law enforcement officers, firefighters, nuclear materials couriers, and diplomatic security special agents. These are, by definition, high-risk jobs. Denying them the retirement that they were guaranteed when they entered public service is deeply unfair. The men and women who sign up for dangerous jobs to serve our Nation should not be punished if they sustain injuries on the job--especially when, despite these injuries, they choose to continue their career in public service in a new capacity. These people should be rewarded, not punished. I commend Chairman Connolly for his leadership on this bill which enjoys bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly), who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong support of H.R. 7331, the Improving Government for America's Taxpayers Act, which was introduced by Representatives Derek Kilmer and William Timmons, chair and vice chair of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. I thank Ranking Member Comer, and Representatives Connolly, Mace, Krishnamoorthi, Norman, Porter, and Norton for cosponsoring this bill. This is an important bipartisan bill that would help improve the implementation of recommendations made to Congress by the Government Accountability Office. GAO's work for Congress is invaluable and helps us to ensure a more effective and efficient government in serving the people and the needs of the American people. The bill would direct GAO to consolidate recommendations to Congress in one succinct report. It would also direct GAO to identify any additional oversight actions Congress should take to assist agencies in implementing their open priority recommendations. Implementing GAO's recommendations to agencies and Congress would help improve government efficiency and save taxpayers' dollars. As we seek greater transparency and accountability within our Federal Government, I appreciate the bipartisan approach that Chair Kilmer and Vice Chair Timmons have taken on this bill. I commend my colleagues, Senator Portman and Senator Peters, for supporting this bill in the Senate. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Pennsylvania does not have any further speakers, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 7331, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 203) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4020 Broadway Street in Houston, Texas, as the ``Benny C. Martinez Post Office Building''.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 203, to honor Benny Martinez. Mr. Martinez was born in Goliad, Texas, in 1934. He attended segregated schools before his father moved the family to Houston so that Mr. Martinez and his siblings would not have to pick cotton for a living. At the age of 18, Mr. Martinez was inducted into the U.S. Army. He first went to boot camp in El Paso, Texas, and was then sent to supply handling school for the Quartermaster Corps in Fort Lee, Virginia. After completing this training, he was sent to Korea where he was assigned to the 564th Quartermaster Company. On June 23, 1958, Mr. Martinez was discharged from Active Duty and transferred to the Army Reserves at Fort Hood, Texas, where he served as a medic until his final discharge on September 4, 1962. After his honorable discharge, he returned home to Houston and re-engaged with his local community. Mr. Martinez went on to graduate from Houston Community College as a licensed vocational nurse in 1967. He later obtained a bachelor of general studies degree from the University of Houston-Downtown College. Mr. Martinez put his education degree to use as an associate teacher at Crockett Elementary. Mr. Martinez was most known for his collaboration with fellow members of the League of United Latin American Citizens to organize a gala for President John F. Kennedy during the President's trip to Texas. Historians credit this meeting as the very first time a sitting United States President met with a Latino civil rights group. Mr. Martinez was a member and active participant in many civic engagement organizations including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American GI Forum, The American Legion, LULAC, and the Knights of Columbus. He was also an honorary member of the Goliad Rotary Club and active volunteer for the American Red Cross. Due to his 35 years of service, Houston and Harris County declared Benny C. Martinez Day on August 27, 1997, and February 17, 1998. Mr. Martinez passed away at the age of 85 on December 29, 2019. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring his legacy by naming the Post Office at 4020 Broadway Street in Houston, Texas, as the Benny C. Martinez Post Office Building, and I reserve the balance of my time.