Michael McCaul

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, the following cost estimate for H.R. 6265, the PreCheck is Precheck Act of 2018 prepared by the Congressional Budget Office was not available to the Committee at the time of filing of the legislative report. U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, October 11, 2018. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6265, the PreCheck is PreCheck Act of 2018. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan Carrol. Sincerely, Keith Hall, Director. Enclosure. H.R. 6265--PreCheck is PreCheck Act of 2018 As passed by the House of Representatives on September 4, 2018 The federal government--primarily through the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)--administers several risk-based programs that facilitate, through advanced vetting of applicants, expedited screening of participating passengers at security checkpoints. H.R. 6265 would require TSA to ensure that only travelers who are members of such programs are permitted to use expedited security-screening lanes (often called PreCheck lanes) at TSA-regulated airports. The act would require the agency to increase enrollment in such programs and to conduct a pilot program related to the use of modified screening procedures for passengers deemed to pose low security risks. The legislation also would specify other administrative and reporting requirements. Using information from TSA, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 6265 would not significantly affect the federal budget. The agency is already implementing activities that are similar to those envisioned under H.R. 6265. As a result, CBO expects that any change in the agency's spending--which would be subject to appropriation--would be insignificant. Enacting H.R. 6265 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6265 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. H.R. 6265 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, the following cost estimate for H.R. 6447, Department of Homeland Security Chief Data Officer Authorization Act prepared by the Congressional Budget Office was not available to the Committee at the time of filing of the legislative report. September 4, 2018. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6447, the Department of Homeland Security Chief Data Officer Authorization Act. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz. Sincerely, Keith Hall, Director. Enslosure. H.R. 6447--Department of Homeland Security Chief Data Officer Authorization Act As ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on July 24, 2018 H.R. 6447 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to designate a current career appointee as the chief data officer of the department. The bill also would require each of the seven operational components within DHS (such as Customs and Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration) to designate current appointees as chief data officers. Those offices would coordinate the integration of data among DHS agencies, oversee the storage of records, and manage other tasks related to the use of DHS data systems. Two DHS operational components currently have a chief data officers while a third component has a vacant position. We expect that the other four components and the department would have to hire five additional people to assist in carrying out the formal role of chief data officer established by the bill at an annual cost of around $150,000 per person. Thus, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 6447 would cost about $1 million annually; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting H.R. 6447 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6447 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. H.R. 6447 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, the following cost estimate for H.R. 6742, the Secure Border Communications Act prepared by the Congressional Budget Office was not available to the Committee at the time of filing of the legislative report. September 25, 2018. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6742, the Secure Border Communications Act. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz. Sincerely, Keith Hall. Enclosure. H.R. 6742--Secure Border Communications Act H.R. 6742 would require Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to equip CBP officers and border patrol agents with radios or similar devices that permit secure and effective communication with DHS personnel and with other federal and nonfederal law enforcement entities. According to CBP, it outfits its officers and agents with radios that largely satisfy the act's requirements, so CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 6742 would have no significant effect on agency spending. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6742 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. H.R. 6742 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, the following cost estimate for H.R. 6374, FIT Act prepared by the Congressional Budget Office was not available to the Committee at the time of filing of the legislative report. September 11, 2018. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6374, the Fitness Information Transparency Act of 2018. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be please to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz. Sincerely, Keith Hall. Enclosure. H.R. 6374--Fitness Information Transparency Act of 2018 H.R. 6374 would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), within 180 days of enactment, to issue uniform fitness (or conduct) standards for hiring contract employees that must be followed by all DHS agencies. Within one year of enactment, DHS would have to provide contractors with monthly updates on the status of their employees' fitness determinations and collect quarterly data on processing times for fitness investigations. Using information from DHS, CBO estimates that implementing those provisions would cost about $1 million in fiscal year 2019 and less than $500,000 annually thereafter; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Most costs would be for technological enhancements to a system to provide accurate monthly updates on the status of contract employees' fitness determinations. DHS currently employs thousands of contract employees. Enacting H.R. 6374 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6374 would not increase net direct spending or on budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. H.R. 6374 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, the following cost estimate for H.R. 6742, the Secure Border Communications Act prepared by the Congressional Budget Office was not available to the Committee at the time of filing of the legislative report. Department of Homeland Security Legislation As passed by the House of Representatives on September 25, 2018 On September 25, the House of Representatives passed the following three pieces of legislation: H.R. 6620, the Protecting Critical Infrastructure Against Drones and Emerging Threats Act, which would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prepare assessments of the threats presented by unmanned aircraft systems (often called drones) and other emerging threats associated with such new technologies; H.R. 6735, the Public-Private Cybersecurity Cooperation Act, which would require DHS to establish procedures for people or organizations to report vulnerabilities in the department's information systems; and H.R. 6740, the Border Tunnel Task Force Act, which would direct DHS to establish task forces to combat threats from cross-border tunnels; the task forces could include personnel from federal, state, local, and tribal agencies. CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not significantly affect spending by DHS in any fiscal year because the department could largely implement each act with existing personnel. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029. None of the acts contain intergovernmental or private- sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, September 27, 2018. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6620, H.R. 6735, and H.R. 6740, three bills concerning the Department of Homeland Security that were ordered reported by the Committee on Homeland Security on September 13, 2018. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz. Sincerely, Keith Hall. Enclosure.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, this ensures that not only are communication devices operable but that they are interoperable between agents down on the border risking their lives day in and day out. I can't thank them enough. I have been down to the border so many times, and I see the harsh conditions that they operate under. I just want to send a message of gratitude from the United States Congress and our Committee on Homeland Security, and thank them for the work that they do tirelessly. Honestly, I think we don't thank them enough for what they do. The encryption issue is vitally important because the drug cartels are getting so sophisticated that they can pick up communications of our law enforcement. This bill will go a long way to help protect those communications and make sure that they can do their job in a more safe and efficient manner in protecting the American public. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Secure Border Communications Act. Every day our CBP agents and officers serve on the front lines in the fight to secure our homeland. They face threats from armed drug cartels, dangerous gangs like MS-13, human traffickers, and potential terrorists. These brave individuals take pride in serving with vigilance, integrity, and professionalism in order to keep us safe. To be successful, however, they must be equipped with the tools they need to do their jobs well. Too often, the communications devices and radios used by CBP officers and other agents are outdated and unreliable. For instance, Border Patrol agents patrolling on the ground may not have direct radio contact with CBP air assets or other law enforcement officers working the area. This hinders interagency communications and jeopardizes their mission and safety. At a subcommittee hearing earlier this year, a Border Patrol agent stated that she had been issued a radio that often failed. At times, she would need to communicate with a fellow agent but was forced to use her personal cell phone. We cannot allow these kinds of technical failures to endanger the lives of our agents and weaken our national security. We must do better. Fortunately, we can begin to fix this problem today. This legislation will ensure that CBP agents and officers are equipped with interoperable and secure radios or two-way communication devices. In addition, this bill highlights the importance of reliable encrypted communications that will prevent powerful cartels from intercepting sensitive information, such as our CBP agents' and officers' locations. Passing this bill is a simple step that we can take to help our CBP agents do their jobs and protect our homeland. I would like to thank Congressman Mast for all his hard work on this issue. Congressman Mast is no stranger to service and sacrifice, serving overseas in our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he has the scars to prove it. We thank him for his service. It is a great honor to have him sponsor a bill from our committee. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, September 24, 2018. Hon. Michael T. McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McCaul: I write to you regarding H.R. 6742, the ``Secure Border Communications Act'', on which the Committee on Ways and Means was granted an additional referral. As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions in H.R. 6742 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means, I agree to waive formal consideration of this bill. The Committee on Ways and Means takes this action with the mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues that fall within our jurisdiction. The Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation, and requests your support for such request. I would appreciate your response confirming this understanding with respect to H.R. 6742 and ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the House floor. Sincerely, Kevin Brady, Chairman.

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

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6742) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure that appropriate officers and agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection are equipped with secure radios or other two-way communication devices, supported by system interoperability, and for other purposes.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on September 11, a United Airlines flight was headed towards the Capitol. Thank God those heroes that day brought down that airliner in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and this great building that we are standing in today was not destroyed with an image I don't think the American people could accept. However, those terrorists are exploiting these drones. We have seen them in Iraq and Syria with explosives and chemical weapons. We have also disrupted plots for the use of drones against both the Pentagon and the United States Capitol. A drone, unlike an airplane, could hit the United States Capitol very quickly. We need to give the Department the tools and the authorities necessary to protect our American institutions. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation that will help protect the American people from threatening drones. Drones are being used to cross America more and more every year. News outlets use drones to capture footage for a breaking story. Photographers use them to take photos and videos at weddings, sporting events, and rock concerts. They also are used by law enforcement to help document crime scenes or assist with search and rescue operations. Those are all good things. However, drones or other unmanned aerial systems can also pose a threat if they are controlled by terrorists or criminals. For example, ISIS used them to carry out attacks and conduct reconnaissance overseas. Here at home, criminals are using drones to smuggle drugs across our borders and surveil law enforcement. The FBI even disrupted a plot to attack the Pentagon with a drone loaded with grenades. The threats we face from drones are constantly evolving as the technology becomes more accessible across the globe. We need to do more to confront these dangers. This legislation requires the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at DHS to develop a drone threat assessment with information gathered from Federal, State, local, and private sector partners. It also directs the Under Secretary to establish a secure communications infrastructure for receiving and analyzing such threat information. Further, this bill sets up a voluntary mechanism for critical infrastructure owners and operators to report information on similar emerging threats. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Richmond and Congressman Ratcliffe for their hard work on this issue. I think this bill will allow us to strengthen our intelligence gathering and stay one step ahead of our enemies. I am pleased that the Senate and House were also able to include the Preventing Emerging Threats Act, legislation I introduced with Congressman Chabot, in the FAA bill that will be on the floor tomorrow. This will give DHS the authority to counter drones in our airspace if they are determined to be a threat to national security. This bill provides DHS and DOJ with the ability to act quickly and effectively when a drone poses a security risk to large-scale events, national security events, and government facilities. Secretary Nielsen described this legislation as ``a critical step in enabling the Department to address this threat.'' Let's provide DHS with the tools it needs to confront these threats before they get worse. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support these bipartisan bills, and I reserve the balance of my time. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, September 21, 2018. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McCaul: I write concerning H.R. 6620, the Protecting Critical Infrastructure Against Drones and Emerging Threats Act. This legislation includes matters that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In order to expedite floor consideration of H.R. 6620, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will forgo action on this bill. However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding that forgoing consideration of the bill would not prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or similar legislation that fall within the Committee's Rule X jurisdiction. I request you urge the Speaker to name members of the Committee to any conference committee named to consider such provisions. Please place a copy of this letter and your response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest in the Congressional Record during House Floor consideration of the bill. I look forward to working with the Committee on Homeland Security as the bill moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Bill Shuster, Chairman.

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

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6620) to require the Department of Homeland Security to prepare a threat assessment relating to unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purposes.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, every day, we are seeing drugs coming in from Mexico, known or suspected terrorists, and dangerous opioids. We see fentanyl coming in from China into Mexico where they mix it with methamphetamines and heroin. It is really toxic, poisonous stuff. Fentanyl is so toxic that our canines die when they sniff it, yet that is being put into drugs coming across the U.S.-Mexico border into the United States to pollute and infect our children and our veterans. It is time for this to stop. I hope that we will be able to take up, perhaps in November, our border security bill, which I think would go a long ways to getting this job done. In the meantime, this bill, I think, will go a long ways to stopping a very organized, sophisticated route of drugs, bad people, and bad things into the United States, and that is shutting down these tunnels. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sessions), the distinguished chairman of the Rules Committee and the author of this bill.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Border Tunnel Task Force Act. Mr. Speaker, some of the most dangerous threats to our homeland are coming across our southern border. Drug smugglers are bringing dangerous narcotics and fueling America's epidemic of opioids. Human traffickers and transnational gangs like MS-13 are infecting our neighborhoods and endangering our kids. Even potential known or suspected terrorists are trying to make their way into America by exploiting our weak borders. All of these groups are a serious national security concern. They are also very determined and creative, and one of the ways they avoid detection is by digging cross-border tunnels. In August, a tunnel the length of two football fields was discovered below a closed fast-food restaurant in Arizona. This pathway was used to smuggle cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamines. In 2016, 7 tons of marijuana and 1 ton of cocaine were found in a tunnel not far from San Diego. In my home State of Texas, a tunnel was discovered under the Rio Grande in El Paso back in 2010, also for smuggling drugs. Unfortunately, the problem is not new. Authorities have discovered nearly 200 cross-border tunnels since 1990. We must do more to shut these tunnels down. This legislation will establish Border Tunnel Task Forces to enhance the ability of DHS to detect these tunnels and identify criminal networks. These teams will be made up of ICE, CBP, and other Department personnel. They will be assisted by State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies. These teams will deploy to locations along the border where the greatest risks to our national security exist. In working together, they will be able to better secure our border and protect Americans from a growing list of threats. This bill will minimize a unique, but serious, threat to our homeland. I want to thank my very dear friend and colleague, Congressman Sessions, for all of his hard work on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6740) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish Border Tunnel Task Forces, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. 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. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support this bill. It is at a time when there is a lot of partisanship going on. I think it is healthy to see a truly bipartisan bill on such an important issue regarding our national security. I think, as the gentleman from Louisiana pointed out, this is modeled after a program that the Department of Defense successfully deployed, and I am proud of the record my committee has had on passing, I think, close to 110 bills now, and almost all of them are bipartisan. Mr. Speaker, I urge my Senate colleagues to at least take up some of them and do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Public-Private Cybersecurity Cooperation Act. Strengthening our cybersecurity must be a top national priority. International hackers and nation-states are waging a war against us in cyberspace. These threats are aimed at our economic, political, and national security institutions. Between 2011 and 2013, Iranian hackers attacked dozens of American banks and even tried to shut down a dam in New York. In 2014, Chinese hackers stole over 22.5 million security clearances, including my own, from the Office of Personnel Management. In 2016, Russia meddled in our presidential election. Because we use computer networks in our personal and professional lives, almost everyone is a target. With each passing day, cyber threats continue to grow, but the government cannot face these threats alone. We need help from the private sector. Today's legislation will direct the Department of Homeland Security Secretary to develop and implement a vulnerability disclosure program that will allow threat researchers from the private sectors to identify and report cybersecurity flaws found in the Department's information systems. Currently, there is no legal avenue that allows them to do so. This legislation solves that problem. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Leader McCarthy for his years of commitment to innovation and cybersecurity, and for his work on this bill in particular. He truly understands the nature of this threat and why it is so important to have a strong cyber partnership between the public and private sectors. Mr. Speaker, I believe that this bipartisan legislation will help DHS better protect its vital networks, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6735) to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a vulnerability disclosure policy for Department of Homeland Security internet websites, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 394.

Mr. McCAUL

Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act to help protect our homeland from the world's most dangerous weapons. Yesterday, we observed the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. On that day in 2001, 19 Islamist terrorists turned airplanes into cruise missiles and crashed them into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Had it not been for the heroic passengers on United Airlines flight 93, this very building, the Capitol, could have been destroyed. Almost 3,000 innocent people were killed and thousands more injured. It was the most devastating attack on our homeland in our Nation's history, targeting our military, economic, and political symbols of power. While attending a memorial service at the Pentagon yesterday, many of us remembered the images from 9/11 and they returned to me: the towers falling, the Pentagon on fire, and our brave first responders running into harm's way to save their fellow citizens. I also remembered that in the aftermath of the attack, we pledged to never forget: never forget the pain we felt, never forget the victims, and never forget that our enemies will search for new ways to attack our country. Today, the most serious threats to our national security come from biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. Over the last few decades, North Korea has been developing nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles to deliver them. The terror-sponsoring regime in Iran has also been building a nuclear program, and Bashar al-Assad's evil dictatorship in Syria has used chemical weapons to kill innocent civilians, including women and children. Russia recently used a chemical weapon in an assassination attempt in Great Britain, and reports of terror groups like al-Qaida have been in pursuit of weapons of mass destruction for many, many years. These weapons are real and lethal. A WMD attack in the United States could kill millions of people and bring economic mayhem. We cannot allow these weapons to be used on our soil. To prevent this from happening, we must give the Department of Homeland Security the authority it needs to counter the threat. This legislation will consolidate the Office of Health Affairs and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, along with other department programs, into a Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office. I personally talked to the Secretary who strongly supports this legislation. I believe DHS is making good progress in this direction, but this legislation will ensure that they have the necessary authorities to counter these dangerous threats. This is an opportunity, I believe, for both parties on the day after 9/11--both Republican and Democrat, as we do so many times on this committee--to come together and pass legislation that will strengthen our homeland. I would like to thank Congressman Donovan from New York, where this awful, tragic event happened 17 years ago, for all of his hard work on this issue, and Congressman Payne, who has always been a team player, if you will, on the other side of the aisle, for working together to get good things done for the country which will better protect the American people.