Patrick Meehan

Mr. MEEHAN

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

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 5629, the Strengthening Domestic Nuclear Security Act of 2014. We know extremist groups such as al Qaeda and ISIS have shown interest in acquiring nuclear and radiological materials, and in July of this year, Islamist insurgents seized nuclear materials which were used for scientific research at Mosul University in Iraq. Fortunately, the material that was seized was not enriched to the point it could be used in weapons form, but it proves that our enemies are actively seeking materials that could be turned into a dirty bomb. The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office is the lead agency within the United States Government for coordinating efforts to detect and intercept radiological and nuclear devices that threaten to come into the United States. DNDO coordinates these efforts through an interagency system and a collaborative framework known as the global nuclear detection architecture, which DNDO is responsible for implementing domestically. DNDO works with other Department of Homeland Security components, including Customs and Border Protection, as well as State and local law enforcement to provide these entities with the equipment and training which is needed to interdict radiological or nuclear material before it can enter into the United States. DNDO has had its share of struggles in the past, but over the past several years it has made significant improvements from top to bottom and today is one of the best functioning components in the Department of Homeland Security. We have done the oversight. According to an internal review that was done by the Department, this actual division has the highest morale of any department in Homeland Security. They are to be commended for their good work. This legislation looks to build on the momentum that has been created by making modest improvements to better help DNDO carry out its mission. Specifically, H.R. 5629 strengthens DNDO's engagement with other DHS components and stakeholders and codifies acquisition procedures and guidelines to prevent the breakdowns that have occurred in the past. Through my subcommittee's oversight, the gentlewoman from New York and I have had the ability to determine that performing the joint interagency review of the global nuclear detection architecture annually was not necessary, so H.R. 5629 also changes the review to require it every 2 years instead. DNDO has advised us that by making that small change, DHS could save up to $800,000. I think it is important to be fiscal stewards of the dollars that are under our oversight. This accomplishes that. This legislation also codifies and strengthens the Securing the Cities program, a program to enhance the ability to detect and prevent radiological or nuclear attacks in high-risk U.S. cities. This program has been very successful in building up the resources of New York City and is being expanded to the national capital region and Los Angeles and Long Beach. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation to build on the capacity of the Department of Homeland Security to protect the homeland against such an attack. Mr. Speaker, with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, after my remarks, I will insert into the Record an exchange of letters between the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to also take a moment to thank the ranking member for her engagement and collaboration on the many issues that we had the opportunity to work on together, to share this collaboration and engagement of important matters before our Committee on Homeland Security, particularly work that we were able to do, as you have identified, on cybersecurity and, I think, also on chemical facilities and the protection which is so important to our homeland in that area as well. I have genuinely enjoyed the collaboration and look forward to hoping that we not only pass the bills that we have before this Congress, but that we can continue to work together into the future. I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bipartisan bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Washington, DC, December 1, 2014. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McCaul: I am writing to you concerning the jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in H.R. 5629, the ``Strengthening Domestic Nuclear Security Act.'' The bill contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. I recognize and appreciate the desire to bring this legislation before the House of Representatives in an expeditious manner, and accordingly, I will waive further consideration of this bill in Committee, notwithstanding any provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. This waiver, of course, is conditional on our mutual understanding that agreeing to waive consideration of this bill should not be construed as waiving, reducing, or affecting the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. This waiver is also given with the understanding that the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology expressly reserves its authority to seek conferees on any provision within its jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference that may be convened on this, or any similar legislation. I ask for your commitment to support any request by the Committee for conferees on H.R. 5629 as well as any similar or related legislation. I ask that a copy of this letter and your response be placed in the Congressional Record during consideration of this bill on the House floor. Sincerely, Lamar Smith, Chairman.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3410) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to secure critical infrastructure against electromagnetic pulses, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3410, the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, or CIPA. In 1962, the United States conducted a test named Starfish Prime, where the military detonated a 1.4-megaton thermonuclear bomb about 25 miles above Johnston Atoll in the Pacific. In space, six American, British, and Soviet satellites suffered damage, and 800 miles away in Hawaii, burglar alarms sounded, streetlights blinked out, and phones, radios, and televisions went dead. While only 1 percent of the existing streetlights were affected, it became clear that electromagnetic pulse, or EMP, could cause significant damage. EMP is simply a burst of electromagnetic radiation that results from certain types of high-energy explosions or from a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field. An EMP can be generated by nuclear weapons from naturally occurring sources such as solar storms or specialized nonnuclear EMP weapons. An EMP event could range from a small-scale incident, with little or no permanent damage, to a large-scale event, with dire consequences. In fact, a successful large-scale EMP event could damage electrical power systems, electronics, and information systems, and these effects could cascade into other interdependent infrastructures, such as telecommunications, gas, and water. Repeated studies, including by the Congressional EMP Commission and Lloyd's of London, have warned that the U.S. electric grid is vulnerable to damage from EMP events, that there is a significant risk, and that we need to be better prepared. H.R. 3410 takes commonsense steps to address the EMP threat. Specifically, this legislation compels the Department of Homeland Security to include EMP events in their national planning scenarios, conduct research to mitigate the consequences of an EMP event, develop a recommended strategy to protect critical infrastructure, and perform outreach to raise awareness of the threat. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3410, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Franks), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I will include in the Record a letter exchange between the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude my remarks by once again thanking the gentlewoman from New York for all of her bipartisan work on the important matters before this committee, and I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bipartisan bill. I yield back the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Washington, DC, December 1, 2014. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McCaul: I am writing to you concerning the jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in H.R. 3410, the ``Critical Infrastructure Protection Act''. The bill contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. I recognize and appreciate the desire to bring this legislation before the House of Representatives in an expeditious manner, and accordingly, I will waive further consideration of this bill in Committee, notwithstanding any provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. This waiver, of course, is conditional on our mutual understanding that agreeing to waive consideration of this bill should not be construed as waiving, reducing, or affecting the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. This waiver is also given with the understanding that the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology expressly reserves its authority to seek conferees on any provision within its jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference that may be convened on this, or any similar legislation. I ask for your commitment to support any request by the Committee for conferees on H.R. 3410 as well as any similar or related legislation. I ask that a copy of this letter and your response be placed in the Congressional Record during consideration of this bill on the House floor. Sincerely, Lamar Smith, Chairman.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for the National Institutes of Health and the vital importance of continued investment in medical research. The National Institutes of Health is one of the world's leading medical research centers and represents our best hope for improving treatments and finding cures for diseases that affect millions of Americans. Today, more than 30 million Americans suffer from rare or incurable diseases. The research conducted by the National Institutes of Health is critical for success in the fight against these diseases. Particularly troubling among these is Alzheimer's disease, for which there are no preventative measures, palliative treatments, or cure. While we have seen reduced incidence of some common diseases--like heart disease and some cancers--deaths from Alzheimer's disease have increased over the last 30 years. Currently, Alzheimer's disease affects more than five million Americans. Families suffer both financially and emotionally as they care for loved ones with the disease, and it places a staggering burden on our health care system at a cost of over $200 billion per year. In Pennsylvania alone, more than 270,000 seniors suffer from Alzheimer's-- 13 percent of all senior citizens in the state of Pennsylvania. These numbers only underscore the importance of investing in public health research, which might yield valuable treatments and cures. Mr. Speaker, continued support for the National Institutes of Health is a critical step in meeting the health care challenges currently facing our nation. I urge my colleagues to consider the far-reaching and long-term benefits of investment in medical research through the National Institutes of Health and the positive effect it will have on our nation's health and economy.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. Since its founding in 1889, Holy Trinity has been at the center of the religious life in Delaware County, and the congregation lives its faith of love and charity every day. Members of the Holy Trinity family are well known for their commitment to their community through charitable fundraising and volunteer projects to provide meals to the homeless and clothing to the disadvantaged. Under the leadership of Pastor Gordon Simmons, Holy Trinity's membership has grown and the church community has been strengthened. Mr. Speaker, I honor Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, its leadership and its congregants for 125 years of faithful service to our community, and wish them good health and happiness in the years to come.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. President Johnson signed the Wilderness Act in 1964 to permanently protect some of America's most beautiful wild places. The Act has so far protected 757 wilderness areas, accounting for a total of 109 million acres. The National Wilderness Preservation System--comprised of four federal agencies--was established to monitor and protect these untrammeled spaces. In Pennsylvania alone, the NWPS has designated more than 9,000 acres of wilderness, including the Allegheny Islands and the Hickory Creek wilderness areas. These protected lands are void of construction, roads and permanent structures. Wilderness lands are also void of any logging and mining activities. The NWPS not only protects the resident wildlife and natural ecosystems, but it also supports outdoor recreation activities and jobs. Wilderness areas provide tremendous opportunities for hiking, camping and fishing. Yet we are just visitors to these lands. Mr. Speaker, the Wilderness Act and the National Wilderness Preservation System have helped to protect our nation's last remaining unspoiled lands and waters for the past 50 years. I celebrate the Wilderness Act and look forward to the excellent work the NWPS will continue to do in the years to come.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Alexander Hummel, an inspiring, impressive 9-year-old from Pennsylvania who founded the Keystone Iron Warriors organization to help our veterans. Alexander is passionately dedicated to serving the needs of veterans and active duty personnel. He also dreams of becoming a U.S. Marine. The Keystone Iron Warriors works to provide support and resources to veterans and their families who deal with the physical and mental trauma of returning from combat. The Iron Warriors rely on community support, generous donations, and the unified goal of giving back to those who have selflessly served our country. Community contributions go to providing service canines, transportation, and assistance with medical bills to alleviate some of the challenges that face our veterans. Alexander's Iron Warriors also provide friendship and comradery for those who have returned home. None of it would have happened without Alexander's leadership and generosity. Mr. Speaker, I honor Alexander Hummel and the Keystone Iron Warriors for their dedication to serving and honoring our Nation's heroes. I applaud this young man's strength and thank him for the invaluable work he continues to do for our veterans.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and to acknowledge its continued efforts to safeguard our nation's land, water resources and cultural heritage. Since its creation, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has preserved land in every state across America. The fund has supported more than 41,000 state and local park projects at no cost to hard- working taxpayers. In Pennsylvania alone, the self-sustaining LWCF has provided more than $315 million in funding over the past five decades, benefiting restoration projects at national historic sites such as the Valley Forge National Historic Park and the Gettysburg National Military Park. In addition, the LWCF played a critical role in the creation of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset, PA. The Land and Water Conservation Fund also spurs outdoor and recreational economic activity in and around preserved lands, accounting for jobs and a strong tax base for our communities. Mr. Speaker, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped to preserve and protect our nation's most precious lands and waters for the past 50 years. I celebrate the Fund and look forward to the excellent work the LWCF will do in the years to come.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Judge Ann Osborne of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. She is retiring after many years of serving her community. Judge Osborne has been a beacon for justice on the bench in Delaware County for the last 16 years. Before the bench, Judge Osborne served as Sheriff of Delaware County from 1991 to 1998. Additionally, she taught comparative government, international law and criminal law at Temple University, Villanova University and Immaculata College. She left her mark on the Delaware County community and her contribution will not be forgotten. Mr. Speaker, I thank Judge Ann Osborne for her long and honorable service. I applaud her successes and wish her the best of luck in her retirement.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of The Glen Mills School and to acknowledge the life- changing work it does for young men. One hundred twenty five years ago the cornerstone was laid at the Glen Mills School. Today, the Glen Mills School is the oldest institution in the country of its kind. The Glen Mills School was established to give young men a second chance. The school provides a safe living and educational environment to encourage long-term behavioral changes. The Glen Mills School has a long tradition of fostering the academic and emotional growth of young men whose potential might otherwise be lost. Young men ages 15 to 18 live at The Glen Mills School on a year- round academic and residence program, offering an escape from gangs, drugs and violence that they might encounter at home. Students have the option to participate in clubs and athletics, which compete and excel against other schools in Delaware County. The beautiful campus and athletic facilities surrounding the school are a testament to both the staff and students. The golf course affiliated with the school, a place where many of the students work, is one of the nicest public courses in the Commonwealth. I admire the dedication of the staff, who work around the clock to educate and counsel students. Their persistence has led to the character development of thousands of young men, as you can see in person by visiting the campus and meeting the students. Mr. Speaker, The Glen Mills School has been changing the lives of young men for the past 125 years. I celebrate the school and look forward to seeing the excellent work it will continue to do in the years to come.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. George Flasinski, the Commander of the Sons of the American Legion, Detachment of Pennsylvania. In his time as Commander, George Flasinski has been an invaluable leader of the Detachment and has shown a strong commitment to the Four Pillars of the American Legion. The Sons of The American Legion is the nation's largest wartime veterans service organization. The Legion is committed to supporting our veterans and service members, honoring our country, and mentoring youth in our community. Under Mr. Flasinski's leadership, the membership of the Pennsylvania Sons of the American Legion has risen to nearly 60,000 members. George has organized two Honor Flights to Washington, DC for World War II veterans. Mr. Flasinski has also raised funds for Pennsylvania's homeless veterans and the American Legion's Child Welfare Foundation. Mr. Speaker, I thank George Flasinski and the Sons of the American Legion for their dedication to honoring our nation's heroes and inspiring our nation's youth to emulate them. George Flasinski has shown exceptional guidance in his service as Detachment of Pennsylvania Commander, and I applaud his successes and wish him the best of luck in his retirement.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3696, the National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2014. Before I really talk about the substance, I want to associate myself for a moment with the comments and very effective commentary of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), but his closing, I think, really summed it up. It is not just what we are doing; but why does this matter? Why does this matter now? We have generated tremendous economic prosperity by virtue of the creation of a global Internet, but the fact of the matter is that while this has closed our world and enabled instantaneous communications and other kinds of benefits, it has also created a situation, for the first time in the history of our Nation, in which we aren't protected by two oceans and, effectively, two friendly countries on our borders. Now, we are able to be accessed from anywhere in the world at a moment's notice. It was instructive to me that I often used to say, when we were handling a case, that you let the evidence be put in through the words of the witnesses. If you pay attention to the words of the witness, that is more powerful than what you can say. It is instructive to me that the first thing former CIA Director and former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta did when he stepped down as Secretary of Defense was to travel to New York and warn not just New York, but this Nation about the potential impact of what he termed a ``cyber Pearl Harbor.'' As a result, this is a critically important and timely issue that we are working on. As importantly, it has been addressed in an effective bipartisan fashion. In the wake of more aggressive and escalating cyber attacks on our Nation's critical infrastructure, including our financial systems, NASDAQ, and the recent Neiman Marcus and Target breaches of Americans' personal information, we bring H.R. 3696 to the House floor. Cyber attacks and cyber hacks are now front and center in our homeland, and the media is reporting more now than ever on what cyber targets already know--that the threat is constant and evolving. Americans expect Congress to act. We who serve in Congress and government know all too well that the cyber threat is real and imminent and can do catastrophic damage and destruction to the critical infrastructure of our Nation--our bridges, tunnels, oil and gas pipelines, water systems, financial systems and their markets, air traffic control systems, and more. Today, the U.S. House of Representatives takes a significant step forward in protecting and securing cyberspace through the cyber infrastructure act that we have put on the floor today. I am very proud of this bill and of all of the good work and due diligence that went into it. Chairman McCaul and I and our staffs held over 300 stakeholder meetings to ensure we got this legislation right. I want to thank as well my good friends on the other side of the aisle--Ranking Member Bennie Thompson and subcommittee Ranking Member Yvette Clarke--for their leadership and their work collectively on this. This is bipartisan legislation but not just amongst those of us working together here within the House. As the chairman identified, it has also been supported by private sector stakeholders, by the ACLU. In fact, the ACLU has called it--and the chairman as well--pro-security and pro-privacy. That is because, very notably, this bill puts the Department of Homeland Security, a civilian agency with the Nation's first-created and most robust privacy office, in charge of preventing personal information from getting inadvertently caught in the net, which is a big, important part of the work that has been done here. This bill builds upon the Department of Homeland Security's unique public-private partnership in securing the Nation's critical infrastructure, and it codifies the Department's critical cybersecurity mission. Public-private is important, as 90 percent of the assets in the cyber world are in the private sector. The Department of Homeland Security works with the other Federal Government partners in a collaborative effort to secure our Nation against cyber attacks, and this bill cements DHS' critical role. Specifically, this bill requires the Department to collaborate with industry to facilitate both the protection of our infrastructure and our response to a cyber attack. The bill, very importantly, strengthens DHS' civilian, transparent interface to allow real-time cyber threat sharing across the critical infrastructure sectors. This legislation also strengthens the integrity of our Nation's information systems, and it makes it more difficult for online hackers to compromise consumer and personal information, like we saw in Target, and it prevents hackers from stealing Americans' business and intellectual property-- another point well driven home by the chairman in talking about jobs and of the hundreds of billions of dollars in research and development that are stolen from America by virtue of these cyber attacks. The ability of these attacks to take place at the level of sophistication necessary to penetrate some of the world's most mature networks should come as no surprise. Foreign adversaries, including China, Iran, and Russian criminal enterprises, have spent years and have invested billions of dollars into crafting and securing the tools and intelligence necessary to target American citizens. Whether it is the theft of wealth or intelligence or that of launching a malicious attack on our Nation's energy, transportation, or chemical networks, American lives and livelihoods remain at risk without sufficient security. Last year, President Obama issued an executive order on cybersecurity because Congress failed to act on this issue, but the threshold of securing our Nation in the 21st century cannot rely on executive orders and Presidential directives. As Members of Congress, we have the responsibility to act in a way that best protects the American citizens. Our enemies live and breathe to catch us asleep at the switch, and I am unwilling, as my colleagues are, to stand by, speechless, when they are asked, What did you do to prevent a cyber attack? Now is the time to show them what we have and what we can do. This bill doesn't address every issue in cybersecurity, and it is not a comprehensive cybersecurity fix, but it is a giant and critical step forward. Together, we can unite our Nation against those who wish to do us harm, and I have no doubt that we can get it done. In fact, we have no other choice. I urge the support of H.R. 3696.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2952) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make certain improvements in the laws relating to the advancement of security technologies for critical infrastructure protection, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. MEEHAN. 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 material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2952, the Critical Infrastructure Research Development Advancement, or what we call the CIRDA, Act. This legislation was passed out of full committee with unanimous bipartisan support, and I would like to thank my good friend, the ranking member on the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies Committee, Ms. Clarke, for cosponsoring and supporting this legislation. One of the committee's most important duties is to protect our Nation's critical infrastructure. The CIRDA Act will change the way the Department of Homeland Security develops protections for critical infrastructure by creating and facilitating access to new and existing technologies. Currently, there are barriers within the Department that inhibit strategizing for and, ultimately, the purchasing of the best tools that our country has to offer. The CIRDA Act will direct DHS to facilitate the development of a research and development strategy for critical infrastructure security technologies as well as explore the feasibility of expanding use of public-private R&D consortiums. Our Nation must have access to new security technologies, and a public-private partnership can help spur innovation and economic competitiveness for entities that protect our Nation's defense systems, essential networks, Americans' financial information, chemical facilities, and the many other areas of our economy that are vital for the protection and confidence of Americans and our way of life. This is critically important, Mr. Speaker, because of the fact of the nature, when we are dealing with cyber, what we are dealing with is not just the ability of what we can do today to create a defense, but the recognition of those on the other side who are looking to try to exploit our defenses. It is a constant chess game that is taking place. Whatever we are able to do, immediately somebody is looking for a way to try to get around those protections and compromise them. As a result, we have to be able to have the best capacity, generated either in the private sector or in the government sector, and the ability to get those best protections to the places where they need to be the quickest and the most efficiently. Finally, the legislation will designate a ``Technology Clearinghouse,'' where proven security tools can be rapidly shared among government and private partners. Keeping pace with the rapidly evolving variables of the threat to our Nation and the technological achievements only enhances our ability to combat attacks to the U.S.' critical infrastructure. I urge support for the CIRDA Act. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Washington, DC, January 8, 2014. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McCaul: I am writing to you concerning the jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in H.R. 2952, the ``Critical Infrastructure Research and Development Advancement Act of 2013.'' The bill contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. I recognize and appreciate the desire to bring this legislation before the House of Representatives in an expeditious manner, and accordingly, I will waive further consideration of this bill in Committee, notwithstanding any provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. This waiver, of course, is conditional on our mutual understanding that agreeing to waive consideration of this bill should not be construed as waiving, reducing, or affecting the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. This waiver is also given with the understanding that the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will be added as a recipient of the report required to be provided by the General Accounting Office in Section 3 of the bill. Additionally, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology expressly reserves its authority to seek conferees on any provision within its jurisdiction during any House- Senate conference that may be convened on this, or any similar legislation. I ask for your commitment to support any request by the Committee for conferees on H.R. 2952 as well as any similar or related legislation. I ask that a copy of this letter and your response be included in the report on H.R. 2952 and also be placed in the Congressional Record during consideration of this bill on the House floor. Sincerely, Lamar Smith, Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Enclosure.

Mr. MEEHAN

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3107) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish cybersecurity occupation classifications, assess the cybersecurity workforce, develop a strategy to address identified gaps in the cybersecurity workforce, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 3107, which is the Homeland Security Cybersecurity Boots-on-the-Ground Act, and it is sponsored by the ranking member of the Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies Subcommittee, Ms. Yvette Clarke of New York. This critical piece of legislation is necessary to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security can address gaps in the Department's cybersecurity workforce. I am proud to cosponsor this legislation, as it will direct the Department to assess its cyber workforce, create occupational classifications, and develop a cybersecurity workforce strategy. Throughout the past year, our subcommittee has worked in a bipartisan fashion to identify the cyber threat to our Nation's critical infrastructure, as well as to assess the Department's ability to prevent major cyber attacks. Through our oversight capacity, we have identified areas where Congress can act to neutralize this evolving threat. I am particularly proud of the work we did to tweak this legislation and to incorporate it into the larger committee cyber bill. I believe that today's markup will go a long way in supporting this mission, and I urge support for this crucial piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MEEHAN. 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.