Martha McSally

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. 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.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Wyoming, and I appreciate the hard work of Chairman Frelinghuysen and Chairman Granger on this very important bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the FY17 Department of Defense Appropriations bill, and I urge voting and adoption of this bill. I served 26 years in uniform, and I can say, firsthand, that continuing resolutions are bad for our troops. It is urgent that we pass this bill. One reason is that we are in a military readiness crisis like I have not seen in my lifetime. This bill provides over $215 billion for readiness, an increase of $5.2 billion above the FY16 enacted budget. This increase includes funding for flight time for our pilots, maintenance for our aircraft, and base operations, among other things. It also provides more than $6.8 billion for procurement of aircraft, ships, and helicopters for our troops. The bill fully funds the mighty A-10 Warthog, and it has continued funding for upgrades for this critical plane, extending its service life by starting the re-winging of the remaining 110 aircraft in the fleet. It also increases funding to maintain our asymmetric electronic warfare advantage, developed and tested at Fort Huachuca, in my district. Finally, it provides funding for important missile programs, from air-to-air missiles to missile defense. Our troops are counting on us. Let's stop the bickering, and let's pass this bill.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lieutenant General Michael E. Williamson, United States Army, for his selfless service to our nation, culminating in his assignment as the Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology and Director of Acquisition Career Management. Lieutenant General Williamson will retire from active military duty this year after 34 years of service. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Lieutenant General Williamson was commissioned at the University of Maine as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Defense Artillery in 1983. His assignments included company grade assignments in Germany and command in the 11th Brigade at Fort Bliss, Texas, and the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas. Throughout his career, Lieutenant General Williamson has grown as a skilled practitioner, respected leader, and mentor within the Army acquisition workforce. He served with distinction as Senior Military Software Analyst at NATO's military headquarters in Belgium; Chief of Information Technology, Acquisition Career Management; Product Manager for the Global Command and Control System-Army; Military Assistant to the Secretary of the Army; Project Manager for Future Combat Systems Network Systems Integration; Director of Systems Integration; Deputy Program Executive Officer, Integration; Joint Program Executive Officer for the Joint Tactical Radio Systems; and Assistant Deputy for Acquisition and Systems Management. Lieutenant General Williamson will complete his career as Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology and Director of Acquisition Career Management as the most senior military officer within the Army Acquisition Corps where he tirelessly advocated for equipment modernization and ensured that our Soldiers have the best equipment available. In addition to his extensive acquisition experience, Lieutenant General Williamson served in the Congressional Fellowship program as a Military Legislative Assistant to former Representative Silvestre Reyes of Texas' 16th District. He also served as the Deputy Commanding General for the Combined Security Transition Command--Afghanistan during OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM from 2013 to 2014. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the remarkable career of Lieutenant General Michael E. Williamson and congratulate him as he enters the next chapter of his life. I wish Michael, his loving wife, Tracy, and their beloved daughter, Darcy, the very best as they embark on their new journey together.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. McSALLY. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of the underlying legislation, H.R. 998, the SCRUB Act, and urge adoption of my amendment. The Retrospective Regulatory Review Commission created in the SCRUB Act is an important tool to help Congress reclaim its constitutional role of serving as a check to the executive branch and will help bring back jobs and opportunity to hardworking Americans. In 2016 alone, the Obama administration added 97,110 pages to the Federal Register. That is over 75 times more than the Bible, without any of the good news. These rules and regulations accumulate with no relief and touch every aspect of life all the way down to recordkeeping for contact lenses, vending machine food labeling, and walk-in freezer testing. Of the over 3,500 final regulations issued in 2016, 34 will cost over $100 million, and 105 are deemed to have significant impacts on small business. We need to reduce this regulatory burden on American households and small businesses, which costs the economy over $2 trillion per year. The Congressional Review Act gives Congress 60 legislative days to introduce and pass into law a disapproval resolution overturning a rule or a regulation. Once agency actions are overturned using this process, agencies are unable to reissue, substantially in the same form, a regulation or guidance in the future. A little known provision in the Congressional Review Act requires Federal agencies to submit to Congress and the Government Accountability Office a report on the rule or regulation. The 60-day clock for congressional action begins either when the rule is published or when Congress receives this report, whichever comes later. Independent studies have shown many rules since 1996 have been implemented without this report, often due to Federal agencies' push to hastily implement new rules. This means that there are still many rules and regulations that may still be eligible for Congress to overturn using the Congressional Review Act disapproval resolutions process. My amendment to the SCRUB Act requires the Retrospective Regulatory Review Commission to consider for removal rules and regulations for which Congress did not receive the report as required by the Congressional Review Act. According to GAO, approximately 29 percent of final rules failed to submit required reports in 2013. This prudent step will help give Congress the opportunity to, where appropriate, make use of the Congressional Review Act disapproval process to expedite the rollback of flawed rules and regulations that are choking our economy. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY. Madam Chair, may I ask how much time I have remaining.

Ms. McSALLY. Madam Chair, again, my amendment is simple under the SCRUB Act. Right now, these agencies are not complying with the law. They have not submitted necessary reports to Congress and the GAO. So this amendment is simply asking, among other things that are being reviewed in this act, that we take a look at which reports have not been submitted, therefore, which are not in compliance with the Congressional Review Act so that we can decide whether any of those would be appropriate for disapproval resolutions or, quite frankly, whether the rule is even one that should be enforced because it hasn't complied with the law. This is a good amendment. I appreciate our colleagues supporting it. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Arrington).

Ms. McSALLY. Madam Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas.

Ms. McSALLY. Madam Chair, I want to thank Mr. Arrington for his support. I want to thank Chairman Chaffetz and Mr. Smith for their hard work on this important legislation. I want to urge the passage of my amendment and encourage my colleagues to support the underlying legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life of Tim Prendiville, an active member of Tucson's Irish community and dear friend of my family and mine who sadly passed away on February 14. Tim dedicated his life to giving back to others. For example, he organized meals and bought sleeping bags for the homeless at Armory Park, and he donated his time to help those who could not read or write send letters to their loved ones. He was a founding member of Tucson's St. Patrick's Day committee and was honored last year as grand marshal of the annual parade. He was a gifted storyteller, a reflection of his Irish roots. One of his favorites was the time he sang ``Oh Danny Boy'' at a dinner with then-Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. I've known Tim ever since I was a young child. When I was 12, he delivered the eulogy at my father's funeral. Throughout my life, he has been a constant source of encouragement, and, although we belonged to different political parties, he was somebody who shared widely his faith and belief in me. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply grateful for Tim Prendiville's love and support. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones in our time of grief. I know he is now singing ``Oh Danny Boy'' with the angels.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 505) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to strengthen accountability for deployment of border security technology at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material in the Record.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 505, the Border Security Technology Accountability Act. This bill seeks to improve the management of border security technology projects, safeguard taxpayer dollars, and increase accountability for some of the Department of Homeland Security's largest acquisition programs. As a subcommittee chair with responsibility for the entire 2,000-mile Southern border, and as a Member whose district in southern Arizona represents 80 miles of the border, I have spent countless hours meeting with border residents, local law enforcement, ranchers, and men and women who tirelessly patrol the border every day. I know firsthand that when our border technology projects lack the proper oversight and accountability, it is bad for taxpayers, those who defend our border, and those who live along our border. That is why this bill is so important. The Government Accountability Office has repeatedly included DHS acquisition management activities on its high-risk list, demonstrating that these programs are highly susceptible to waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement. The Secure Border Initiative, also known as SBInet, is a prime example of acquisition mismanagement. Initial plans developed in 2005 and 2006 call for SBInet to extend across the entire U.S.-Mexico land border; however, SBInet deployment in Arizona was fraught with mismanagement, including a failure to adequately set requirements so the system would meet the needs of its users: our border patrol agents. After spending nearly $1 billion of taxpayers' money with minimal results, DHS canceled SBInet in 2011, showing the high cost of failing to properly oversee new border acquisitions. With a renewed focus from the administration and this Congress on improving border security, this bill helps ensure Americans' dollars are used as efficiently and effectively as possible. It requires that border security technology programs at the Department have an acquisition program baseline: a critical document that lays out what a program will do, what it will cost, and when it will be completed. The bill also requires programs to adhere to internal control standards and have a plan for testing and evaluation, as well as the use of independent verification and validation resources. Being proper stewards of our limited resources requires that programs are on time, on budget, and follow sound management procedures. We cannot afford to waste another minute or another dollar. We must put into place strong, effective technology programs to secure our border. I urge all Members to join me in supporting these basic commonsense cost-control mechanisms so that we can responsibly secure our border. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 505 to have transparency, accountability, and efficiency of vital border security technology projects. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. 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.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 677) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear intelligence and information sharing functions of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security and to require dissemination of information analyzed by the Department to entities with responsibilities relating to homeland security, and for other purposes.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 677, the CBRN Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2017. We know that terrorist groups have long sought to employ chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear, or CBRN, materials in their attacks. In his 2016 Worldwide Threat Assessment, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper noted that weapons of mass destruction continue to pose a threat to the United States, whether from North Korea's nuclear tests or the dual-use nature of biological materials that make threats difficult to detect. In addition, last year, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons completed a year-long investigation that found both Syria and ISIS have used chemical weapons. ISIS' interest in using weapons of mass destruction material in its attack against the West is also well documented. H.R. 677 will enhance intelligence analysis and information sharing and will work to ensure that State and local officials get the actionable intelligence information necessary to stop or mitigate a CBRN attack. As the previous chairwoman of the Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications Subcommittee, I held a number of hearings on the threat posed by terrorist attacks using CBRN agents. Many national security experts, first responders, and members of the law enforcement community have testified to the need of increased information sharing with appropriate State and local officials and emergency responders. This budget-neutral bill seeks to address these findings. It requires the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS to support homeland security-focused intelligence analysis of CBRN threats, including emerging infectious diseases. It directs the Office of Intelligence and Analysis to share information with State, local, tribal, and private entities and get their feedback to improve two-way sharing of information. Finally, H.R. 677 directs the Secretary of DHS to report annually for 5 years on the Department's intelligence and information sharing activities and DHS' activities in accordance with relevant intelligence strategies. The House passed a nearly identical bill I introduced last Congress by a vote of 420-2. I urge Members to join me in supporting this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 677, this legislation that will enhance the sharing of CBRN-related threat information. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 678) to require an assessment of fusion center personnel needs, and for other purposes.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 678, the Department of Homeland Security Support to Fusion Centers Act of 2017. Ensuring that the Federal Government is sharing intelligence and homeland security information with State and local officials is a vital component of U.S. national security and our counterterrorism efforts. I have seen firsthand the important work of fusion centers, which disseminate Federal threat and intelligence information to local law enforcement and emergency responders. These centers also collect State and local information and fuse it with Federal intelligence. There is no doubt that this effort enhances terrorist investigations and creates a more complete domestic threat picture. To help break down information sharing stovepipes, my State's fusion center, the Arizona Counter Terrorism Intelligence Center, or the ACTIC, and the 77 other fusion centers across the country need greater access to information, particularly from the Department of Homeland Security and its components. While personnel from the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis have been deployed to most fusion centers, one remaining challenge is access to DHS component personnel and information, particularly ICE, CBP, and TSA. To address this issue, this bill requires GAO, the Government Accountability Office, to conduct an assessment of the DHS personnel detailed to fusion centers and whether deploying additional personnel will enhance threat and homeland security information sharing. This third-party assessment of DHS personnel deployments will be valuable when making staffing decisions moving forward. Additionally, this bill supports ongoing DHS efforts to sponsor top secret clearances to appropriate State and local analysts in fusion centers. The committee has received countless testimony from State and local law enforcement about the value additional clearances will provide. The bill also directs the DHS to review current information technology systems used to share information with fusion centers and make enhancements to ensure systems, such as the Homeland Security Information Network, are user friendly and meeting the needs of States and locals. Lastly, the bill requires the Under Secretary of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis to sign a memorandum of understanding with each fusion center. The purpose of the MOU is to lay out what type of information will be shared between DHS and the fusion centers and how that information will be protected. A critical element of the Department's relationship with the thousands of State and local first responders working in fusion centers is trust. The MOU process will help improve this important connection. Our country is at its highest threat posture this 9/11 given the large number of foreign fighters and ISIS-inspired plots. This bill will help ensure our State and local law enforcement officers as well as fire and EMS personnel are getting access to the information needed to protect our communities. I urge all Members to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY. 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.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, one of the core missions of the Department of Homeland Security is to share threat information with State and local first responders. Fusion centers are a key mechanism for that process. As fusion centers continue to mature into national assets, Congress must ensure that the Department of Homeland Security is supporting fusion centers with the resources that are needed to keep our communities safe. I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 678. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize two southern Arizona young women for their achievements and for serving as role models in their communities. Macy Maine, a senior at Buena High School, and Hannah Mason, a senior at Pusch Ridge Christian Academy, were recently given the 2016 Brilliant, Beautiful and Bold Role Model Award from the Girls Rule Foundation. The award recognizes only a handful of young women across the State who are making a difference. Macy was given the award for her active engagement in the community. She represented her high school as an American Legion Auxiliary Arizona Girls State delegate, is an All-American cheerleader, and represented her city at the Power Up Teen Leadership Conference. She is a frequent volunteer and hopes to enter public service. Hannah has been a selfless leader for her family and community. After a car accident took the life of her father and severely injured her older sister, Hannah stepped up to care for her family. She helped her sister through multiple surgeries while continuing to excel at school and remain active in the community. She hopes to enter medical school one day. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate both Macy and Hannah for being inspirational role models to their peers and wish them the best of luck as they continue to pursue their dreams.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleagues from Arizona and around the country, to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the January 8, 2011, shooting in Tucson that killed six people and wounded 13 more. Six years ago this week, Congresswoman Giffords was sworn into office, just like we were 3 days ago. Six years ago this week, she headed home to her district, just like we all will tomorrow. And 6 years ago, on Sunday, she was engaging in one of the most fundamental activities of representative government by meeting with her constituents to hear their thoughts, concerns, and ideas, just like we will all do in the days ahead. As Representatives, we each carry out this critical discourse when home in our districts. Its exercise is vital to our free society, which is why this shooting wasn't just an attack on Tucson, but this body and our very democratic foundations. The attack marked the first time in our country's history that an assassination attempt was made on a congressional Member while engaging with her constituents. It also is remembered as the first assassination of a congressional staffer, Gabe Zimmerman, in the line of duty. As we remember those we lost, we also reflect on the renewed sense of compassion and civility that emerged from this tragedy. This weekend, in Tucson, we will commemorate how our community came together to support those grieving and provide an example of courage and unity that the entire country can follow. It is in this spirit of unity that we stand here for a moment of silence to recognize the six lives that were cut tragically short that day: Nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green; Dorothy Morris; Judge John Roll; Phyllis Schneck; Dorwan Stoddard; and Congressional staffer Gabriel ``Gabe'' Zimmerman.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the NDAA. I thank Chairman Thornberry for his leadership on this issue and being a member of that committee. As a retired Air Force colonel and A-10 pilot, I am deeply troubled by the dangerous atrophying of our military in recent years. For example, we once had 134 fighter squadrons. Today we have 55. We had 946,000 total force military and civilian airmen, and now we are down to 660,000. We are short 700 fighter pilots, 4,000 maintainers, and critical munitions. Yet the world isn't getting any safer. This bill takes crucial steps to reverse the readiness crisis and helps ensure our military has the training, manpower, and resources they need to keep us safe. It increases end strength and funds the weapons systems we need to take on ISIS and other emerging threats, such as the Tomahawk missile. It fully protects the mighty A-10 Warthog, our best close air support asset. It includes critical language I authored to require a fly-off between the A-10 and the F-35 before a single A-10 can be retired. It fully funds the EC-130H Compass Call, the Air Force's only dedicated electronic warfare asset. It fully funds the vital missions we need for the future, like cyber, intelligence, and electronic warfare--all of which are housed at Fort Huachuca in my district. I am proud to have worked on the committee with Chairman Thornberry and Chairman McCain on these important issues. I want to thank them for their leadership. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this critical bill and support our troops.