Martha McSally

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this important legislation. I want to thank Chairman Upton for his tireless leadership on the 21st Century Cures Act. The bill is the result of years of hard work and brings hope to countless Americans suffering from incurable diseases in all of our districts around this country. I also want to recognize the work of Congressman Tim Murphy, who has served as a leader and a champion on the critical issue of mental health and is the author of legislation included in this bill that will overhaul our mental health system for the first time in 50 years. Additionally, this legislation includes parts of a bill that I introduced with Senator John Cornyn to improve mental health collaboration between Federal, State, and local justice systems to allow better responses to mental health crises. These provisions will also divert low-level offenders from incarceration to treatment programs, help reduce recidivism and provide support to mentally ill offenders reentering the community. Many diverse groups came together in support of these bipartisan efforts, including mental health advocates and law enforcement organizations. I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this very important bill. I thank the chairman for his leadership.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life of Border Patrol Agent Manuel ``Manny'' Alvarez. Agent Alvarez entered duty as a member of the Border Patrol Academy Class of 557 on July 17, 2003. He was a dedicated agent who strove to be his best each time he put on the uniform. Agent Alvarez dutifully served our country in the Border Patrol for 13 years. During that time he became well known for his commitment to excellence, warm personality, and humble demeanor. He was a man who looked out for his fellow agents and did what was necessary to ensure the optimal performance of his team. He was always willing to take time to teach or train newer agents or share what he had learned. On August 11, 2016 Agent Alvarez was killed while on duty on the Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation just south of Sells, Arizona. Even after over a decade of service, Manny's love and drive for his work was as strong as the day he entered the Border Patrol. Agent Alvarez was only 37 at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Jeanine, and four children, Analysia, Yaslyne, Julian, and Gabriel, and was deeply committed to his family. He also was an avid runner and had a natural talent for drawing. There's no doubt that such a tragic loss is felt across our entire community and by the Border Patrol Agency to which he gave so much. On behalf of Southern Arizonans, I thank Agent Alvarez for his service to keep our country and communities safe, and I offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends on the loss of one of our community's finest.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Tiberi as well as Chairman Brady. I truly appreciate their willingness to work with me on this legislation that will peel back this lesser-known tax increase buried in the Affordable Care Act that is already hurting middle class families and will begin to hurt seniors early next year. H.R. 3590, the Halt Tax Increases on the Middle Class and Seniors Act, is a bill I introduced earlier in this Congress, and it will protect seniors from this tax hike and it will roll it back for middle class families. With the costs of health care rising and becoming significantly harder for families and seniors to find, this legislation is necessary to provide relief to Americans with expensive medical bills. Since 2005, healthcare costs have steadily risen faster than inflation in every year except one. Additionally, the trend towards rising health insurance deductibles and premiums are leaving people exposed to increased out-of-pocket costs. We should be working to reduce this burden, not making it worse; but that is not what this hidden tax hike in the Affordable Care Act would do. Currently, the IRS allows Americans with high healthcare costs to deduct certain out-of-pocket expenses from their taxes. Prior to 2013, individuals could deduct out-of-pocket costs that exceed 7.5 percent of one's adjusted gross income, or AGI. The Affordable Care Act changed this for Americans under the age of 65 already by moving that threshold to 10 percent, effectively raising taxes on middle class Americans. To make matters worse, that same tax increase is scheduled to hit Americans 65 and older starting January 1, 2017. This is particularly concerning to me because, according to the Census Bureau's 2014 American Community Survey, approximately 140,000 individuals, roughly one-fifth of my constituents, are over the age of 65. Though it has not received much attention, the medical expense deduction means a great deal to some of the most vulnerable Americans. According to recent data from the IRS, more than 8 million people use this deduction, with more than 80 percent earning less than $100,000 a year and 49 percent earning less than $50,000 a year. This deduction is extremely important for low-and middle-income Americans who have already spent thousands in out-of-pocket costs and cannot afford another shock to their wallets and pocketbooks. The same goes for seniors, many who already live on fixed incomes and struggle to make ends meet. According to the AARP, seniors make up 56 percent of all claimants of the medical expense deduction. If the threshold is raised, many seniors who have saved for their whole lives and have carefully planned for retirement will suddenly be faced with hundreds of dollars in extra taxes on top of the out-of-pocket medical costs they already pay. That is why I introduced this bill. It is a bipartisan bill to stop this tax increase for seniors and roll it back for those under 65. The impetus for this legislation came from one of my constituents in Green Valley, Arizona. His name is Loren Thorsen. Tragically, Loren passed away earlier this year, but he knew the importance of raising awareness of this tax hike and he was committed and passionate to doing what he could do to stop it. I am honored to be standing here today in order to advance this effort, Loren's effort, one step further. In closing, I want to thank the 17 cosponsors, including Chairman Tiberi, Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, Congressman Bob Dold, and Congressman Jason Smith, all members of the Ways and Means Committee, as well as my colleague, the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. Sinema). I would also like to thank the various supporting groups, including the AARP, Americans for Prosperity, 60 Plus, Americans for Tax Reform, the Association of Mature American Citizens, and the National Taxpayers Union. I would urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill in order to ensure we protect the American people from another harmful healthcare tax increase that they simply cannot afford.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, it is launch day. I rise today to recognize the dedicated men and women at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Lab, who are leading NASA's historic OSIRIS-REx space mission. Launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida, tonight, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will embark on a 7-year journey to the Bennu asteroid, where it will collect samples before returning to Earth. If successful, the mission will mark the first time a spacecraft has gathered samples from a moving asteroid. The University of Arizona's leadership of the OSIRIS-REx mission adds to its already impressive reputation in planetary sciences. I would like to extend my best wishes to all of the scientists at UA and elsewhere working on this project for a successful launch and mission.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the life of Bill Holmes, a man lovingly referred to as ``Mr. Tucson'' for his substantial contributions to the people of Southern Arizona. Bill was born in Yuma, Arizona, where he attended Union High School. After graduation, he toured with the international music group, ``Up with People,'' which aims to bridge cultural barriers and bring people together through music and service. Through his talents and commitment to service, Bill touched countless lives in Tucson. At the time of his death, he was the managing partner and CEO of Agape Hospice and Palliative Care, helping provide comfort and care to those in their final hours. He previously served as managing partner for CPR2U LLC, a health care education company; senior consultant for Up With People; chief operating officer of the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce; and community relations manager for Wells Fargo. Bill gave back to our community in so many ways, evidenced by the many civic organizations to which he lent his time and energy. He was Chairman of the Board of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and was involved with the Saguaro Girl Scouts Council, Chicanos Por La Causa, El Rio Foundation, Catholic Community Services, Angel Charities, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Those who knew Bill or had the chance to meet him know he always had a smile on his face. He was a generous, caring, and vibrant leader of our community. His death will no doubt leave a void for many who loved and knew him, but his legacy will carry on, and his enormous impact on Tucson, the city he loved so dearly, will be felt long into the future.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4404) to require an exercise related to terrorist and foreign fighter travel, 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 on the bill under consideration.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4404, the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act. This legislation furthers the efforts that I and several of my colleagues on the House Homeland Security Committee have been engaged in for much of the 114th Congress as members of the bipartisan Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel. For 6 months, our task force investigated our security vulnerabilities and the threat posed by ISIS. Our work produced 32 key findings and over 50 recommendations to make Americans safer. In our findings, the task force found that the growing complexity and changing nature of the foreign fighter phenomenon may be creating unseen gaps in our defenses. Yet, it has been years since any large- scale stress test has been conducted on U.S. Government protection and prevention programs against terrorist travel. The last major government exercise on terrorist travel occurred in 2009 when the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, conducted an exercise focused on the ``aftermath of a notional terrorist event outside of the United States'' and how to prevent subsequent efforts by the terrorists to enter the United States and carry out additional attacks. The objective of that exercise was to determine how government agencies at all levels would respond in such an environment. However, the threat environment in 2016 has changed considerably, and relying on information gathered during an exercise that took place 7 years ago is simply unacceptable and puts American lives at risk. The exercise conducted in 2009 also focused primarily on terrorists attempting to infiltrate the United States from overseas. However, our task force found that officials today should be just as concerned about Americans leaving the country to train overseas with terrorist groups as foreign fighters. The ability of these hardened fighters to then return to the United States is a legitimate security threat to the homeland. Catching individuals who are looking to join the ranks and train with ISIS and other terrorist organizations prior to their initial departure is equally important, and it should be a goal for law enforcement as well. As such, H.R. 4404 would require that the Obama administration conduct an exercise to evaluate the Nation's preparedness against all phases of foreign fighter planning and travel. Carrying out such a test would be beneficial in understanding how partners at all levels of government--and abroad--are currently responding to these scenarios. The feeble response to ISIS by this administration is irresponsible, and we must take decisive action to defeat this threat that they and other terrorist organizations pose to us. The findings of the exercise required by this legislation will identify weaknesses at home and abroad that might be exploited by terrorists and foreign fighters, particularly to infiltrate the United States to conduct attacks. These findings will also be provided to Congress and Federal law enforcement and intelligence officials and provide information on how we can best address these weaknesses. I am pleased that over the last several months, the House has passed numerous pieces of legislation that were products of this bipartisan task force's work, including some recommendations that are now law. Passage of the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act today represents continued action by this body to fight against ISIS and ensure we keep Americans safe. I want to thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson for establishing the Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel. I would also like to thank the chairman of the task force, Congressman Katko, for his leadership and the other Members who served on the task force for their continued dedication to seeing our recommendations through. I look forward to implementation of many more of the task force's findings. I urge all Members to join me in supporting this commonsense, bipartisan bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, March 9, 2016. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McCaul: I write concerning H.R. 4404, the ``Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act of 2016''. This legislation, as amended by the Committee on homeland Security, 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. 4404, 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 does 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 Committee report for H.R. 4404, as well as in the Congressional Record dining 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.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4404. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts and our other colleagues for their cosponsorship of this. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member Visclosky for all their hard work on this important bill. I rise today to offer an amendment to help us guide reprioritization of some defense spending. While I believe military bands play a very important role in ceremonies, funerals, honoring the fallen, and playing taps, this amendment simply limits their ability to play in social functions, dances, and things that are really outside their core competencies and the competencies of the military. Sequestration and 15 years of war have taken a very heavy toll on our military, and this bill is helping to turn that around. I appreciate the hard work on that. For example, in the air domain, with which I have some experience, we recently grounded one-third of our combat fighters for 3 months in the Air Force. The Air Force is facing a shortage of 4,000 maintainers for aircraft and 500 fighter pilots, and that shortage is expected to widen to 800 by 2022. Only half of the Air Force fighter pilots, including those that fly the F-22, are receiving the full spectrum of the training they require. Twenty-five years ago, we had 134 combat coded fighter squadrons; today, we have 55. And we had 946,000 total force military and civilian airmen. Well, today we have fewer than 660,000. The Navy and the Marine Corps are facing similar pilot and aircraft shortages. Our Army is drawing down to its smallest size since before World War II. Yet, today, we have 99 different Army bands. In fact, today these bands will play at 22 different shows worldwide. Most of these shows, the USO and civilian bands would love to fill the role of. At the same time, we have heard reports that we have a shortage of buglers--those who are playing taps--to honor our military when they are fallen. We have got to make sure that we have them represented so that those who have fallen and served receive the honors that they deserve. We should be recruiting warriors, but the Army Web site is targeting people to play music for a living. Don't get me wrong; I believe the bands play an important role. Let me tell you, in my 26 years in the military, I used to be at Christmas parties with the wing commanders and generals, and we would have Active-Duty military entertaining us, and it bothered me then. We have difficult choices to make. We are spending, in FY15, $437 million on musicians' instruments, uniforms, travel expenses, and we have seen reports of things like $11,000 flutes, $12,000 tubas, and $88,000 pianos. These are difficult choices that we have to make right now in this bill. Because of some of these concerns that we have had--I am on the Armed Services Committee--in this year's NDAA, we asked for detailed information on the size and cost of all bands across the military. While we wait for this information, this amendment will inform the military that Congress desires them to use defense dollars on defense. Let's be clear, this is not an attack on the arts. I am a vocalist myself. I care deeply about the arts. But we have to, again, make difficult choices in these bills. In no way do I want to devalue those who have served in the past in these roles or are serving now in these roles in our military bands, but for every dollar that is spent on our bands to entertain at social functions, that is a dollar we are not spending on national security, on our troops, and our families. Because of the shortage of maintainers, the Air Force is asking us to choose between things like air superiority and close air support. We need to do both. Some of our choices here are related to do we want to have aircraft parts funded or musical instruments. Again, these are difficult choices, but my amendment today simply limits the function of military bands so that they can be performing those ceremonial duties, playing at military funerals, playing taps, those things that are very important roles for our military. While our communities certainly do enjoy being entertained by our military bands, they would, I think, prefer to be protected by our military. I urge everybody to support this amendment and make sure our money is spent well on defense and the bands are focused on their most crucial roles. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman for his support of the spirit of the amendment. I look forward to working with him and the ranking member to make sure that it is appropriately tightened up so that it meets the intent of the amendment, which I think we both agree upon. I appreciate his working with me on that. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. As a runner for 36 years and as someone who served in the military for 26 years in leading and in supervising recruits and individuals and in coaching a lot of people to run marathons and multiple running events, I know a lot about this issue. I couldn't agree with the gentleman from South Carolina more. They need to have choice in order to make sure that they are set up for success as the types of runners that they are. Right now, our recruits are getting injured because they are handed cash, and they are told to go over to the BX and buy some shoes. Most of them have no idea: Am I a pronator? Am I a supinator? Do I have a high arch or a medium arch? Do I need a motion-control or a stability or a cushion shoe? They buy shoes based on price and put the rest in their pockets, or it is based on which ones they like, on which ones they think look good. Also, individuals at the BX are not trained to be able to put them in the right shoes to set them up for success. Right now, they are being injured; their dreams are being broken; and they are unable to contribute, due to shinsplints, stress fractures, and other things, because they are not set up for success. If we comply with this amendment, which we vigorously discussed in HASC and passed unanimously by a voice vote, they would have the opportunity for the Pentagon to measure them, their gait, and then provide them with shoes that are appropriate for them. There are multiple choices in motion control, stability, or cushioning, whichever applies to them. This is about readiness and avoiding injury. We need our troops to start off on the right foot and with the right footwear. I strongly oppose this amendment.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate Darla Sidles, superintendent of Saguaro National Park, on her recent appointment to oversee the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, and I thank her for her 7 years of service to the people of Arizona. Under Darla's leadership, Saguaro National Park set record highs for attendance, attracting over 750,000 people last year. Her tenure saw the complete refurbishment of the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center and successful application of key resilient landscapes grants. She also spearheaded efforts to connect the park with local young and urban populations, helping expose them to the many treasures the park offers. In addition to her role as director of one of southern Arizona's largest parks, she is a valued leader in our community who served for 4 years on the January 8 Memorial Foundation board. I had the privilege to hike Saguaro National Park with Darla, pictured here, to talk about its value. We continue to work together on efforts to protect and improve this Tucson gem. We will be sad to lose her in August, and no doubt Darla's standout leadership of our park contributed to her appointment to oversee the third-most-visited national park in the country. I thank her for her service, and I wish her well in Colorado.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to this proposed amendment. Although I have respect for my colleague and teammate, I have strong reservations and opposition to this amendment. This amendment is a solution in search of a problem. It would delay critical missile capabilities to the warfighter and will be more costly to the taxpayer. Only two tactical missile programs in production today use international motors, and both of them are made by our friend, Norway. If enacted, prime contractors will have to pause production of critical tactical missiles and spend tens of millions in compliance costs to certify an alternative product that does not currently exist. What is more, while we wait for the second company to develop a working product line, we will slow production of missiles needed by warfighters today. The history for why past programs have used international motors is important to keep in mind. In 2011, after a history of success, the AMRAAM missile, which is a critical air-to-air missile--and, as a fighter pilot, I know a little bit about capabilities--that was built by a domestic company, but began to fail in cold weather. Think about that. You are a fighter pilot. You have been called to engage with the enemy. You have got them in your sight. You hit the pickle button and the missile fails on you; puts your life at risk and the risk of air superiority and our military capabilities and the military mission. In that circumstance, the domestic company was unable to solve the problem, so we turned to a back-up company in Norway. Our NATO ally, Norway, stepped in to fill the production gap for the AMRAAM program, which produces missiles we sell to dozens of our partner nations to guarantee air superiority in any contingency. Without our foreign partner, the AMRAAM program could have been shut down for up to 5 years. Instead, we turned around a 2-year production lag and put the missile program ahead of schedule. If this amendment passes, it will put a dangerous pause on this critical air-to-air missile program, risking air superiority for us and our allies. If the domestic producer, which will benefit from this amendment, wants its rocket motors back on the AMRAAM missile, they need to fix their quality issues and compete when the shortfalls are addressed instead of asking Congress to take up the slack with an earmark-like amendment like this one. The amendment puts parochial interests above what is best for our fighter pilots, our warfighters, and our military readiness. That is not right, and we owe it to our troops to shoot it down. In closing, the Department of Defense, the Navy and the Air Force have all expressed strong opposition to this amendment. The Pentagon believes this language would require significant program investment and ultimately result in increased program costs that will be passed on to the taxpayer or come at the expense of other important defense spending and readiness, which we are trying to fix in this bill today. We simply cannot afford it. Current law already provides the authority for the Department of Defense to address this issue. Mandating two vendors is merely a clever effort to essentially put an earmark for a specific defense company into this bill. This same amendment was debated last year, but it was dropped in conference. It will ultimately harm our warfighters in a time that we need to be giving them every advantage, ensuring the equipment that they have is reliable. I strongly urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the life of Ann Day, a dedicated public servant of southern Arizona who was tragically killed last weekend in a car crash. Ann was the sister of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, but that did not keep her from making a mark on Arizona that was uniquely hers. She came from a ranching background and brought a ``cowgirl commonsense'' approach to problem solving that marked her many years of service. Ann represented Tucson in the Arizona State Senate for 10 years, followed by 12 years as a Pima County supervisor. Her efforts led to the establishment of local landmarks like the Rillito River Path and Brandi Fenton Park, where a memorial service in her honor will be held on Saturday. She also will be remembered for her love of nature and substantial conservation efforts in Pima County. Thanks to her, generations of people from across our country will continue to be able to come to southern Arizona and experience the breathtaking landscapes that we call home. She is truly someone whose impact and legacy will live on far beyond her years and someone who will be deeply missed by many in our community.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, opioid addiction is an epidemic that is tearing our communities apart. This devastation is acutely felt by families in southern Arizona, many of whom know all too well the pain of losing a loved one to an overdose. Nobody, no family, is immune. A recent analysis showed that Pima County, which I represent, has an overdose rate twice as high as any other county in Arizona, which had the 10th highest rate in the Arizona. Southern Arizona's close proximity to the border exacerbates this problem, as more and more opioids come flowing into our communities. Reports show that, between 2010 and 2015, heroin seizures spiked by more than 300 percent. Too many lives have been ruined by the tragic consequences of opioid abuse, which is why we must act. This week the House is voting on 18 bills that take steps such as launching medication and treatment intervention programs, expanding resources to evidence-based incarceration alternatives, and increasing the availability of lifesaving overdose reversal drugs. These are many important first steps to stopping the rise of opioid addiction, and I pledge to continue working to address this very grave and urgent issue.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3583) to reform and improve the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Office of Emergency Communications, and the Office of Health Affairs of 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 within 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, I rise today in support of H.R. 3583, the Promoting Resilience and Efficiency in Preparing for Attacks and Responding to Emergencies, or PREPARE Act, which I introduced during my tenure as chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications. The PREPARE Act is part of the Committee on Homeland Security's effort to authorize and ensure the efficiency of the Department of Homeland Security's operations. The provisions of this bill were informed by the subcommittee's oversight this Congress and discussions with stakeholders. This was a bipartisan process, and I am pleased that the subcommittee's ranking member, Congressman Payne, joined me in sponsoring this bill. This bill is an example of how we should be working together in Congress to get things done. The PREPARE Act makes a number of improvements to the operations at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Office of Health Affairs, and Office of Emergency Communications. The bill authorizes, for the first time, Operation Stonegarden, which provides grants to law enforcement agencies along the border to enhance border security. These funds are vital to the security of border communities, like the ones in my district in southern Arizona. We must ensure that grant programs like the State Homeland Security Grant Program and the Urban Areas Security Initiative are providing a return on investment and assisting in the closure of capability gaps. That is why the bill requires FEMA to analyze data included in yearly State Preparedness Reports and Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessments to gauge year-over-year improvements. The bill also requires FEMA to share information on grants management best practices with grant recipients so that they may benefit from innovative practices used by other grantees. In addition, the bill sets the period of performance for these grant programs at 3 years, to ensure grant recipients have sufficient time to make sound investments. To ensure FEMA is operating efficiently and effectively, the bill requires the Administrator to designate an individual to serve as FEMA's chief management official and take steps to address the findings and recommendations of a number of GAO reports. The bill also requires FEMA to update its strategic human capital plan so it has the workforce it needs to complete its important mission. It is vital that our Nation's first responders have the tools that they need to communicate. That is why the bill seeks to ensure that the First Responder Network Authority and the Department of Homeland Security work together to secure the nationwide public safety broadband network that is under development against cyberattacks. After hearing much concern from first responders who rely on the technical assistance and programming of the Office of Emergency Communication, the bill prohibits the Secretary of Homeland Security from reorganizing OEC without prior authorization. A 2015 GAO review of interoperability at the Department noted that CBP and ICE personnel reported the lack of interoperability along the border resulted in missed apprehensions and jeopardized agent safety. As a result, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that DHS' radio users, such as Border Patrol agents, CBP officers, and ICE agents receive ongoing training on the use of radio systems, including interagency radio use protocols. This provision builds upon legislation signed into the law by the President that requires DHS to develop a strategy to achieve and maintain interoperability among its components. To address the chemical and biological threats we face, the PREPARE Act authorizes responsibilities of the Department's Chief Medical Officer and establishes a pilot program to provide anthrax vaccines to first responders on a voluntary basis. I want to thank my successor, Chairman Donovan, for his leadership in continuing to shepherd the PREPARE Act to the floor today. I would also like to thank Chairman Shuster, Chairman Upton, and Chairman Hensarling for working with us to advance this bill. Mr. Speaker, the PREPARE Act builds efficiencies and increases coordination for preparedness improvements while providing greater accountability for taxpayers. I urge all Members to join me in supporting this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, March 10, 2016. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Ford House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman McCaul: I write concerning H.R. 3583, the ``Promoting Resilience and Efficiency in Preparing for Attacks and Responding to Emergencies 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. 3583, 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 does 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 Committee report for H.R. 3583, as well as 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.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications.

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3583. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, with education and opportunity, women can transform a society. This is true all around the world, but especially in America, where women still have untapped potential. As a society, we must do a better job of showing girls they can be whatever they want to be and making sure they have the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential. That is why, on June 11, my office will hold southern Arizona's first ever Congressional Young Women's Leadership Program. This one-day event provides young women currently in high school with the opportunity to meet and interact with successful women from southern Arizona who hold leadership roles in a variety of fields. Quite simply, this program is about encouraging young women to be fearless, dream big, and let nothing stand in their way. The deadline for applications, which can be found on my Web site, mcsallyhouse.gov, is May 9. I encourage high school girls throughout the Second Congressional District to take advantage of this unique opportunity and apply at my Web site.

Ms. McSALLY

Ms. McSALLY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4482) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare a southwest border threat analysis, and for other purposes, as amended.

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