Silvestre Reyes

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra). Pending that, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of overriding the President's veto. This year, for the first time in 3 years, the Congress passed an intelligence authorization act and presented it to the President. This was something that had proved impossible for a Republican-controlled House and a Republican-controlled Senate. In recent years, while the bill passed the House, it never even got to conference. When I took over as chairman of the Intelligence Committee, I made passing an authorization all the way through conference a high priority. It wasn't easy, but I thought it was crucial that we revitalize the oversight process, and I committed to getting an authorization bill not only passed through the House but sent to the President. The intelligence community, by its very nature, presents a very difficult oversight challenge for Congress. This is why the intelligence authorization bill is so critical. It is the culmination of the committee's oversight activities conducted over the previous year. Intelligence funding is one of the few areas where the law requires funds to be both appropriated and authorized. Our constituents, of course, are demanding that we weigh in on all the important intelligence-related challenges that our Nation is facing. This legislation goes a long way towards strengthening oversight of the intelligence community, which the President seems to consistently want to fight. That's why the President vetoed it. He wants the authority to do whatever he wants, in secret, with no oversight or authorization or without any checks and balances. Well, Mr. Speaker, I don't agree. The Constitution gives us a role in this process. We do have a say, in the name of the United States of America, in what the intelligence community does. That's why we need to override this veto. This legislation enhances oversight in several ways. It requires quarterly reports to Congress on the nuclear weapons programs of Iran and North Korea. We learned a lesson from the experience in Iraq. Congress must be careful and must be part of the process and a consumer of intelligence to avoid being sold a bill of goods. The act requires the CIA inspector general to audit covert activities at least once every 3 years. Covert activities are historically where our intelligence community runs into legal and policy trouble. An independent CIA audit is one way to prevent problems that have embarrassed our Nation and have eroded our moral authority. The authorization act also requires detailed accounting to Congress on the use of intelligence contractors. The use of contractors has grown exponentially, and no one is asking critical management questions about whether this is a good use of taxpayer money. An important substantive provision of the legislation also requires the CIA and the rest of the intelligence community to abide by the same regulations that DOD follows in the context of interrogations. If it's not permissible for soldiers in Iraq, where they face a life-or-death threat daily, it shouldn't be permissible for a CIA officer or contractor. Mr. Speaker, if this veto stands, all of these important oversight provisions will disappear. If we believe in strong oversight, we need to override this veto. In addition to addressing long ignored oversight issues, the legislation is fundamentally the mechanism for authorizing funds for the intelligence community. This legislation authorizes funds for the full range of critical intelligence activities. It authorizes funds to support counterterrorism operations to keep Americans safe today, and it authorizes funds for the strategic intelligence investments to keep Americans safe in the future. Mr. Speaker, if we fail to override this veto, the Intelligence Committee will be silent on these important authorization issues. Once more, we'll have no authorization bill. The bill also addresses some persistent management problems in the intelligence community. It requires steps towards a multi-level security clearance system to recruit more native speakers of critical languages into our intelligence community. It takes important steps towards creating a more diverse workforce to strengthen our ability to collect intelligence all over the world. Mr. Speaker, if we fail to override this veto, it's business as usual. No new solutions, just the same old intelligence problems. I have visited the patriotic men and women of the intelligence community in the far corners and in the far reaches all over the globe. They deserve our support. They are brave, they are competent, and, in most cases, they are humbled to be doing the job to keep us safe. Many serve our Nation behind the scenes and at great risk, without any expectation of recognition or congratulations. For them, and for all Americans, this is important legislation. The intelligence community came to us for money, they came to us for tools, and they came to us for new authorities. We gave them what they asked for. The President, with his veto, is denying them those very things simply because he wants no limits on his Presidential power. So today, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote to override the President's veto. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, could I inquire of the time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, with that, I will yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California, the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Austin, Texas (Mr. Doggett), who was just asking me, As I traveled around the world, have any of our fine men and women in the intelligence community ever asked to be given the tool of torture? and I said, No.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, on this side, we believe that our very capable and dedicated men and women of the intelligence community can keep us safe without torture. I now yield 3 minutes to the newest member of our Intelligence Committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff).

Mr. REYES. Thank you. I would advise the gentleman from Michigan I have one additional speaker. With that, I now yield 45 seconds to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to move the previous question. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I would tell the gentleman from Arizona that this veto is not about earmarks; it's about torture. With that, I now yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), who serves as the chairman of the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I say to the gentleman from Michigan, it won't be interesting if this veto is sustained. It will be a sad day for this country because it will be sustaining torture. With that, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York, the valued member of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Nadler.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Harman).

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, this is a critical bill for the intelligence community. If you vote to sustain this veto, you are voting for torture with the President. I believe we should stand with the men and women of the community and override the President's veto.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring us back on point by yielding 3 minutes to my good friend from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the chairman of the Armed Service Committee.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, continuing on this parallel universe, I now yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), who chairs one of our subcommittees, the Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady from the Virgin Islands, Dr. Christensen.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend our distinguished colleague from the Virgin Islands, a valuable member of our Committee on Natural Resources and the chairwoman of our Insular Affairs Subcommittee, Donna Christensen, for sponsoring the pending legislation, H.R. 1143. The bill would authorize the National Park Service to continue its successful relationship with Caneel Bay Resort, ensure that park resources are protected, and allow the resort to undertake needed maintenance and improvement programs that will benefit visitors to Virgin Islands National Park and the Caneel Bay Resort well into the future. Congresswoman Christensen deserves our thanks for her work in ensuring that visitor services at Virgin Islands National Park are available and that resources are protected. I fully support passage of the pending bill and urge its adoption by the House today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007. In addition to restoring integrity to student loan programs, encouraging States and colleges to rein in student costs, bolstering Pell grants and expanding maximum awards, and investing in renewable and efficient campus energy practices, this legislation makes a vital investment in the economic competitiveness of our nation. Included in that investment is a needed focus on improving minority participation in the science, technology, engineering, and math, STEM, fields. According to the U.S. Census, 39 percent of the population under the age of 18 is a racial or ethnic minority. That percentage is on a path to pass 50 percent by the year 2050. Yet, in 2000, only 4.4 percent of the science and engineering jobs were held by African Americans and only 3.4 percent by Hispanics. This under-representation of minority groups in the STEM fields is a severe impediment to the formation of an adequate American STEM workforce. The increased education and participation of this segment of the workforce is essential to supplying the American economy with the STEM expertise the country needs to innovate and to improve America's economic standing in the world. One year ago, I joined with several of my colleagues, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, Congressman Mike Honda, and Congressman G.K. Butterfield, to create the House Diversity and Innovation Caucus. The caucus was created on a relatively simple premise: If we want to expand the STEM pipeline, we must broaden our pool of talent. If we are to compete with the rest of the world, we cannot do so with one hand tied behind our back, with the vast majority of certain demographic groups severely under-represented in the fields that drive innovation. This bill includes several provisions that would bolster the participation of under-represented groups in the STEM fields. Specifically, H.R. 4137 would: Establish the YES Partnership grant program for Minority-Serving Institutions to support the participation of under-represented minority youth in STEM through outreach and hands-on experiential-based learning projects; Strengthen and expand the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program; Enact the Minority-Serving Institutions Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Program; Establish a matching grant program to recruit math, science, and language teachers; Establish a priority in the Graduate Areas of National Need Program for fellowships to develop faculty in math, science, special education, and bilingual education; Expand loan forgiveness in areas of national need; Authorize a grant to examine establishing an organization to ensure women and under-represented minorities on college campuses are not facing subtle biases that discourage them from careers in STEM fields; and Ensure that legal immigrants and part-time students are eligible for the Academic Competitiveness and SMART grants. I am particularly proud that H.R. 4137 includes a bill I authored and introduced in the House, the STEM Promotion Act. In addition to providing young Americans strong educational opportunities in STEM, we must find a way to interest them in pursuing the STEM professions. My generation was inspired by Sputnik to pursue careers in science, engineering, and math, but we cannot sit back and wait for another Sputnik to re-engage our young people in these critical fields. We must tackle the STEM pipeline issue head-on, by methodically attracting Americans to enter STEM. The STEM Promotion Act proposes just that. The bill would require the Secretary of Education to work with marketing professionals, similar to what the military does, to advertise and otherwise market the attractiveness of pursuing opportunities in STEM. Moreover, the Secretary would order marketing research to be conducted to examine how best to appeal to segments of our population that have been under- represented in the STEM fields, such as women, Hispanics, and African- Americans. If America is to achieve its strategic objectives in STEM, the enormous potential of groups that are currently under-represented in the STEM fields must be realized. This bill will expand the STEM pipeline and promote innovation and competitiveness by helping to correct the under-representation of certain groups in the STEM fields. H.R. 4137 also makes broad investments in higher education and college access. In addition to increasing the maximum Pell grant award by over $3,000 and authorizing year-round grants, the bill includes key provisions of the Next Generation Hispanic-Serving Institutions Act, of which I have been an original cosponsor for the past three Congresses. Included is a new graduate program for those institutions, authorized at $125 million, and an increased authorization for the undergraduate program to $175 million. I am particularly pleased that the Education and Labor Committee has seen fit to strengthen and increase funding for GEAR UP and TRIO, which are critical college access programs for low-income students for which I have advocated since arriving in Congress in 1997. Specifically, the bill increases minimum grant awards for TRIO and HEP-CAMP, increases the authorization for TRIO to $950 million, increases the authorization for GEAR UP to $400 million, and addresses accountability standards to ensure students are completing a rigorous program of study. The bill also promotes college transition and parental involvement in GEAR UP, and encourages GEAR UP and TRIO to promote financial literacy. By passing this bill, we would also ensure that our military veterans have full access to both the Montgomery GI bill and education programs under the Higher Education Act. H.R. 4137 establishes a scholarship program for veteran students and their families and Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success, and ensures fair treatment of veterans benefits in the financial aid need analysis formula. I urge my colleagues to consider this bill's positive impact on competitiveness when deciding how to vote. Please support a strong and prosperous America. Vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4137.

Mr. REYES

Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Last week was a remarkable week in the intelligence community. It was the best of times and the worst of times. First, the good news. The week began with a release of a new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran. That estimate was a careful, meaningful review of the intelligence on Iran, which many of us hope will bring about a significant change in our approach to Iran, which is still a significant concern to all of us. Then came the bad news. We ended the week with the revelation that the Central Intelligence Agency destroyed videotapes of interrogations. This is also a subject of great concern to all of us in this House. The committee had a briefing on it just yesterday, and we will continue to investigate the issue thoroughly. Both the good news and the bad news have one thing in common. They show that careful oversight of the Intelligence Community is absolutely essential and absolutely critical. The authorization process is where we do much of our oversight and it's where we can address problem areas. Madam Speaker, today, for the first time in 3 years, the House will vote on a conference report on an intelligence authorization bill. I am proud of it, and I hope my colleagues are too. This is the largest intelligence authorization in the history of our country. It is the result of 11 months of work done by our committee. The conference process was a challenge. The Senate bill and the House bill were substantially different, but we worked hard to arrive at a middle ground. In conference, we further improved the bill. The conference adopted amendments offered by Members from both Chambers and both parties. This includes an amendment by the distinguished ranking member of the intelligence committee. Madam Speaker, this is a good bill that will strengthen our intelligence community and our Nation's security. It adds significant funds to most of the Nation's satellite architecture. It reduces funding for nonperforming intelligence activities in Iraq, while robustly funding activities against al Qaeda and terrorism in Afghanistan and around the globe. I am particularly proud of the fact that it also includes funding for counterterrorism, human intelligence collection, analysis, training and languages. We have carefully tailored provisions to enhance the diversity of the intelligence community, which is a critical investment for the future of the intelligence community. In another investment for the future, we've added significant funding for advanced research and development. This will also maintain our technical edge over our adversaries. We have also provided money to repair and replace aging infrastructure and to train and equip linguists and intelligence collectors, so vital and important in the global war on terrorism. This bill promotes accountability within the intelligence community, and it puts the intelligence committee back in the business of oversight. It requires reporting to Congress on several issues of major concern to all of us, including a report on compliance with the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 and related provisions of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 regarding detentions and interrogations, as well as Justice Department legal opinions related to all of these activities. It includes provisions to strengthen oversight by the Inspector General in the intelligence community, including a provision establishing a confirmed communitywide Inspector General armed with essential authorities. The conference report also provides for Senate confirmation of the Directors of the National Security Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office. For agencies with such significant budgets and acquisition authority and the potential to impact American privacy rights, we think the Congress ought to have a say in their Directors through Senate confirmation. In short, Madam Speaker, the conference report is a result of a bipartisan, bicameral effort to strengthen both the intelligence community and congressional oversight. I will be proud to vote for it, and I urge all my colleagues to do the same. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on this conference report.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, can I inquire as to the time left on both sides.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger), who serves as our subcommittee chairman of our Technical and Tactical Intelligence Subcommittee.

Mr. REYES. With that, I will reserve my time.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin). (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. REYES. Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 859, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 2082) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for intelligence and intelligence- related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining on both sides.