C. Ruppersberger

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I was not able to vote today for medical reasons. Had I been present on rollcall vote 644, I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 645, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I was not able to vote today for medical reasons. Had I been present on rollcall vote 638, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 639, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 640, I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 641, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 642, I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 643, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I was not able to vote today for medical reasons. Had I been present on rollcall vote 634, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 635, I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 636, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 637, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 627 I was not able to vote due to a medical procedure. Had I been present, I would have voted yes.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, on roll call no. 628, I was not able to vote due to a medical procedure. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr, Speaker, I was not able to vote today for medical reasons. Had I been present on rollcall vote 629, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 630, I would have voted ``no.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 631, I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 632, I would have voted ``yes.'' Had I been present on rollcall vote 633, 1 would have voted ``no.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Ronald S. Moultrie, a United States Intelligence Officer for the National Security Agency (NSA), on the occasion of his retirement. Mr. Moultrie has honorably served our country for over 36 years, including time spent in the United States Air Force and the Central Intelligence Agency. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Moultrie's most notable position was his tenure as Director of the Signals Intelligence Directorate (SIGINT) program at NSA. As Director, he led a civilian and military workforce, while effectively guiding the integration and transformation of SIGINT reporting, dissemination, and collection capabilities. His duties at NSA led him to be a key voice in global operational activities of critical importance to the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. He is considered to be one of NSA's foremost active senior executives, with a strong focus on diversity efforts. Throughout Mr. Moultrie's career he has been awarded numerous honors including, the USAF Meritorious Service Medal (1983), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (1986), NSA Meritorious Civilian Service Award (1996, 1998), NSA Exceptional Civilian Service Award (2000, 2001, 2015), NSA Director's Distinguished Service Medal (2004), National Intelligence Superior Service Medal (2008), Presidential Rank Award: Meritorious Executive (2011), and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal (2014). Mr. Moultrie graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts. He then attended the Defense Intelligence College, where he earned a Master's of Science. Subsequently, he enrolled at the Federal Executive Institute and later became an Intelligence Fellow at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Business. Mr. Moultrie is married and lives with his wife near Annapolis, Maryland where they are notable philanthropists. Mr. Moultrie is also a blood donor and a proud member of NSA's Red Cross 10-Gallon Club. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Mr. Moultrie and his lifelong dedicated service to the United States government and the Intelligence Community. It is with great pride that I congratulate Mr. Moultrie on his retirement and wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to how sequestration and the current dysfunction in the House is hurting the American people, our infrastructure, our education, our national security, and our veterans. Sequestration has caused a severe slowdown in our job growth in this country, especially as it affects the middle class. We have seen reduction of job growth resulting in the potential loss of close to 800,000 American jobs. These are jobs my constituents in Baltimore County region desperately need. Just yesterday my staff met with a constituent from Owings Mills, Maryland, who was laid off from a defense contractor due to sequestration cuts. The current fiscal year 2016 transportation and housing appropriation bill cuts TIGER grants, which are used to fund critical highway, transit, and important investments, by approximately $400 million. That is less than the fiscal year 2015 level and $1.2 billion less than the President's request. We need this transportation money for jobs. Our infrastructure is failing. We cannot stay competitive without investment. Sequestration is not the answer. Continuing resolutions are not the answer. Passing the buck is not the answer. It is time for Congress to stop the nip-and-tuck tactics and make tough decisions about our priorities.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Mr. Art Coviello, an international expert on cybersecurity, on the occasion of his retirement after more than 30 years as a strategic, operating and financial-management expert in high-technology companies. Mr. Coviello graduated magna cum laude from the University of Massachusetts in 1975 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. He started his career as a certified public accountant at Deloitte, Haskins & Sells and held positions in financial and operating management at several technology companies. He joined RSA, the Security Division of EMC, in 1995 and was the driving force in the company's rapid growth during his tenure, increasing revenue from $25 million to more than $1 billion in 2014. Under his leadership, RSA evolved from its roots in authentication and encryption to a leader in security technology, including forensics, compliance and detection. Among his many acquisitions, Mr. Coviello played a key role in the successful acquisitions of Xcert International, 3G International, TransIndigo and Securant Technologies, and in strategic partnerships with Microsoft and Accenture. He retires as Executive Chairman. While his well-deserved awards and accolades are too numerous to mention in their entirety, Mr. Coviello in 2013 was named a ``Top 25 Innovator'' by CRN. He has served as co-chair of the National Cyber Security Summit's Corporate Governance Task Force, a public-private effort organized by the Department of Homeland Security and leading industry associations. He is a founding Board Member of the Cyber Security Industry Alliance. In his retirement, Mr. Coviello works with companies, industries, and governments to continue informing and shaping the evolution of security strategy to meet the challenges facing organizations today and tomorrow. He continues to play key roles in national and international cyber-security initiatives and is a regular speaker at conferences and forums around the world. Mr. Coviello is also a venture partner at Rally Ventures, a Board Observer for Synchrony Financial, and serves on the Board of Directors at EnerNOC. Mr. Speaker, I have considered Mr. Coviello a friend and colleague for many years. I know him to be a man of intellect and, more importantly, integrity. His expertise has made our country stronger. It is with great pride that I congratulate him on his retirement and wish him continued success and happiness in the next chapter of his life.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor the life and legacy of Anthony Joseph ``Tony'' Narutowicz, a local business owner, U.S. veteran and active community leader, who passed on October 14, 2014, at the age of 81. A life-long resident of Baltimore County, Mr. Narutowicz attended Saint Joseph Academy in McSherrystown, Pennsylvania, Leonard Hall Academy in Leonardtown, Maryland, and Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore. He served in the U.S. Merchant Marines for two years before joining the Army for another two years during the Korean War as a corporal. Mr. Narutowicz worked several jobs before landing in the family business, a tavern and package store called Mickey's of Edgemere, in 1963. He was eventually named president of the company and managed it until his retirement in 2001. Among his many claims to fame, he once successfully fought two armed robbers outside a local bank. An extremely active and loyal Democratic leader, Mr. Narutowicz was a founding member of the Baltimore County Seal Democratic Club, serving several terms as president. He also served on the Democratic State Central Committee from 1991 to 1998 in addition to launching his own bid for the Maryland House of Delegates. A prominent business owner, Mr. Narutowicz sat on the Board of Directors at Bay-Vanguard Federal Savings and Loans for 25 years. He also donated time as a member of the Edgemere-Millers Island Businessmen's Association for a decade. Giving back to his community was always a top priority for Mr. Narutowicz. An active parishioner at St. Luke Catholic Church, he was an avid supporter of church and community programs that benefitted children and worked for many years as treasurer of a charity golf tournament to provide scholarships for local high school students. He was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows North Point Lodge 4, an organization that operates under the principles of friendship, love and truth. A dedicated family man, he was married to Verna Moore Narutowicz for an incredible 53 years. Together, the couple had four daughters, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor the life and memory of Mr. Tony Narutowicz. He was a valued member of the Baltimore County Community who will be sorely missed but never forgotten.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor my constituent, Dr. Roy Glen Brower, Professor of Medicine and the Medical Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital, on the occasion of his receipt of the American Thoracic Society's Assembly on Critical Care 7th Annual Lifetime Achievement Award. Originally from Kingston, New York, Dr. Brower graduated from Cornell University in 1972 and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1976. He subsequently completed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1979. Feeling the need for one last adventure, Dr. Brower traveled to Keams Canyon, Arizona, with his wife, Theresa Brower, in 1979. He became a Medical Officer in the Indian Health Service, working at the Keams Canyon Indian Hospital and Clinics. After returning to Baltimore in 1981 and completing his Fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Brower began what has become a long and illustrious career at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. While his accomplishments and contributions to critical care medicine are too numerous to list here, several deserve special mention. In 1988, Dr. Brower became the Director of the Critical Care Medicine Program in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and the Medical Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit, positions he continues to hold and excel at to this day. In 2000, Dr. Brower and his colleagues in the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) Network published ``Ventilation with Lower Tidal Volumes as Compared with Traditional Tidal Volumes for Acute Lung Injury and the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome'' in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Brower served as the Chair of the Protocol and Writing Committees for this study, which reduced fatalities of Intensive Care Unit patients with ARDS by 9 percent. Dr. Brower's study became the second most cited medical publication for a decade. Dr. Brower is a devoted and loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend. His research has saved the lives of thousands and advanced the field of medicine all over the world. He has been called the foundation of the Johns Hopkins critical care group, a role model for his division and beyond, and an outstanding teacher. His family and colleagues have no doubt that he fights for the best in science and medicine. He is in the right war at the right time.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the USA FREEDOM Act, which virtually deletes the National Security Agency's database of Americans' phone and email records. The bulk collection of what we know now as metadata will end. Under this bill, the government will now have to seek court approval before petitioning private cell phone companies for records. The court will have to approve each application except in emergencies, and major court decisions will be made public. It is very similar to legislation drafted and introduced last year by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, under the leadership of former Chairman Rogers and myself, together with our colleagues on the Committee on the Judiciary, led by Congressmen Goodlatte and Conyers. That bill passed with an overwhelming bipartisan majority, and I want to thank Congressmen Goodlatte and Conyers, as well as Congressmen Schiff and Nunes, also with Congressmen Sensenbrenner and Nadler and other Members who worked hard and continued the pursuit on this much- needed reform. We need this bill, though, to keep our country safe. Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, which is the part that legalizes much of NSA's critical work to protect us from terrorists, expires in less than 3 weeks, on June 1. If we do not reauthorize it with the reforms demanded by the public, essential capabilities to track legitimate terror suspects will expire also. That couldn't happen at a worse time. We live in a dangerous world. The threats posed by ISIS and other terrorist groups are just the tip of the iceberg. We also need strong defenses against increasingly aggressive cyberterrorists and the lone wolf terrorists who are often American citizens, for example. This bill restores Americans' confidence that the government is not snooping on its own citizens by improving the necessary checks and balances to our democracy. This bill balances the need to protect our country with the need to protect our constitutional rights and civil liberties.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor the 33-year career of Evelyn Collins, who is retiring this week as a budget analyst for the United States Army Military District of Washington and Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region located on the historic Fort Leslie J. McNair in Washington, DC. A native of Dothan, Alabama, Ms. Collins graduated from George Washington Carver High School in 1965. One year later, she joined the Army family as a military spouse. Ms. Collins began her career by working as a cashier and later became a teacher's aide. She attended Burlington County College in Pemberton, New Jersey, where she earned her accounting certificate. She then began working extensively in the Department of Defense budget career field, culminating her career as a budget analyst for the Army since 2010. Ms. Collins' service to our nation as both a military spouse and civil service employee has spanned the country: she has traveled, worked and lived in Fort Ord, California, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Fort Dix, New Jersey, Fort Gilliam, Georgia, and served two assignments with Defense Finance and Accounting Services in Orlando, Florida, and Fort Meade, Maryland. Ms. Collins is the well-deserved recipient of numerous superior performance awards, incentive awards, certificates of appreciation and certificates of achievement. She has earned the Outstanding Financial Support Award, Peer Award and two commander's awards for her untiring work supporting the relief efforts with Hurricane Katrina as well as her subject matter expertise in the Bradley Manning court martial that drew worldwide media attention. Throughout her career, Ms. Collins has always upheld the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct. Her colleagues have described her as a ``trusted professional who took care of Soldiers, Army Families and Army Civilians.'' Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor and thank Ms. Evelyn Collins as well as her two sons, Calvin and Adrian, for their unwavering support of our country. The sheer longevity of her career is indicative of her strength of character and her dedication to the United States. She has been an invaluable Army employee that will be difficult to replace. I wish her many more years of happiness and success in her retirement.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in honor of the 40th anniversary of The University of Maryland Men's National Championship Lacrosse Team of 1975. And it's distinguished Coach Buddy Beardmore, and his players and coaches, and trainer Jim Weir who has since passed. Buddy brought two National Championship titles to Maryland, with his now famous ``Be the Best'' ethos, and brought the lacrosse world into the modern day age, with his weight training, running, and tactics both on and off the field. Their speed and strength and power were something to behold, and they are the benchmark by which any great team is measured today. ``Be the Best'' Now beat Hopkins guys!

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of the bipartisan Protecting Cyber Networks Act and want to thank the members of the House Intelligence Committee for continuing to prioritize our Nation's security over partisan rhetoric. I do want to say this: I want to thank Chairman Nunes and also Ranking Member Schiff for acknowledging Chairman Rogers and me, but I want to remind you that it was a team approach, and you two were very active in helping to bring this bill here today as we did before. So thank you for your leadership. It is well worth it, and it is refreshing to see this bipartisanship.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Thank you, again, and thank you for your leadership. Now, this legislation is very similar to the bill that Chairman Rogers and I introduced to promote information sharing between the private and public sectors, which is the single most important thing we can do to combat increasingly aggressive cyber attacks. Experts believe these attacks are costing American corporations billions of dollars each year. Target, Home Depot, and CareFirst are only the beginning. With Sony, we saw the first destructive attack in our country. It is only a matter of time before our critical infrastructure is targeted. What would happen if someone were to take out our electrical grid or 911 call centers or air traffic control? It goes on and on. Voluntary information sharing among companies helps our companies defend themselves. Voluntary, two-way information sharing with the Federal Government helps improve our ability to protect America against foreign cyber threats by getting out more and better information faster. There are some concerns I have, as anyone has in any bill, between the bill and the bill Chairman Rogers and I introduced which passed the House.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. However, I feel it is important to reach consensus and move this issue forward now. Our country continues to be cyber attacked. We are under attack as I speak. To do nothing is not an option. I want to thank again the leadership of Chairman Nunes and Ranking Member Schiff for their leadership and for the entire committee coming together for this bill, and I ask my colleagues to support it.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today against the majority resolution, which fails to repeal sequestration. I am proud to represent not one, but two Army bases, Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground, as well as an Air National Guard base at Martin State Airport. I am a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and am co-chair of the Army Caucus. I am the former ranking member of the Intelligence Committee. I have sat through hearing after hearing in which the leaders of our Armed Forces have all testified that, if sequestration is not repealed, it will make our country weaker against the threats that exist today, from terrorism to cyber, including the Russia-China threat. These outdated spending levels are putting our national security at risk and are damaging our credibility throughout the world. The across- the-board cuts of sequestration take away all ability to make strategic decisions on the things we keep and the things we cut. Budgeting is the science of priorities, not cutting across the board. We must ensure our Armed Forces and intelligence community have the resources they need to do their jobs around the world and to protect our country and our families. The alternative Democratic budget released today does that by repealing sequestration.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, as we saw from the horrific terrorist attack in Paris, now is not the time to be cutting funding for programs that protect Americans from enemies intent on doing us harm. I am dismayed that some lawmakers are supporting punitive and ill- informed legislation to defund the Department of Homeland Security because they disagree with President Obama's recent executive action on the deportation of undocumented immigrants. It is wrong to play political football with something as sacred as our national security. Even if you disagree with the President's immigration policy, it is irresponsible to withhold funding from the agencies that protect Americans from terrorists. I know from my experience as ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee that this is a dangerous world. We must fully fund Homeland Security priorities--including Secret Service, the Coast Guard, and border security--through a Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill, while separately debating comprehensive immigration reform. Let's stop the ideological partisan politics and do what the American people want us to do: protect our homeland, our communities, and our families. It is time to be constructive, not obstructive.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Chairman Rogers, this is my last opportunity on the floor to thank you again for your leadership. It has, once again, produced a strong, bipartisan, and bicameral Intelligence Authorization Act. Our committee believes that our Nation's security is too important to be a political football. We have had different views, we argue, but we work it out for the good of American people. Mr. Chairman, I hope that your legacy of bipartisanship, hard work, rigorous oversight, and problem-solving continues and spreads throughout the Congress. It is amazing what we can accomplish when we work together to solve problems. I also want to thank our counterparts in the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senators Feinstein and Chambliss, for working very closely with us and each member of our committee. On the Democratic side, I want to acknowledge all the hard work of Mr. Thompson--who is sitting here to my left--Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Pastor, Mr. Himes, and Ms. Sewell. And I want to thank our staff and the dedicated men and women of the intelligence community who work every day and all night throughout the world to protect us. I do agree with the chairman's statements about those men and women throughout the world who are out there protecting us and putting their lives on the line. Now, today, we look beyond this Congress. We come together to set the stage for the continuing oversight of intelligence programs, personnel, and dollars. By doing so, we reinforce to the American people, and to the world, that there are checks and balances. We reinforce that the tools we authorize are for the sole purpose of keeping us, our allies, and our partners safe. In May, the House passed the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal years 2014 and 2015 by 345 votes to 19. The Senate, however, took up each year separately. Over the summer, this House passed the FY14 bill, which the President signed. So, we now take up the FY15 bill, which the Senate amended and sent back to us. This amended bill largely mirrors the relevant portions of the House-passed combined bill. Passing a detailed Intelligence Authorization Act ensures that our intelligence agencies spend money only on programs Congress is informed of, approves, and can continuously oversee. Oversight is extremely important. It helps to make sure that everything our intelligence agencies do follows the Constitution and the laws of the United States and maximizes the civil liberties and privacy of Americans. At the same time, the intelligence agencies need the clear authorization, direction, and guidance from Congress to do their vital work to protect and defend America, its allies, and its partners. The Intelligence Authorization Act is split into four parts: the unclassified legislative text; the unclassified report; the classified annex, which explains our intent for the classified aspects of the bill; and the classified schedule of authorizations. While we have made cuts to certain areas and added money in others to produce a responsible, well thought out, and fiscally prudent budget, the budget for fiscal year 2015 slightly exceeds the President's request. While over the last 4 years we have reduced the intelligence community's budget by over a billion dollars, this year's bill acknowledges the need to make corrections after the drastic cuts of sequestration and the Budget Control Act. Additionally, this bill acknowledges the need to step up our intelligence efforts to counter evolving threats such as ISIL. It is a dangerous world out there, and our bill accounts for that. Let me also mention some specifics in the bill. First, it continues to emphasize the value of our space programs and endorses aggressive action to decrease our reliance on Russian-made engines to launch our national security satellites. Two, it makes investments into research and development to defend against next generation threats and to stay ahead of countries like China and Russia. Three, it further improves the continuous evaluation of insider threats while safeguarding privacy and civil liberties. Next, it enables better intelligence and information sharing to prevent foreign fighters coming in and out of Syria. It also enables cutting-edge Defense Intelligence Agency technology. We must stay ahead of the curve in technology. The bill also further refines the Department of Defense human intelligence capabilities while supporting communitywide human intelligence efforts to better understand the enemies' plans and intentions. It also establishes increased accountability measures for our most sensitive programs. The committee has worked with the intelligence community and the Senate to produce this solid, bipartisan bill. This bill also incorporates the valuable floor amendments the House passed in May. It represents a culmination of our committee's work through extensive hearings and briefings, travel, and in-depth studies. The bill is strong, and I am proud to support it. For the sake of keeping the country, its allies, and partners safe and for the sake of thoroughly overseeing even the most classified intelligence programs, I urge my colleagues to pass the bill today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California, Mr. Adam Schiff, a great member of our committee with a tremendous work ethic. He reads almost every piece of intelligence information and comes to quality and informed conclusions. He also has focused a lot and specialized in working with legislation involving transparency and accountability and has spent a lot of time on an area that is very important to our Intelligence Committee, the space program.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to vote for this important bipartisan and bicameral bill. It is the single most effective oversight tool we have, and it ensures that our intelligence community has what it needs to keep us and our allies safe. Intelligence is often the first line of defense against a dangerous world. Without it, we are in the dark, and we are vulnerable. Finally, once again, let me just say thank you to my good friend, Mr. Chairman, and to the members of the committee, to our colleagues in the Senate, and to the men and women of the intelligence community. It has been my honor and privilege to work with you under your great leadership during the 113th Congress. I also want to thank the Republican and Democratic staffs for working together. That is what makes it work. You are only as good as your team and your staff. I also would like to acknowledge the Democratic staff: Staff Director Heather Molino, Amanda Rogers-Thorpe, Bob Minehart, Linda Cohen, Carly Blake, Allison Getty, Deb Haynie, and Michael Bahar. I also thank staff members who were with us but have retired: Mike Shank, Janet Fisher, and Khizer Sayed. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), a great member of our committee who specialized in infrastructure and also worked very hard to make sure that our Embassies have the intelligence information they need to protect themselves.