C. Ruppersberger

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. As I said in the opening hearing on worldwide threats, ``education is the keystone of security and prosperity in the 21st century.'' The cyber threats we face are grave, and we need to train the best, the brightest, and the most dedicated--like our veterans and our retired intelligence professionals--to be our next generation of cyber defenders. We call them cyber warriors. Every day, we hear about cyber attacks in the news. Early last year, for example, our financial sector suffered a wide-scale network denial of service attack that proved difficult and very costly to mitigate. The retail giant, Target, is another recent example of our vulnerability to cyber attacks. And today, The Washington Post stated that Iranian hackers are targeting U.S.A. officials through social networks. We need to pass cybersecurity legislation like CISPA, and we need to do far more to expand our bench of cyber professionals and innovators. We need to invest in early education in science, technology, engineering, and math. And we equally need to leverage the experience and wisdom of our veterans and former intelligence professionals. Our adversaries are making heavy investments in cyber education. We must do the same. For this reason, I support this amendment. I thank my colleague from Texas (Mr. Gallego) for his amendment. He represents the area of Texas that is close to the border. He understands the threat and why we need intelligence to deal with national security.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Mr. Edward C. Kiernan on the occasion of his retirement after more than 45 years in the radio business, including more than two decades as the longtime head of WBAL Radio and 98 Rock in Baltimore. Under his leadership, WBAL has become one of the most honored stations in the country. During his tenure, it has become the market's longtime talk news leader as well as the recipient of numerous Associated Press and Edward R. Murrow Awards. Mr. Kiernan has helped expand the station's web and mobile presence and secured media rights to Baltimore Orioles, Ravens and Navy football games. In fact, he won back Orioles rights in 2011 after a 4-year run on a competing station. An active industry leader, Mr. Kiernan has served as president of the Advertising Association of Baltimore, as a board member of the Baltimore Radio Association and as chair of the Federal Emergency Broadcast System for the State of Maryland. Mr. Kiernan also has a passion for his community, and his civic and charitable efforts are too numerous to list in their entirety. He has served on the boards of the Baltimore Bicentennial Committee and the Partnership for a Drug Free Maryland. He is on the Visitors Board of the University of Maryland Children's Hospital, is a member of the Life Board of the American Red Cross, the Leadership Council of Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital, the Board of Directors for the Hampden Family Center and a supporter of Our Daily Bread. He oversaw the WBAL Radio Kids Campaign, of which every dollar benefits underprivileged children in the listening area. The effort has earned WBAL the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation ``Service to Children Radio Award.'' Prior to his time in Baltimore, Mr. Kiernan spent 17 years as Vice President and General Manager of WCBS Newsradio 88 in New York, where he worked to acquire rights to New York Jets football games and launched two new political programs. He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and holds an honorary doctorate from St. John's University. I have considered Mr. Kiernan a friend and colleague for many years. I know him to be a hard worker with a great sense of humor and commitment to our city. 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 in strong support of the USA FREEDOM Act, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume. On May 8, the House Intelligence Committee passed out of the committee the bipartisan USA FREEDOM Act, the identical bill that the Judiciary Committee passed out of committee on May 7. I especially want to thank Chairman Rogers for his years of leadership on the House Intelligence Committee. I also want to thank Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers, and also Congressman Sensenbrenner and the staff of our Intelligence and Judiciary Committees for the hard work they did on this bill. We have worked together in a bipartisan manner, and we have come a long way. After our committee markups, Chairman Rogers and I have continued to work with the Judiciary Committee and the administration to iron out some remaining issues, which we have done and which is represented in the current bill. The bill represents the productive efforts of bipartisanship and working together for the American people. Just yesterday, the administration stated that it ``strongly supports'' passage of our bill. Again, the administration said that it ``strongly supports'' passage of our bill. It also stated that the USA FREEDOM Act ``ensures our intelligence and law enforcement professionals have the authorities they need to protect the Nation, while further ensuring that individuals' privacy is appropriately protected.'' The USA FREEDOM Act contains important measures to increase transparency and enhance privacy while maintaining an important national security tool. First, we have ended bulk collection of telephone metadata and ensured the court reviews each and every search application. The big database up at the National Security Agency that contains phone numbers of millions of Americans will go away. It will be replaced with a tailored, narrow process that allows the government to search only for specific connections to suspected terrorists to keep us safe here at home. There is an important emergency exception when there isn't time to get prior approval from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, also know as FISC. Second, we have required expanded reporting for court decisions to improve transparency without threatening sources and methods. Third, we are creating an advocate to provide outside expertise for significant matters before the FISA Court. Fourth, we have established a declassification review process of court opinions to ensure the public has access to our national security legal rulings in a manner that still protects our sources and methods. The USA FREEDOM Act is critical to our country's safety and our intelligence community. It is a focused, logical bill that will let us protect our citizens from terrorist attacks through important legal tools while strengthening civil liberties. I was opposed to the original USA FREEDOM Act because it set too high a standard for intelligence collection. In short, it would have threatened America's safety by cutting off the building blocks of foreign intelligence investigations. We have worked together in a bipartisan manner and created a solid bill. Now, it ends bulk collection of all metadata by the government. Those that say this bill will legalize bulk collection are wrong. They are trying to scare you by making you think there are monsters under the bed. There aren't. We end all collection of metadata records. I am again saying read the bill. That is what the bill says. There is nothing else in the bill. It is direct, and it states that we will end all bulk collection by the government. The USA FREEDOM Act includes the necessary checks and balances across all three branches of government. It protects our Nation while also protecting Americans' privacy and civil liberties. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the USA FREEDOM Act. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. On May 8th, the House Intelligence Committee favorably reported the bipartisan USA FREEDOM Act--the same bill that the Judiciary Committee favorably reported on May 7th. I especially want to thank Chairman Rogers for his years of leadership here on the House Intelligence Committee. I also want to thank Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers, and the staff of our Intelligence and Judiciary Committees. We have worked together in a bipartisan manner, and we have come a long way. After our Committee markups, Chairman Rogers and I have continued to work with the Judiciary Committee and the Administration to iron out some remaining issues, which we have done, and which is represented in the current bill. This bill represents the productive efforts of bipartisanship and working together for the American people. Just yesterday, the Administration stated that it ``strongly supports'' passage of our bill. As the Administration further stated, our bill ``ensures our intelligence and law enforcement professionals have the authorities they need to protect the Nation, while further ensuring that individuals' privacy is appropriately protected when these authorities are employed.'' The USA FREEDOM Act contains important measures to increase transparency and enhance privacy while maintaining an important national security tool. First, we have ended bulk collection of telephone metadata. ``Bulk'' collection means the/indiscriminate acquisition of information or tangible things. It does not mean the acquisition of a large number of communications records or other tangible things. Rather, the prohibition applies to the use of these authorities to engage in indiscriminate or ``bulk'' data collection. There is also an emergency exception when there isn't time to get prior approval from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court--also known as the FISC. Second, we have required expanded reporting for FISC decisions to improve transparency to the Intelligence and Judiciary Committees without threatening sources and methods. Third, we are creating an advocate to provide the FISC with outside expertise for matters before the FISA Court. Importantly, we are doing this without infringing on any constitutional provisions or operational processes. Fourth, we have established a declassification review process of FISC opinions, to ensure that the public has access to our national security legal rulings, while having procedures in place to ensure that our sources and methods continue to be protected. The USA FREEDOM Act is critical to our Intelligence Community and to our country's safety. It is a focused, logical bill that will let us protect our citizens from terrorist attacks and protect their civil liberties while maintaining important legal tools. For instance, our bill is not intended to impact the current scope or use of FISA or National Security Letters, outside the context of bulk data collection, that are traditionally used for national security investigations. Notably, the introduction of the term ``specific selection term'' is not intended to limit the types of information and tangible things that the government is currently able to collect under FISA or National Security Letter statutes. These changes are prophylactic and intended to respond to concerns that these authorities could be used to permit bulk data collection. Furthermore, the legislation is not intended to limit the government to use a single ``specific selection term'' in an application under FISA or a National Security Letter. The government may use multiple ``specific selection terms'' in a single FISA application or a National Security Letter. For example, the government may request in a single FISA application or National Security Letter information or tangible things relating to multiple persons, entities, accounts, addresses or devices that are relevant to a pending investigation. Similarly, the government may, in a single FISA application or National Security Letter, use multiple ``specific selection terms''--such a date and premises--to further narrow the scope of production by a provider. Our bill also ensures that America can protect Americans' privacy interests while at the same time being able to adapt to evolving national security threats and terrorists' use of ever-changing technology and capabilities to evade detection. In particular, Section 501(c)(2)(F)(iii) provides for two hops--in other words, the Government will be able to obtain the call detail records in direct contact with a reasonable, articulable suspicion (or, RAS)-approved seed--this is the first hop--and then, using those call detail records or ones the Government identifies itself, obtain the second hop call detail records. The legislation also creates a new mechanism for obtaining call detail records on a continuing basis for up to 180 days when there are reasonable grounds to believe that the records are relevant to an authorized investigation to protect against international terrorism and there is a reasonable and articulable suspicion that the records are associated with a foreign power or the agent of a foreign power. The legislation is not intended to affect any current uses of Section 501 outside the bulk collection context, including the use of Section 501 to obtain specified call detail records related to foreign intelligence information not concerning a U.S. person, clandestine intelligence activities, or international terrorism. I believe that our bill has made real improvements in the way our intelligence collection operates and in improving FISA to achieve even greater privacy and civil liberties protections. I was opposed to the original USA FREEDOM Act because it put up too many legal hurdles that would have impeded our national security. In short, it would have threatened America's safety by effectively cutting off the building blocks of foreign intelligence investigations. But we have worked together in a bipartisan manner, and we have come a long way Additionally, since our Committee markups, Chairman Rogers and I have continued to work with the Judiciary Committee and the Administration to iron out some remaining issues, which we have done, and which is represented in the current bill. The USA FREEDOM Act includes the necessary checks and balances across all three branches of government and strikes the correct balance that is so critical to protecting our nation, while also protecting Americans' privacy and civil liberties.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois, Ms. Jan Schakowsky, a very important member of our Intelligence Committee, who focuses very strongly on issues of privacy and constitutional rights and people's rights.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), an expert in cybersecurity. For the years I have been in Congress, I have worked with Mr. Langevin on this issue. (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff), a very important member of our committee who does his homework and has really helped me a lot and advised me on a lot of issues that are important to our committee.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gallego).

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. The USA FREEDOM Act is a bipartisan compromise that is strongly supported by the administration. Our bill protects privacy and civil liberties while also protecting national security. I urge members to support the USA FREEDOM Act. Nothing in this bill will legalize bulk collection. Unfortunately, there are those Members that are saying this will legalize bulk collection. It is clear that this bill--read the bill--states: there will be no more bulk collection by the government. That is what the bill says, end of story. This bill balances the issue of taking care and protecting our country from people and individuals who want to kill us and attack us and our allies. But yet it also does what is so important to Americans: to make sure that we protect our constitutional rights and our privacy. It is a balance--it is Republicans, Democrats, left, right, in the middle--coming together and doing what is right for this country. This is what this body should do. We are asking for a ``yes'' vote on the USA FREEDOM Act. Also, in closing, I want to acknowledge the leadership of Chairman Rogers and his important leadership that has allowed us to get to this level, the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Conyers, and also Mr. Sensenbrenner. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise before you today to congratulate Baltimore resident and Second District constituent Sean McComb for being chosen as the 2014 National Teacher of the Year. Just 30 years old and with only eight years of experience, Mr. McComb is one of the youngest teachers ever to be selected for this incredible honor. The National Teacher of the Year is chosen from among the State Teachers of the Year by a national selection committee representing the major national education organizations organized by the Council of Chief State School Officers. It is one of the highest honors which an educator can receive and, as such, Mr. McComb will travel around the country and represent his colleagues in the teaching profession for the next year. He was chosen among four finalists after earning the top spot in Baltimore County and, then, Maryland. An English teacher at Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts, Mr. McComb inspires his students to turn their challenges into opportunities for excellence, drawing on his own experiences as a student who struggled in school and at home. Mr. McComb's colleagues describe him as deeply compassionate. He describes his teaching philosophy as ``kids before content and love before all.'' He likes to say that he does not teach English, but rather teaches students English. Mr. McComb has been instrumental in encouraging middle-achieving students to improve their work habits and academic skills as the coordinator of the school's Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. Remarkably, 98 percent of AVID students in the last two of Patapsco's graduating classes were admitted to 4-year colleges. The program helped Patapsco, for the first time in its 50-year history, receive recognition as a top high school from The Washington Post and US. News and World Report. McComb also teaches the value of service, working on projects with students that help feed the hungry in the community. Mr. Speaker, education is about more than textbooks and syllabuses. The best teachers give us much more--like inspiration, confidence, and compassion. Teachers like Mr. McComb touch the lives of young people and provide them with the knowledge and support they need to become future leaders. I ask you to join me in congratulating Mr. Sean McComb on this remarkable achievement and wish him many more years of success.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 212 I was unable to vote due to a medical procedure. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 213 I was unable to vote due to a medical procedure. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Amendment No. 9 Offered by Ms. Wilson of Florida

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 214 I was unable to vote due to a medical procedure. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Langevin

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 215 I was unable to vote due to a medical procedure. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' Amendment No. 11 Offered by Ms. Bonamici

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 216 I was unable to vote due to a medical procedure. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 217 I was unable to vote due to a medical procedure. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' personal explanation

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise before you today to recognize the efforts of a truly significant individual in the judicial field. Not only is it a privilege to know Judge Louis A. Becker, but also to call Judge Becker a friend. Our lives had some remarkable commonalities. We both worked as a lifeguard in Ocean City, Maryland. We both played lacrosse during our school years and graduated from the University of Baltimore's Law School. Finally, we both worked for our Nation's Intelligence communities during our long careers in public service. The Honorable Louis A. Becker was appointed by Governor Ehrlich as an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for Howard County in July 2005, after having been appointed by Governor Schaefer to the District Court of Maryland for Howard County in 1989. On occasion, he has been specially assigned to Maryland's 2nd highest appellate bench, the Court of Special Appeals. Thus, he has adjudicated thousands of bench and jury trials involving major felonies and complex civil cases and authored several appellate opinions. He is a graduate of Loyola University, B.S., Political Science, 1965 and the University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D., 1970. Having served on active duty and the Reserves from 1965 to 1994, he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army Intelligence. Prior to the bench he practiced law with emphasis in the areas of criminal law, real property, corporate, computer, and professional malpractice. He was formerly a member of the Board of Governors of the Maryland State Bar Association and served on its Ethics & Judicial Selection Committees, and Solo/Small Firm Practice Section Council. As Chair of the latter in 1999-2000, he received the American Bar Association Solo/Small Firm Bar Leader of the Year Award. He is a Fellow of the Maryland and Howard Bar Foundations. He is Past President of the Howard County Bar Association and he is currently serving a second term as President of the James Macgill American Inns of Court; an organization dedicated to promoting judicial and legal excellence. He served on the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission from 1975 to 1980. Judge Becker has written and lectured on search and seizure law as well as lawyer and judicial ethics for the Maryland Judicial Institute, the New Trial Judges Orientation Course and the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education of Lawyers (MICPEL). Having taught Professional Responsibility, he is currently teaching Trial Advocacy at the University of Baltimore Law School where he was awarded Adjunct Professor of the Year in 2003, and has been a member of the Dean's Advisory Council since 1994. As a judicial leader, he was the founder of the first Drug/DUI Treatment Court in Howard County. Over the years his community involvement has included service on the Board of Trustees of the Howard County Library, the Howard County Executive's Mental Health Services Restructuring Task Force and the County Youth Lacrosse Program. His wife of 46 years, Shawn, a Registered Nurse who holds a Master's Degree in Nursing Policy, is Senior Director of Patient Safety, US Pharmacopeia (USP). He has two grown sons; one of whom is a commercial banker and the other a construction project manager, and three grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, as you can see from this incredible list of accomplishments, Judge Louis A. Becker has had a distinguished career as an attorney and a judge for the State of Maryland. He has served our country with distinction. I ask that you join with me today to applaud the tremendous work he has done for our courts and our community as he enters retirement.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 97, H.R. 4118 would increase the number of uninsured. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall 31 on the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 2642, ``The Farm Bill.'' This conference report has made great improvements in reducing the draconian cuts to the SNAP program proposed in the House passed version of the Farm bill. While I appreciate the reduction in cuts, we should do more to help those most in need. The Conference report also eliminates the King Amendment, which would have destroyed critical state safety and labeling laws. The bipartisan bill includes strong conservation provisions that will help protect our nation's soil, water and wildlife resources. Most notably, the bill makes federal crop insurance subsidies contingent on basic soil and wetland conservation practices. While not perfect, this conference report is a fair compromise that will hopefully lay the groundwork for finding additional common ground in the future.

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 632 I was at a medical appointment in Baltimore, MD and therefore unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 633 I was at a medical appointment in Baltimore, MD and unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 634 I was at a medical appointment in Baltimore, MD and therefore unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 636, I was at a medical appointment in Baltimore, MD and therefore unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' personal explanation

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 635, I was at a medical appointment in Baltimore, MD and therefore unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER

Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Aris Melissaratos, a visionary businessman, champion of the State of Maryland and dear friend, on the occasion of his 70th birthday. The son of Romanian immigrants, Mr. Melissaratos arrived in the United States at age 13, speaking virtually no English. He earned his degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1966 and began a 40-year business career, mostly at Westinghouse Electronics Corporation. There, he held numerous positions, retiring as Chief Technology Officer and Vice President for Science and Technology. Before that, he was Chief Operations Officer for the company's Defense Electronics Group, responsible for $3.2 billion dollars in sales. He also founded Armel Scientifics, LLC, which invested in more than 30 startup companies in advanced technology. His professional experience proved invaluable as Secretary of Business and Economic Development for the State of Maryland, a position he held from 2003 until 2007. As Secretary, Mr. Melissaratos worked tirelessly to strengthen our state economy and promote Maryland as a prime location for tourism, film production and advancement of the arts. Mr. Melissaratos has since come full circle, returning to Johns Hopkins as a senior advisor to its president. There, he works to build the university's relationship with area businesses. Under his leadership, the university has helped launch 51 new companies in four years. While too numerous to list in their entirety, Mr. Melissaratos is the recipient of countless accolades. In 2009, he was named the William Donald Schaefer Industrialist of the Year and was Corridor Inc.'s Person of the Year in 2012. A longtime member of the Whiting School of Engineering's National Advisory Council, Mr. Melissaratos is a founding co-chair of the Greater Baltimore Technology Council and former Vice President of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. He somehow found time to also co-author a book that chronicles the history of innovation. I have had the pleasure of knowing Aris Melissaratos for many years. I admire him for his fearless entrepreneurship, generosity, work ethic and community spirit. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Aris Melissaratos. The citizens of Maryland have been lucky to have him as a relentless advocate all these years. It is with great pride that I wish him the happiest of birthdays and many more years of success.