Kathleen Rice

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2454, the Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act of 2017. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act directs the DHS to consolidate existing intelligence databases and systems at the Department in order to establish a data framework. Specifically, H.R. 2454 requires the DHS to ensure that the data framework is accessible to DHS employees who the Secretary determines have an appropriate security clearance, have responsibilities that require access to framework information, and are trained in applicable standards for safeguarding and using such information. By strengthening the DHS data framework, authorized personnel from each of the components and offices at the Department will have easier access to the data that they need in a timely manner. Additionally, the DHS Security Data Framework Act of 2017 allows the DHS Secretary to incorporate into the data framework systems capabilities for auditing and ensuring the security of information within the framework. Such capabilities include mechanisms for identifying insider threats and security risks, and safeguards for privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. The anniversary of 9/11 is a time for reflection and remembrance, and also a time to enhance our defenses. We cannot allow weak data infrastructure to leave the homeland vulnerable to attacks, and I thank my good friend and colleague from Texas, Mr. Hurd, for introducing this commonsense legislation, and I urge my House colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, in closing, this is an important bill that has strong support on both sides of the aisle. It maintains effective security measures while consolidating systems, creating a more feasible way for the men and women at the DHS to access the data that they need to fulfill their critical mission. I thank Mr. Hurd for his diligence on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 2454, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2442, the Federal Information Resource to Strengthen Ties with State and Local Law Enforcement Act of 2017, or the FIRST with State and Local Law Enforcement Act. Mr. Speaker, today we consider H.R. 2442, a bill to require the DHS to submit an annual report to Congress on the activities of the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement. This bill, authored by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), seeks to highlight the activities of this important hub of outreach to State and local law enforcement within the DHS. The report is to include detailed information on those efforts, including steps taken to improve them and performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness, and feedback received from State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies. Yesterday, the Committee on Homeland Security released a staff report that looked at the DHS' progress, over the past decade, at implementing the 9/11 Commission Act. With respect to information sharing, it found that policies and procedures have been reformed, at all levels, to ensure that critical national security information is shared, and recommended that the DHS continue to refine its channels for sharing such information to ensure that they evolve to address the threat, landscape, and stakeholder needs. Constructive engagement, through the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement, is central to this effort. Sixteen years after the September 11 attacks, it is important that we stand together and recommit ourselves to doing all we can to prevent future terrorist attacks. I urge my House colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, in closing, the FIRST with State and Local Law Enforcement Act seeks to ensure that, for years to come, State and local law enforcement know that the DHS is a full partner in their efforts to keep their communities secure. As such, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, H.R. 2442, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2443, the Department of Homeland Security Classified Facility Inventory Act of 2017. This measure addresses a concern to many of us in the counterterrorism arena--the absence of a centralized inventory of classified systems within DHS. DHS is the third largest Federal agency and has a vast footprint, yet DHS does not maintain a centralized list of all the spaces around the country where individuals with clearances can access classified information. H.R. 2443 tackles this issue by requiring DHS to maintain an inventory of all DHS certified facilities that house classified systems above the secret level on a regular basis. It requires DHS to share part or all of the inventory, in accordance with standard information- sharing procedures and policies. This legislation will enhance Congress' ability to assist DHS with protecting classified facilities. Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2443 is an important piece of legislation. It has strong support on both sides of the aisle. Extensive efforts have been made to enhance information sharing, establish the DHS intelligence enterprise, and support the National Network of Fusion Centers. It is important that DHS' partners at all levels know where to go to access classified information, particularly when a terrorist or other national security incident occurs. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 2443, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2471, the Terrorist Release Announcements to Counter Extremist Recidivism Act, or TRACER Act. Mr. Speaker, today we consider H.R. 2471, a narrowly tailored bill that seeks to ensure that certain local authorities are notified when convicted terrorists who have completed their prison terms are expected to be released into their communities. This legislation was drafted in response to testimony received by our committee about the need for such information to be shared for situational awareness. The bill requires DHS, in coordination with appropriate Federal partners, as well as State and local law enforcement, to conduct periodic threat assessments regarding the overall threat from known or suspected terrorists currently incarcerated in a Federal correctional facility. It is our hope that those who were convicted of providing materiel support to foreign terrorist organizations or taking other actions in support of ISIL or an al-Qaida affiliate have turned away from their terrorist past. However, in an age where lone-wolf terrorist attacks are more common, it just makes sense to let local law enforcement know when a former terrorist is returning to the community they are entrusted to safeguard. I support this bill that seeks to improve situational awareness at all levels of law enforcement to potential terrorist threats. I urge passage of H.R. 2471. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2471 will further enhance the ability of law enforcement, particularly those participating in the National Network of Fusion Centers, to monitor potential terrorist threats and take action to prevent attacks. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, people in my district and in districts all across the country have been making it clear that they don't want millions of Americans to become uninsured just to cut taxes for the rich. They don't want Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act. What they want is for Democrats and Republicans to work together to make it better: to keep expanding coverage, reducing costs, and improving care. Now that the Senate has delayed a vote on the BCRA, we have yet another opportunity to do just that. I urge my Republican colleagues to move past repeal and replace once and for all. Democrats are ready to work with you. So let's seize this opportunity and start solving problems for the people we serve.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, on June 13, 2017, I inadvertently voted Nay on Roll Call No. 307 (On Passage of S. 1094, the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017). My intention was to vote Yea.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 1309, the TSA Administrator Modernization Act of 2017. When the Transportation Security Administration was created after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Congress intended for the administrator to serve a 5-year term, like the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. However, since TSA moved from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, there has been a lack of clarity about the length of the administrator's term. The measure before us today clarifies Congress' expectation that TSA administrators serve for 5 years. In TSA's short history, it has had six Senate-confirmed administrators. None has served more than 4 years. The last TSA administrator, Peter Neffenger, served just 2 years. Stability at the top is critically important as we push TSA to improve its performance and address ongoing challenges. For example, after recent covert testing carried out by the Department's inspector general revealed alarming weaknesses in checkpoint screening operations, Administrator Neffenger focused TSA's attention on addressing its detection rate failures, improving training, and reducing vulnerabilities associated with commercial aviation screening. At the same time, Administrator Neffenger worked with Congress to increase TSA staffing levels in response to long wait times at security checkpoints during the peak travel season last summer. Under his leadership, TSA successfully reduced wait times that had reached as long as 3 hours at some airplanes, without compromising the effectiveness of security measures. And while confronting those urgent short-term challenges, Administrator Neffenger was also focused on addressing TSA's longer-term challenges related to employee recruitment, retention, and morale. I regret, as I know my colleague, Mr. Katko, does, that Administrator Neffenger did not have the opportunity to stay on and continue making progress within the administration. But I think we can all agree that TSA needs steady leadership in order to continue to evolve and fulfill its mission to protect the traveling public. We can help ensure that TSA will have that stability and sustained focus at the top by passing this bill today. I thank my colleague from New York, Representative Katko, for introducing this bipartisan legislation, and I urge all of our colleagues to give it their full support. Madam Speaker, I urge support for H.R. 1309. This bill was unanimously approved by the Committee on Homeland Security earlier this month. Enacting H.R. 1309 will provide TSA with stable, sustained leadership the administration needs to chart a more consistent course and overcome its longstanding challenges. I would also like to commend my colleague, Mr. Katko, who has been absolutely dogged in his support of TSA and ensuring that it has the support and the resources that it needs. I thank him for his work on this bill. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 1353, the Transparency in Technological Acquisitions Act of 2017. Mr. Speaker, last Congress, I served as the ranking member of the Transportation and Protective Security Subcommittee, and we held multiple hearings on TSA's acquisition processes. In the course of conducting oversight and engaging with stakeholders, we learned that deficiencies in TSA's planning for technology investments were causing serious issues for technology companies who produce products to meet the Agency's needs. Under the Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act, TSA was required to develop a 5-year technology investment plan. Stakeholders widely supported this strategy and welcomed the release of TSA's first 5-year plan in August of 2015, but that support eroded when the budget request for the same year did not align with the acquisition schedule in the 5-year plan. The purpose of the plan was to give businesses the time and certainty they need to align their resources and planning to meet TSA's technology needs. Security technology manufacturers looked at the plan and invested significant resources in the technology that TSA planned to acquire, but then they saw the budget request and found that TSA had shifted direction and no longer planned to procure that technology. That lost investment of time and resources hurts all technology manufacturers, but it can completely destroy small businesses and discourage small-business owners from working with the Federal Government. My bill, H.R. 1353, will help solve this problem by requiring TSA to report to Congress on their 5-year plan annually instead of biennially, and it will require TSA to notify Congress and all relevant stakeholders of any changes or updates to the plan. These commonsense steps will help ensure that there is ongoing engagement between TSA and industry stakeholders so that manufacturers of all sizes can continue to meet TSA's technological needs and continue to innovate and address security vulnerabilities. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this legislation. I want to thank Subcommittee Ranking Member Bonnie Watson Coleman, Congressman Keating, and Subcommittee Chairman John Katko for being original cosponsors of this bipartisan legislation. H.R. 1353 was unanimously approved by the full Committee on Homeland Security earlier this month. Enacting my bill will ensure that TSA's technology objectives are more closely aligned with the industry's stakeholders that produce technologies to help TSA meet those objectives. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Chair for his support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1294, the Reducing DHS Acquisition Cost Growth Act. Since the Department began its operations in 2002, it has spent tens of billions of dollars to procure goods, services, and supplies in support of DHS' national security efforts. The agency's major acquisitions investments, those that cost at least $300 million, represent a significant portion of such purchasing. The Department has worked to improve its acquisition programs in recent years, but DHS still struggles when it comes to major acquisitions. Take, for example, the SBInet--a southwest border infrastructure project--that ballooned in cost to about $1 billion before it was canceled in 2011, after GAO found that it was ineffective. More recently, there is the case of the Electronic Immigration System, an automated immigration benefits processing system. According to the Department's inspector general, this U.S. citizenship immigration services program is now on course to be completed 4 years later than originally estimated and at a cost of $1 billion more than estimated. The importance and complexity of DHS' mission demands effective oversight of the Department's investments, particularly its major acquisitions. H.R. 1294 seeks to ensure greater congressional oversight of such acquisition programs by requiring the Department to report to Congress when cost, schedule, and performance requirements are not met. Additionally, when such requirements are not met, this bill requires DHS to provide Congress with an analysis explaining the root cause of the failures as well as a remediation plan to mitigate the problems. The Committee on Homeland Security unanimously approved this measure earlier this month, and similar language was approved by the House in October 2015 as a part of comprehensive DHS acquisition legislation. I commend my colleague from Florida for his work on this bill. Mr. Speaker, effective oversight of the Department's acquisitions programs is essential to ensuring optimal program performance. Given DHS' limited budgetary resources and the gravity of its mission, it is critically important that DHS get its major acquisitions right. Enacting this legislation would require a greater level of accountability from DHS and give Congress a greater level of oversight to intercede before programs go off the rails. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 1294, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, Michael Flynn's resignation and reports of constant contact between Russia and the Trump campaign raise serious questions, and the American people deserve answers. President Trump was informed weeks ago that Flynn lied about his discussions with the Russian Ambassador and might be vulnerable to blackmail. Why did the President take no action until that lie became public? President Trump has reportedly been briefed about contact between his campaign and Russian intelligence officers. Why does he continue to insist that there was absolutely no communication with Russia? These questions cannot go unanswered. We need to put politics aside, do what is right for our democracy, and create an independent commission to fully investigate Russia's influence on the Trump administration and the Presidential election.

Miss RICE

Miss RICE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 974, the Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment Act, which I introduced along with Congressman and Colonel Paul Cook of California. The BRAVE Act is commonsense, bipartisan legislation that will authorize the VA Secretary, when awarding Federal contracts, to give preference to contractors with high concentrations of full-time veteran employees. This bill will cost taxpayers absolutely nothing. It will, first, reward companies that actively hire and invest in our veterans, companies that seek out veterans and give them opportunities to bring their unique skills, training, and experience to the civilian workforce. Second, it will create an incentive for other companies to do the same and bring more veterans into their workforce. Most importantly, as more and more companies hire more and more veterans, they will ultimately see that investing in veterans is good for business. That is the real incentive here. It is not just an advantage in securing Federal contracts; it is getting the benefit of employees who have worn the uniform, who have been trained by the greatest military in the world, and who have learned to get the job done, no matter what that job is. We need more businesses in the private sector to recognize the value of investing in the men and women who have served our country. It is not an act of charity. Veterans are not looking for a handout; they just need an opportunity. The BRAVE Act will help ensure that more veterans have those opportunities. I want to thank Chairman Roe of Tennessee, Vice Chairman Bilirakis, and Ranking Member Walz for supporting this bill and for helping to bring it to the floor today. This legislation passed unanimously in the last Congress, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to, once again, give it the bipartisan support it deserves.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in honor of Bishop Frank Otha White, who passed away on Friday after serving for many years as the Senior Pastor of Zion Cathedral Church of God in Christ in Freeport, NY. Born in 1940 in Oakley, South Carolina, Bishop White moved with his family to Long Island as a child, and went on to become a pillar of the Freeport community. In 1971, while serving as Assistant Pastor, Bishop White was the driving force behind the construction of the Zion Cathedral Church, a beautiful place of worship that still graces the Freeport skyline and will long stand as a visible testament to Bishop White's leadership, faith, and commitment to the Church. I knew and worked with Bishop White both in my current position, and when I served as the Nassau County District Attorney. He was, first and foremost, a man of God, a man who dedicated his life to bringing people together and helping them to find in themselves the same enduring faith that motivated his work. And he was a leader not only in the Church, but in the community. He was deeply committed to the pursuit of justice, and to helping those who are most in need and so often overlooked by our society--the homeless, the poor, the sick, the elderly. He was a powerful advocate for children and for education. He saw tremendous value in every human life, he recognized that every human being had something unique to contribute to the community, and he worked to make others see the same. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to know Bishop White and tremendously grateful for all that he did to strengthen the community in Freeport and beyond. I offer my prayers and deepest condolences to Bishop White's family and loved ones and to the entire Zion Cathedral congregation as they mourn his loss and celebrate his life. I pray that he will rest in peace, and that his memory will continue to inspire us all to act with love and commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice in our communities every single day of our lives.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome Reverend Malcolm J. Byrd, the Pastor of Jackson Memorial AME Zion Church in Hempstead, New York, and to thank Reverend Byrd for leading us in prayer on the House floor today. I first met Reverend Byrd 1 year ago yesterday, just a few weeks after nine Black men and women were murdered inside Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Reverend Byrd held a service and presented a colorful patchwork quilt that the children of his church created to send to the Mother Emanuel congregation. Leading us in prayer, Reverend Byrd said that day: ``O, God, there is a long road that leads from Hempstead to Charleston, but there is one thing that makes us closer than the miles that separate us: We are all part of the family of God.'' Today, as we find ourselves once again in the wake of tragic violence, we are blessed to have Reverend Byrd here with us. He is a man of God, a man of faith, a man of peace and hope. He is also a man of vision, a man who sees America as it is, as it can be, as it must and will be: a patchwork quilt in which people of all colors and creeds are sewn together as brothers and sisters, united in our common humanity. There is a long road that leads from Hempstead to Orlando and to Baton Rouge and to Falcon Heights and to Dallas. There is a long road that leads from Hempstead to Washington, D.C., but I thank God that Reverend Byrd has traveled that road safely today. I pray that we all take his message to heart and never forget that, no matter what distance lies between us or what walls may divide us, we are all a part of the family of God.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, to honor the memory of Natalie, Sienna, and MJ Srinivasan with the shooter Jeremy Srinivasan, three victims of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on the House floor.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, before I was elected to Congress, I was a prosecutor for more than two decades, and I am thinking today of all the times I have sat with devastated mothers and fathers whose sons and daughters had just been taken from them. I think about how small our debates must seem to them, how insulted they must be when they hear Members of Congress suggest that there is simply nothing we could have done to prevent their child's murder. There are meaningful actions we can take today. We can require background checks for all commercial gun sales in America. And when the FBI and the Attorney General have reason to believe that someone is engaged in terrorist activity, we can give them the authority to prohibit that person from buying a gun. That is common sense. These two actions will save lives and will not in any way restrict the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding American citizens. While I appreciate that the Speaker may allow at least one vote on a bill related to gun violence this week, it is not a meaningful bill. It allows the government to prohibit the sale of a gun to a suspected terrorist only if they can show probable cause that the person is engaged in terrorist activity with a 72-hour deadline. Victims of gun violence deserve more than that. Their families and friends deserve more than that. The American people deserve and demand more than that.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rock and Wrap it Up, a nationwide nonprofit organization based in New York's fourth congressional district. This incredible organization has spearheaded an extremely effective and innovative effort to fight hunger and poverty by collecting and donating surplus food and supplies from music and sports venues, hotels, and schools. Rock and Wrap it Up started on a relatively small and local scale, partnering with the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in my district to collect and distribute food that had been prepared by the venue but not sold. Over the past two decades, Rock and Wrap it Up has grown exponentially both in size and scope, partnering with several renowned music groups, dozens of professional sports teams, international hotel chains, and more than 300 schools nationwide, to help collect surplus food, toiletries, school supplies and other assets and sharing them with various anti-poverty agencies. Today Rock and Wrap it Up has more than 5,000 members in 500 cities and five countries. The organization not only helps feed millions of hungry people each year but it also teaches its partners and interested groups how to leverage their contracts and resources to ensure that leftover food and supplies are donated, allowing its network and mission to grow even when the organization is not directly involved. Rock and Wrap it Up has touched millions of lives across the country and around the world, and I am truly grateful for all of their work and extremely proud that this organization calls our district home. I would also like to thank Beth and Lenny Fliegel, recipients of the Rock and Wrap It Up Lena and Joseph Mandelbaum Humanitarian Award, for their incredible support and dedication to this organization and its mission.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary life of Helias Doundoulakis, who passed away on February 29th, 2016 at the age of 92. A long-time resident of New York's fourth congressional district, Mr. Doundoulakis was a decorated veteran of World War II and an accomplished civil engineer who played a critical role in developing some of the greatest aeronautic achievements of the 20th century. Born in Ohio and raised in Crete, Greece, Mr. Doundoulakis was still in high school when Axis forces invaded Crete in 1941. Nevertheless, he joined the Cretan resistance and worked alongside the British Special Operations Executive, collecting vital intelligence for allied forces and sabotaging Axis military operations across the Mediterranean. When it became too dangerous for Mr. Doundoulakis to remain in Crete, he and his brother fled to Egypt, where they immediately rejoined the fight and enlisted in the United States Office of Strategic Services. Despite overwhelming danger, Mr. Doundoulakis' commitment to liberating Crete and defeating the Axis powers never wavered. After the war, Doundoulakis returned to the United States and settled in New York, where as a civil engineer for Grumman Aerospace Corporation, he helped develop several groundbreaking aeronautic innovations, including the Apollo Lunar Module, the Space Shuttle and the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet. One of Mr. Doundoulakis' most notable achievements was his patent for a radio telescope, used in the design for the largest of its kind at the NAIC Arecibo Observatory, in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, which is the world's largest single-aperture telescope and has played a crucial role in atmospheric and astronomical research. Mr. Doundoulakis served his country both as a courageous soldier and a bold innovator who helped propel the United States to the forefront of aviation and space exploration. While those who knew Mr. Doundoulakis mourn his passing, we also celebrate his incredible life and all that he achieved. It was truly an honor to serve as Mr. Doundoulakis' representative in Congress and I extend my sincere condolences to his wife Rita Doundoulakis, his children, grandchildren and to all those whose lives he touched.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dr. Aubrey W. Bonnett, a resident of New York's Fourth Congressional District and a life-long educator. Throughout his 43-year career in higher education, Dr. Bonnett has achieved tremendous success as a scholar of immigration, race, sociology and diasporic studies, particularly with relation to our nation's vibrant African American, West Indian and Caribbean communities. Dr. Bonnett currently serves as a professor emeritus in the department of American Studies at the State University of New York (SUNY)--Old Westbury, where he also previously served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost. Dr. Bonnett is also the dean emeritus of the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences at the California State University--San Bernardino and was the first black Dean hired at the University. Having authored and coauthored four books and more than one hundred scholarly articles, Dr. Bonnett is truly one of the preeminent sociologists in the state of New York. Dr. Bonnett has dedicated his life to exploring and shedding light on the immigrant experience in the United States, and as a native of British Guyana, he is a testament to the incredible and critical contributions that immigrants have made to American academia. I'd like to congratulate Dr. Bonnett on his retirement and on an incredible career. It is truly an honor to serve as his representative in Congress.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Madam Chairwoman, over the course of my career, one issue that has taken on tremendous importance to me is reducing the number of traffic fatalities that occur on our roads and highways. One of the ways we can keep making progress in this area is by focusing on young drivers. As any parent with a teenaged child can tell you, young people do not have the knowledge, experience, and maturity to drive safely 100 percent of the time, and that can have deadly consequences for themselves and for others. In 2013, more than 4,000 people were killed in crashes involving teen drivers. For drivers aged 16 to 19, the fatal crash risk is three times higher than for drivers over age 20. My amendment will help reduce those risks by encouraging all 50 States to adopt core graduated driver's license requirements that we know will help keep teens safe as they learn to drive. This amendment encourages States to enact meaningful requirements to help keep everyone safe on our roads. The amendment would require young drivers to go through two stages of licensing, a learner's permit followed by an intermediate stage. Drivers must have a learner's permit for at least 6 months. They have to pass vision and knowledge tests. They have to be supervised when they drive. They have to gain 50 hours of experience behind the wheel, with 10 of those hours at night. They must be strictly prohibited from using a cell phone or other device while driving, as all drivers should be, regardless of age, because even the most experienced driver in the world becomes dangerous when they are texting or taking selfies behind the wheel of a car. A learner who passes a driving test advances to the intermediate stage, which lasts at least another 6 months. The cell phone ban remains in place, and violating that restriction must be a primary offense. Intermediate drivers cannot drive after 10 p.m., with reasonable exceptions. Eighty percent of crashes involving 16- and 17-year-old drivers happen between 9 o'clock at night and midnight, and this restriction reduces crashes by up to 60 percent during the overnight hours. Intermediate drivers cannot have any drunk driving violations, fake ID violations, reckless driving, failure to wear a seat belt, speeding, or other violations. These are some of the very basic requirements that we know are necessary to help keep young people safe as they learn how to drive. This should be the law in every American State. My amendment helps move us toward that goal by providing grant funding to States that adopt and implement these requirements in full. I want to note that this amendment is supported by the National Safety Council, as well as AAA, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Governors Highway Safety Association, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and Safe Kids Worldwide. The language in this amendment is the same as the language in the DRIVE Act, which passed in the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support. I believe it deserves the same bipartisan support in the House. I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Miss RICE of New York. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Miss RICE of New York. Madam Chairwoman, I ask the Chairman if he would be willing to work with us in conference on this. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Miss RICE of New York. Madam Chair, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw this amendment.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Rambam Mesivta academy in Lawrence, New York, on receiving the National Blue Ribbon School award. As the only school on Long Island to receive a Blue Ribbon award this year, Rambam Mesivta has truly distinguished itself as an exceptional academic institution deeply committed to the educational and personal development of its student body. For 24 years, Rambam Mesivta has implemented a rigorous curriculum that challenges its students to not only strive for academic excellence, but also to become more engaged members of their community and better citizens of the world. In fact, within days of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in Southeast Asia, which killed more than 250,000 people, students from Rambam Mesivta raised more than $6,000 to help rebuild schools and buy school supplies in Sri Lanka. Following the tragic 2014 terrorist attack at the Har Nof synagogue in Jerusalem, in which four Jewish worshipers were killed, a group of 10th graders from Rambam Mesivta responded immediately with a campaign to raise money for the victims' families. Within a day of the attack, the students had raised nearly $20,000, and within 10 days, they raised over one million. Nearly two months after they launched their campaign, this passionate and caring group of students raised over two million dollars. Rambam Mesivta has instilled in its students a dedication not just to their studies, but to public service and to helping those in need. I am truly proud to represent this wonderful school and its community in Congress. Once again, I'd like to congratulate Rambam Mesivta on receiving the National Blue Ribbon Award and I want to thank its students, administrators and faculty for their incredible work and their service to our community.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mr. Joseph Sciame, a resident of New Hyde Park, New York and life-long public servant who recently received the Sons of Italy's 2015 Guglielmo Marconi Award, which is presented biennially to an Italian American who has made significant contributions to the United States. Mr. Sciame is truly deserving of this honor, as he has worked tirelessly throughout his life to serve others and strengthen the communities in which he lives and works. Mr. Sciame currently serves as Vice President of Community Relations at St. John's University, the largest Catholic university in the United States. As a St. John's alumnus and university administrator for three decades, Mr. Sciame has truly dedicated his life to serving the school and its surrounding community. He also serves as a board member of the Jamaica and Staten Island Chambers of Commerce, the Kupferberg Holocaust Center, and the Boy Scouts of America, and chairs the Board of Ethics of the Town of North Hempstead. Mr. Sciame is the former Chairman of the National Association of Student Aid Administrators, and has long been active in the field of financial aid and higher education, both in New York and nationwide. As a proud and active Italian American, Mr. Sciame's commitment to public service extends beyond St. John's University. He currently serves as Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations and was the former National and State President and Foundation Trustee of the Sons of Italy, the largest and oldest Italian American fraternal organization. I would like to congratulate Mr. Sciame on receiving the 2015 Guglielmo Marconi Award, the Sons of Italy's highest honor, and thank him for his service to our district and country. Mr. Sciame is a testament to the valuable contributions that Italian Americans have made to the United States throughout our history, and it is a tremendous honor to count him among my constituents.

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 2750, the Improved Security Vetting for Aviation Workers Act of 2015. Mr. Speaker, a recent review by the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general found that, although TSA's multilayered process for vetting airport workers is generally effective, there were instances where the process did not detect airport workers with potential links to terrorism. In total, the inspector general identified 73 aviation workers with possible links to terrorism after running data against the so-called TIDE database, which is maintained by the National Counterterrorism Center. TSA does not have access to this database under current interagency watch listing policies. Chairman Katko introduced H.R. 2750 to rectify this situation, and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bipartisan bill. H.R. 2750 will put TSA on a path to accessing terrorism-related data in order to more effectively vet employees who work in our Nation's airports. In addition, this bill will require TSA to conduct an annual review of the procedures for issuing security credentials to employees seeking to work in highly sensitive, secure areas of our airports. Lastly, under H.R. 2750, TSA is authorized to pilot the FBI's Rap Back Service, which provides near real-time information about changes in an airport worker's criminal history. The possibility of someone with ties to terrorism getting a job in an American airport is a very real threat, one of many that we live with every day and one that we must do everything in our power to prevent. H.R. 2750 will help neutralize that threat. I urge my colleagues to give it their full support. Mr. Speaker, in closing, together with Chairman Katko, I am proud of the work that we have done on the Subcommittee on Transportation Security to address this and other pressing transportation security issues within TSA in a constructive, bipartisan way. The four bipartisan TSA bills that we are considering today are a testament to that effort and to what we can accomplish when we work together to solve real problems. I hope that we will continue to make progress together, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2750. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.