Adam Schiff

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Los Angeles LGBT Center upon its 50th Anniversary. The center has worked tirelessly for over half a century to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) community, combat bigotry, and create a more tolerant and equitable world. The center has promoted its values of integrity, respect, inclusiveness, innovation, and excellence throughout its prestigious history, helping LGBTQ people to thrive. The Los Angeles LGBT Center assists over half a million people each year through its housing, healthcare, legal aid, and education programs, among countless other services. The Anita May Rosenstein Campus, opened in April, 2019, embodies the center's continuing mission, providing housing and wellness services to LGBTQ youth and seniors and serving as a symbol of the LGBTQ community's resilience and creativity. In addition, the center has provided free Internet access, computer skills, and resume creation through its David Bohnett CyberCenter, cultivating a more informed and well-connected community. The center has been on the frontline of the fight against HIV/AIDS since the earliest days of the epidemic in the 1980s. The center provides HIV and AIDS specialty care, maintains HIV and STD testing and prevention programs, and conducts studies and clinical trials aimed at ending the epidemic. Today, supported by hundreds of volunteers and employees, the center works from local to global, training activists and advancing LGBTQ advocacy as nearby as Los Angeles and as far away as China. Additionally, the center shares information and expertise with sister organizations in order to support LGBTQ people around the globe. I am proud to recognize the Los Angeles LGBT Center for five decades of outstanding service to the LGBTQ community. I ask all members to join me in congratulating them for their remarkable achievements.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Pasadena Branch upon its centennial anniversary. Established on September 8, 1919, the NAACP Pasadena Branch was founded when a small group of citizens gathered at the request of John Wright, founder, NAACP Pasadena Branch, to address the needs of Pasadena's minority population. As the recipient of the national NAACP's 16th charter, the Pasadena Branch emerged during the NAACP's initial period of membership growth and meteoric rise to national prominence. The Pasadena Branch's founding mission was to serve as the voice of all people who were denied the basic dignities rightfully due to human beings, especially African American residents in Pasadena. Over the past century, the national NAACP has proven itself as the country's premier civil rights organization, fulfilling its mission of ensuring the educational, political, social, and economic equality of minority groups in the United States and eliminating prejudice based on race. Among its many national achievements, the NAACP played crucial roles in the establishment of the Fair Employment Practices Committee in 1941, the integration of the U.S. Armed Forces, the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1964, and 1968, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Locally, the NAACP Pasadena Branch followed the national organization's course of action by petitioning for school and municipal employment, home ownership, and access to public swimming pools for African Americans. Under the leadership of Ruby McKnight Williams in the 1970's, the Pasadena Branch also supported two national precedent- setting school integration cases in the Supreme Court, paving the way for a more just and inclusive education system in our public schools. Today, the Pasadena Branch continues its commitment to racial justice and equality through community engagement, partnering with local organizations to find solutions for issues such as affordable housing, a livable minimum wage and law enforcement matters. To inspire and prepare the next generation of leaders, activists, and engaged citizens, the Pasadena Branch organizes the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) to encourage and stimulate academic and cultural achievement among high school students. In addition, the branch awards the Maurice Morse Scholarship to high achieving African American students in the Pasadena area pursuing higher education. I am honored to recognize the NAACP Pasadena Branch for 100 years of outstanding service to the community and its commitment to eliminating racial barriers. I ask all Members to join me in congratulating the Pasadena Branch for its remarkable achievements.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jones Friend, who died on June 21, 2019 in Long Beach, California, surrounded by his family. Lieutenant Colonel Friend was a member of the heroic unit known as the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. Robert J. Friend was born on February 29, 1920, in Columbia, South Carolina, to William A. Friend and Nella Mae Jones Liner. His father was an immigrant from Ecuador and a veteran of World War I. The oldest of four children, Robert was an aviation enthusiast from a young age, often building model airplanes and reading stories of World War I pilots during his childhood. While studying at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, he joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program where he earned his pilot's license in 1939. Despite his passion for aviation, he was denied entry into flight training by the Army Air Force because of his race. Instead he joined as an air-cadet in the all-black 99th Pursuit Squadron, nicknamed the Tuskegee Airmen. During World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Friend flew 142 missions for the 322nd Fighter Group. He began his tour in North Africa and was later sent to the European Theater to serve as a Combat Operations Officer where he was instrumental in orchestrating tactical air missions. He specialized in flying the P-47 and P-51 Mustang aircraft. He experienced multiple death-defying disasters, including when he had to abandon his plane over the mountains of Italy and when a German oil barge explosion nearly grounded his aircraft. He became the primary wingman to his commanding officer, Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., who would become the first black general in the Air Force. Robert and his fellow airmen were later awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for their service to our country. After his service in World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Friend continued his education and received a degree in astrophysics from the Air Force Institute of Technology, later graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles Business School. Additionally, he continued his career in the military for 28 years by serving as an operations officer during the Korean and Vietnam wars, working on the Delta, Titan, and Atlas rocket programs, and operating as an executive of the aerospace companies, Stanford Mu and Fairchild Stratos. Following his retirement from military service, Robert started an aerospace company and conducted speaking engagements, remaining dedicated to sharing the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen and keeping their history alive. Robert J. Friend is survived by his children: Thelma Hoffman, Robert, Jr., Michael, Debra Carter, Karen Crumlich, Clara Ann Browning, 18 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great- grandchildren. The memory of his son, Darryl, who was killed while on active duty in 2002, continues to live on today. It was my great honor to have known Lieutenant Colonel Friend, an intelligent, hardworking, and spirited man who spent his life in service to our country. I ask all members to join with me in remembering Lieutenant Colonel Robert Jones Friend, a true American hero.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the Intelligence Authorization Act.

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Chairman, I am proud to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Heck).

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment and claim time in opposition, therefore.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. This amendment expresses a sense of Congress that conveys our firm opposition to any use of facial recognition technology to suppress criticism or dissent, as well as our opposition to the U.S. Government sale or transfer of facial recognition technology to countries using this technology to suppress human rights. Critically, the amendment also acknowledges the IC's unique responsibility to develop robust policies and procedures that prevent the abuse of this technology. To ensure that the intelligence community is held accountable, the amendment requires the submission of a comprehensive report analyzing any use of facial recognition technology by the IC, and the associated implications for privacy and civil liberties, especially among marginalized communities. Ms. Jayapal's amendment requires the intelligence community to establish clear policies and procedures, enhance transparency, and increase oversight concerning the applications of these new capabilities. Her amendment lays the groundwork for a thoughtful U.S. response to the emergence of divisive and disruptive technologies and how they would fit into existing civil liberties frameworks. Again, I want to thank my colleague for her work. I am pleased to support Ms. Jayapal's amendment.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, I am happy to support the amendment offered by Representative Green and Representative Connolly, which would require the Director of National Intelligence to make publicly available its annual report that aggregates demographic data and other information regarding the diversity and inclusion efforts within the intelligence community. The amendment would expand the elements that the DNI must report on to include grade-level attrition and promotion rates, as well as validated metrics, such as New Inclusion Quotient Index scores. The IQ initiative is designed to help employees and managers foster diversity and inclusion in the workplace. This amendment is important as we strive to significantly improve hiring and retention in the IC such that the workforce mirrors the American population. It is imperative that we have better visibility into the demographics of our current workforce to legislate well- informed change. Again, I thank my colleagues for their work, and I am happy to support the amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. This straightforward amendment adds the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis to the DNI's consultation requirement for its report on possible exploitation of virtual currencies by terrorist actors. It also requires the report's dissemination to State and local law enforcement, consistent with the protection of classified information. Ensuring that relevant counterterrorism information is distributed, as appropriate, to State and local law enforcement is a key priority and a major function of the Department of Homeland Security. Adding these entities as recipients of this report through the DHS fusion center mechanism improves the bill. I want to encourage all my colleagues to support the amendment, as well as the underlying bill. I thank my colleague for her work.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Securing the safe release of Americans held abroad is a top and urgent priority. Congress can play a role in keeping this issue at the forefront of public consciousness. With that in mind, I salute my colleague for all of his efforts. I thank Mr. Crow for drafting this sense of Congress that keeps the spotlight on this important issue. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and the underlying bill.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me. This amendment requires a report on a number of civil liberties questions regarding the Terrorist Screening Database. We need to structure our counterterrorism programs by thinking about not only what we can do and what is constitutional to do, but what we should be doing so that we get the maximum security benefit along with the maximum privacy. Our aim is a healthy equilibrium between security and privacy. With that in mind, I support my colleague's amendment which will assist the Intelligence Committee with its oversight and inform the public about how the privacy security balance is being struck. I want to thank Ms. Omar for her work, and I encourage my colleagues to support her amendment.

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Chairman, it is now a pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney).

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chairwoman, we are all too familiar with the influence operations perpetrated by the Russian Government during the 2016 U.S. election. As the IC articulated in its January 2017 intelligence community assessment, those operations were merely the most recent in a long history of efforts to undermine the liberal democratic order. We must remain vigilant and fully informed about the operations executed by the Government of Russia to influence and undermine our democratic system. To that end, this amendment requires an annual report from the Director of National Intelligence containing information about the influence operations and campaigns in the U.S. by the Russian Federation. I support the amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same. I urge support for the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, as the designee of the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin), I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, this amendment clarifies section 602 of the bill dealing with domestic terrorism. Section 602 would require the FBI, DHS, and the National Counterterrorism Center to produce an annual report and strategic intelligence assessment on domestic terrorism. Ms. Pressley's amendment would require more information regarding any training or resources on domestic terrorism provided by the FBI, DHS, and National Counterterrorism Center to assist Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies. This would enhance oversight and transparency in this area and give us a better sense of how domestic terrorism training has been provided to law enforcement throughout the United States. Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her work, and I urge our colleagues to support the amendment and the underlying bill. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by my colleagues from Maryland and Texas which mirrors language passed in the Senate's intelligence authorization bill last month. This provision would bring together government entities and the energy sector in a pilot program for purposes of evaluating and strengthening industrial control systems and related critical infrastructure elements against security vulnerabilities and exploits. The cyber threats faced by our critical infrastructure remain a persistent national security concern, as the former ranking member of our committee, the distinguished Mr. Ruppersberger, knows all too well. DNI Coats likewise warned in the most recent unclassified Worldwide Threat Assessment about the capabilities of our adversaries to hold U.S. critical infrastructure at risk. This measure is another line of effort toward securing that infrastructure against outside cyberattacks and disruptions, and I am very proud to support the work of my colleague and friend.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I rise in strong support of this amendment offered by my colleagues from Florida and New York, who have both been leaders in this body focused on national security challenges posed by deepfake technologies. We in the Intelligence Committee held a hearing on this very topic last month, and the rate at which these capabilities are evolving is almost as breathtaking as what they can produce, high-quality video and other types of media that convincingly portray individuals saying or doing things that never happened. The potential for a foreign adversary to undermine an election, foment chaos, or create a national security crisis with a sophisticated digital forgery means that we need to ensure the intelligence community is fully considering the wide-ranging implications of deepfakes, including the capacity of foreign entities and adversaries to weaponize machine-generated media. This report will also give us a detailed picture about how the intelligence community is coordinating efforts, activities, and research surrounding this emerging technology and if there are lingering gaps in resources or assignments of responsibility, since we need to be clear-eyed about how disruptive and devastating a well-timed deep fake could be during an election or a tense diplomatic standoff. I want to thank my colleague for her work on this amendment, and I am very proud to support it.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, may I make a parliamentary inquiry?

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chairwoman, I rise as the designee of Ms. Slotkin to offer her second amendment.

Mr. SCHIFF. So no one claimed the time in opposition?

Mr. SCHIFF. If I could, Madam Chair, through the Chair to my colleague, I appreciate that. We will take you up on that. And on the next amendment that we have time, I will yield to my colleague, and your colleague may yield to you, if you have further comments you want to make on this issue.

Mr. SCHIFF. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman through the Chair.

Mr. SCHIFF. Okay. So there should be 5 minutes.