Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise also to salute the two newest members of this committee for introducing this legislation. This legislation, the Public Housing Disaster Relief Act of 2008, will strike section 9(k) of the U.S. Housing Act and clarify the funding structure of public housing authorities in the wake of disasters. Just 2 weeks ago, the Financial Services Committee and Homeland Security Committee held a joint hearing to examine the housing conditions of individuals displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. During this hearing, the testimony provided by the FEMA and HUD witnesses revealed that there is confusion between the two agencies over who is responsible for providing disaster recovery funds to public housing authorities that are damaged by disasters. A number of public housing authorities received significant damage, Mr. Speaker, during Hurricane Katrina. But these housing authorities did not receive any funds from the 9(k) account because there simply were not any funds available. Public housing authorities did receive some assistance from the Public Housing Capital Fund Emergency Needs Account, but the funds were quickly exhausted and left many housing authorities without the resources they needed to repair their units. In total, Mr. Speaker, only $29 million was made available to the housing authorities along the gulf coast. If you are familiar with the degree of devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and Rita, you know this was not enough. H.R. 6276 will eliminate an account that has historically been underused and clarify the funding structure by making it clear to FEMA that public housing authorities are eligible for Stafford Act assistance. I urge the passage of this important legislation, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 2631, the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act. I would like to pay tribute to Congressman Adam Schiff, Subcommittee Chairman Langevin, and Ranking Member McCaul for the thoughtful approach taken on this critical Homeland Security concern. The risk, vulnerability, and consequences of a nuclear bomb are significantly different than what we think of as a dirty bomb. While a nuclear bomb is most assuredly a weapon of mass destruction, a dirty bomb is at best a weapon of mass disruption. A dirty bomb may include some radioactive material, but if detonated, few people, if any, would die shortly after exposure. In contrast, tens of thousands of people could potentially die from an explosion of a nuclear bomb. We need a new Manhattan Project, one where we build a nuclear forensics capability and workforce that can address the myriad of nuclear threats that we face today. H.R. 2631 does just that. That is why, Madam Speaker, I urge passage of this important legislation. Madam Speaker, as you heard, Ranking Member King is attending the services of Tim Russert. I would like to join my ranking member and other Members of Congress in expressing our sympathies to the family of Tim Russert. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5909) to amend the Aviation and Transportation Security Act to prohibit advance notice to certain individuals, including security screeners, of covert testing of security screening procedures for the purpose of enhancing transportation security at airports, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4179, the Fair, Accurate, Secure and Timely Redress Act or FAST Redress Act was introduced last year by a relatively new member of the Homeland Security Committee, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke. Representative Clarke is to be commended for the yeoman's job she has done. Everyone complains about the lack of sanity in the watch-listing process, but few have dared to wade into all the ins and outs of the system. Representative Clarke has done just that, and this legislation is the product of that thoughtful undertaking. H.R. 4179 was marked up and approved on a bipartisan basis by the committees's Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee in early May. On May 20, 2008, the bill was marked up and adopted unanimously by the full committee. This legislation, like other Homeland Security Committee bills that will be considered today, builds on the solid provisions in H.R. 1684, the Department of Homeland Security authorization bill that has been pending in the Senate since May of 2007. Certainly, the practice of watch-listing individuals plays an important role in identifying possible terrorist suspects. It is important to keep in mind that the watch list is only as good as the information on it. Without accurate, complete and reliable information, the purpose of the watch list is frustrated, the database becomes unreliable, and misidentifications persist. Getting the watch list fixed and reducing misidentifications is a particularly difficult challenge. To do so, all the intelligence and law enforcement components that populate the list would need to come together and agree to clean it up. Unfortunately, this has not happened. Therefore, redress is the only real recourse for an American who is repeatedly stopped or delayed at airports and border crossings because one is misidentified as a terrorist threat. Presently, there is a redress process available at DHS. Since February 2007, over 32,000 Americans have sought redress through DHS Traveler and Redress Inquiry Program, also known as DHS TRIP. Each individual voluntarily provided personal information to establish their identity. When there is a determination that this person is not a threat, their names are placed on a ``cleared list'' that is maintained by the Transportation Security Administration. This cleared list is populated with names of individuals who have the same or similar name as someone on the ``no fly'' or ``selectee'' lists, but have proven that they are not the person on the list. The cleared list is then shared with only the airlines for screening purposes. Under H.R. 4179, it will be shared throughout DHS and with other Federal agencies that use the terrorist watch list database. This would assure that individuals that go through the redress process are not stopped as potential terrorists by other Federal agencies. Specifically, H.R. 4179 requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish the Office of Appeals and Redress to provide a timely and fair redress process. The Office of Appeals and Redress is directed to maintain a ``comprehensive cleared list'' that contains the names of individuals who have been misidentified and have corrected erroneous information. The comprehensive cleared list would be made available to other Federal, State, local and Tribal authorities and others that use the terrorist watch list or database to resolve misidentification. The bill directs TSA, CBP, the Coast Guard and other DHS components to reference the comprehensive cleared list when assessing the security risk of an individual. This would assure that individuals like our esteemed colleague, the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. John Lewis, would not be repeatedly stopped or delayed or have to seek redress from components in the same Federal agency. H.R. 4179 also authorizes the DHS to enter into memoranda of understanding with other Federal agencies to enhance the redress process. Importantly, the measure includes protections to assure that personally identifiable information is handled in accordance with privacy laws. Once enacted, individuals that go through the trouble of clearing their names will not have to repeat the exercise again and again and again. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of every John Lewis and James Smith, I urge passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 1333. I strongly believe that the GAO report required under H.R. 1333 will provide us with the information needed to reach the right decision on the question of whether a formal relationship between DHS and CAP will serve our Nation's homeland security interests. Certainly, over the past 60 years, Civil Air Patrol has shown itself to be a faithful partner to the Department of Defense. It is conceivable that the Civil Air Patrol could contribute to border security, search and rescue and responsive activities at DHS. Additionally, it would be interesting to know whether the Civil Air Patrol can provide emergency transport for sensitive medical materials. I would also be interested to know whether the Civil Air Patrol area reconnaissance and communications capability can enhance our border security and DHS's ability to have situational awareness of natural disasters and other manmade events. The GAO study called for in this bill will answer these core capability questions. For this reason, I support H.R. 1333, and urge its passage.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. If the gentleman from Pennsylvania has no speakers, I am prepared to close.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this measure, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the Civil Air Patrol has been in existence for decades, providing assistance to governments at the Federal, State and local levels in times of need. Civil Air Patrol was established in 1941, just days before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. From that moment on, Civil Air Patrol has stood ready to supplement America's military operations. And over the years, it has shown itself to be a faithful partner to the Department of Defense. Therefore, it stands to reason that Civil Air Patrol could also partner with the Department of Homeland Security. That is the thinking behind H.R. 1333 introduced by Representative Charlie Dent, a member of the Committee on Homeland Security. H.R. 1333 directs the Government Accountability Office to examine the capabilities of the Civil Air Patrol to support DHS's activities across the country. The bill was unanimously adopted by the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response on April 30. Then on May 20, the full committee approved H.R. 1333 unanimously. Civil Air Patrol is a great example of how patriotic Americans can contribute to the security of this Nation and their communities. As someone who served as a volunteer firefighter, I appreciate that kind of dedication. There is no doubt in my mind that the Civil Air Patrol is a United States treasure. In fact, during any given year, the Civil Air Patrol is responsible for nearly 95 percent of Air Force-directed search and rescue missions. This Government Accountability Office study, called for in this bill, will improve Congress' and the administration's understanding of how Civil Air Patrol can provide homeland security assistance. The GAO study will also help Congress assess whether the operational structure in place for coordination between the Civil Air Patrol and its government and non-profit partners is sufficient and optimal for the security of our Nation. Additionally, the bill calls for GAO to report on the cost- effectiveness of using Civil Air Patrol assets for homeland security missions and help Congress understand whether the current mechanism for Federal agencies and States to request Civil Air Patrol support are adequate. Finally, the bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to review and analyze GAO's study and report to Congress as to which GAO recommendations warrant further action. I commend my colleague, Mr. Dent, and his partner in this endeavor, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response, Mr. Cuellar, for developing this thoughtful bill. I support H.R. 1333 and its underlying goals and urge passage. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1333) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of the Air Force to use Civil Air Patrol personnel and resources to support homeland security missions, as amended.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, H.R. 4749 is important legislation that will ensure that we are positioned to address explosive threats at all levels of government. We know that explosives are all too often terrorists' weapons of choice. Under HSPD-19, DHS is tasked with researching, identifying, and communicating ``lessons learned and best practices, concerning the use of explosives as a terrorist weapon'' to enhance ``the preparedness of Federal, State, local, territorial, and tribal government personnel to deter, prevent, detect, protect against, and respond to explosive attacks in the United States.'' Passage of H.R. 4749 will put us on a path to enhance the Nation's terrorism response capability and ensure that first responders and first preventers have what they need. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this important homeland security measure.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I am prepared to close after the gentleman from California closes.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill and yield myself as much time as I may consume. Explosives remain the preferred weapon of choice for terrorists the world over. Explosives have been used against this Nation abroad and on American soil. Because explosives, be they military grade or homemade, improvised explosive devices are easy to obtain and use, the explosives threat needs a focused, coordinated approach. In the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attack, a great deal of attention was paid to the emerging threats, such as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, needed focus on the explosives threat has been lacking, despite the issuance of Homeland Security Presidential Directive 19, Combating Terrorist Use of Explosives in the United States, in February 2007. H.R. 4749, the National Bombing Prevention Act of 2008, will help fill this gap. The legislation that the gentleman from Long Island (Mr. King) and I introduced was considered in committee in May. It was improved at full committee markup with the addition of some key amendments and reported unanimously by our committee. This is a straightforward bipartisan bill. It establishes the Office of Bombing Prevention within the Office of Infrastructure Protection at the Department of Homeland Security. As with other bills we have brought to the floor today, I strongly believe that this bill fits well with the priorities found in H.R. 1684, the DHS authorization bill that is pending before the Senate. The Office of Bombing Prevention, in fact, already exists in the Department. This bill simply authorizes it and sets forth its responsibilities in law. The bill authorizes $10 million for FY 2009, a little over the administration's budget request. For fiscal years 2010 through 2012, the bill authorizes $25 million annually. Then, for each subsequent fiscal year, such sums as may be necessary are provided. The Office is responsible for coordinating the government efforts to deter, detect, prevent, protect against and respond to terrorist explosive attacks in the United States. To do so, the Office is required to conduct analysis of the Federal, State, local and tribal government capabilities and maintain a national database on the capabilities of bomb squads, explosive detection, canine teams, tactic teams and public safety dive teams around the Nation. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and periodically update a national strategy to prevent and prepare for terrorist explosive attacks in the United States. A national strategy is also required under HSPD 19. H.R. 4749 also authorizes the Office to support efforts, as well as research, into explosives detection and mitigation. An informed public is a prepared public. In this spirit, the bill directs the Office to develop and implement a public awareness campaign that can reach the private sector as well as ordinary citizens. Finally, the bill ensures that we understand and enhance bomb detection through the proper training and use of canine detection units. For all these reasons, I encourage my colleagues to support this important legislation. House of Representatives, Committee on Science and Technology, Washington, DC, June 16, 2008. Hon. Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Ford House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman, I am writing to you concerning the jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Science and Technology in H.R. 4749, the National Bombing Prevention Act of 2008. H.R. 4749 was introduced by Congressman Peter T. King on December 1, 2007, and the bill was subsequently marked up by the Committee on Homeland Security on May 20, 2008. H.R. 4749 implicates the Committee on Science and Technology's jurisdiction over Homeland Security research and development under Rule X(1)(o)(14) of the House Rules. The Committee on Science and Technology acknowledges the importance of H.R. 4749 and the need for the legislation to move expeditiously. Therefore, while we have a valid claim to jurisdiction over this bill, I agree not to request a sequential referral. This, of course, is conditional on our mutual understanding that nothing in this legislation or my decision to forgo a sequential referral waives, reduces, or otherwise affects the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science and Technology, and that a copy of this letter and of your response will be included in the Congressional Record when the bill is considered on the House Floor. The Committee on Science and Technology also expects that you will support our request to be conferees during any House-Senate conference on H.R. 4749 or similar legislation. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Bart Gordon, Chairman.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. House Resolution 1150 sends the right message at the right time. It reminds TSA of the House's continued interest in seeing progress on securing our rail and mass transit systems. Last year we took steps towards that goal by passing H.R. 1 legislation, that I was proud to author. That landmark Homeland Security law took a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges of securing rail and mass transit, viewing it as a critical infrastructure that is essential to effective operations of our national economy. Incidentally, with gas over $4 a gallon, America's reliance on these systems is only going to increase. Today I am proud to stand here and renew the call for meaningful progress and urge passage of H. Res. 1150. Madam Speaker, I urge passage of the resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I have no more speakers. If the gentleman from California has no more speakers, I am prepared to close after the gentleman closes.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I yield 1 additional minute to the gentlewoman.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I yield an additional minute to the gentlewoman.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure the gentleman that he will see some progress on the trucking legislation in the not-too-distant future. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas, the author of the resolution, Ms. Jackson-Lee. (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge), who has a real interest in broadening the scope of this study.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure and I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1150 was introduced earlier this year by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee. The resolution was marked up and adopted unanimously by the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection on May 1. The full committee approved it unanimously on May 20. I would like to congratulate Congresswoman Jackson-Lee who is both the sponsor of the resolution and the subcommittee chairwoman. I strongly believe that this legislation fits well with the work that the committee has done on H.R. 1684, the DHS authorization bill that is pending before the Senate. As we approach the 1-year anniversary of H.R. 1, the Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act of 2007, there is much still to be done to secure rail and mass transit systems in the United States from the threat of terrorist attack. Each weekday, 11.3 million passengers in 23 States use commuter heavy or light rail. History has shown that terrorists view rail and public transportation systems as attractive targets. In 2004, terrorist bombs tore through Madrid's rail system, killing and maiming hundreds of innocent commuters. Next month, of course, marks the third anniversary of the terrorist bombings of London's public transportation system. And just in the last 2 years, transportation systems in Mumbai, India, were attacked twice. Since the 9/11 attacks, there has been justifiable attention paid to enhancing aviation security. However, the security needs for rail and public transportation have, at the same time, been largely neglected. Last year, we took steps toward ending the secondary status by passing H.R. 1. H.R. 1, now Public Law 110-53, includes wide-range surface transportation security provisions and authorizes $3.5 billion for transit security and $2 billion for rail security. The legislation before us today, House Resolution 1150, renews the call for TSA to enhance security against terrorist attack and other security threats to our Nation's rail and mass transit lines. Specifically, it instructs TSA to strengthen security efforts towards rail lines, mass transit lines, and school transportation systems across the country. It also directs TSA to build on successful programs such as its canine detection and online learning programs, to expand the program's reach and to further strengthen transportation security across the country. TSA is uniquely positioned to be a leader in securing rail and mass transit systems from the threat of terrorism because of its experience in protecting commercial aviation. Finally, I would note that House Resolution 1150 includes language authored by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge) that gives appropriate consideration to the security needs of school transportation systems. This resolution continues the effort by the Committee on Homeland Security to raise rail and mass transit security to the prominence it deserves. I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1150. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration.