Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. 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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2631) to strengthen efforts in the Department of Homeland Security to develop nuclear forensics capabilities to permit attribution of the source of nuclear material, as amended.

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 rise in strong support of this bill and yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2631, the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act, was introduced last year by the gentleman from California, Congressman Schiff. It was marked up and adopted unanimously by the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology in October 2007. The full committee approved it unanimously on May 20 of this year. I would like to congratulate Congressman Schiff and thank Subcommittee Chairman Langevin and Ranking Member McCaul for their work in getting the bill to the floor today. Like the other homeland security measures we are considering today, I strongly believe that H.R. 2631 ties in with the DHS authorization legislation that the House approved last spring, H.R. 1684, and is still pending before the Senate. We know that our enemies, both terrorists and rogue nations, are interested in developing and using nuclear and radiological weapons. In the case of an attempted or, heaven forbid, a successful nuclear or radiological attack, rapid attribution is critical. Our government must have the capability to quickly determine the source of nuclear material so that the key decision-makers have information needed to respond. Certainly, if the terrorists know that we have a nuclear forensic capability that can pinpoint their role in creating a bomb, they're bound to have second thoughts. The deterrent effect of a robust nuclear forensic capability is enormous. Unfortunately, today the U.S. must rely on expertise and technology developed during the Cold War to address the emerging threats of a nuclear ``dirty'' bomb. The nuclear weapons work force is aging, just as its mission has shifted from traditional deterrence policy to the more complicated challenge of containing the threats posed by terrorists and rogue nations. Our Nation's capability in the scientific fields of radiochemistry and geochemistry must be fostered to meet this new threat. This is the purpose of this bill. H.R. 2631 expresses the sense of Congress that the President should pursue international agreements and develop protocols to share sensitive information needed to identify the source of a nuclear detonation. It also tasks the Secretary of Homeland Security with the mission of developing methods to attribute nuclear and radiological material, both within the Department's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, and in partnership with other Federal agencies. The legislation, as amended in committee, emphasizes that development of a robust nuclear forensics capability depends chiefly on an expertly trained work force in this area, and provides support for educational programs relevant to nuclear forensics. H.R. 2631 also authorizes the National Technical Nuclear Forensic Center, which will be responsible for providing centralized planning, assessment and integration of all Federal nuclear forensic activities; requires the Secretary to report annually to Congress on the Federal Government's efforts to enhance its nuclear forensic capability, including the status of work force development programs, and authorizes $30 million per year for the next 3 fiscal years for this effort. H.R. 2631 continues this committee's practices of authorizing programs and offices within DHS that are of value to the agency's mission, so as to assure that the work can continue and progress can be achieved in the years to come. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. House of Representatives, Committee on Science and Technology, Washington, DC, May 27, 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. 2631, the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act, H.R. 2631 was introduced by Congressman Adam B. Schiff on June 7, 2007, and the bill was subsequently marked up by the Committee on Homeland Security on May 20, 2008. H.R. 2631 implicates the Committee on Science and Technology's jurisdiction under rule X(1)(o) of the House Rules. The Committee on Science and Technology acknowledges the importance of H.R. 2631 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 legislative report for this bill and 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. 2631 or similar legislation. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, Bart Gordon, Chairman.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield 4 minutes to the chairman of the subcommittee handling the legislation, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin). (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I do have one more speaker, the author of the bill.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I would like to recognize the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff) for 4 minutes, the author of this legislation and a persistent pursuer making sure that we get it to the floor.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman 2 additional minutes.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close at this point and wonder if the gentleman from California is also.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4749) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Office for Bombing Prevention, to address terrorist explosive threats, 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 yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, last month I introduced H.R. 5982, the Biometric Enhancement for Airport Risk Reduction Act of 2008, also known as the BEAR Act. The bill was marked up and adopted unanimously by the House Committee on Homeland Security on May 20. The Transportation Security Administration is responsible for securing 450 U.S. airports and employs approximately 50,000 people. It has a very important mission of keeping the traveling public safe from terrorist threats. But the question remains, what is TSA doing to increase security and still allow workers with unescorted access to sterile and secure areas of airports? And what mechanisms are in place to ensure that only the employees are allowed to access the airports' secure and sterile areas. The BEAR Act addresses these concerns. It requires TSA to provide Congress and airport operators with a report on best practices for using biometrics at airports. Last November, Federal law enforcement raided Chicago's O'Hare Airport and arrested 23 people for fraudulently securing badges that gave them unescorted access to sensitive airport locations. According to the charging affidavit, more than 100 temporary workers were found to be in possession of fraudulent badges. And the investigation revealed that the staffing agency that sponsored these workers told them that they needed identification, but it did not have to be legitimate. Today, workers with unescorted access to these critical facilities go through background screening to get identification badges. This background screening includes checking against a terrorist watch list. While this is a necessary and important check, a worker's biometrics are not being captured in check against biographic information to establish the individual's identity. Since the Chicago incident, there has been a growing international trend to incorporate biometric identifying credentials in airport IDs. Canada and the United Kingdom have already taken action to address the security risk at airports by using biometric identifying credentials for airport workers. Although I recognize the ongoing work that TSA has been doing in the last year or so, it's time for them to consider moving forward. The BEAR Act will make this happen. The bill promotes collaboration between TSA industry, labor, and other stakeholders to collectively develop and provide airports with a blueprint on how to make biometrics work for them. The BEAR Act, as amended, includes changes proposed by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and TSA to improve the bill, including clarifying that TSA should only conduct a risk-based study of Category 10 and Category 1 airports on a selected groups of airports, defining uniform biometric identified systems to make sure that TSA looks at systems that actually match individuals, not just cards, that have biometrics on them, recognizing and not tampering with TSA's ongoing efforts in the area of biometrics such as the TWIC program and other programs. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5982. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. 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. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional minute to the gentlelady.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the author of this legislation, the Congresswoman from New York, Ms. Yvette Clarke.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I am introducing these four bills, which were part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 and became law as part of Public Law No: 110-161. The bills address programs focusing on: (1) air cargo screening in passenger airplanes, (2) international registered traveler and border security, (3) accountability in Department of Homeland Security contracts, and (4) increased access to the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Homeland Security to report waste, fraud, and abuse. These programs were initially funded in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 and ongoing oversight and review of these programs must continue. As the Chairman of the Committee of jurisdiction over these programs, it is my intention to work with the Appropriations Committee and other Members of Congress to provide adequate oversight and vigilance over these programs to ensure our Nation is as secure as possible.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jessica Rae Herrera-Flanigan, Staff Director and General Counsel of the Committee on Homeland Security, for her dedication to the security of the Nation. As the chairman of the committee, it is with sadness that I report that on Friday, June 6, she will be leaving us for the private sector. I speak for all the committee's members and staff in saying that she will be missed. Jessica has the distinction of being the longest serving Democratic staffer on the committee, having joined it in 2003 when it was merely a select committee. She has played a pivotal role, first as Counsel under former Ranking Member Jim Turner, and then as my top aide, in the committee's development and growth over the last 5 years. Jessica was a well-respected cybercrime prosecutor and former Department of Justice official before coming to the Hill. With the attacks of September 11, her knowledge of cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection put her on the frontlines of homeland security, before it was known as that. She came to the House for the right reasons shortly thereafter--because she believed we could do better to secure our Nation. I truly believe that Jessica symbolizes the future of our Nation's national security leaders. Leaders that look more like America. The daughter of Leonel and the late Virginia Ann Herrera, she grew up in the southeast Texas oil-refining town of Port Arthur, Texas, which she saw struck by Hurricane Rita during her tenure on the committee. With the help of student loan and work-study programs, she graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School. She is, I've been told, the first and only Latina to ever serve as a staff director of a full committee in the House. And don't let her 4'11'' frame fool you--she is a 1st degree blackbelt and a sharpshooter. Any recognition would be incomplete if I did not thank Tom Flanigan for lending us so much of his wife's time and energy. He not only stood by her, but by the committee as we tackled its creation, Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, the 9/11 implementation bill, and countless other homeland security issues over the last 5 years. In sum, I welcome this opportunity to recognize Jessica Herrera- Flanigan for her tireless work, patriotism, and professional dedication to Congress, the Committee of Homeland Security, and the Nation.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, Today, I would like to recognize the outstanding work of Ms. Shemeka Greaves, a Transportation Security Officer at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport. On May 7, 2008, Ms. Greaves positively identified an 8-year old girl who had been declared ``missing'' the previous week and was traveling from Chicago to Atlanta. After seeing the girl's photo in a newspaper article, Ms. Greaves recalled screening the girl along with a female passenger on the morning a few days earlier. A subsequent review of checkpoint surveillance tapes showed the missing girl going through security with a female companion. Ms. Greaves' awareness and vigilance at security checkpoint was crucial in an effort to confirm the identity of the missing girl and facilitated law enforcement officials to successfully complete their investigation and reunite her with her father. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children confirms that in our country alone, more than 2,700 children are being reported missing every day. In the last few years, Congress has passed several legislative landmarks, including the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, which addresses this issue and has fortified government efforts and mechanisms in place to reunite missing children with their families and loved ones. In addition to these government- wide efforts, law enforcement officials across all agencies remain vigilant, cautious and responsive to special alerts for missing children. Ms. Greaves, our frontline security officer at Chicago Airport, contributed to this effort, and is a great example of the caliber of employees across the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that contribute, every day, to making our skies more secure. TSA is responsible for securing 450 U.S. airports and employs approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) who have the very important mission of keeping the travelling public safe from terrorist threats. In the course of executing this critical homeland security mission, Transportation Officers carefully screen and inspect people, baggage, cargo and the airport. Ms. Greaves' alert, timely action serves as a great example of how TSOs, our Nation's aviation security ``eyes and ears,'' can partner effectively with law enforcement to address criminal activities. Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me today and congratulate Ms. Shemeka Greaves for her outstanding performance as a front-line homeland security officer. She, like many other TSOs in the field, has shown strong character and a commitment to protecting the flying public that goes above and beyond what is expected. As a result, Ms. Greaves helped ensure that a missing little girl child was returned to her home.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, today, I am introducing the Biometric Enhancement for Airport-Risk Reduction Act of 2008, also cited as the BEAR Act of 2008. Nearly a year ago, I stood here before you to discuss H.R. 1, legislation implementing the unfinished business of the 9/11 Commission recommendations to secure America against terrorism. Since its enactment, the Committee has continued aggressive oversight of the Transportation Security Administration's efforts to comply with security mandates set forth in one of the most important laws enacted by this Congress, the Implementing the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-53). I must recognize Assistant Secretary Kip Hawley, the head of the Transportation Security Administration, TSA, who has always shown a willingness to engage in open dialogue with me and Committee Members when we have raised particular questions or concerns having to do with TSA. One area of concern that has been raised on numerous occasions is how to best strengthen security for airport workers with unescorted access to sterile and secure areas of the airport. I strongly believe that biometric technologies can be an invaluable homeland security tool--especially with regard to this security challenge. I am introducing the BEAR Act to promote progress on this issue and legislate a smart security approach that promotes collaboration between TSA, industry, and other key stakeholders to provide airports with a blueprint on how to make biometrics work for them. Specifically, the bill requires TSA to study how airports can transition to uniform, standards-based and interoperable biometric identifier systems for airport workers with unescorted access. TSA, together with a working group comprised of key stakeholders, will examine existing programs and identify approaches that can enhance protections for secure and sterile areas of the airport. Additionally this bill requires TSA to provide Congress and airport operators with a breakdown on best practices for utilizing biometrics to better protect airports. Today, workers with unescorted access to this critical infrastructure go through background screening to get issued badges that includes terror watch list checks. While this is a necessary and important check, a job applicant's biometrics are not being captured to check against biographic information provided and establish identity. This is a problem, as revealed when Federal law enforcement raided Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in November 2007 and arrested 23 people for fraudulently securing badges to gain access to sensitive airport locations. According to the charging affidavit, more than 100 temporary workers were found to be in possession of the fraudulent badges and the staffing agency that sponsored told them that they needed identification, but such identification did not have to be legitimate. Studying approaches to bring biometrics into airports is all the more important since the struggling Transportation Worker Identification Credential, TWIC, program is not likely to be introduced into the airport environment any time soon. Additionally, this bill requests TSA to consider existing parallel biometric security systems such as FIPS 201-compliant cards, TWIC, and the GSA Smart Card. This bill is not about re-inventing the wheel or putting a stop to any good work at TSA on this issue. It is about encouraging public-private partnerships and promoting an open dialogue between TSA, industry, and Congress on how best to secure our airports. Madam Speaker, I ask that you support the BEAR Act, for it frames a series of important biometric and security credentialing issues that need to be addressed in a study and that will build on what this Congress has supported in the past. More importantly, it will provide Congress with the necessary information to continue building on smart, efficient and effective airport security measures needed to secure Americans and protect this critical sector in our economy.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5690 which ensures that African National Congress (ANC) members will no longer be denied visas to enter the United States solely based on their anti-Apartheid activities. I am proud to have introduced this long-overdue legislation that will remedy a situation that was brought to my attention by my colleague, the gentlelady from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dr. Christensen. A few months ago, Dr. Christensen informed me that Nelson Mandela, the South African civil rights icon that won 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, is not eligible for a visa to enter the U.S. because he is a member of the African National Congress. I was stunned. How could one of the giants of the 20th Century who is revered for bringing peace and reconciliation to a country that was torn apart by racism be ineligible to receive a standard visa to visit the United States? I quickly learned that the ANC, which was established in 1923 to advocate for the rights of black South Africans against the brutal Apartheid regime, was designated a ``terrorist organization'' by the same government that subjected black South Africans to racial segregation and violence. For decades, ANC leaders, including President Mandela, withstood great hardships to overcome the oppression of Apartheid in South Africa, risking everything for basic principles of fairness and opportunity. By 1994, the ANC was the ruling party in South Africa, yet, some ANC leaders and members are still denied entry into America-- today--solely because of their affiliation. H.R. 5690 will remedy this situation and ensure that these leaders and members are no longer deemed to be inadmissible solely because of their membership in the ANC and their anti-apartheid activities. I am pleased to have worked with my colleague on the Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Berman, to bring this timely legislation to the House floor. I urge all my colleagues to join me and pass this important bill.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I believe the gentleman from California wants to engage in a colloquy, so I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I recognize the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) for 2 minutes. (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I support H.R. 2830, not only for what it does to enhance port security, but also for what it does to get the Deepwater program back on course. As someone who cares about the Coast Guard, it has been disturbing to see the mismanagement of the Deepwater program. This year, a $24 billion effort to modernize the Coast Guard's fleet has suffered delays, cost increases and design flaws that ultimately culminated in the idling of eight patrol boats. By the time that these problems were discovered by both the Inspector General of DHS and the Comptroller General, $88 million had been wasted. Both Federal watchdogs have said that program failures were due to the excessive leeway given the program contractors. H.R. 2830 includes provisions that protect American taxpayers by forcing the Coast Guard to, for the first time, manage this contract. Regrettably, the administration in its Statement of Administration Policy denounced the Deepwater provision, which, incidentally, was approved by the House on a vote of 426-0 on July 23, 2007. We cannot allow the Coast Guard to continue on a poorly navigated course. H.R. 2830 will steer the Deepwater procurement process in the right direction. Mr. Chairman, for this reason and dozens of others, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2830.