Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), one of the conferees, as well as the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the next speaker, who perhaps can answer some of the questions raised by the previous speaker, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), who has been a champion of inspection and screening ever since he has been here. As the Speaker indicated, his district was hit on 9/11.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I would like to suggest to Mr. King that it would have been nice to have four conferees, but it was a 900-page bill, so we had 60. It worked, and I'm happy to see the process go forward. I would like to yield 1 minute to the chairman of the Intelligence Subcommittee on Homeland Security, the gentlelady from California (Ms. Harman).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege, as the first Democratic chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, to rise in strong support of this rule and the underlying bill. At the direction of the Speaker, I authored H.R. 1, legislation to complete the unfinished business of the 9/11 Commission. It had 200 original cosponsors. H.R. 1 was the first bill of the 110th Congress. It passed the House by a vote of 299-128; 32 House conferees on a bipartisan basis, including Ranking Member King, signed the conference report. Late last night the Senate passed it by a vote of 85-8. It would seem that 6 years after the 9/11 attacks and 3 years after the release of the 9/11 Commission report, Congress is finally embracing what the 9/11 families have been saying all along. It takes more than vigilance for our Nation to be more secure against the threat of terrorism. It takes a willingness to do things a different way. The 9/11 Commission challenged the administration, Congress and the American people to think a different way and take concrete steps to deter and prevent future attacks. Over the past 3 years, some progress has been made, most notably, the reforms in the intelligence community. However, until today, many of the key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission remain unfulfilled. The conference report on H.R. 1 ensures that most grant funding is allocated based on risk. It authorizes $1.6 billion for an interoperability grant program to improve communications for first responders. It provides over $4 billion in rail, mass transit and bus security grants to ensure that our at-risk communities have the security they deserve. Additionally, the conference report on H.R. 1 puts in achievable benchmarks for ensuring that 100 percent cargo carried on passenger planes is screened. It also mandates the screening of all U.S.-bound ships in foreign ports for 5 years, but gives the Homeland Security Secretary flexibility to delay implementation in certain cases. The conference report requires a new electronic travel authorization system to screen visitors from companies participating in the Visa Waiver Program. This bill also strengthens a board that oversees privacy and civil liberties issues. It requires the President and Congress to publicly disclose total spending requested and approved for the intelligence community for 2 years. The bill provides civil immunity to those in good faith who report suspicious activities that threaten the safety and security of passengers on the transportation system, or that could be an act of terrorism. Before I yield back, I want to say on the record that the provisions I authored to give TSA screeners collective bargaining rights and whistle-blower protections was not included in the final bill. Though not an explicit 9/11 Commission recommendation, I believe that giving voice to the eyes and ears in the airports will make America more secure. I will keep working to get them the protections they deserve. That said, the bill that is being considered today will make America more secure. I strongly urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule, as well as the underlying bill.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to a member of the Homeland Security Committee, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge). (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 1 minute to the Speaker of the House.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the majority leader of the House of Representatives.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, it is indeed historic, this conference report we have before us at this point. Almost 3 years ago, 10 American patriots came forward and spoke with one unified bipartisan voice. What they said in their 567-page report fundamentally changed America's views of its security. Quite simply, Mr. Speaker, the 9/11 Commission did its job and told us what must be done to deter and prevent future terrorist attacks on our Nation. When Congress didn't do its job to implement their recommendation, the 9/11 Commission stayed vigilant and formed the 9/11 discourse project. They did so, as they explained, because the perils of inaction are far too high and the strategic value of the Commission's findings too important for the work of the 9/11 Commission not to continue. Unfortunately, the project's December 2005 report card found little progress was being made on addressing known vulnerabilities and gaps in our Nation's security. Still, Mr. Speaker, the 109th Congress did not do its job. On January 5, however, at the direction of Speaker Pelosi, I introduced H.R. 1, a bill to complete the unfinished business of the 9/ 11 Commission, with 200 of my fellow colleagues. Today, I'm privileged to present a bipartisan conference report that finally fulfills the recommendations. This report passed the Senate just last night before midnight by a vote of 85-8. When H.R. 1 is law, Mr. Speaker, Homeland Security grants will finally be allocated based on risk. Targeted communities will get the Federal help they so richly deserve. First responders will have interoperable communications. When H.R. 1 is law, information necessary to uncover terrorist plots will be exchanged between Federal and local law enforcement. Would-be terrorists will not be able to exploit the Visa Waiver Program. Privacy and civil liberties will be central in how we approach homeland security. Our rail, mass transit and aviation systems will be more secure. When H.R. 1 is law, 100 percent of U.S.- bound cargo will be scanned in a commerce-friendly manner. Though I'm disappointed that collective bargaining and whistle-blower rights for TSA screeners were not included in the final report, I applaud Senator Lieberman and the 42 other conferees who stood with us on this legislation. Their hard work, combined with the leadership of Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, assured that this effort came to fruition. Frederick Douglass once said, ``The life of a nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful and virtuous.'' Thank you to the 9/11 Commission for exemplifying these values. And thank you to the 9/ 11 families, and everyone else who would not let us forget what was at stake if we did not act. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the rule, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 1) to provide for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members would have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I would like to assure the gentleman from California that, as Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, I look forward to working with him. The border issue, from a security standpoint, as you know, is a major issue. Customs and Border Patrol should have more training in this area. I look forward to joint hearings with the Agriculture Committee on this, and subsequent to the findings of those hearings, look forward to strengthening our borders. I must express my reservations to using the farm bill as a legislative vehicle to transfer agriculture import inspectors from the Department of Homeland Security to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Congress, in March of 2003 consolidated and transferred critical responsibility for inspections of passenger and agricultural commodities from USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Since the transfer of APHIS inspectors to DHS, DHS had dedicated considerable resources to enhancing agriculture inspections to protect the nation from economically devastating agricultural pests and diseases. I agree that the Department of Homeland Security, especially Customs and Border Protection, must improve its training. While DHS has experienced some challenges in implementing this enhanced inspection regime, those challenges are not insurmountable. As a former Agriculture Committee Member and representing many agriculture interests, I am very concerned about any breaches at the border, including foreign pest and prohibited agricultural products. Though DHS carries out the inspections, USDA maintains the responsibility for establishing the regulations, guidelines, and even the training that govern the import of agricultural products. Thus, it is important to note that the success or failure of the program requires both DHS and USDA coordinated efforts. Transferring employees at this time would divert attention from the real mission, delay any efforts to identify needed improvements, and set the program back for another several years while yet another readjustment occurs for both USDA and DHS. A far better approach than another disruptive, time-consuming transfer of thousands of employees would be for USDA and DHS to commit to conducting a thorough analysis of the program's performance, agree to a specific action plan for improvements, and to set clear and measurable goals. Mr. Chairman and Mr. Cardoza, I am committed to working with you on this issue and would like to hold a joint hearing on this matter. I thank the gentleman for raising this important issue and look forward to working with you and Chairman Peterson immediately on this issue. May 22, 2007. Hon. Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Thompson: We write to you today regarding the recent consideration given to the proposed removal of the agricultural inspection function from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and relocation of this function to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), as included in S. 887 and other legislation pending in Congress. USDA and DHS oppose this legislative proposal. We both take seriously the shared mission of protecting our Nation from foreign plant and animal diseases, as well as securing our homeland against unintentional and intentional threats to our agriculture and food supply. The creation of DHS was a thoughtful complex, and ambitious integration effort. We strongly believe that Congress, which recently mandated an extensive internal reorganization of DHS, should now give DHS the organizational stability it needs to succeed with its vital homeland security mission. USDA, DHS, and our agriculture stakeholders all share a common goal--protecting American agriculture. However, both USDA and DHS strongly believe that another disruptive, time- consuming transfer of thousands of employees and the agricultural inspection function, as advocated by some, would degrade enforcement and seriously undermine the integrated border enforcement capabilities created with the formation of DHS. A transfer would divert attention from the real mission to prevent the entry of harmful plant and animal pests, disease, and threats to our agricultural resources and food supply. A transfer would delay efforts to identify needed improvements in agricultural inspection and would therefore set the agricultural inspection program back while also creating counterproductive management and employee churn for both USDA and DHS. Working cooperatively, USDA and DHS employees have made much progress and have strengthened their partnership in forming a unified first line of defense in performing their missions and delivering agricultural programs. On March 1, 2003, the responsibility for the inspection of goods and travelers for illegal agricultural products or pests arriving in the United States was transferred from USDA to the then-newly created CBP within DHS. The transfer of this function was among the first steps in establishing CBP as the single, unified agency responsible for managing and securing our Nation's ports-of-entry. Another important part of the creation of CBP was the development of two new positions to respond to new and expanded border security needs: the CBP Officer and the CBP Agriculture Specialist (CBPAS). CBP Officers are responsible for a wide range of duties including preventing the entry of terrorists and their weapons and conducting traditional inspection activities related to trade, contraband enforcement, and admissibility-- as well as the important agricultural inspection function. In this regard, CBP Officers receive specialized cross-training related to agricultural risk and inspection referral. CBPASs fill the role of the former APHIS inspectors and conduct activities to prevent harmful plant and animal pests and diseases from entering the United States while guarding against agro/bio-terrorism. Today, CBP Agriculture Specialists receive the same amount of agriculture-specific training as they did when they were part of USDA. The eight weeks of agriculture-specific training that CBPASs receive, conducted by USDA instructors, ensures that they are fully prepared for their role at the border. In addition to traditional agricultural enforcement, CBPASs play a crucial role in educating other CBP officers about the agricultural inspection process, thus enhancing the agricultural knowledge of all personnel at ports-of-entry. Importantly, CBP has increased CBPAS staffing in the field by over 30 percent, providing coverage at over 157 ports-of- entry since the merger on March 1, 2003. The deployment of both CBPASs (over 2,000) and cross-trained CBP Officers (18,000) to search for agricultural threats has resulted in a force multiplier that improves implementing the agricultural inspection program. The proposal to remove agricultural inspections from DHS would wholly undermine the force multiplier achieved by cross-training. With the creation of CBP, USDA continued to retain the majority of agricultural functions, including responsibility for establishing regulations and guidelines that govern the import of agricultural products, pest identification, inspection of propagative material, risk assessment, and methods development. CBP, of course, retained border inspection responsibilities. While USDA continues to establish agricultural policy governing imports, it is the significant cooperation between the two Departments that has enabled the agricultural inspection program to advance and meet the new challenges of the growing global marketplace. USDA and DHS have worked tirelessly to integrate the important duties and responsibilities of the scientific mission of agricultural inspection with CBP's other missions. American agriculture remains at risk from external threats. Our joint efforts must continue to prepare us for the threat of unintentional or intentional introduction of foreign plant or animal pests or pathogens into our country. These potential threats could devastate American crops or livestock, which is why the incorporation of the two CBP line positions plays such an important role in DHS's multi-layered approach to protect U.S. agricultural resources. USDA and DHS are committed to working in partnership to safeguard American agriculture by detecting and preventing harmful plant and animal pests and diseases through training initiatives, trend analysis, targeting initiatives, and the development of special programs like the National Agriculture Release Program. As part of this commitment, USDA and DHS are forming a task force to address the concerns of our agriculture stakeholders, as well as issues raised about the agricultural inspection program in reports from the Government Accountability Office and USDA's Office of the Inspector General. Through this task force, USDA and DHS will take important steps to continue to improve the program by conducting a thorough analysis of the program's performance, agreeing to a specific action plan for improvements, and setting clear and measurable goals to hold the agencies accountable for protecting America from threats to our agriculture. We believe this is a far more productive course of action than the transfer of employees and the agricultural inspection function back to USDA, and it will achieve the common goal of protecting U.S. agricultural resources. USDA and DHS stand together as partners and value our cooperative efforts, our joint missions, and our employees. Sincerely, Mike Johanns, Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture. Michael Chertoff, Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order against the amendment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the 2007 Miss Mississippi Pageant winner, Kimberly Nicole Morgan. Kimberly, a 24-year-old native of Oxford, MS, is the daughter of Elzie and Valerie Morgan. Kimberly, a music teacher at Madison Shannon Palmer High School in Quitman County, MS, is no stranger to wearing a crown. A former Miss Alcorn State University 2005, she has also reigned as Miss Freshman 2001-2002 and Miss Southwest in 2006. She currently serves as Miss Heritage, respectively. Kimberly obtained a bachelor's degree in vocal music from Alcorn State University in 2006. She was actively involved in the ASU Gospel Choir, Beaute Noire Modeling Squad, and the ASU Student Government Association. Kimberly won the coveted Miss Mississippi crown as the pageant celebrated its 50th anniversary. As Miss Mississippi, Kimberly will compete in the Miss America pageant where she will spread her platform issue G.O.T.M.I.L.K.!, Golden Opportunity Toward Music Increasing Literacy in Kids, a weekly after-school program of music instructions. Kimberly understands that most children of low income and rural communities lack linguistic development, adaptation to their environment, basic child development, and overall school performance. G.O.T.M.I.L.K.!, is a method that can use music in the teaching of reading to enhance motivation and the abilities of children because the subject has so many similarities. Her goal is to teach everyone to become proficient in reading, writing, and mathematics as well as aims for students to become proficient in making and learning music. ``Words can't express what I am feeling,'' Morgan said after being crowned by Miss Mississippi, ``God has answered my prayers''. Kimberly, the second African-American woman crowned Miss Mississippi during its 50 year history, won a scholarship and hopes to become the fifth Mississippian to win the Miss America Pageant. Kimberly was chosen from a field of 47 contestants during the week-long pageant. This is an enormous step for Mississippi and its progress towards African-American women breaking through the color barrier by successfully competing as equals and being considered equally as intelligent, beautiful human beings. Ms. Morgan, a god-fearing, family-oriented, selfless woman has had the same dreams of music, education, mentoring to the youth, and pageants since the age of 7. After viewing a Miss Mississippi Pageant as a child, Kimberly proclaimed to her classmates that she wanted to be Miss America. ``All the other kids were saying they wanted to be doctors and lawyers, and I raised my hand and said I wanted to be Miss America.'' I am very proud of Ms. Morgan and all of her accomplishments. She is truly a vision of grace and beauty, and I look forward to seeing her represent the State of Mississippi in the Miss America Pageant in 2008. Please join me today in congratulating Ms. Kimberly Nicole Morgan. I am certain she will represent our State in an extraordinary way.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have one additional speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Jackson- Lee).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1 of rule XXII and by direction of the Committee on Homeland Security, I move to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1) to provide for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, as you know, the House has passed its own language as it relates to the issuance of the TWIC cards. We have negotiated for the last 2 months with our Senate colleagues and, for the most part, we have a bipartisan agreement on the issuance of the transportation security cards to convicted felons. That agreement talks about many of the things my colleague referenced in the report. It talks about treason, it talks about sedition, it talks about espionage, all those things. Therefore, I think carrying it to the level that my colleague would want to carry it is not in the spirit of the conference report that we are negotiating with our colleagues in the Senate. It is bipartisan. We have been meeting for 2 months to craft a language. It's good language. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, for the record, I would like to say to my colleague from Tennessee, this bipartisan agreement was worked out in the spirit of making sure that those individuals who work in various capacities in high-risk areas, that they are, in fact, not security risks. So what we have done, we have taken espionage, we have taken sedition, we have taken treason, any felony crime of terrorism, crime involving a transportation security incident, improper transportation of hazardous material, unlawful possession, use, sale, distribution, manufacture, purchase, receipt, transfer, shipping, transporting, import, export, storage of or dealing with an explosive device, we have gone into great detail in defining those disqualifying areas. In addition to that, we have laid out interim disqualifying criminal offenses that go toward unlawful possession, sale, manufacture, purchase, distribution of firearms; extortion, bribery, smuggling, immigration violations; distribution, possession with intent to distribute or importation of controlled substance; arson, kidnapping, rape, assault with intent to kill; robbery, conspiracy, fraudulent entry into a seaport, a violation of the Racketeering Influence and Corrupt Organization Act. Mr. Speaker, we have gone in great detail to list as many offenses as we could. Now, from what I understand from the gentlelady's motion that we are debating, the only issue is that you don't want the Secretary of Homeland Security to have the ability to look at these things and say whether or not they should be modified. Now, if we are wrong in our interpretation, that is fine, but as we look upon what you have before us today, that is the only thing. If we can't trust the people who run the Department to make certain administrative decisions, then who can we trust? And it is in this spirit that we left that particular modification language there for the Secretary to look at any unforeseen crime that may or may not have been excluded in this disqualifying criminal offense. So clearly, Mr. Speaker, it was a bipartisan effort, and we wish to offer it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Our Secretary of Homeland Security is appointed by the President. I would think that he would appoint the best qualified person, someone who would have the interests of this country at heart every second that he or she may be in that position. So to take the ability of an individual who is running a department from making certain decisions is not in our best interests. We should not micromanage the Department of Homeland Security. We should let the Secretary of Homeland Security run the Department. He should have the administrative authority to do it. This would not be in the best interests of us. We do not do this in other secretarial departments. And so, again, Mr. Speaker, in the interest of identifying crimes that are disqualifying, but notwithstanding the fact that the Secretary should have some discretion over running his or her Department regardless of what that Department may be, this is the bipartisan spirit in the conference that we reached. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I now yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the life of Mr. Charles Tisdale, a fearless champion of civil rights within the African-American community. Mr. Tisdale was the owner of The Jackson Advocate Newspaper, which gave a voice to African-Americans in Jackson and throughout the state of Mississippi. Charles Tisdale, an Alabama native who fought for civil rights as owner and publisher of Mississippi's oldest black-owned newspaper was born November 5, 1926, in Athens, Alabama. Tisdale purchased The Jackson Advocate in 1978 from the newspaper's first owner, Percy Green. For 20 years, Mr. Tisdale's influential talk show on WMPR in Jackson, often took elected leaders, both black and white, to task for not effectively serving their communities. Mr. Tisdale was not only a civil rights activist but a front-line leader. He did not write from a dark room but led several marches, putting his life in danger to advance the civil rights of African- Americans in his community. Tisdale's civil rights record extends back to the 1960s, when he joined Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in protest marches. Mr. Tisdale was with Dr. King when the civil rights crusader was assassinated in Memphis. Mr. Tisdale often faced repercussions for his outspoken nature. He received several death threats, some of which resulted in his newspaper office in Jackson being firebombed on two separate occasions. The last occurrence was in 1998, when gasoline was doused over furniture and molotov cocktails were thrown through the windows. The 1998 attack resulted in $100,000 damages. Clinton Moses, of Jackson, later pleaded guilty to the crime and told authorities that Louis Armstrong, a member of the Jackson City Council paid him $500 to commit the firebombing. Mr. Armstrong was never charged in the case. Throughout the years of adversity, Mr. Tisdale continued his courageous fight. Despite sagging circulation of the Jackson Advocate over the past five years, the newspaper continued to receive several honors, including the National Black Chamber of Commerce Newspaper of the Year, the Nation of Islam Freedom Fighter Award and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Journalism Award. Mr. Tisdale's reputation spread far beyond the state of Mississippi. The National Newspaper Publishers Association, a trade association of more than 200 black-oriented community newspapers, has named one of its top awards after him. He took the lead in publishing articles on civil rights violations and was unrelenting in his fight against racism, injustice, discrimination and corruption by government officials. He never gave up on a story and in the end the truth always prevailed. I will always remember Charles Tisdale as a man of extraordinary courage, who cared deeply about the struggles of African-Americans fighting for justice. Please join me today in honoring a truly courageous civil rights leader, Mr. Charles Tisdale.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today as Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security in support of H.R. 556, the Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007. This bill provides necessary reform by formalizing and streamlining the structure and duties of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, CFIUS. This reform combines an understanding of the need for ensuring that foreign investment in the U.S. is in the security interests of the American public with an appreciation for global commerce in the 21st century. Indeed, this bill addresses many of the concerns raised about CFIUS over the past year, especially with regard to its current lack of transparency and oversight. This bill rectifies these concerns by formally establishing CFIUS and its membership, while also streamlining how and when CFIUS review will be conducted. This bill sends an important message to the country and the world: The United States will continue to encourage the international flow of commerce in a manner that demands the security of our country. Mr. Speaker, the bill formalizes the CFIUS membership and requires the following to serve: (1) Secretaries of Treasury, Homeland Security, Commerce, Defense, State, and Energy; (2) Attorney General; Director of National Intelligence (ex officio); and Secretary of Labor (ex officio); and (3) The heads of any other executive department, agency, or office, as the President determines appropriate, generally on a case-by-case basis. Under this bill, CFIUS will conduct a review of any transaction by or with any foreign person which could result in the foreign control of any person engaged in interstate commerce in the U.S. to determine the effects of the transaction on the national security of the U.S. CFIUS will determine whether to conduct an investigation of the effects of the transaction on the national security of the U.S. if the initial review of the transaction results in the determination that: The transaction threatens to impair the national security of the U.S. and that the threat has not been mitigated during or prior to the review of the transaction; the transaction is a foreign government-controlled transaction; the transaction would result in control of any critical infrastructure of or within the U.S. by or on behalf of any foreign person, if CFIUS determines that the transaction could impair national security, and that such impairment to national security has not been mitigated by assurances provided to CFIUS; or The lead agency recommends, and CFIUS concurs, that an investigation be undertaken. Mr. Speaker, I believe that our colleagues in the Senate made remarkable contributions to this bill. For example, I think that its determination to eliminate the option for CFIUS to conduct a second 45- day review at the end of the investigation stage was a wise one. As a result of this change, CFIUS will be required to be efficient and will demonstrate our country's recognition of the importance of not hampering foreign investment that avoids hindering our national security. The Congressional Research Service's independent report, for instance, found that, for all the merger and acquisition activity in 2005, 13 percent of it was from foreign firms acquiring U.S. firms. This is up from 9 percent nearly 10 years before. This statistic shows that foreign investment in the U.S. is vital to our economy. I must mention, however, my concern with one of the changes to the bill, as passed by my colleagues in the Senate, which eliminates an important role of the Secretary of Homeland Security. Both bills establish the Secretary of the Treasury as the Chairperson of CFIUS. Whereas the original House-passed bill required that the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Commerce be Vice Chairpersons of CFIUS, the current bill eliminates the Vice Chairpersons and, instead, calls for the Secretary of the Treasury to designate, as appropriate, a member or members of CFIUS to be the ``lead agency or agencies'' on behalf of CFIUS for each covered transaction, and for negotiating any mitigation agreements or other conditions necessary to protect national security. In addition, the lead agency or agencies will work on all matters related to the monitoring of the completed transaction. The ``lead agency'' role is particularly important because if the Secretary of the Treasury and the head of the lead agency jointly determine that a transaction will not impair the national security of the U.S. in certain cases, then an investigation will not be required. The Department of Homeland Security has played a vital role with regard to CFIUS cases in the past and has an unparalleled institutional understanding of such cases. In its involvement with such cases, it represents the need to protect our homeland from attack and to ensure that our critical infrastructure is protected and available to the American public during, and in the aftermath of, an attack. In 2006, the Department was involved in each of the 113 CFIUS filings and, in 15 instances, the Department requested mitigation agreements. Thus far in 2007, the Department has been involved in each of the 80 filings and has requested five mitigation agreements. Furthermore, a large number of these filings regard the ownership of critical infrastructure, which is a major initiative of the Department. The Department's past involvement with CFIUS and its mission to protect our country only underscores its need to be second to none when CFIUS reviews cases. That the Department no longer has a clearly articulated leadership role in this process negates its understanding of such matters and undercuts a developing expertise of this new Department. Once this bill is enacted into law, I hope that the Secretary of the Treasury will appoint the Department of Homeland Security as one of the lead agencies in all CFIUS cases, unless there is an explicit reason to do otherwise. The need to protect our homeland is too vital--and the Department's role therein too intrinsic--for it to be left without a leadership position in all CFIUS filings. This bill, nevertheless, brings the necessary reform to the CFIUS process. Incidents such as Dubai Ports World and China National Offshore Oil Corporation's attempted bid for control of an oil company, Unocal, raised an increased awareness regarding transactions that should receive CFIUS review. Importantly, though, this bill does not represent an isolationist reaction to these incidents but, instead, balances the need for continued foreign investment in the U.S. with the need to review that investment's impact on national security and our critical infrastructure. Only through this legislation will CFIUS have a formal budget, membership, and a clear mission--protecting American security while maintaining a free and growing economy. In closing, let me thank my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee for their leadership on this legislation, especially my Democratic colleagues Chairman Frank as well as Representative Carolyn Maloney and Representative Joseph Crowley of New York. I would also like to thank my colleagues in the Senate. I encourage my colleagues to pass this legislation with strong bipartisan support.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank my dear friend and colleague, Mr. Lewis of Georgia for leading this effort. The murder and subsequent miscarriage of justice in the unresolved civil rights cases still remains this country's biggest transgression. The first step towards erasing the injustices that has haunted the families of the victims is to, as a nation, acknowledge and give due diligence to these unsolved murders. According to the FBI, there are roughly 100 unsolved homicide cases from that time period. Among those is the murder of Emmett Till--for whom the bill is named--an African-American teenager who was brutally beaten and shot in 1955. His killers tied a cotton gin to his neck and threw his body into a Mississippi river. That became a major event in the civil rights movement. Two men were prosecuted for the crime but were acquitted. H.R. 923 authorizes $10 million annually for fiscal years 2008-2017 for the Justice Department to hire special investigators to work on solving civil rights crimes dating back to before 1969. Justice being served in these cases is a reality. To name a few examples in Mississippi: The 1994 conviction of Byron De La Beckwith for his role in the assassination of Medgar Evers. The 2005 conviction of Edgar Ray Killen for his role in the deaths of Schwerner, Chaney and Goodman, the three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964. The conviction was based, in part, on new evidence that he had boasted of the killing at a Ku Klux Klan rally and to others over the three decades after the crime; and most recently, James Ford Seale, convicted last Thursday, June 14, 2007, for his role in the abduction of two Charles Eddie Moore and Henry Hezekiah Dee, the African-American teenagers in Meadville, Mississippi, in 1964. This bill provides an honest effort to bring closure to the more than 40 families of unresolved civil rights cases in Mississippi. Such as the Family of Charles Brown of Yazoo City, Miss., 1957--A white man shot Brown, who was visiting the white man's sister. The Justice Department handed the case over to the state. The Family of Jessie Brown of Winona, Miss., 1965--The 1965 NAACP annual report claimed white farmer R.M. Gibson killed Brown. The Family of Eli Brumfield of McComb, Miss., 1961--Police officer B. F. Elmore alleged self-defense after shooting Brumfield. Police claimed Brumfield jumped from his car with a pocket knife after police pulled him over for speeding. The Family of Silas (Ernest) Caston of Jackson, Miss., 1964--Caston was shot by a local police officer. CORE and NAACP filed a civil suit against Deputy Sheriff Herbert Sullivan. The result of that suit is unknown. The Family of Vincent Dahmon of Natchez, Miss., 1966--Dahmon, 65, was shot in the head around the time of a march in support of James Meredith. The Family of Woodrow Wilson Daniels of Water Valley, Miss., 1958-- Sheriff Buster Treloar, identified by four witnesses as the man who beat Daniels to death in a prison, was freed after 23 minutes of deliberation by an all-white jury. ``By God,'' Treloar said after the trial. ``Now I can get back to rounding up bootleggers and damn niggers.'' The Family of Pheld Evans of Canton, Miss., 1964--Medgar Evers identified Evans as having been killed under mysterious circumstances. The Family of J. E. Evanston of Long Lake, Miss., 1955--Evanston's body is fished out of Long Lake in December. Evanston was a teacher in the local elementary school. The Family of Jasper Greenwood of Vicksburg, Miss., 1964--Greenwood was found shot to death near his car on a rural road. Police said the slaying was not racially motivated. The Family of Jimmie Lee Griffin of Sturgis, Miss., 1965--Griffin was killed in a hit-and-run accident. A coroner's report revealed Griffin was run over at least twice. The Family of Luther Jackson of Philadelphia, Miss., 1959--Jackson was killed by police after he and his girlfriend were found talking in their car, which was stalled in a ditch. Police claim Jackson attacked them. The Family of Ernest Jells of Clarksdale, Miss., 1964--Jells was accused of stealing a banana from a grocery and pointing a rifle at pursuing police officers. The officers were exonerated. The Family of John Lee of Goshen Springs, Miss., 1965--Lee's body was found beaten on a country road. The Family of Willie Henry Lee of Rankin County, Miss., 1965--Lee, who was known to have attended civil rights meetings, was found beaten on a country road. An autopsy revealed he died by strangulation from gas. The Family of George Love of Indianola, Miss., 1958--Love was killed in a gun battle with police who believed he was responsible for a murder and arson. He was later cleared of any connection to the murder. The Family of Sylvester Maxwell of Canton, Miss., 1963--Maxwell's castrated and mutilated body was found by his brother-in-law less than 500 yards from the home of a white family. The Family of Robert McNair of Pelahatchie, Miss., 1965--McNair was killed by a town constable. The Family of Clinton Melton of Sumner, Miss., 1956--Elmer Otis Kimbell was cleared in Melton's death. Kimbell claimed Melton fired at him three times before he returned fire with a shotgun. No gun was found in Melton's car or on his body. The Family of Booker T. Mixon of Clarksdale, Miss., 1959--Mixon's body was found lying on the side of the road, completely nude. Police claimed it was a hit-and-run, though family members cited his naked body and the extensive amount of flesh torn from his body as evidence of murder. The Family of Nehemiah Montgomery of Merigold, Miss., 1964-- Montgomery, 60, was shot by police after allegedly refusing to pay for gas. Police were acquitted, and the shooting was called justifiable homicide. The Family of Sam O'Quinn of Centreville, Miss., 1959--O'Quinn, derided by some local whites for being ``uppity,'' was shot after joining the NAACP. The Family of Hubert Orsby of Pickens, Miss., 1964--Orsby's body was found in the Black River. It was reported that he was wearing a t-shirt with ``CORE,'' written on it, representing the Congress of Racial Equality. The Family of William Roy Prather of Corinth, Miss., 1959--Prather, 15, was killed in an anti-black Halloween prank. One of eight youths involved was indicted on manslaughter charges. The Family of Johnny Queen of Fayette, Miss., 1965--A white off-duty constable was named in the pistol slaying of Johnny Queen. The shooting was not connected to any arrest. The Family of Donald Rasberry of Okolona, Miss., 1965--Rasberry was shot to death by his plantation boss. The Family of Jessie James Shelby of Yazoo City, Miss., 1956--Shelby, 23, was fatally wounded by a police officer who claimed he shot Shelby because he resisted arrest. The Family of Ed Smith of State Line, Miss., 1958--A grand jury refused to indict L.D. Clark in the death of Smith, who was shot in his yard in front of his wife. Clark later reportedly bragged about the killing. The Family of Eddie James Stewart of Crystal Springs, Miss., 1966-- Stewart was reportedly beaten and shot while in police custody. Police claimed he was shot while trying to escape. The Family of Isaiah Taylor of Ruleville, Miss., 1964--Taylor was shot by a police officer after allegedly lunging at him with a knife. The shooting was ruled a justifiable homicide. The Family of Freddie Lee Thomas of LeFlore County, Miss., 1965-- Federal investigators looked into the death of Thomas, 16. Thomas's brother believed he was murdered as a warning against black voter registration. The result of the investigation is unknown. The Family of Saleam Triggs of Hattiesburg, Miss., 1965--The body of Mrs. Triggs was found mysteriously burned to death. The Family of Clifton Walker of Adams County, Miss., 1964--Walker was killed by a shotgun blast at close range. The result of a federal investigation is unknown; and a host of others. We must act--not only to bring these criminals to justice, but to also cleanse our Nation of this stain. The unsolved case of Emmett Till and other victims of the civil rights movement represent a terrible chapter in our Nation's history. Over the years there have been sporadic efforts to prosecute some of the civil rights era slayings that were ignored at the time. We need to address these injustices before it is too late--before they become permanent scars on our Nation's history. It is essential that Congress pass this legislation mandating a well-coordinated and well-funded effort to investigate and prosecute unsolved crimes from the civil rights era.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.