Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, the amendment I offer tonight will ensure that businesses can continue their current level of participation in contracting opportunities with the Department of Homeland Security. The current governmentwide goal for small minority and disadvantaged business's participation established by the SBA is 23 percent. The current language of this bill places that contracting goal within the Department of Homeland Security at 3 percent. Small businesses are often best able to provide the kind of innovative technologies we need to protect this Nation. This language would strike the 3 percent language, returning small business participation at DHS to the governmentwide goals. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to adopt this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, it's been 5 years since the Department of Homeland Security was established. November's election demonstrated that the Nation agreed with the Democrats' new direction for America. In the movie A Few Good Men, Tom Cruise asked Jack Nicholson for the truth. Nicholson's response: You can't handle the truth. Mr. Chairman, can the minority handle the truth? I submit to you today that the minority cannot, in fact, handle the truth. Mr. Chairman, the truth is that the minority can hear the heart of the American people no more than they could before November. Truth is, Mr. Obey has made this process way more transparent than it was under the minority's watch. The truth is, we have much more of an efficient process. Most importantly, the truth is that there are no earmarks in this bill that we're debating here today. The appropriations measure has been on the floor for 12 hours and still counting. Eight motions for the committee to rise later, the minority continues to stifle progress, the minority continues to foster trivial debate to defer and deter us from our mission. Perhaps the minority's not in touch with the interests of our Nation. The Nation is interested in leadership that remembers not to forget. The Nation is looking for leadership that remembers 9/11, leadership that remembers Katrina, leadership that realizes that there are still vulnerabilities that we need to address to prevent the next terrorist attack or natural disaster. Chairman Price has showed leadership by addressing these issues in this bill, as my committee addressed in H.R. 1, 1401 and 1684. We owe Department employees, we owe the Department's management, and we owe our great country the passage of this appropriations measure. Mr. Chairman, I invite my colleagues in the majority to join me as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee in passing a measure that brings us one step closer to protecting this Nation. Homeland security is not a partisan issue. Mr. Chairman, it's an American issue. If we agree on that, then let's end this obstruction and pass this bill.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman giving me the time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2638. This legislation goes a long way to meeting the Nation's homeland security needs. It also provides funding in a number of areas at the Department of Homeland Security that have repeatedly been shortchanged. Specifically, the bill before us today provides DHS with $36.3 billion, a $2.1 billion increase over the President's request. Additionally, H.R. 2638 addresses many of the areas identified in the authorization bill that the Committee on Homeland Security developed. The House overwhelmingly approved the authorization bill in early May. At the same time, it also is shaped by many of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, as well as programmatic changes called for in H.R. 1, legislation that I authored and that passed the House in January on a bipartisan basis. For instance, this bill includes $78 million to double the amount of cargo screened on passenger aircraft. This would put TSA on the path of inspecting 100 percent of cargo, a key provision in H.R. 1. Chairman Price is to be commended for producing a bill that makes the homeland more secure, especially given the tight budget constraints. We all know that to get border security right, we need to put more trained ``boots on the ground.'' H.R. 2638 provides funding for 3,000 additional Border Patrol agents to bring the number of agents to 17,819 by the end of the fiscal year. It also makes some major enhancements to the operations of the Department. It mandates that all grants and contracts can only be used for projects that comply with Davis-Bacon. It also allows State and local governments to set chemical security rules that are stronger than those issued by the Federal Government. And it sets information protection standards for vulnerability and security plans for chemical facilities. I support this bill and urge its passage.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Emergency Child Care Services Act of 2007 which reaffirms the Federal Government's commitment to helping children and families as they recover from acts of terrorism, major disasters or other emergencies. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, more than 3,000 licensed child care facilities along the Gulf Coast were damaged or destroyed. Parents needed a safe place to leave their children while working, looking for employment, cleaning debris from their homes, filing claims with their insurance companies or working with Federal, State and local agencies to address their disaster-related needs. However, while 3,045 licensed child care centers were eligible, just 10 centers in Louisiana and only one in Mississippi received Federal assistance. There were 1,690 eligible centers in my home state of Mississippi alone. I understand that numerous centers are still going through the appeals process with FEMA and have yet to rebuild and reopen. I introduced this legislation to amend the Stafford Act to ensure that emergency child care is recognized as a ``critical service'' in the aftermath of a terrorist attack, major disaster or other emergency. While provisions of the Stafford Act provide assistance to private nonprofit facilities that provide critical services, emergency child care is not listed as one. Passage of this measure will designate emergency child care as a critical service and let families know that in the time of a disaster, the need for childcare will not be forgotten. In an effort to rebuild and restore child care operations in my home State of Mississippi, the Mississippi Early Care and Education Infrastructure Initiative was formed by Mississippi State University in partnership with Chevron, Save the Children, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The goals of the Initiative were to quickly reopen the thousands of child care centers damaged or destroyed by the hurricanes, to retrain staff and upgrade curriculum materials and play equipment, and to prepare for future emergencies. Further, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services approved child care waivers for $60 million so that parents were provided with vouchers for 60 days for much-needed child care services while working or looking for work. These waivers lifted Federal requirements for State matching funds and went directly to the States to administer their Child Care and Development Funds. There was a huge bottleneck with this process and numerous centers and parents were unaware of these resources. Further, many parents that received these vouchers were unable to find operational child care facilities. I applaud the efforts of the Initiative fonned in Mississippi and am thankful that the Department of Health and Human Services responded quickly to the affected states. June 1st marks the beginning of 2007 hurricane season. We must be sure to let families know that the Federal Government is doing its part to ensure that critical services are available in the event of another large-scale disaster or even a major terrorist attack. Enactment of the Emergency Child Care Services Act is the way to do it.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I appreciate the yielding of the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Alien Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. During consideration of the Homeland Security authorization bill earlier this month, I made a commitment to my colleagues that the House would have the opportunity to vote on maritime smuggling legislation. I am pleased to have been able to work with the Judiciary and Transportation Committees to craft this critical homeland security legislation. It addresses not only alien smuggling at sea, but also alien smuggling by land and air. Specifically, the Alien Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act includes tough new penalties for those who recruit, encourage, transport, or shield from detection aliens who cross our land, maritime, or air borders illegally. These enhanced penalties are essential to discouraging criminals from building tunnels in remote parts of the desert to smuggle aliens across our borders. We know that the same people that smuggle drugs into our country are ready and willing to smuggle individuals who would do us harm. In fact, in January we learned of a plot to smuggle about 20 would-be terrorists into the United States from Mexico for $8,000 a head. The drug dealers called them ``Osama's guys.'' The bill requires that interdicted smugglers and aliens be run against all available terrorist watch lists. This is an important step in protecting America from terrorists. I would especially like to commend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill) for authoring this commonsense enforcement legislation. He is to be commended for his commitment to border security. Again, Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for working together on this important legislation and urge all Members to give it their support.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Chairman, I rise today to commend Chairman Ike Skelton and the staff of the Armed Services Committee for working to strengthen the National Guard. Support of the men and women who so bravely serve our Nation as citizen-soldiers is critical to our nation's security. Inclusion of several National Guard provisions in H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, sends a powerful message to our first military responders around the nation that we recognize their numerous contributions, many of which extend far beyond war fighting. As chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, I am heartened that this legislation provides resources to the Guard's needs here at home for missions relevant to homeland security and sustainability in our States. Over the last 5 years, the Guard has nobly accepted and completed missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere abroad. True to form, Guardsmen and women from almost every State have sacrificed a great deal, including in some instances their lives, to stay true to the motto of ``always ready, always there.'' Provisions in this legislation will provide $1 billion to address the strain on Guard and Reserve units in the States who are facing critical equipment shortages. For the first time, we will ensure that State Guard units are prepared for homeland security missions such as disaster response. Equally important is language in this bill that will encourage integration between the National Guard Bureau and other Defense components, such as Northern Command, who share responsibility for protecting the homeland. In short, this legislation incorporates key recommendations from the Commission on the National Guard and Reserve. It takes us a step closer toward closing the gap between Guard units categorized as ready and Guard units resourced to be ready.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce my support for the COPS Improvements Act of 2007. Although the COPS Act was originally introduced in 1994, its reauthorization is a clear indication of this Congress' dedication to passing legislation with the intent of securing our streets and providing for first responders, all of whom are vital to securing our Nation. The COPS Improvements Act is a post-9/11 legislation implementing a homeland security policy, specifically in the areas of terrorism preparedness, intelligence gathering, interoperability and other concerns we have in our communities across America. The Committee on Homeland Security supports the COPS Improvements Act authorizing $600 million per year to hire officers to engage in their communities across a variety of policing duties, including counter- terrorism. The Amtrak Police Department, whose officers are on the frontlines of transportation security, will be given the resources to hire and train officers to perform intelligence, anti-terror, and other homeland security duties protecting our railroads. The COPS Improvements Act is also applauded by the Committee on Homeland Security for authorizing $350 million per year for COPS technology grants. Among the grants established, many were dedicated to the development of interoperable communication technologies. The improvement of interoperable communications is vital to homeland security. It ensures there is communications connectivity between and among civilian authorities, local first responders, and the National Guard in the wake of a national emergency. This is a vital lesson we have painfully learned in the aftermath of emergency responders facing a lack of centralized coordination during a terrorist attack such as 9/ 11. The reauthorization of the COPS legislation is important to the protection of our citizens and from domestic and foreign threats. I, and the Committee on Homeland Security, promote the COPS Improvements Act of 2007 as it is legislation that assists in protecting all Americans. But, I want to be clear--the Committee on Homeland Security should work with my colleagues in other committees to ensure these grants are used for their intended purpose and do not somehow exceed their legislative bounds. I look forward to discussing this issue further with Chairman Conyers and others. Terrorism is an issue we at the Committee take very seriously and believe the COPS Improvements Act can serve a vital role in reducing and responding to a possible terrorist event.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I insert for the Record a letter from the chairman and ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee in support of our legislation but reserving, under rule X, the jurisdiction of their committee. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC, May 1, 2007. Hon. Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman, Hon. Peter T. King, Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Thompson and Mr. King: We are writing regarding the bill H.R. 1684, the ``Department of Homeland Security authorization act for Fiscal Year 2008.'' We understand that the Committee on Homeland Security intends to report this bill in the next few days, and that it may come to the House floor as early as next week. H.R. 1684 is an ambitious bill that contains a number of provisions that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary rather than the Committee on Homeland Security. Our Committee was not furnished the text of the bill as it will be reported until almost a month after your Committee approved it, and was not consulted regarding any of the provisions in question. As there is not adequate time now for our Committee to take a referral of this bill and appropriately consider these provisions, we would request that they be removed from the bill before its consideration on the floor. The provisions in question include: section 305; section 507; section 901; section 904; section 906; section 1104; new subsection (d)(2) of 6 U.S.C. 455 as it would be added by section 1109; section 1110; section 1111; section 1120; section 1121; and all of title XII. Thank you for your attention to our request. Sincerely, John Conyers, Jr. Chairman. Lamar Smith, Ranking Minority Member.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of H.R. 1684 in the Committee of the Whole, pursuant to House Resolution 382, the following amendment be permitted to be offered at any time: Kucinich amendment No. 11.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Ranking Member, there is somebody on your side who received notice of this.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Absolutely. Some Members have raised the issue about the Maritime Alien Smuggling provision of the bill, and we have decided if we can get unanimous consent, we will put it back in the bill, as originally approved by our committee. And we are asking unanimous consent to do it.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the instructions of the House on the motion to recommit, I report H.R. 1684 back to the House with an amendment. I ask unanimous consent that title XII, the Maritime Alien Smuggling provision of the bill, as reported, be restored to the bill.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I will not. Filing a comment requesting that CBP take a second look at this program. CBP has not re-issued a new notice, and the questions that I and many others have about ATS have not yet been answered. Until a new notice is released, I consider this program and this motion to recommit premature and the program itself highly questionable. The amount of information collected by ATS and the fact that the information remains in the system for up to 40 years is reason enough to warrant a closer look. The motion to recommit ignores the privacy act notice process that is under way, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, for the record, CBP filed a privacy notice act informing the public that they had been utilizing the Automated Targeting System, otherwise known as ATS, for 5 years without public notice. When I learned of the problems associated with ATS, I immediately joined hundreds of others by filing a comment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Zoe Lofgren).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. For the purpose of support only, I am in support of Mr. Royce's amendment. The database created by Interpol has proven to be very, very successful. The Swiss presently use the database provided by Interpol. They stop some 100 persons entering into that country per month. For the life of me, I cannot understand why CBP will not use it. It is a commonsense amendment. I trust the Department, once we approve it and ultimately pass the legislation, will follow the directions of Congress. So I support the Royce amendment in its present form. Imposters who would do us harm prize fraudulent passports as a way to gain entry into our country under false identities in order to carry out criminal or terrorist activities. INTERPOL has created a ``Stolen and Lost Travel Document'' (SLTD) database to provide valuable and timely information about passports reported lost or stolen to database users in order to intercept imposters and assist law enforcement. In the last couple of years, INTERPOL has populated its SLTD database with millions of passport numbers that were reported lost or stolen. Receiving real-time reporting of lost and stolen passports would allow us to detect these imposters and prevent their entry into the U.S. Other countries that use INTERPOL's SLTD database have been successful in intercepting imposters. For example, the Swiss, have been stopping over 100 attempted entries per month using fraudulent passports since December 2005 on the basis of the real-time information INTERPOL has provided. Yet, at U.S. Ports of Entry, Customs and Border Protection inspectors do not yet have access to INTERPOL's database at primary inspection, so this valuable anti-terrorism tool remains unavailable for screening persons trying to enter the U. S. This amendment would require CBP to provide its inspectors access to INTERPOL's SLTD database at primary inspection within one year. CBP has already declared that that it intends to implement use of INTERPOL's SLTD database as soon as possible; this amendment will ensure this takes place. Support the Royce Amendment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of H.R. 1684 in the Committee of the Whole, pursuant to House Resolution 382, the following amendment be permitted to be offered at any time: Rothman amendment No. 13.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of H.R. 1684 in the Committee of the Whole, pursuant to House Resolution 382, the following amendment be permitted to be offered at any time: Rothman amendment No. 12.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that during further consideration of H.R. 1684 in the Committee of the Whole, pursuant to House Resolution 382, the following amendment be permitted to be offered at any time: Sherman amendment No. 14.