Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1433) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve morale within the Department of Homeland Security workforce by conferring new responsibilities to the Chief Human Capital Officer, establishing an employee engagement steering committee, requiring action plans, and authorizing an annual employee award program, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1433, the DHS MORALE Act. Mr. Speaker, every day, the Department of Homeland Security's workforce carries out dozens of critical missions, which are as diverse as preventing terrorism, securing cyberspace, transportation security, and disaster recovery. These 240,000 men and women deserve to have their contributions to keeping the Nation secure valued by not only the American people but also by DHS itself. Yet, even before the President's 35-day partial government shutdown earlier this year, morale within DHS was a persistent problem. In fact, for the past 7 years, DHS has ranked dead last among all large Federal agencies in the Partnership for Public Service's annual ``Best Places to Work in the Federal Government'' survey. This is unacceptable. Senior DHS leadership, most especially the Secretary of Homeland Security, needs to prioritize improving morale within the DHS workforce. In the Obama administration, then-DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson began to address this operational imperative through a range of programs under the unity of effort umbrella. Unfortunately, the current administration largely abandoned those promising efforts. I have long been committed to improving conditions for the DHS workforce. To that end, I reintroduced H.R. 1433, the DHS MORALE Act, a bill that passed the House unanimously and received tremendous support from the labor organizations representing the DHS labor force. The DHS MORALE Act requires DHS to develop and implement policies related to leadership development, employee engagement, career progression, and employee recommendations. This Congress, two new provisions were added to the bill. The first directs the DHS Chief Human Capital Officer to analyze government-wide Federal workforce satisfaction or morale surveys to inform efforts to improve morale. The second provision requires a report to Congress on the impact of the recent government shutdown on DHS human resources and morale. Both of these measures would be a step toward fixing the longstanding morale problems at DHS. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 1433, and I reserve the balance of my time. MR. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today, I rise in support of H.R. 1433, the DHS MORALE Act. The bill seeks to address an issue that has plagued the Department of Homeland Security since its creation: low employee morale. DHS has consistently reported low employee morale on the ``Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey'' and today remains dead last out of large agencies in employee satisfaction. These numbers are troubling. DHS must find ways to improve employee morale. The Department's mission is too important for these issues to be ignored. H.R. 1433 will address the morale problem at DHS by improving leadership development, workforce planning, and employee engagement programs. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1433 to improve morale throughout DHS and its components, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1433 would help improve morale among the Department's 240,000 employees by creating and cataloging leadership development opportunities, identifying and addressing factors that impact employee engagement, and recognizing employee contributions. The DHS MORALE Act continues to have the support of the National Border Patrol Council, National Treasury Employees Union, and American Federation of Government Employees. Enactment of the bill will help DHS examine the root cause of the longstanding morale concerns and determine the best strategy to move the Department forward in a positive direction. Mr. Speaker, I ask for my colleagues' support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1590) to require an exercise related to terrorist and foreign fighter travel, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, before I close, let me compliment the gentleman on the passage of this bill. This is, I believe, his maiden bill before the House of Representatives, and, from one Mississippian to another, I want to congratulate him for that. Mr. Speaker, because terrorists are constantly seeking new ways to cause harm and spread fear, we must continuously work to keep pace with the evolving threat landscape. H.R. 1590 seeks to strengthen the Nation's abilities to close the gaps in how we identify and assess threats from terrorist foreign fighters. As such, I support it and ask my colleagues to support it as well. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, effective information sharing is essential to prevent and respond to threats posed by bad actors. H.R. 1589 will facilitate information sharing in the CBRN space where new threats are constantly emerging. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1589, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Mary Williams. Dr. Mary Williams was born to Albert and Emma Williams. She is the ninth child of ten children. Six sisters: Dorothy, Olivia, Sherlie, Maretta, Deleatha, and Chrystal and three brothers: Morris, Jeffrey, and Donald. Mary was raised in Marks, Mississippi. She is the owner of Urgent and Primary Care of Clarksdale, Mississippi, the first Urgent Care clinic to be opened in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Dr. Mary Williams is recognized amongst family, her community, and her colleagues as a woman of integrity, service, compassion, and outstanding spirit. Dr. Williams attended and graduated from Quitman County High School. After earning her high school diploma (1987), Northwest Community College, where she earned her Associate Degree in Nursing, Delta State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and then attended Mississippi University for Women where she received her Master of Science Degree. With her commitment to becoming the best in her field, she attended the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2011, where she received her Doctor of Nursing Degree with a major in Forensic Nursing. Dr. Williams is also a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner at Northwest MS Regional Medical Center, where her specialty is Renal Disease and Hypertension Management. She has spent her entire life building strong working relationships in the healthcare field and educating people on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Williams owned and operated Clarksdale's first locally owned hospice agency in 2001 thru 2007. She holds licenses to practice as a Nurse Practitioner in the state of Mississippi and Tennessee. She is also a member of the Mississippi Nurses Association, American Nurses Association, American Association for Nurse Practitioners and the National Kidney Foundation. Dr. Williams has been named one of the Top 50 Mississippi Leading Business Women in the state of Mississippi. She has received numerous awards in healthcare. She credits all of her achievements to her strong foundation in God. She is a member of St. Matthew Church of God in Christ and an active member of Iota Delta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. where she currently serves as President. Dr. Williams is the proud mother of two children, Ebony and Andre, and four grandchildren. Dr. Williams' leadership, passion, dedication, dependability, and service have made her synonymous with being one of the best, if not the best Family Nurse Practitioners in the Mississippi Delta. Dr. Williams is recognized for her service to God, her family, her country, her community, and the people that seek her help. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Mary Williams for her dedication to serving this great state and country.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable public servant. Mr. Timothy V. Chambers. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Technology from Alcorn State University. He later pursued further studies in the education program at Jackson State University and received his standard teaching certificate. Mr. Chambers earned his Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Jackson State University. He started his education career teaching in Canton, Mississippi where he spent seven years collectively between Canton Elementary School, Nichols Middle School and the Canton Career Center. Mr. Chambers served as assistant principal at Canton Elementary School, Nichols Middle School and principal at Canton Educational Services Center. From there, Mr. Chambers traveled to Leake County to serve as principal for Leake County High School. While at Leake County High School, he successfully improved the school's rating from a failing school to a successful status. He then journeyed back home where he served as principal at Canton High School and director at the Canton Career Center. Mr. Chambers' educational experiences have afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of people to meet the common goal of increasing student achievement and well-being. His educational philosophy is based on his uncompromising belief that all students can learn, given a positive learning environment, strong and knowledgeable leadership, a committed and focused educational team, an encouraging community, and a supportive family. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Timothy V. Chambers for his dedication to serving.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Vernice Black-Avant. Vernice Black-Avant was born November 18, 1949 in Como, Mississippi to the late Albert and Della Mae Black. She was the fifth born of thirteen children. She was diagnosed at the age of ten with a childhood spinal illness. She and her parents and friends spent many months at LeBonheur Children's Hospital for surgeries, treatments and follow up visits. She was blessed with praying parents and grandparents: Effie Dodson Washington and Armetha Walton Black, who both saw to it that she had a Christian upbringing. She grew up in a rural community just west of Como, Mississippi. Vernice attended Carruthers and Melrose Elementary and Como Junior High School. In 1968, she and her family moved to Longtown, MS. This move came after her family was told to move over night or be burned in that house because her parents had encouraged her to attend a predominantly all-white high school during her senior year in high school. After moving to Longtown, she met the man of her dreams, Robert Allen Avant, Sr. in 1968 and married six months later after graduating from North Panola High School. Following her wedding on July thirteenth they relocated to Chicago, Illinois for eighteen months. There she enjoyed cooking with her mother-in-law, Dorothy Jean Bishop-Avant and sitting in the window on Halsted Street watching the many Cadillac Eldorados go by as she waited for her husband to come home from work. After a couple years her aunt became sick, (her mother-in-law's sister) and they moved back to Longtown. After her Aunt passed, they moved to live with her mother-in-law in Memphis for a few months. Then in 1972, she began her career as an elementary school secretary at Crenshaw Elementary School where she worked for thirty-one years. While there, she served as lunchroom bookkeeper, doctor, counselor, negotiator, nurse, mediator, accountant, police/protector and friend. In 1973, Vernice and Robert were blessed with their first son, Robert Allen Avant, Jr. Issac Lanier was born five years later. In 1981, they were blessed with their third son, Albert Hosia Jerriod Avant. A year later, they moved into their first newly built home. Vernice and Robert enrolled and attended evening/night classes at Coahoma Community College at the Crenshaw Interested Community Builders Campus in Crenshaw, Mississippi and both graduated in 1986 with Honors, merit Scholarships, and with an Associate Arts Degree. From 1987 to August 4, 2008, Robert Allen Avant, Sr. served as Panola County's District Two Supervisor with Vernice by his side in full support. After retiring for a short while, she went to work for a private corporation as secretary and bookkeeper for ten years. In August of 2008, following Robert's untimely death due to a very rare lung cancer, Vernice was sworn in as Supervisor of Panola County's 2nd District. Currently, Vernice is serving her district and Panola County as vice- President of North Delta Planning and Development District, secretary for the Crenshaw P-16 Council for Crenshaw Elementary School and is an active member of McIvor Creek Missionary Baptist Church where she serves as President of the Mother Board. She is a Mississippi Association of Supervisors Education Committee member, former Mississippi Association of Supervisors Insurance Trust Board member, an active member of the NAACP and is an active member of Keep America Beautiful/Panola County. In her quest to be a servant to the people of Panola County, she made time to care for her brothers-in-law, Micheal Avant and Willie Avant, both of which lost battles to oral and throat cancers in 2009 and 2018 respectively. Vernice lost her eldest son, Robert Jr., to a long battle with diabetes and later colon and lung cancer in January, 2017. Vernice continues to serve with God as her focus point. She was recently nominated and awarded the ``Women of Excellence Award'' by the National Foundation for Women Legislators. All of Vernice and Robert's children have earned bachelor degrees. Lanier earned his Juris Doctor degree from Howard University in 2007 and Jerriod is working on his PhD in English at The University of Rhode Island. Thanks for the opportunity to serve such great people. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Vernice Black-Avant for her dedication in serving her community.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a valiant and selfless community servant, Eric Paymon. Eric Paymon grew up in Jackson, Mississippi where he graduated from Forest Hill High School in 1996. He also attended Hinds Community College and Jackson State University. Officer Paymon is now furthering his education, pursuing a degree in Communications. Officer Paymon has been gainfully employed as a police officer since graduating from Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Training Academy in 2005. He served as a Patrolman at Jackson State University and as a Deputy at the Hinds County Sheriff's Department. Since 2007 Officer Paymon has been a model officer at the Vicksburg Police Department. He has held the position of Master Fire Arms Instructor where he was responsible for the training and qualification of all certified officers. Officer Paymon has worked in several capacities including Traffic Supervisor, Field Training Officer, Criminal Investigator, Patrolman and Watch Commander, supervising a shift of 11 officers. He is currently serving as Deputy Chief. Officer Paymon is founder/owner of Secure One, a private security company providing security to local businesses, schools and private events. Officer Paymon is happily married to his wife, Kimberly, and they are blessed with two children, Eriel and Eric, Jr. In his spare time, Officer Paymon enjoys Green Bay Packers and Jackson State Football, spending time with family, traveling and community service activities. Officer Paymon's life motto is ``If I can help somebody along the way, then my living shall not be in vain.'' Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Eric Paymon for his hard work, dedication and tenacity to serving others.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from California for giving me the time. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1. Last Congress, House Democrats sought to address Russia's meddling in the Presidential election. Unfortunately, the then-majority would not prioritize the issue, so Democrats formed a Congressional Task Force on Election Security, which I co-chaired. In February of 2018, after a series of public meetings with experts in national security, cybersecurity, and election administration, the task force released a report charting a course for how we could better protect our election infrastructure. I am pleased that H.R. 1 includes the Election Security Act, legislation I introduced to implement the task force's recommendation. Under the Election Security Act, States are provided surge funding to replace decades-old, outdated election equipment with more modern, secure technologies. Additionally, to move the Nation off the crisis-to-crisis model we have been on, it provides grants, ongoing maintenance, and security. It also improves transparency with election infrastructure vendors and provides cybersecurity training to election officials. Last month, at my committee's hearing on election security, some of my Republican colleagues balked at the bill's price tag. Mr. Chair, to put the bill's cost in context, the $1.8 billion provided here to secure our elections from the Russians and other foreign adversaries is half of what Congress provided in response to the hanging chads. For the sake of our democracy, we cannot leave State and local election officials to fend for themselves against sophisticated adversaries like Russia. We have to help.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren) for yielding. Mr. Chair, before I close, I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi, Chairwoman Lofgren, and Mr. Sarbanes for all the work they and their staffs have done to bring this important measure to the floor.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution. I was in west Texas this past weekend and saw nothing to justify the President's designation of a national emergency. There aren't gangs of violent criminals and terrorists overtaking our southern border. If there were a crisis, it is hard to imagine a worse or less effective response than a border wall, which will take months, if not years, to build. What I did see there are efforts to harden ports of entry. In fact, just days before I arrived in El Paso, sharp barbed wire was installed in the middle of a busy port of entry. This barbed wire did not give off the impression that this busy port of entry was welcoming commerce or visitors to the United States. When questioned, officials could not say who had signed off on this project or how it fits into border security. It is time for the administration to stop fear-mongering and accept reality. The only crisis on the border is a humanitarian crisis, one created by this administration, and a border wall will do nothing to alleviate the suffering. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for this resolution to stop the President from stripping Congress of its constitutional power of the purse.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. John Salter, Jr. on his great contributions to civil rights activism. Born in Chicago and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, John began his journey to higher education at Arizona State University after serving in the Army. He graduated in 1958 and received his master's degree in sociology in 1960. Mr. Salter alternated between activism and teaching. He pursued his tenure in both education and activism in Vermont, the State of Washington, Rochester, New York, Chicago, at the University of Iowa, Dine College, and the University of North Dakota. His worked encompassed a variety of services including Directing the Department of American Indian Studies at the University of North Dakota, teaching, and working with street gangs in Chicago. Mr. Salter worked as a labor organizer in Arizona, the NAACP's Mississippi field secretary, and organized the Jackson Movement. John Salter, Jr. died on Monday, January 7, 2019, at 84 years of age. He and his wife Eldri Johanson, who died in 2015, had been married for 54 years. He is survived by four children, Maria Salter and Josephine Evans, both of Pocatello, and John Salter III and Peter Salter, both of Lincoln, Neb.; a brother; 12 grandchildren; and two great- grandchildren. Madam Speaker, today I honor the life of Mr. John Salter, Jr. for his many contributions to education and civil rights. Salter made a career of serving others, and his work had a direct and positive influence on the lives of literally thousands.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Texas an additional 1 minute.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, nearly 18 years after the September 11 attacks, it is important that we stand together and recommit ourselves to doing all we can to prevent further terrorist attacks at the Federal, State, and local levels. Enactment of H.R. 495, which passed the House on suspension last Congress, would help ensure that State and local law enforcement know DHS is a full partner in securing their communities. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 495, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 495) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require an annual report on the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 495, the FIRST State and Local Law Enforcement Act. I thank my Democratic colleague, Ms. Jackson Lee, for reintroducing this measure in the new Congress. H.R. 495 would require DHS to submit an annual report to Congress on the activities of the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement. This bill was written, informed by a report I had my staff prepare to look at DHS' progress at implementing the 9/11 Commission Act on its 10th anniversary in 2017. The report recommended that DHS continuously refine its information-sharing networks. Central to this effort is the Department's engagement with State and local law enforcement. Specifically, H.R. 495 requires an annual report that highlights the activities of this office. Pursuant to H.R. 495, each report must contain detailed information on existing programs and performance metrics to evaluate their effectiveness. More importantly, each report must include feedback received from these law enforcement agencies so that future collaboration can be meaningful. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 424) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve the management and administration of the security clearance processes throughout the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

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 materials on this measure.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 424, the Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, let me say I am pleased that we have reached the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. I am grateful to the women and men of DHS and their families for their professionalism during this difficult month. We should all recognize that they continue to serve our country every day by keeping our citizens safe. Mr. Speaker, I have reintroduced H.R. 424, the Department of Homeland Security Clearance Management and Administration Act, to reform how the department manages its security clearance processes. It is no secret that the security clearance process is in dire need of change. Since September 11, there has been massive growth in the amount of classified material across the Federal Government. In many cases, material is over-classified where it is kept at a higher classification level or at a higher classification level for longer than needed. The explosion in the number of Federal positions requiring security clearances has driven an enormous backlog in security clearance background investigations. As of last Congress, the average waiting period for an initial background check for a top-secret clearance was 390 days--more than a year. The average waiting period for a reinvestigation of an individual holding a top-secret clearance was 518 days--nearly 1\1/2\ years. The delays caused by this enormous backlog represent very real barriers to employment and promotion within government. Many individuals with clearances do not actually need clearances to do their jobs. According to a 2014 report by the Office of Management and Budget, 40 percent of all individuals with clearances did not even have access to classified information as part of their work. Misclassification of national security positions is not only wasteful of government resources but creates needless barriers to entry and advancement. Clearly, the clearance system is in desperate need of significant reform. H.R. 424 would help put DHS on a path to rightsizing its ranks by ensuring that national security positions are properly designated. H.R. 424 would also require DHS to conform, from time to time, that its security designations are still appropriate. This would ensure that the department is not needlessly limiting the applicant pool for positions that do not require access to classified information. While the executive branch is exploring ways to improve the way in which positions are designated for clearances, H.R. 424 would allow DHS to become a leader in modernizing and streamlining this system. Finally, H.R. 424 would require DHS to keep applicants' and employees' personal information safe from data breaches. Taken together, these reforms represent progress toward fixing the broken clearance system. It will save DHS money, time, and other resources by streamlining the clearance and designation systems. Fundamentally, enactment of H.R. 424 would begin to break down barriers to employment and promotion that prevent Federal employees from advancing in their careers. With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 424, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 424, which passed by voice vote in the last Congress, will help improve critical aspects of DHS' security clearance process. The truth is that not every position requires a clearance, not every document needs to be classified. Our intelligence and law enforcement officials should focus their limited time and resources on protecting materials that are truly sensitive. Access to those materials should be granted carefully and appropriately to individuals who actually need to handle those materials. Enactment of H.R. 424 would not only make DHS a leader in this space, but it would help break down barriers to employment and growth within the Department. Mr. Speaker, I ask for my colleagues' support, and I yield back the balance of my time.