Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Houston, Texas (Mr. Al Green).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished chairwoman of the subcommittee, who also is the author of this legislation, the gentlewoman from Houston, Texas (Ms. Jackson- Lee).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I can assure the gentleman--and I thank him for his concerns--that the committee will work with TSA in conducting appropriate and periodic reviews of prohibited items. Your graphic display of those prohibited items speaks volumes as to why this review should occur.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I recognize for 1\1/2\ minutes the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for the purposes of a colloquy.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Let me say that I appreciate the gentleman from Alaska bringing this to my attention. This is a novel issue for us, but I believe there could be some efficiencies in making the change. I'm pleased to work with you on this issue as the bill moves to conference.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Paterson, New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I yield an additional 30 seconds to respond. I appreciate the gentlewoman from California's leadership on this critical issue. I share her concerns about the impact that applications backlogs has had on port workers around the Nation and appreciate the comprehensive approach she has taken to addressing the weaknesses in the program that she has identified through her oversight work on the committee and look forward to solving the problem.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I'm happy to recognize the vice chair of the full committee for 2 minutes, Ms. Sanchez, for a colloquy.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 2200, the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act. This legislation is a product of months of negotiations, and includes significant contribution from Republicans, industry stakeholders, labor, the Government Accountability Office and the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General. I want to recognize the bipartisan efforts of my colleagues on the committee, most especially, Ms. Jackson-Lee, the chair, and Mr. Dent, the ranking member. They worked hard to produce a thorough, comprehensive, well-considered bill. H.R. 2200 is the first measure to come to the House floor that fully authorizes the Transportation Security Administration since its establishment in 2001. Since that time, TSA has made significant strides and rolled out several important programs to address security challenges. As a result, today our transportation systems are more secure than they were on September 11, 2001. However, they are not as secure as they need to be. With the change in administrations, TSA is at a critical crossroads in its 8-year history. H.R. 2200 steers TSA on a course to becoming an effective agency that works to enhance security in all our transportation sectors, partners with key stakeholders, and does a better job of utilizing technology to address gaps in security. Mr. Chairman, this bill fulfills our constitutional responsibility to provide a thorough road map to TSA on where it should go the next 2 years. H.R. 2200 authorizes $15.6 billion for TSA for fiscal year 2010 and fiscal year 2011. With these resources, the bill directs TSA, for the first time, to work to achieve greater parity between security efforts to protect aviation and surface transportation systems. In the past few years, attacks on rail stations worldwide have underscored the vulnerabilities to these systems. In response, H.R. 2200 triples funding for surface transportation over what was provided in fiscal year 2009, and authorizes 300 more surface transportation inspectors. Among its key provisions is the creation of a Transit Security Advisory Committee to provide greater stakeholder input and a Surface Transportation Security Inspection Office to train and manage inspectors. The bill also strengthens security training for transportation security officers, flight attendants, all cargo pilots, surface transportation workers, and Federal flight deck officers. I'm particularly pleased that we were able to include provisions to enhance flight attendants' training and reimbursement for pilots participating in Federal flight deck officers recurrent training. To bolster airport security and screening, H.R. 2200 authorizes a demonstration project and plan for the implementation of a secure verification system for law enforcement officers flying while armed. Further, it directs TSA to develop a strategic risk-based plan to enhance security of airport perimeter access controls and a demonstration program for biometric-based access control systems. For too long we've been told that the wide-scale deployment of biometrics is too difficult and impractical. But just last week, Mr. Chairman, I saw biometrics, including readers, in use in Argentina at a port and a federal building. This bill embraces the promise of this and other 21st-century technologies to address our security challenges. Additionally, there are a number of other noteworthy provisions that grew out of extensive committee oversight that covers such programs as Registered Traveler, Secure Flight, and the TWIC program. For example, the bill directs DHS to work with port operators to help workers who are waiting for TWIC cards to be escorted so they can continue to work. The TWIC provision also puts in place strict timelines and flexibility on how cards are transmitted. A key theme that runs throughout the bill is greater stakeholder participation. The Aviation Security Advisory Committee is codified in this bill. So, too, is the Air Cargo and General Aviation Working Groups. General aviation, in particular, gets a great deal of attention in this bill. Members from both sides of the aisle have expressed serious concern about TSA's approach when it comes to general aviation. Until recently, TSA displayed a lack of understanding of the uniqueness of the general aviation environment. H.R. 2200 takes some major steps forward, with the authorization of a strong General Aviation Working Group and the establishment of a new grant program for security improvements to general aviation airports. Finally, H.R. 2200 makes key improvements to air cargo and checked baggage security. Specifically, H.R. 2200 eliminates the use of bag match as an alternative means of checked baggage screening. It also directs TSA to develop a process to consider reimbursement claims by airports who invested in in-line explosive detection equipment on a promise that TSA would defray the costs. With respect to air cargo, it requires TSA to report on the status of the Certified Cargo Screening Program. TSA, Mr. Chairman, has testified that the 100 percent screening requirement for passenger planes will not be achieved by 2010 because TSA has had to expend extensive resources on trying to negotiate international agreements with foreign authorities on inbound international cargo. TSA, as a domestic security agency, lacks jurisdiction or expertise to negotiate such agreements. Achievement of this requirement is, therefore, dependent upon assistance from CBP, the State Department and others, and, most specifically, foreign governments. To ensure that TSA meets the statutory 100 percent screening requirement, section 201 of the bill gives TSA up to 2 more years to negotiate agreements on inbound international cargo. Enactment of H.R. 2200, therefore, will help TSA put needed focus on working to meet mandates for screening all cargo transported between U.S. airports on passenger planes, whether originating in the U.S. or abroad. This provision in no way eliminates the 100 percent screening requirement. Instead, it sets TSA up for success and is responsive to the real-world challenges of implementing the mandate in jurisdictions where TSA has no jurisdiction. Mr. Chairman, I look forward to our work today, and I encourage my colleagues to pass H.R. 2200 in a swift, bipartisan fashion in order to better ensure the security of all Americans. Mr. Chairman, I submit for the Record exchanges of letters on this legislation. Mr. Chair, I rise to address concerns put forth in the Minority Views section of the Committee Report for H.R. 2200. Specifically, I want to address the Minority's assertion that the Majority rejected consideration of proposed amendments during committee consideration of the bill. As is its custom, the Committee used a roster for amendments during both full and subcommittee consideration of the TSA Authorization bill. Each amendment submitted to be placed on the roster was considered by the Committee unless the sponsor decided to withdraw it from consideration. Each of the twenty amendments filed prior to the Full Committee markup were placed on the roster for Committee consideration. Of the twenty amendments filed, thirteen were sponsored by Minority Members. All but two of the thirteen amendments filed for the roster by Minority Members were offered. Of the eleven amendments offered by Minority Members for committee consideration, eight were agreed to and included in the reported version of the bill. H.R. 2200, the TSA Authorization Act, is the product of months of bi- partisan cooperation and negotiations. Provisions proposed by the Minority were included in the bill at each and every stage of its consideration. Contrary to the assertion in the Minority Views, at no point during Committee consideration did the Majority prevent the Minority from putting forth amendments for consideration. In closing, I would remind the Chair that the Committee on Homeland Security has a strong record of working in a bi-partisan fashion to ensure sound homeland security legislation is put before the House. As Chairman, I am committed to ensuring that practice continues. House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC, May 15, 2009. Hon. Bart Gordon, Chairman, Committee on Science and Technology, Washington,

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to support the amendment offered by the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus). It directs TSA to craft special security screening protocols for men and women of the Armed Forces. All of us have been in airports. We've seen our men and women returning subject to all kinds of searches. It is absolutely important that we say thank you for putting themselves in harm's way. And I support 100 percent the directive requiring TSA to set up a protocol to recognize their value to the country. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chair, while not opposed to the amendment, I ask unanimous consent to claim time in opposition.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Thank you, Mr. Perlmutter. H.R. 2200 also authorizes the creation of a Transit Security Advisory Committee, or TSAC, a Passenger Carrier Security Working Group, and a Freight Rail Security Working Group to provide robust stakeholder input to TSA on security policies that impact this sector. Given TSA's limited experience in this sector, I would expect it to be relying heavily on these groups. Another major provision that I was particularly pleased to include would streamline the security licensing for truckers. Ms. Jackson-Lee, lead sponsor of this bill, and I have been working with our committee colleague, Mr. Lungren, for years on this issue, and finally we have a vehicle to move key provisions in the SAFE Trucker Act. These provisions address redundant background security checks which we have learned are draining of financial resources on transportation workers. I'm committed to marking up H.R. 1881, the Transportation Security Workforce Enhancement Act of 2009, later this summer, which will provide collective bargaining rights for the TSA workforce. To me, the unfinished business of the 9/11 Act was the granting of these rights to the men and women who are the backbone of TSA. I'm hopeful that these changes in the White House and at the front office at DHS will ensure that we are successful this time around. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the rule for the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act, H.R. 2200. I would also like to thank my colleague, Mr. Perlmutter from Colorado, who until this session was a member of that committee and is eminently qualified to talk about homeland security issues. As I stated, this rule reflects a bipartisan rule process in which more than half of the proposed amendments were made in order. And more than half of the amendments, Mr. Speaker, that we are considering today are sponsored by my Republican colleagues. H.R. 2200 is the first authorization bill for all of the Transportation Security Administration since TSA was established in 2001. It authorizes over $15.6 billion in appropriations to the Transportation Security Administration for fiscal year 2010 and 2011. The product of months of bipartisan negotiations, H.R. 2200 was drafted with significant contributions from both Democratic and Republican members of the committee, industry stakeholders, labor representatives, the Government Accountability Office, and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's office. With the change in administration, TSA is at a crossroads. It has to decide how to allocate its resources going forward and who it wants to be. For the first 8 years, TSA acted like the Aviation Security Administration more than a Transportation Security Administration. This bill takes important steps to bring greater resources and support for the much-neglected surface transportation security mission. On the aviation side, this bill greatly improves aviation security, and not only commercial aviation but also general aviation. Specifically, the bill establishes an Aviation Security Advisory Committee, an Air Cargo Working Group, and a General Aviation Security Working Group to ensure robust and meaningful stakeholder input. Also, Mr. Speaker, in the area of general aviation, the bill authorizes $10 million for a new grant program to enhance perimeter security, airfield security, and terminal security at general aviation facilities. And I fully support and believe this provision will be strengthened even more with the passage of an amendment that the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake) is expected to offer. It will require the issuance of these grants to be competitive and risk-based. The allocation of scarce Federal funds, specifically those from TSA, should be based on risk. Section 102 of the bill actually requires TSA to report to Congress on the extent to which it is allocating transportation security resources on the basis of risk. The bill, Mr. Speaker, also is forward-looking and makes great strides, most notably with respect to biometrics. During the recess, I had the opportunity to observe how other countries are using biometric technology to increase security. I strongly believe that greater deployment of biometric equipment can help to address some of our most vexing security challenges. This is why I am pleased to include a provision authorizing the development of a biometric system for law enforcement officers who fly armed. This bill, Mr. Speaker, also includes provisions on the Registered Traveler and Transportation Worker Identification Credential programs, TSA's two main biometric programs. Another amendment that the rule makes in order is sponsored by my good friend from North Carolina, Mr. Butterfield. The amendment would enhance the underlying bill by adding facial and iris recognition to TSA's biometric toolbox. On the surface transportation side, this bill enhances surface transportation security by authorizing a tripling of funding over fiscal year 2009. These new resources would help support a newly created Surface Transportation Security Inspection Office. This office would be responsible for training and managing inspectors that work in the field and assist surface transportation operators with security inspections. Additionally, Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes 300 more surface transportation security inspectors over the next 2 years and Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response Teams, called VIPER teams, to do security operations in mass transit and other surface systems.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of H.R. 2200, the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, cross-references, and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to accurately reflect the actions of the House.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today, to recognize the christening of the USS Gravely, the 57th Arleigh Burke class Aegis Guided Missile Destroyer, in honor of the late Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Samuel L. Gravely, born in Richmond, Virginia in 1922, was the first African American to command a fighting ship (USS Falgout) and to command a major warship (USS Jouett). As a full commander, he made naval history in 1966 as the first African American commander to lead a ship--the USS Taussig--into direct offensive action. He was the first African American to achieve flag rank and eventually Vice Admiral. In 1942, Gravely interrupted his education at Virginia Union University and enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He attended Officer Training Camp at the University of California in Los Angeles after boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Illinois, and then midshipman school at Columbia University. When he boarded his first ship in May of 1945, he became its first African American officer. In 1945, when his first ship reached its berth in Key West, Florida, he was specifically forbidden entry into the Officers' Club on the base. Gravely survived the indignities of racial prejudice and displayed unquestionable competence as a naval officer. Vice Admiral Gravely's tenure in the naval service was challenged with the difficulties of racial discrimination. As a new recruit, he was trained in a segregated unit; as an officer, he was barred from living in the Bachelor's Officers' Quarters. Gravely exemplified the highest standards and demanded very high standards from his crew. Vice Admiral Gravely was a trailblazer for African Americans in the military arena. He fought for equal rights quietly but effectively, letting his actions speak for him. Vice Admiral Gravely died on October 22, 2004, at the naval hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Samuel L. Gravely, Jr.'s performance and leadership as an African American naval officer demonstrated to America the value and strength of diversity. Gravely was a true professional with superb skills as a seaman and admirable leadership attributes. His spirit aboard the USS Gravely will be an inspiration to its crew, the United States Navy, and America for generations to come.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate the 2009 Mississippi Teacher of the Year, Stacey Donaldson. The Teacher of the Year program, sponsored by the state Department of Education and the Mississippi Teacher Center, awards certified public school teachers for their outstanding performance. Donaldson, a 37- year-old Murrah High School English teacher, was selected for exhibiting leadership, excelling in the classroom and being active in her community. Stacey, a graduate of University of Southern Mississippi, obtained a bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in speech communications. She worked as a broadcast journalist before changing careers and becoming a teacher. Stacey earned a master of teaching degree from William Carey College and became a national board certified teacher and completed the Advanced Placement Institute at Millsaps College. Prior to teaching at Murrah H.S., Ms. Donaldson taught at Bassfield High School in the Jefferson Davis School District and at Sumner Hill Junior High in Clinton, MS. ``The art of teaching is bigger than the subject one teaches,'' Donaldson said. It is no surprise to those who know Stacey best that she would be recognized for her achievements. Donaldson's father, Allen Hall, ``noticed his daughter's potential and encouraged her to be the best she could be''. With this in mind, Stacey serves as a member of the Murrah site council and sponsor of the school's Not Here Club, which discourages students from substance abuse, as well as coordinates Murrah's Seatbelt Safety Project. Stacey's husband, Johnny Donaldson, describes her as passionate, hardworking and devoted. She is the mother of two daughters, 10-year old Camaryn and 5-year old Cailyn. In addition to her role as wife, mother and teacher, Stacey finds time to give back to her church and community. She is a member of Greater New Jerusalem's scholarship committee and is a young women's ministry volunteer for the Sims House Stewpot Ministries. I am very proud of Ms. Donaldson and all of her accomplishments. She is truly a remarkable example of the talented, dedicated and hardworking teachers that help to educate Mississippi's best and brightest children. Please join me today in congratulating Ms. Stacey Donaldson, the 2009 Mississippi Teacher of the Year.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in support of legislation I introduced today with the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, Mr. King, and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, Science an Technology, Ms. Clarke and Mr. Lungren. The electric grid is highly dependent on computer-based control systems. These systems are increasingly connected to open networks such as the Internet, exposing them to cyber risks. Any failure of our electric grid, whether intentional or unintentional, would have a significant and potentially devastating impact on our Nation. For years, my Committee has been concerned about this possibility. In 2007, the Committee learned that the electric industry was not mitigating a dangerous control system vulnerability known as ``Aurora.'' We launched a series of investigations and held two hearings to understand what was being done in the public and private sectors to mitigate this and other cyber vulnerabilities. The findings were disturbing. Most of the electric industry had not completed the recommended mitigations, despite being advised to do so by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. This effectively left many utilities vulnerable to attacks. Furthermore, in spite of existing mandatory cybersecurity standards, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (``NERC'') recently reported that many utilities are underreporting their critical cyber assets, potentially to avoid compliance requirements. We must ensure that the proper protections, resources and regulatory authorities are in place to address any threat aimed at our power system. The Critical Electric Infrastructure Protection Act will do four things to improve our defensive posture: Provides FERC with the authorities necessary to issue emergency orders to owners and operators of the electric grid after receiving a finding from DHS about a credible cyber attack. Requires FERC to establish interim measures deemed necessary to protect against known cyber threats to critical electric infrastructure. This will improve existing mandatory standards. Requires DHS to perform ongoing cybersecurity vulnerability and threat assessments to the critical electric infrastructure, and provide mitigation recommendations to eliminate those vulnerabilities and threats. Requires DHS to conduct an investigation to determine if the security of Federally-owned critical electric infrastructure has been compromised by outsiders. I believe that this legislation adopts a common-sense approach towards securing our electric grid from cyber attack, and I look forward to working with the Senate and the rest of our colleagues on bipartisan, bicameral basis to see that this bill is enacted.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join Congresswoman Lowey and Congresswoman Jackson-Lee in introducing today a bill that will bring parity to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees and ensures security. This legislation would provide the same rights to all TSA employees, including the Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) (i.e., screeners), as those already enjoyed by employees at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and numerous front-line security agencies throughout the country, including state law enforcement agencies. In the 110th Congress, The Committee on Homeland Security worked to give a broad range of rights to the Transportation Security Administration workforce in H.R. 1, Implementing the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. Basic workplace protections and collective bargaining rights were a key part of this effort. While the House passed these important measures and the Senate followed suit, to avoid a veto from the Bush Administration, these protections were stripped from the conference report. This bill renews and improves upon this effort by increasing the quality of the entire TSA workforce and not just a smaller part of it. This bill will increase security by improving workforce morale and employee retention, and will put workers in a position to expose security gaps and put TSA on par with other DHS components. In 2001, when TSA was created, Congress provided discretionary authority allowing TSA to create different classes of employees, each with different rights and protections. Specifically, the 107th Congress and President Bush gave the TSA Administrator the discretionary authority to set up two different TSAs. One group of TSA employees would be given one set of rights and the other group, the TSOs (i.e., screeners), could be treated differently, with respect to conditions and benefits of employment, discipline, compensation, leave, and other basic employment rights. Under then TSA Administrator, Admiral James Loy, the Bush Administration exercised discretionary authority to create two classes of TSA employees by denying the TSOs certain employment rights. While this discretionary authority helped quickly establish and stand-up TSA, as intended by the 107th Congress and the Bush Administration, it was, and continues to be the impetus for low employee morale and diminished transportation security. From survey results to testimony over the past several years, we have seen that the TSA workforce is frustrated by the lack of recognition and rewards for performance and promotion practices, confused by different policies and procedures on leave, training, and other administrative matters. On March 5, 2009, a House Homeland Security Subcommittee received testimony from employee representatives of the workforce. All of TSA operates under a separate personnel system than other DHS components. Further, the TSO workforce is not allowed to collectively bargain in contrast with the CBP workforce and others across the federal government, including state law enforcement. These discrepancies and differences lead to confusion, frustration and further erode morale. The time for personnel experiments is now over. The employees of TSA deserve to be treated like their fellow employees in the DHS and across the Federal government--fairly and equitably. Providing basic employment protections and rights is critical to instill confidence in the workforce. The time for two classes of TSA employees is over--this bill eliminates this dichotomy. This legislation brings parity to the TSA workforce. The bill affords the workforce the same rights and protections their colleagues across the federal government and the Department enjoy under Title 5 of the United States Code and other civil service laws such as provisions of the Federal Labor Standards Act, Equal Pay Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Rehabilitation Act, among others. The legislation aims to transition the 60,000 plus TSA workforce in a responsible way from its current and varied personnel systems to that of Title 5. It provides the Secretary and Assistant Secretary the discretion on how and when to move to the new system, although not later than 60 days after the date of enactment. It also provides a window for the transition to allow for consultation with employee representatives and communication with the workforce. Further, it ensures that no employee will lose any pay, accrued leave or health benefit that is currently afforded to them. To truly provide comprehensive transportation security, it must start with those who provide the security--in this case all TSA employees, including the TSOs. We must set up a system where all TSA employees are protected, otherwise we will have a system that treats colleagues differently and remains inefficient to the extent of hindering transportation security. In the end, by creating one TSA as a part of one DHS the American public truly receives national security. We look forward to working with our colleagues to put the TSA workforce in a system that has stood the test of time and shown itself to be fair and equitable.