Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any additional speakers for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 549, and believe that authorizing the Office of Bombing Prevention will greatly enhance our Nation's preparedness and response to arguably the most likely method of terrorist attack. In addition to authorizing the Office to develop a strategic vision and establish the capabilities level around the Nation, the bill provides support for efforts to research explosives detection and mitigation. It is important to note, Mr. Speaker, that an informed public is a prepared public. In this spirit, the bill also directs the Office to develop and implement a public awareness campaign that can reach the private sector, as well as ordinary citizens. Again, I'd like to commend Ranking Member King for bringing forth this important bipartisan legislation, and I urge immediate passage of H.R. 549.

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

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chariman, first, I want to thank the Representative from North Carolina, Mr. Kissell for his amendment. The original Berry amendment covering procurement for the United States Military has ensured that U.S. troops wore military uniforms made from U.S. textiles and manufactured by U.S. factories since the beginning of World War II. As we know, things have changed dramatically since 1941. Since 2003, the Department of Homeland Security has also been working hard to provide our citizens with added security both at home and abroad. With over 100,000 uniformed employees, I believe that it is imperative that Berry admendment be extended to include uniform and textile purchases at the Department of Homeland Security and offer my overwhelming support for this amendment. Recent press reports have shown there are numerous questions of security and safety related to the current procurement process for these items. From the case of Customs and Border Protection uniforms and badges being manufactured in Mexico, to the most recent case of Transportation Security Officers reporting allergic reactions to the formaldehyde used in the production of their new uniforms, we can see the added benefit to not only the U.S. textile and manufacturing industry, but in ensuring that these uniformed employees, receive the quality that they deserve. I, like others, am deeply concerned that we could have people crossing the border illegally wearing CBP or TSA uniforms manufactured in foreign countries. Chairman, as you know, manufacturing as a whole has been on a steady decline. My own state of Mississippi, much like many others, such as North Carolina, have been negatively impacted by the increase in overseas production of goods. I believe that this legislation is not only about security and safety, but also a way to help those communities that rely on the textile and manufacturing industry. While the amendment by Mr. Kissell is a great step to ensuring that all DHS uniforms and textile purchases are made with U.S. components and in U.S. factories, I also believe that it should also be ultimately made permanent during the 111th Congress through the DHS Authorization process. Thank you for the opportunity to express my support for this important amendment and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Amendment offered by Mr. Platts and Mr. Van Hollen, which clarifies and expands whistleblower protections to federal employees and contractors. In particular, I would like to speak in support of the provision to grant the Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) of the Transportation Security Administration the whistleblower protections they so rightly deserve. Mr. Chairman, our TSOs are not second class citizens and should not be treated as such. In the 110th Congress, The Committee on Homeland Security worked to give a broad range of rights to TSOs in section 408 of H.R. 1. Whistleblower protections were a key part of this effort. Yet, when it came time to vote on our Conference Report, these protections were stripped from the final product. I am therefore pleased to stand here today, in full support of this important and long overdue measure. In 2001, when the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) was created, Congress provided the TSA Administrator the power to set TSO compensation, leave, and other basic employment rights. While this initial vesting authority helped establish TSA, it continues to breed confusion and low marks for management. The time for personnel experiments is now over. TSOs deserve to be treated like every other employee--fairly and equitably. This amendment takes an important first step to restore the basic rights of the TSO workforce by providing them with the same whistle- blowing rights as other federal workers. If you do not set up a system where employees are protected, there is a disincentive to report offenses and the system remains inefficient and hinders transportation security. In the end, the American public may end up paying the price in terms of its security. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not remind my colleagues that granting whistleblower rights to TSOs is not the end of our efforts; it must be the beginning of a sustained push for the rights of TSOs, so they are on par with their colleagues. We still have more work to do for the TSO workforce, such as fully providing them with collective- bargaining rights. Providing basic employment protections and rights is critical to instill confidence in the workforce. These rights go a long way for the morale and the health of the workforce. In fact, earlier this week, an article was published that cited low marks for TSA management by the workforce on recognition and rewards for performance and promotion practices. I am submitting the article for inclusion in the record. We are obligated to provide the most basic labor protections to our front line workers who perform an important job and work to keep us all safe; rights that are afforded to thousands of workers. As the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I look forward to working with my colleagues to provide not only these important protections but full rights for this valuable and worthy workforce. Again, I commend my colleagues today on this important amendment and encourage its passage and inclusion into H.R. 1. [From Government Executive.com, Jan. 26, 2009] TSA Employees Give Management Low Marks (By Alyssa Rosenberg) Transportation Security Administration employees gave agency management low marks for recognizing and rewarding performance and encouraging creativity and fairness in the workplace, according to a 2008 internal survey TSA conducted and the American Federation of Government Employees recently released. From April 29 to June 27 of last year, 16,116 agency employees responded to the survey. Of that total, 21 percent of respondents said the process for rewarding and recognizing employees was fair, with 29 percent reporting that pay raises depend on job performance. Twenty-one percent of employees surveyed said the promotions process was fair and transparent, and 25 percent said differences in performance were recognized in a meaningful way. The results, compiled by TSA's Office of Human Capital, were an improvement from previous years. In 2006, the first year the question was asked, 18 percent said the rewards and recognition process was fair, and in 2004, only 8 percent of TSA employees said pay depended on performance. In 2006, 17 percent of employees surveyed said the promotions process was fair, and 20 percent believed differences in job performance were recognized. ``We're looking to see the trends continue up,'' said Elizabeth Buchanan, TSA's deputy assistant administrator for human capital. ``I'm not sure there's some absolute value we'd like to get to.'' A disclaimer noted that survey results were for official use only. Government Executive obtained the survey documents from AFGE, which, along with the National Treasury Employees Union, is organizing TSA workers to obtain collective bargaining rights. TSA is not the only agency that has received mediocre scores on some of these questions. In the 2008 Federal Human Capital Survey, 28.5 percent of respondents governmentwide said they agreed or strongly agreed that pay raises depend on how well employees perform their jobs, a half of a point lower than TSA's score in the internal survey. Buchanan said the 2008 survey did not reflect all the changes that have been made to TSA's pay-for-performance system, and she believes the next survey will provide more meaningful data on pay perceptions. The 2008 respondents were more satisfied with benefits than with pay, with 36 percent saying they thought their salaries were fair and competitive with similar jobs in other fields, while 62 percent said their benefits ``have a strong impact'' on their decisions to stay at the agency. Bill Lyons, a national organizer for AFGE involved with the union's efforts to organize TSA workers, said employee perceptions of arbitrary enforcement of pay and work rules were due partly to lax oversight by TSA of airport federal security directors. ``One officer said to me, `Bill, I walk into the airport every day and it's like I'm walking into Pandora's box. I don't know what's going to be there,' '' Lyons said. ``The federal security directors, I believe they each think their airport is their own little empire, and [their attitude is] `I can do whatever I want to do, whatever the directive is coming out of D.C.' '' Half the survey's respondents said their supervisor or team leader gave them useful suggestions for improving job performance, but only 38 percent said those supervisors modeled fair, inclusive and transparent behaviors themselves. Buchanan said she hoped some new programs would improve perceptions of management and consistent enforcement of agency directives. About 60 percent of the TSA workforce has participated in two training programs called COACH and ENGAGE, which aim to improve employees' confidence and increase the strength of communication between security officers and their supervisors. She also noted that a new peer review program, which has been launched in the nation's largest airports, already has addressed 32 cases in which employees felt they were being treated unfairly by management. As part of the program, panels of three peer employees and two supervisors hear complaints. If they conclude that an employee has been treated unfairly, they can overturn a federal security director's decision. Buchanan said TSA planned to roll out the program at all airports, but was still figuring out the time frame. Those initiatives are designed to address a gap in perception between how TSA employees feel about their work, and how they think the agency views them. Ninety-four percent of survey respondents said their work is important, but only 22 percent said they feel personally empowered on the job and 48 percent believed TSA values their work. Despite those frustrations, 66 percent of respondents reported that they were proud to work for TSA, and 64 percent registered overall job satisfaction. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said they were likely to stay at TSA for another year, and only 6 percent said they were likely to retire by the middle of 2009. ``A lot of people took this job out of wanting to dedicate themselves to the mission of protecting and serving the flying public,'' Lyons said. ``They look at it as a way of serving their country.''

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2816, a bill that will alter how the Chief Human Capital Officer is appointed at the Department of Homeland Security. This bill will give the Secretary of Homeland Security authority similar to other Federal agencies where a determination is made to place a careerist or a political appointee in the Chief Human Capital Officer position. This authority is particularly important as DHS makes its first transition to a new administration. Undoubtedly, there will be numerous staffing challenges ahead and the DHS Secretary must have a Chief Human Capital Officer to depend on to meet the Department's goals. The job of the Chief Human Capital Officer requires unique qualifications. Not only must this individual develop and maintain a cadre of national security personnel, but he or she must also ensure integration throughout the new Department and its many components. The men and women of the Department are some of the hardest working, most selfless individuals in the Federal workforce. Their mission contains little room for error. This is why it is so important that the Department provide a positive workplace that puts employees first. Over the past few years this has not always been the case and low employee morale has plagued the Department and limited its effectiveness. The 2006 Federal Human Capital Survey conducted by the Office of Personnel Management found that DHS was rated ``dead last'' in job satisfaction among its peers and received very low marks on leadership and management capabilities. And in the recent DHS 2007 Employee Survey, employees cited their dissatisfaction with the Department's pay, performance and promotion practices. Moreover, there have been numerous documented incidents regarding mismanagement within some of the major DHS components. These factors contribute to a fractured workforce and low morale. These are problems that must be addressed by the next Chief Human Capital Officer. Addressing employee concerns must be his or her first priority. One of the major sources of low morale is the MAX-HR system, a so- called ``pay-for-performance'' system. MAX-HR and its proposed ``follow-on system'' have been repeatedly rejected by my Committee in legislation and, many Members of Congress, for the past two years. The damage that DHS's relentless pursuit of such a system has done to morale is immeasurable. The next Chief Human Capital Officer has the chance to make some great strides and improvements at the Department. He or she must work to address the employee concerns and dissatisfaction with a commitment to providing proper training, career development and the tools necessary for its employees to do their jobs. Also at the top of the Chief Human Capital Officer's priority list should be recruiting the best and brightest for DHS, including individuals with diverse backgrounds and a patriotic spirit to fill its ranks. Given the extensive investment we have made in developing TSA and its workforce, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that the TSA workforce does not have the same rights and protections that are afforded to their colleagues at DHS. As the eyes and ears in our airports, TSA workers need to have whistleblower protections and collective bargaining rights to be able to report security concerns without fear of losing their jobs. Moreover, granting basic employment rights is critical to recruiting our Transportation Security workforce. We know firsthand what low morale can do to the health, recruitment, and retention of the DHS workforce. It is clear from the Committee's record of work that more can be done to support human capital efforts at the Department. And I am pleased to say that this bill is one of those needed measures of support. I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Department to continue to build a strong workforce at DHS. And I also take this opportunity to commend the men and women of the Department for their tireless work and dedication to the mission.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1429 which applauds the public servants at Department of Homeland Security for their outstanding dedication to securing our Nation. More importantly, House Resolution 1429 encourages citizens to prepare themselves and their families to respond to emergencies-- whether it is an act of terror, natural disaster and other crisis. The Department of Homeland Security has partnered with over 1,700 organizations, including the American Red Cross, to promote September as the National Preparedness Month. In fact, this is the 5th year that the Department of Homeland Security has observed September as the National Emergency Preparedness Month. As a former volunteer firefighter, I know that lives are saved when the public takes steps to prepare for the worst. Likewise, as the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I want the people of this Nation to take the necessary steps to prepare themselves in the event of an emergency. Constituents should be encouraged to visit the following websites to get information on how to be prepared for different types of emergencies: www.ready.gov and www.redcross.org. Among the Department's recommendations to help Americans prepare for emergencies are: 1. Get a Kit--Build a disaster supplies kit that includes enough supplies for each family member for three days and remember to check the kit every six months. Be sure that the kit includes water, food, medicine, batteries, flashlights, hygiene materials, blankets, etc. 2. Make a Plan--Every family should develop and communicate with each other their evacuation or sheltering plan. The plan should correspond to the school, work and community of every member of the family. All families are encouraged to practice this plan to ensure familiarity with evacuation or meeting routes, have cell phones charged and have a charger in the car. It should be known that at times it may be easier to make a long- distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members. Also every family should have a secure location of important documents such as, insurance papers, etc. 3. Be informed about the type of disasters or emergencies that may occur where you live, work and play and how they can affect you, your family and community. In other words do you live in a place prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc? Every citizen should also learn about what to do in the event of a biological, chemical, explosive, nuclear or radiological attack. It is important to identify how authorities will notify you and how you will get important information. You should learn what you can do to prepare for that emergency as well as first aid, CPR and disaster training. Consider sharing what you have learned with your family, neighbors and friends. 4. Get Involved--After preparing yourself and your family for possible emergencies by getting a kit, making a plan and being informed, take the next step and get involved in preparing your community. The American public should visit the www.citizencorps.com website to learn about how Citizen Corps brings together community, emergency and government leaders to involve community members in emergency preparedness, planning, mitigation, response and recovery. More than 2,200 state, local, tribal and territorial governments in all 56 states and U.S. territories have formed Citizen Corps Councils, and every day new Councils are formed in communities around the country. These Councils assist with outreach and educational efforts to the public; training and exercises that effectively integrate emergency responders, volunteers with a response role, and the general public; and volunteer programs that support emergency response services. I conclude by asking my colleagues to adopt this resolution. Mr. Etheridge. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all I would like to congratulate Mr. Bilirakis on what is a good bill. We enjoyed working with him on it. I look forward to working with him on future bills. I support H.R. 2490, Mr. Speaker, because it breaks the cycle of migrants with criminal histories being returned to their country of origin without prosecution. This bill also requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to analyze the cost of expanding the biometrics program outside the Caribbean. Every day, the United States Coast Guard men and women are valiantly protecting our Nation's 95,000 miles of shoreline with aging infrastructure. This legislation will provide them with the additional high-tech tools they so desperately need. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2490. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and urge support of this legislation.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2490) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a pilot program for the mobile biometric identification in the maritime environment of aliens unlawfully attempting to enter the United States, as amended.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure, and yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 2490 is an important milestone in protecting our Nation's maritime security. This bill authorizes a program that has been conducted by the Coast Guard since November of 2006. The Biometric Identification at Sea Pilot Project has allowed the Coast Guard to collect biometrics from individuals interdicted in the Caribbean to run them against terrorists and criminal data bases. Under this program, the Coast Guard has collected biometric information from over 1,100 individuals, using state-of-the-art handheld scanners. As a result, over 250 individuals with criminal records have been identified, and 72 have been brought ashore for prosecution under U.S. laws. This program breaks the cycle of migrants with criminal histories being returned to their country of origin without prosecution. It also has proven itself to be an effective partnership between the Coast Guard and Federal law enforcement. I would note that these provisions also are carried on H.R. 2830, the FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Authorization, a measure that was approved by the House in April of 2008. I am pleased that this is being considered today as one of the key provisions that we have included in our DHS authorization package. I urge passage of this important legislation, which will significantly improve the security of our Nation's maritime environment. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

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

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and if the gentleman from Florida has no speakers, then I am prepared to close after the gentleman closes.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5170) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for a privacy official within each component of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure and yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5170, the Department of Homeland Security Component Privacy Officer Act of 2008. The Department's Chief Privacy Officer was the first ever statutorily created Federal Privacy Officer. The creation of this Office served as the ``gold standard'' for other Federal agencies to follow. Along those same lines, this bill advances the committee's authorization process by improving DHS and making it the first Federal agency to have statutorily created privacy officers in its component agencies. Hopefully, this will put the Department at the forefront of individual privacy protection. Under the current structure, the Chief Privacy Officer has to rely on component agencies--such as TSA, Customs and Border Protection and FEMA--for information concerning programs and policy that impact privacy rights. Sometimes this information is shared, sometimes it's not. When it's not, the risk includes spending valuable taxpayer funds on programs that may become stalled or cancelled due to privacy concerns or missteps. The component agencies are the pulse of the Department of Homeland Security. Most homeland security efforts stem from component agency actions. Privacy officers need to be where the action is happening, not waiting for a phone call after decisions have already been made. Establishing privacy officers in the component agencies that make up the Department of Homeland Security is the first step in ensuring that privacy protections are in place at the beginning of the process. Under the leadership of Management, Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee chairman, Mr. Carney, this legislation is informed by Government Accountability Office findings, internal discussions with the Department's Office of Privacy, and publications released by the DHS Chief Privacy Officer. H.R. 5170 requires the component privacy officers to, among other things, serve as the main point of contact between their component head and the DHS Chief Privacy Officer; draft and review Privacy Impact Assessments and Federal Register notices published by their component; monitor the component's compliance with all applicable Federal privacy laws and regulations; and conduct supervision of programs, regulations, policies, procedures or guidelines to ensure the component's protection of privacy. As a result, Mr. Speaker, of the committee's oversight and its commitment to the authorization process, this bill would ensure that privacy considerations are integrated into the decision-making process at all of the DHS components. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation that is not only critical to privacy rights, but the security of our country as well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, public trust in the Department's ability to protect personal privacy rights is abysmally low. Recently, the Department's Inspector General determined that the Science and Technology Directorate's ADVISE program should be cancelled due to privacy concerns. This determination was made after the Department had spent $42 billion on the program. We also learned that the chief privacy officer was not brought into the process until almost 2 years after the system had been deployed. This bill would put a privacy officer in the Science and Technology Directorate. Moreover, the Automated Targeting System, which is a Customs and Border Protection program, has been heavily criticized by privacy advocates. Again, this was a program that was operated for some time in the dark without proper safeguards and departmental oversight. Under this bill CBP would get a privacy officer too. Quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, there has been a litany of DHS programs that have been cancelled, delayed, or discontinued due to privacy concerns. Almost all of these were the products of Department Component Agencies that do not have a privacy officer within their ranks. H.R. 5170 will ensure that privacy protections and appropriate safeguards are part and parcel of how each component develops its policies and programs. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and if the gentleman from Florida is prepared to close, I am prepared to go after him.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, I once again want to express my strong support for H.R. 5531, the Next Generation Radiation Screening Act of 2008. I again thank Ranking Member King for offering this legislation and for continuing to work in a bipartisan manner as we move legislation to make our country more secure. This bill will help to ensure the state-of-the-art technology that allows our Customs and Border Protection officers to effectively and efficiently scan cargo is procured and deployed. This was the promise of the Advanced Spectroscopic Portal Monitors program. We have to make sure that the ASP delivers and provides significant improvement of operational effectiveness. Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups are interested in attacking us with dirty bombs, and we must do everything we can to find and intercept these materials. That means looking for materials not just at our borders and ports, but inside the United States too, and that is why authorizing the Securing the Cities Initiative is so important. I am proud to support this critical bill that also advances the important process of providing congressional input to improve the Department. H.R. 5531 represents an important step in protecting the country from nuclear terrorism, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure, and yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 5531, the Next Generation Radiation Screening Act of 2008, and I ask my colleagues to support this bill. I would like to congratulate Ranking Member King for offering this legislation. I thank him for continuing to work in a bipartisan manner in accepting some of our recommendations to improve the bill in his amendment in the nature of a substitute, which passed out of our committee unanimously. This legislation reflects the committee's oversight of next generation radiation portal monitors. It fits well within our package of DHS authorization bills, since H.R. 5531 will greatly improve DHS's operational effectiveness in the areas of border and port security, domestic preparedness, and nuclear detection. Specifically, H.R. 5531 will put in motion a plan to deploy next generation radiological detection technology at our ports of entry to help more effectively and more efficiently scan cargo as it enters the United States. Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups, as well as rogue nations, have made clear their plans to obtain fissile material and aspirations to detonate a radiological or nuclear device in the United States. Events around the world continue to sharpen our focus on this growing threat. Just last year, it was reported that Pakistan was expanding its nuclear program, constructing new facilities capable of producing weapons grade plutonium. In November of last year, three men were arrested in Slovakia for illegally possessing highly enriched uranium. That same month, a coordinated attack took place in South Africa's most secretive nuclear facility, where a laptop containing sensitive information was stolen, only to be recovered during a shoot-out with guards. It is imperative that we implement the best, most effective technology at our disposal to protect the American people from attack. This bipartisan legislation requires firm benchmarks for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to measure progress and to ensure that only the best technology is installed at our borders. It also requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to clearly define what he considers a significant increase in operational effectiveness, the standard required by law to procure and deploy Advanced Spectroscopic Portals, or ASPs. The Department expects to complete its certification this fall. H.R. 5531 will ensure the certification criteria are clearly laid out and quantified before a final decision is made. The bill also authorizes $40 million for the Securing the Cities Initiative, which my committee strongly supports. The initiative employs the concept of defense in- depth, and deploys an array of detection technologies, both stationary and mobile, throughout New York City, for added layers of security. This initiative shows what is possible when Federal, State, and local authorities cooperate. Certainly, it is a model that can be replicated in other major U.S. cities. H.R. 5531 will ensure that both the ASP program and the Securing the Cities Initiative are operationally effective and cost-effective too. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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