Xochitl Torres Small

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 5273) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan to increase to 100 percent the rates of scanning of commercial and passenger vehicles entering the United States at land ports of entry along the border using large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems to enhance border security, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendments thereto, and concur in the Senate amendments.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security be authorized to file a supplemental report on the bill, H.R. 5828.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I missed a vote on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 as I was at the White House Ceremony to celebrate the signing of the historic Abraham Accords. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: YEA on Roll Call Vote No. 186 (On Agreeing to H. Res. 1107).

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize my vote on July 24, 2020 in favor of H.R. 7608, the State- Foreign Operations, Agriculture, Interior-Environment, and Military Construction-Veterans Affairs agencies appropriations package for fiscal year 2021. Right now, it's more important than ever that we work together to keep all of us, especially our veterans, safe and healthy. This bill provides relief to an outdated and overburdened VA system, invests in rural and water infrastructure systems in need of repair and continues efforts to combat the global pandemic and spur economic recovery. As we fight to save American lives and rebuild our economy, reports indicate China may have exploited the pandemic for its own advantage. This is unacceptable, which is why I strongly support the Countering Chinese Influence Fund. While the motion to recommit purported to increase funding for the Countering Chinese Influence Fund, it actually defunded the Countering Chinese Influence Fund in a separate account. This type of politically motivated procedure is only a distraction that prevents us from moving forward real, bipartisan solutions that help hold China accountable. Moving forward, I will continue to support legislative measures that hold China accountable for exploiting COVID- 19, its combative trade policy, and malign initiatives that threaten our national security.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I rise to get Americans the support to keep them safe and make sure New Mexicans and rural communities get their fair share. By refilling small business forgivable loans and dedicating money to small lenders, this package will help New Mexicans who were crowded out of the first wave of funding. I am also voting to save rural hospitals and to get testing and masks and gloves and gowns, all the things we need to keep us safe and to rebuild our economy. There is still so much work to be done, and let's do that next step together.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1494) to strengthen partnerships between historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions and the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 1494, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Homeland Security Partnerships Act. Mr. Speaker, historically Black colleges and universities, HBCUs, and minority-serving institutions, MSIs, play a pivotal role in American society. HBCUs, which make up only 3 percent of the United States' institutions of higher education, produce nearly 30 percent of all bachelor's degrees earned by African Americans in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM fields. My State, New Mexico, is home to 18 Hispanic-serving institutions, which, like HBCUs, produce a large percentage of underrepresented minorities who study and work in STEM. Nationwide, Hispanic-serving institutions account for 66 percent of the more than 3.5 million undergraduate Hispanics enrolled in higher education. The contributions of HBCUs, HSIs, and other minority-serving institutions prove that, when these institutions have equitable opportunities, it drives our economy and improves outcomes within minority communities. It is also true of these institutions' ability to do work for the Federal Government. The Department of Homeland Security, DHS, specifically has always understood the value of working with such institutions. However, the partnership is nowhere near its full potential. DHS has even acknowledged that its existing programs for engaging with HBCUs are being underutilized. H.R. 1494 would require DHS to issue a strategy with yearly goals to enhance these partnerships. This strategy will include specific measurable goals to ensure the Department's progress in working with HBCUs and HSIs. Mr. Speaker, Federal investment in and partnership with HBCUs and MSIs is vital for the strength of our economy and the advancement of our society. I urge my colleagues to support this bill to ensure effective partnership between DHS and HBCUs and MSIs. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Small Business, Washington, DC, January 30, 2020. Hon. Bennie Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Thompson: I am writing with respect to H.R. 1494, the ``Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Homeland Security Partnerships Act.'' Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Small Business regarding the matters in H.R. 1494 that fall within the Committee's jurisdiction. As a result of your consultation with us on this measure and in order to expeditiously move the bill to the floor, I forego further consideration of H.R. 1494. The Committee on Small Business takes this action with our mutual understanding that we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation, and the Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues that fall within our jurisdiction. Further, I request your support for the appointment of an appropriate number of conferees from the Committee on Small Business during any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation. Finally, I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming our understanding regarding H.R. 1494 and would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the measure. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Nydia M. Velazquez, Chairwoman.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1494 seeks to facilitate dialogue between the Department of Homeland Security and HBCUs and MSIs on how to find areas of opportunity to build more productive partnerships. Collaborating with these diverse institutions is not only economically and culturally beneficial, it is necessary to effectively respond to current, emerging, and consistent homeland security threats. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2107) to increase the number of CBP Agriculture Specialists and support staff in the Office of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and for other purposes.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senator Peters' bill, the Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019. This bill comes at a time of crisis for America's agricultural industry. Threats from illnesses abroad endanger the domestic pork industry, while trade tensions have strained relationships with the international consumers our Nation's farmers supply. The African swine flu, ASF, is a particular threat. A devastating illness that is still being studied, this flu has not made its way to the United States, and steps are being taken to ensure that it does not. Agricultural inspectors within U.S. Customs and Border Protection are crucial in protecting our livestock and agricultural products from potential disease outbreaks. They are charged with scanning all incoming agricultural cargo and passengers to ensure that products are not coming into the United States that are diseased or contain pests. S. 2107 provides for the hiring of additional inspectors to augment the workforce that is in place at our ports of entry. I commend Senator Gary Peters for introducing this timely measure and also acknowledge my House colleague, Representative Filemon Vela, who introduced companion legislation. The need for greater agricultural inspection resources at the border is critical. That is why stakeholders and leaders from across the Nation have spoken out in support of S. 2107. The message from over 150 organizations that either produce pork or are involved in the industry and the Governors from Utah, North Dakota, Ohio, Arkansas, Tennessee, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Oklahoma is loud and clear: Get this bill to the President so it can be enacted into law. This level of support demonstrates the vital need to pass this legislation with all possible haste. We must provide CBP with the resources needed to ensure a continued vitality of the American agricultural industry. Today, we are protecting American pork. Tomorrow, it may be New Mexican chiles. That is why this is so important. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Agriculture, Washington, DC, February 3, 2020. Hon. Bennie Thompson, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Thompson: This letter confirms our mutual understanding regarding S. 2107, the ``Protecting America's Food and Agriculture Act of 2019''. Thank you for collaborating with the Committee on Agriculture on the matters within its jurisdiction. The Committee on Agriculture will forego any further consideration of this bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor. However, by foregoing consideration at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation. We request that our committee be consulted and involved as this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation and ask that you support any such request. We would appreciate a response to this letter confirming this understanding with respect to S. 2107, and request that a copy of our letters on this matter be published in the Congressional Record during Floor consideration. Sincerely, Collin C. Peterson, Chairman.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vela).

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, agricultural inspectors at our ports of entry play a vital role in protecting one of the most important things there is: the food we eat. This bill will help protect every American as they sit down at the dinner table. I commend my colleagues, Congressman Vela and Senator Peters, for their work on this important bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5273) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan to increase to 100 percent the rates of scanning of commercial and passenger vehicles entering the United States at land ports of entry along the border using large-scale non-intrusive inspection systems to enhance border security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5273 aims to improve border security by increasing the inspection rate of vehicles entering the United States with nonintrusive inspection systems or similar technology. For years, Customs and Border Protection has used NII systems to ``see'' inside vehicles for potential contraband, such as drugs, without physically opening or unloading them. This is critical since the majority of highly addictive and lethal drugs being smuggled into our country are being smuggled through our ports of entry, not between them. According to the 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment released by the Drug Enforcement Administration, passenger vehicles and commercial trucks continue to be the primary method used by Mexican transnational criminal organizations to traffic drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl into the United States. However, CBP currently only scans about 15 percent of commercial trucks and just 1 percent of passenger vehicles with NII systems. In fiscal year 2019, Congress provided $570 million to CBP to install additional systems on the southwest border. CBP has indicated that these additional systems will primarily be installed at large ports of entry. CBP expects these additional systems to increase NII scanning rates of commercial trucks to 72 percent and passenger vehicles to 40 percent by fiscal year 2024. While this will undoubtedly improve security, it will also increase the risk that transnational criminal organizations will shift their smuggling efforts to smaller ports of entry that lack NII equipment, such as those in my district. This is a concern that I raised with CBP and port officials during a field hearing I held with my colleague, Congressman Crenshaw, in my district in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, last December. My legislation aims to ensure that all land ports of entry are appropriately equipped to combat smuggling. Specifically, H.R. 5273 requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan to expeditiously scan 100 percent of vehicles with NII systems or other similar technology at each port of entry. It will also require the Secretary to report annually on the Department's progress implementing the plan until 100 percent of commercial and passenger vehicles are scanned. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the bipartisan work that went into developing this legislation. Specifically, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Crenshaw, for his support on the bill. H.R. 5273, if enacted, will help keep our communities more secure by ensuring that CBP has the tools in place to do a more effective job at interdicting dangerous narcotics and dangerous materials. Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers and am prepared to close after the gentleman from Texas closes. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, again, it is vital that all vehicles entering the United States are scanned with NII systems or similar technology to combat the smuggling of drugs and other contraband into the country. My legislation would help do just that by requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan to achieve 100 percent scanning rate of vehicles at each port of entry and reporting on progress annually until that goal is achieved. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the Committee of Homeland Security for their unanimous support to favorably report my bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 5273, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 504) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Department of Homeland Security to develop an engagement strategy with fusion centers, and for other purposes.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague on the other side of the aisle, Mr. Bacon, for his leadership on the DHS Field Engagement Accountability Act. This bill was passed by the House of Representatives last January on a voice vote. It was also passed unanimously by the Senate in July after technical edits to the bill text. The bill returns to the House floor today for us to consider the bill, as amended by the Senate, and send it to the President. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, once again. In the face of an evolving and increasingly complex threat landscape, it is critically important to ensure that there is collaboration and information sharing. The Department of Homeland Security's 79 fusion centers, located across the country, help to connect the dots about possible terrorist plots, including domestic terrorist plots. A 2016 review found that DHS does not have a strategic engagement plan for these 79 fusion centers. H.R. 504 will help address this gap by requiring DHS to develop a Department-wide strategy for engaging with fusion centers. This includes the development of metrics that will help hold fusion center staff accountable for their performance. This legislation also requires DHS to improve the classified and unclassified information-sharing systems that are used by fusion centers to ensure that information is shared properly and in accordance with Department standards. In part, H.R. 504 would require that all information-sharing policies are developed and maintained by the Department's privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties officers. Over the past year, as communities across the country suffered from acts of targeted violence and terrorism, we have been reminded of the importance of information sharing. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.