[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 25, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H5908]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HOMELAND SECURITY TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS ACT OF 2003

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the following exchange 
of letters relating to yesterday's debate on H.R. 1416, the Homeland 
Security Technical Corrections Act of 2003.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                     Washington, DC, May 14, 2003.
     Hon. Chris Cox,
     Chairman, Select Committee on Homeland Security, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Cox: In recognition of the desire to expedite 
     floor consideration of H.R. 1416, the ``Homeland Security 
     Technical Corrections Act of 2003,'' the Committee on the 
     Judiciary hereby waives consideration of the bill. Section 11 
     of H.R. 1416 creates new Sec. 5 in the Homeland Security Act 
     of 2002 (Public Law 107-296). New Sec. 5 mandates that any 
     report or notification required by the Homeland Security Act 
     be submitted to the Select Committee on Homeland Security as 
     well as to any other Committees named in the Act. Section 225 
     of the Homeland Security Act incorporated the Cyber Security 
     Enhancement Act which, among many other things, requires the 
     Attorney General to report to the Judiciary Committee 
     regarding the use of electronic surveillance in emergency 
     situations and requires the U.S. Sentencing Commission to 
     submit a report in response to the Cyber Security Enhancement 
     Act. To the extent that Sec. 11 of H.R. 1416 affects these 
     reports required by Sec. 225 of the Homeland Security Act, 
     these provisions fall within the Committee on the Judiciary's 
     Rule X jurisdiction. However, given the need to expedite this 
     legislation, I will not seek a sequential referral based on 
     their inclusion.
       The Committee on the Judiciary takes this action with the 
     understanding that the Committee's jurisdiction over these 
     provisions is in no way diminished or altered. I would 
     appreciate your including this letter in the Congressional 
     Record during consideration of H.R. 1416 on the House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                      F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

         Select Committee on Homeland Security, House of 
           Representatives,
                                     Washington, DC, May 15, 2003.
     Hon. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Sensenbrenner: Thank you for your letter 
     regarding H.R. 1416, the ``Homeland Security Technical 
     Corrections Act of 2003.'' As you noted, Sec. 11 of the bill 
     falls within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the 
     Judiciary to the extent it concerns the two reports described 
     in your letter. I appreciate your willingness to forgo 
     consideration of the bill, and I acknowledge that by agreeing 
     to waive its consideration of the bill, the Committee on the 
     Judiciary does not waive its jurisdiction over this 
     provision.
       I will include a copy of your letter and this response in 
     our committee report and in the Congressional Record during 
     consideration of H.R. 1416 on the House floor.
       Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Christopher Cox,
     Chairman.

                          ____________________