[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 29, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H7182-H7183]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    AUTHORIZING COAST GUARD MOBILE BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM

  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.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2490

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. MARITIME BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION.

       (a) In General.--Within one year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
     acting through the Commandant of the Coast Guard, shall 
     conduct, in the maritime environment, a program for the 
     mobile biometric identification of suspected individuals, 
     including terrorists, to enhance border security and for 
     other purposes.
       (b) Requirements.--The Secretary shall ensure the program 
     required in this section is coordinated with other biometric 
     identification programs within the Department of Homeland 
     Security.
       (c) Cost Analysis.--Within 90 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     Committees on Appropriations and Homeland Security of the 
     House of Representatives and the Committees on Appropriations 
     and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate 
     an analysis of the cost of expanding the Coast Guard's 
     biometric identification capabilities for use by the Coast 
     Guards Deployable Operations Group, cutters, stations, and 
     other deployable maritime teams considered appropriate by the 
     Secretary, and any other appropriate Department of Homeland 
     Security maritime vessels and units. The analysis may include 
     a tiered plan for the deployment of this program that gives 
     priority to vessels and units more likely to encounter 
     individuals suspected of making illegal border crossings 
     through the maritime environment.
       (d) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the term 
     ``biometric identification'' means use of fingerprint and 
     digital photography images.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
Bilirakis) will each control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.


                             General Leave

  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.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  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.

                              {time}  1300

  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. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of legislation I have introduced, H.R. 2490, 
which would codify and expand a Coast Guard pilot program to collect 
biometric information on aliens interdicted at sea. I want to thank 
Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson for his 
willingness to move this bill through our committee and to the floor 
for consideration today. I also want to thank Peter King, our ranking 
member, for his support of this measure and his determined effort to 
strengthen our homeland security, first as chairman of our committee 
and now as ranking member. I am honored to serve with both of these 
great men.
  The House unanimously adopted H.R. 2490 as an amendment to the Coast 
Guard Authorization Act several months ago. However, I believe it is 
important for this body to act on H.R. 2490 independently, given the 
uncertain prospect for enactment of the Coast Guard bill in this 
Congress.
  My bill requires the Coast Guard to move forward on its biometrics at 
sea effort within 1 year and provide a cost analysis to Congress on 
expanding these capabilities to other Coast Guard and Department of 
Homeland Security vessels and units. As part of this analysis, my bill 
also encourages DHS to give priority to expanding mobile biometric 
collection capability to assets and areas that are most likely to 
encounter illegal border crossings in the maritime environment.
  The efforts of the Coast Guard in this area show great promise. Since 
the collection of limited biometrics on individuals interdicted at sea 
began, the Coast Guard has collected biometric data from 1,530 
migrants, resulting in nearly 30 matches against databases of wanted 
criminals, immigration violators and others who have previously 
encountered government authorities. Instead of being released to repeat 
their dangerous and illegal behavior, these individuals are now 
detained and prosecuted. The U.S. Attorney's Office in San Juan, Puerto 
Rico, has prosecuted more than 118 individuals for violations of U.S. 
immigration laws and other offenses based substantially

[[Page H7183]]

on information obtained through the biometrics program.
  The Coast Guard reports that illegal migration in the Mono Pass, an 
area between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, has been reduced 
by 50 percent in just the past year as a result of the biometrics 
program. By leveraging its relationships with DHS, the Coast Guard now 
has access to millions of fingerprint files it can use to positively 
identify individuals encountered at sea, those who are without 
identification and are suspected of attempting to illegally enter the 
United States.
  Now that the Coast Guard has determined the most effective way to 
collect biometrics at sea, the Department of Homeland Security needs to 
determine the most appropriate way to move forward and expand this 
effort as cost effectively as possible, which is what my bill requires. 
Given the success of existing efforts on biometrics by the Coast Guard, 
I believe that it is imperative that we move forward on this bill so 
that these efforts are cost effective and will do the most good.
  Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the collection of biometrics at sea by 
the Coast Guard is already helping greatly deter illegal migration and 
prevent the capture and release of dangerous individuals so we are not 
releasing them anymore, and that is very important.
  I urge all of my colleagues to help further that effort by voting for 
this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, before I yield back the balance of my time, I urge this 
House to consider both the authorization and appropriations bills this 
year, the Homeland Security authorization and appropriations bills.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  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.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2490, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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