[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 12, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H5428-H5430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      GAO STUDY OF CIVIL AIR PATROL IN HOMELAND SECURITY MISSIONS

  Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1178) to direct the Comptroller General of the United States 
to conduct a study on the use of Civil Air Patrol personnel and 
resources to support homeland security missions, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1178

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

     SECTION 1. CIVIL AIR PATROL STUDY.

       (a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States 
     shall conduct a study of the functions and capabilities of 
     the Civil Air Patrol to support the homeland security 
     missions of State, local, and tribal governments and the 
     Department of Homeland Security. In conducting the study, the 
     Comptroller General shall review the process by which the 
     Civil Air Patrol may provide assistance to the Secretary of 
     Homeland Security, other Federal agencies, and States to 
     support homeland security missions by--
       (1) providing aerial reconnaissance or communications 
     capabilities for border security;
       (2) providing capabilities for collective response to an 
     act of terrorism, natural disaster, or other man-made event 
     by assisting in damage assessment and situational awareness, 
     conducting search and rescue operations, assisting in 
     evacuations, transporting time-sensitive medical or other 
     materials;
       (3) providing assistance in the exercise and training of 
     departmental resources responsible for the intercept of 
     aviation threats to designated restricted areas; and
       (4) carrying out such other activities as may be determined 
     appropriate by the Comptroller General in the conduct of this 
     review.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit 
     to the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Committees on 
     Homeland Security and Transportation and Infrastructure of 
     the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report 
     containing the findings of the review conducted under 
     subsection (a). The report shall include--
       (1) an assessment of the feasibility and cost effectiveness 
     of using Civil Air Patrol assets for the purposes described 
     in subsection (a); and
       (2) an assessment as to whether the current mechanisms for 
     Federal agencies and States to request support from the Civil 
     Air Patrol are sufficient or whether new agreements between 
     relevant Federal agencies and the Civil Air Patrol are 
     necessary.
       (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of receipt of the report under subsection (b), the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security shall review and analyze the 
     study and submit to the Committees on Homeland Security and 
     Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on such review 
     and analysis, which shall include any recommendations of the 
     Secretary for further action that could affect the 
     organization and administration of the Department of Homeland 
     Security.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Walz) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) 
each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page H5429]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Minnesota.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include any extraneous material on H.R. 1178.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Minnesota?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WALZ. Madam Speaker, I would like to insert into the Record an 
exchange of letters between Chairman Oberstar and Chairman Thompson 
regarding H.R. 1178.

                                    U.S. House of Representatives,


       Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC, May 7, 
                                                         2009.

     Hon. James L. Oberstar,
     Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
     House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing you regarding H.R.1178, a 
     bill ``To direct the Comptroller General of the United States 
     to conduct a study on the use of Civil Air Patrol personnel 
     and resources to support homeland security missions, and for 
     other purposes,'' introduced on February 25, 2009, by 
     Congressman Charles W. Dent. This legislation was initially 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure and, in addition, to the Committee on Homeland 
     Security.
       In the interest of permitting your Committee to proceed 
     expeditiously to floor consideration of this important 
     legislation, I will waive further consideration of H.R. 1178. 
     However, agreeing to waive consideration of this bill should 
     not be construed as the Committee on Homeland Security 
     waiving, altering, or otherwise affecting its jurisdiction 
     over subject matters contained in the bill which fall within 
     its Rule X jurisdiction.
       Further, I request your support for the appointment of 
     Homeland Security conferees during any House-Senate 
     conference convened on this legislation. I also ask that a 
     copy of this letter and your response be placed in the 
     Congressional Record during floor consideration of this bill.
       I look forward to working with you on this legislation and 
     other matters of great importance to this nation.
           Sincerely,
                                               Bennie G. Thompson,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                    U.S. House of Representatives,


              Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
                                  Washington, DC, May 7, 2009.

     Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,
     Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,
     Ford House Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Thompson: Thank you for your May 7, 2009 
     letter regarding H.R. 1178, a bill to direct the Comptroller 
     General of the United States to conduct a study on the use of 
     Civil Air Patrol personnel and resources to support homeland 
     security missions.
       I agree that provisions in H.R. 1178 are of jurisdictional 
     interest to the Committee on Homeland Security. I appreciate 
     your willingness to waive rights to further consideration of 
     H.R. 1178 to ensure the timely consideration of this 
     legislation, and I acknowledge that through this waiver, your 
     Committee is not relinquishing its jurisdiction over this 
     legislation or similar language. Further, I will support your 
     request to be represented in a House-Senate conference on 
     those provisions over which the Committee on Homeland 
     Security has jurisdiction in H.R. 1178.
       This exchange of letters will be placed in the 
     Congressional Record as part of the consideration of H.R. 
     1178 in the House.
       I value your cooperation and look forward to working with 
     you as we move ahead with this legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                           James L. Oberstar, M.C.
                                                         Chairman.

  Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the gentleman from Pennsylvania's 
legislation, H.R. 1178. It does direct the Comptroller General to do a 
smart study of the Civil Air Patrol's ability to support the Nation's 
Homeland Security and emergency response activities.
  Specifically, H.R. 1178 requires the Government Accountability Office 
to issue a report within 180 days of enactment that will describe the 
current functions and capabilities of the Civil Air Patrol to support 
emergency response and Homeland Security missions.
  GAO is required to assess how the Civil Air Patrol may provide 
assistance for border security and a variety of threats and hazards, 
such as damage assessment, search and rescue operations, evacuations 
and transporting time-sensitive medical materials.
  In addition, the report must focus on the cost-effectiveness of using 
the Civil Air Patrol to support a security mission, as well as whether 
mechanisms and agreements are sufficient, or whether new agreements 
between Federal agencies and the Civil Air Patrol are necessary to 
request support. The report must be reviewed and analyzed by the 
Secretary of Homeland Security and presented to Congress within 90 days 
with any recommendations for further action.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1178.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DENT. I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Minnesota, for 
his kind comments about my legislation.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1178. This bill, which 
I introduced in February of this year, is similar to the Civil Air 
Patrol legislation that was passed by this House during the 110th 
Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support. I am pleased to have the 
opportunity to bring this bill before the House for consideration once 
again.
  I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica of 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for their 
cooperation and support in bringing this legislation to the floor 
today. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Chairman Bennie 
Thompson and Ranking Member Peter King and the Committee on Homeland 
Security for their continued support for this initiative. Additionally, 
I would also like to thank Chairwoman Sheila Jackson-Lee of the 
Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection, 
on which I serve as ranking member, for her support as a cosponsor of 
H.R. 1178.
  This bill, H.R. 1178, directs the Comptroller General of the 
Government Accountability Office to conduct a study to determine how 
the Civil Air Patrol or CAP can help support Homeland Security 
missions. The GAO will generate a report based on the findings of the 
study. Once complete, the report will be reviewed by both the Homeland 
Security Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
  Specifically, this study will examine the ways in which the Civil Air 
Patrol may assist State, local and tribal governments and the 
Department of Homeland Security by providing aerial reconnaissance or 
communications assistance for border security, augmenting the 
Department's situational awareness in search and rescue capabilities in 
the aftermath of an act of terrorism, natural disaster or other 
catastrophic event, and providing other assistance deemed appropriate 
by the Comptroller General.
  Once the study is completed and the GAO publishes its report, DHS 
must review and analyze that report, and within 90 days submit 
recommendations to Congress for further action. Aviation assets 
traditionally have played an important role in border security, in the 
interdiction of contraband and in search and rescue operations, 
evacuations and after-action analysis that must be performed in the 
wake of a catastrophic event.
  We watch as communities continue to deal with fires or tornados, 
hurricanes, and floods that turn families' lives upside down. We 
continue to witness drug cartel violence on the Mexican border.
  H.R. 1178 will allow for further explanation into the use of the 
Civil Air Patrol capabilities for delivering needed relief in such 
situations. The Civil Air Patrol has a long history of service to this 
Nation. The organization was founded at the outbreak of the Second 
World War, during which it served as a vital watchdog along the 
coastlines of America, protecting us from the threat of German U-boats 
that patrolled our shores. I even believe they got a few back then.
  Since that time, the Civil Air Patrol has regularly assisted States 
in search and rescue operations and emergency response, including 
action during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Civil Air Patrol 
deployed 1,800 members to the devastated areas, logging more than 
50,000 volunteer hours and distributing over 30,000 pounds of relief 
supplies.
  Today our Civil Air Patrol force of approximately 57,000 volunteers 
from varying professional backgrounds, with over 500 aircraft across 
the country, stands ready to assist in the aforementioned missions. In 
the Commonwealth

[[Page H5430]]

of Pennsylvania alone, we have over 2,300 volunteers, over 1,000 of 
which are cadets between the ages of 12 and 18.
  I urge my colleagues to support this piece of legislation as we help 
to ensure the effective use of all available resources for securing our 
Homeland Security. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to say here today that 
the Civil Air Patrol enthusiastically supports this legislation.
  Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1178 originally 
introduced by my colleague from Pennsylvania, Mr. Dent. The bill 
directs the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office 
(GAO) to conduct a study to determine how the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) 
can help support homeland security missions and to report to Congress 
on his findings.
  The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressionally-chartered, federally-
supported, non-profit corporation that serves as the official auxiliary 
of the United States Air Force (USAF). First organized over sixty years 
ago at the beginning of World War II, the Civil Air Patrol is a 57,000-
member volunteer cadre that flies 500 planes nationwide.
  In addition to its aerospace education mission for youth and the 
general public, the Civil Air Patrol handles 90 percent of inland 
search and rescue missions. Its members are responsible for 
approximately 75 lives saved each year.
  Civil Air Patrol planes have been among the first to survey the 
aftermath of such disasters as the attacks of September 11, 2001, 
Hurricane Katrina, Texas and Oklahoma wildfires, and North Dakota flash 
flooding. The Civil Air Patrol has also assisted in humanitarian 
missions along the U.S. and Mexican border.
  Border security, drug interdiction, search and rescue are just a few 
missions in which airborne reconnaissance and tracking would give 
homeland security officials valuable information critical to carrying 
out their objective.
  The Civil Air Patrol is eager to further assist in Homeland Security 
missions. This bill will help better define how the Civil Air Patrol 
may be used more extensively to aid in homeland security missions.
  Mr. DENT. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WALZ. I thank the gentleman for his thoughtful piece of 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1178, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________