[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 6, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H3499-H3505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2013
General Leave
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 5855, and that I may include
tabular material on the same.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Alabama?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 667 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 5855.
The Chair appoints the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) to
preside over the Committee of the Whole.
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In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 5855) making appropriations for the Department of Homeland
Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other
purposes, with Ms. Ros-Lehtinen in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time.
The gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt) and the gentleman from
North Carolina (Mr. Price) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Alabama.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Chair, it was 68 years ago today that more than 9,000 Allied
soldiers were killed and wounded during the D-day invasion in Normandy,
France. That courageous operation, as well as the sacrifice of so many
brave individuals, serves as a sobering reminder that freedom and
security are not free. It is with this solemn commitment to both
freedom and security that I respectfully present to the people's House
the FY 2013 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland
Security.
[[Page H3500]]
Similar to our committee's work over the past 2 fiscal years, this
bill demonstrates how we can sufficiently fund vital security programs
while also at the same time reducing discretionary spending overall.
This bill does not represent a false choice between fiscal
responsibility and our Nation's security. Both are national security
priorities and both are vigorously addressed in this bill by focusing
upon four key priorities:
First, fiscal discipline. This bill reduces spending below the FY12-
enacted level;
Second, oversight. This bill continues and strengthens the
subcommittee's long bipartisan tradition of strict accountability;
Third, support for frontline operations. This bill sustains and it
actually even increases operational programs, including border and
maritime security, immigration enforcement, investigations, targeted
aviation security activities, disaster relief, and also cybersecurity;
Fourth, preparedness and innovation. Despite the bill's overall
reduction in spending, investments and preparedness grants and science
and technology are substantially increased above FY12 levels.
In sum, I believe this to be a very strong bill that incorporates
considerable input from nearly 200 Members, including members of the
authorizing committees, and also along with the Appropriations
Committee, which meets our Nation's pressing needs for both security
and fiscal restraint.
I would like to go into a few details on fiscal discipline and
spending that are included in this legislation.
The bill before us today provides $39.1 billion in base discretionary
funding, which is nearly a half billion dollars below the FY12-enacted
level, and it is almost $400 million below the President's own request.
There are no earmarks in this bill or the accompanying report.
The bill cuts the Department's bureaucratic overhead and headquarters
functions by nearly 18 percent below the request and 7 percent below
last year's level. Also, the bill substantially reduces the
administrative overhead of the Department of Homeland Security
component agencies, including a $61 million reduction to TSA's
administrative functions and a reallocation of TSA's resources to
increase privatized screening and canine enforcement teams. In fact,
TSA is cut overall by some $422 million below last year's level.
As I noted, this bill puts priority funding on frontline personnel,
such as the Border Patrol, CBP officers, Coast Guard military
personnel, and law enforcement agents. It supports the largest
immigration detention capacity in the history of ICE, and it sustains
high-risk aviation security. It fully funds the known requirement for
disaster relief; supports long overdue initiatives in cybersecurity;
and robustly supports intelligence, watch-listing, threat-targeting
systems, preparedness grants, and science and technology programs,
including the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility.
In addition, this bill reforms the way the Coast Guard acquires its
costly operational assets and responsibly funds much-needed cutters and
aviation assets, those essential tools that will keep our coastlines
safe and secure our maritime approaches against the plague of illegal
drugs.
This bill also provides funding where the administration utterly
failed. This bill makes up for the $115 million shortfall that was
handed to us by the Department through phony, unauthorized fee
collections, as well as the $110 million shortfall resulting from OMB's
failure to properly access CBP's fee collections. The administration
may be able to rely on some of these fee gimmicks in the President's
budget, but here in the House and in the subcommittee we do not have
that luxury.
With respect to oversight, our subcommittee has a bipartisan
tradition of insisting upon results for each and every taxpayer dollar
that it appropriates. Therefore, the bill includes robust oversight by
way of intensified spend plan requirements, reporting requirements, a
full accounting of disaster relief costs, and operational requirements
to include Border Patrol staffing levels and ICE's detention capacity.
However, I must note that the Department of Homeland Security did an
unacceptably poor job at complying with the statutory requirements that
were enacted in FY12. Those failures are assertively addressed in this
bill and the report, and we address this through sizable cuts and
withholdings to the Department.
Furthermore, this bill holds the administration's feet to the fire
when it comes to enforcing our Nation's immigration laws. In response
to the administration's repeated attempts to water down enforcement,
this bill directs ICE to maintain 34,000 detention beds and continue
funding 287(g) and worksite enforcement at the FY 2012 levels. It is
the prerogative of Congress to set such priorities, and I stand by this
direction in the bill.
Our subcommittee is serious about compelling the Department to not
only enforce the law, but to comply with the law as well, and we cannot
tolerate further failures in this regard.
Finally, on preparedness and innovation. The bill increases
preparedness grants by nearly 17 percent and science and technology
programs by nearly 24 percent above last year's levels. Committee
members and our authorizing members have provided considerable input on
these programs, and I'm committed to leveraging technology and well-
justified investments to sustain our Nation's preparedness as well as
spur innovation and foster an environment for job growth.
In closing my comments this afternoon, I would like to thank Ranking
Member David Price. He has been a statesman and a real partner during
this process as we have moved this bill forward over the last several
months. I do want to thank him for his dedicated professionalism and
also his dedicated staff that have acted in a tremendously professional
manner, for their input and contributions that they have made to this
bill.
Let me recognize and thank the members of the Appropriations
Committee and also many of the members of the authorizing committee,
for their input and their vital oversight work over the past few months
as well, as we have moved forward in the producing of this bill.
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I'd like to thank the dedicated staff for the Department of Homeland
Security that I work with on a day-by-day basis as we move this bill
forward: the clerk, Ben Nicholson; Jeff Ashford; Kris Mallard; Kathy
Kraninger; Miles Taylor; Cornell Teague; and Joe Croce, as well as in
my own office, in my personal office who worked on this bill, Brian
Rell and Mark Dawson and, of course, on the minority side, Stephanie
Gupta, who did a tremendous job in a professional manner on the
minority side.
Finally, I do want to thank the distinguished chairman and the
ranking member of the overall Appropriations Committee, Chairman Hal
Rogers and Ranking Member Norm Dicks. As much as we had to make
difficult choices and tradeoffs at the subcommittee level, I know they
had to make much more difficult choices across all 12 subcommittees.
So I sincerely believe, Mr. Chairman, that this bill reflects our
best efforts to address our Nation's most urgent needs for security and
also to address fiscal discipline. I would urge my colleagues in the
House to support this measure.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the
bill and yield myself such time as I may utilize.
Mr. Chairman, I'm pleased we're considering the fiscal year 2013
Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill in a timely fashion
and under an open rule. Chairman Aderholt has been collaborative and
collegial in the drafting of this bill, and I appreciate his
willingness to include input from our side all along the way.
I'm generally supportive of the funding levels provided in the bill.
The fact remains, however, that our subcommittee was forced to accept a
reduced allocation for the Department of Homeland Security when
Republicans unilaterally cast aside the spending agreement we reached
last August, forcing the Appropriations Committee to absorb $19 billion
in reductions below the Budget Control Act levels.
Largely because the majority broke that agreement, DHS is funded at 1
percent below the requested level, continuing a downward funding trend
for
[[Page H3501]]
this agency over the past few years. The bill does retain the disaster
cap adjustment included in the Budget Control Act agreement.
Mr. Chairman, fortunately, despite these circumstances, the bill
before us provides adequate funding for DHS front-line employees so
that they can continue to conduct critical operations along our
borders, to protect our Nation's airports and seaports, to disrupt the
latest plots against the United States and our citizens, and to respond
to the spate of natural disasters our country has experienced.
I'm also pleased that the bill significantly increases funding for
critical grant programs, in marked contrast to the current year's
inadequate levels. The bill also rejects the administration's poorly
articulated changes to the grant structure, changes that have not been
authorized.
Specifically, funding for FEMA's State and local grants is $413
million above the fiscal year 2012 level, and both fire grants and
emergency management performance grants are funded at the levels
requested by the administration.
Equally important, the bill provides improved funding for research
and developments efforts. The bill contains sufficient resources for
the Science and Technology Directorate to fund all high-priority
research efforts and some new projects as well.
Unfortunately, while the bill appears to fully fund the
administration's request for science and technology, in reality it
includes $75 million for construction of the National Bio and Agro-
defense Facility, NBAF, which the administration did not request, in
effect reducing funds for research and development efforts.
Now, I support the eventual construction of this facility, but I must
question the inclusion of $75 million in limited resources for a
project that the President did not request, that remains under review
by two National Academy of Science panels, and that already has
unobligated prior-year appropriations that it can draw upon.
The bill also increases funding for critical Coast Guard, as well as
Air and Marine, acquisitions, to recapitalize aging assets while also
bringing the latest aviation and vessel technologies online to ensure
our personnel can operate more effectively.
And, finally, the bill includes a substantial increase for
cybersecurity protective efforts to continuously monitor and detect
intrusions to our Federal networks from foreign espionage and
cyberattacks.
Mr. Chairman, the bill does contain some ill-advised immigration
provisions. Unnecessary and wasteful statutory floors are set for a
variety of programs, such as an arbitrary minimum of 34,000 detention
beds, a required level of spending for the seriously flawed 287(g)
program, and an inflexible amount for work-site enforcement. Including
these types of spending floors and mandates in bill language limits the
Department's flexibility to respond decisively to immigration
challenges and is likely to waste taxpayer dollars for no good reason.
I also object to the three abortion general provisions that were
added in full committee. Now, we all know, Mr. Chairman, abortion is a
politically charged subject. Numerous restrictions in law have already
conditioned and qualified reproductive freedom in practice. Among those
are prohibitions on the use of Federal funds for abortion procedures,
which are specifically applied to Immigration and Customs Enforcement
and the Department of Homeland Security by the President's Executive
Order 13535, issued on March 24, 2010.
Until now, our bill has never touched on the topic of abortion
because it's not relevant to the Department of Homeland Security, and
it falls far outside the lines of jurisdiction of this subcommittee. So
these provisions are redundant. They will accomplish nothing. They make
no change whatsoever in current law or procedures.
They seem designed mainly for political effect; but I tell you,
political effect cuts both ways. These abortion riders, while
unnecessary, are inflammatory. They're divisive. They should not be
included in the final bill.
Finally, I also strongly disagree with provisions that withhold the
following: 60 percent of all funding provided to the Secretary, Under
Secretary, Chief Financial Officer; 10 percent of all funding for
salaries and expenses at Customs and Border Protection personnel; about
37 percent for Coast Guard Headquarters Directorate until they submit
numerous reports required by statute.
Even more egregiously, these withholdings are coupled with a
provision that prevents the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, the
commandant of our Coast Guard, and the vice commandant from using their
aircraft until certain key reports are received by the committee. These
constraints are excessive. They will prevent Department and Coast Guard
leadership from effectively doing their jobs.
I support efforts to hold the Department accountable; and, in fact,
we included carefully calibrated and targeted withholdings in this bill
when I was chairman. But excessive and unrealistic limitations,
frankly, detract from this subcommittee's credibility, and they're
likely to be counterproductive.
Mr. Chairman, I will close by thanking the hardworking professional
staff which has helped craft this bill and has assisted the
subcommittee in a bipartisan manner over the course of the year. I want
to thank, as the chairman did, Ben Nicholson, Kathy Kraninger, Jeff
Ashford, Kris Mallard, Joe Croce, Miles Taylor, and Cornell Teague on
the majority side and, of course, Stephanie Gupta on our side of the
aisle and Justin Wein from my office.
Again, I want to reiterate my appreciation to the chairman for his
efforts to work with us on so many issues and to sustain our front-line
Federal homeland security operations.
With that, Mr. Chairman I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the full Appropriations
Committee.
Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Thank you, Chairman Aderholt, for yielding
the time.
Mr. Chairman, this is the 10th anniversary bill for this
subcommittee. We began work in 2003, and the first three speakers that
are on the platform today are the three chairmen of that subcommittee
in its 10 years of history. I have the honor of being the first
chairman and then was followed by David Price as chairman, and now
Robert Aderholt. So we have--if there is any accumulated wisdom, we
posses a portion of it.
So we want to thank Chairman Aderholt and Ranking Member Price for
their hard work on this subcommittee. This is truly a bipartisan,
nonpartisan subcommittee because the Nation's security cannot bow to
any partisan spirits.
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I think after these 10 years we can all agree that the country is
indeed safer than it was then. The country has thwarted several
attempts at terrorist attacks in our skies. We've eliminated the
world's most heinous terrorist, Osama bin Laden, and more recently the
number two al Qaeda leader in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But we face
constant reminders that the war on terror is anything near over. Our
freedom is not free, and we can't skimp on our national security if we
want to stay vigilant and, most importantly, safe.
Discretionary funding in this bill totals just over $39 billion,
which, indeed, is a cut of $483 million below last year and $393
million below what the President requested. Chairman Aderholt and his
subcommittee drafted this bill with four priorities in mind: one,
putting security first; second, encouraging strong fiscal discipline;
three, mandating robust oversight efforts; and four, boosting the
research and grant programs that support American jobs, innovation, and
preparedness.
To support and address vital frontline operations, the bill makes
smart increases or holds constant programs that enhance intelligence,
threat-targeting, or that act as the first line of defense and
response. This includes providing funding for the largest immigration
detention capacity and number of Border Patrol agents in ICE history.
But at the end of the day, the bill totals less than it did last
year, and that's because of thoughtful, responsible reductions. Our
limited government resources must be put toward programs and services
with proven benefits and tangible results. These cuts
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targeted programs with known inefficiencies, program delays, excessive
overhead costs, or those that simply had lower budget requirements. The
bill also rescinds excess or unspent prior-year funds.
Now, as the Department enters its 10th anniversary, we are reminded
that the Department in its current form is still ``under
construction.'' Though we have seen some real progress made, DHS can
still improve the way it spends taxpayer dollars and administers its
grant programs.
This legislation, I think, takes the right steps to direct spending
accordingly--enacting reforms, requiring tougher oversight, and
demanding justifications and spending plans from programs that do not
have a history of wise spending decisions.
Again, I want to thank Chairman Aderholt, Ranking Member Price, all
of the members of the subcommittee, and the hardworking staff for all
the many hours they've spent in drafting this important bill. This
legislation is proof that we can do more with less. A reduction in
spending, coupled with reforms to encourage efficiency and
sustainability, will help us get on a stronger fiscal path.
I believe this is a good bill, Mr. Chairman. It's as good a bill as
I've seen in my 10 years on this subcommittee, and I want to, again,
congratulate those who had a hand in making it possible.
So I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill to help prevent
future terrorist attacks, to protect air passengers, and to keep our
border secure.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield 3
minutes to an outstanding member of our subcommittee, the gentlewoman
from New York (Mrs. Lowey).
Mrs. LOWEY. I would like to thank Chairman Aderholt and Ranking
Member Price for their bipartisan work on this legislation.
The fiscal year 2013 Homeland Security appropriations bill would make
smart investments in our national security infrastructure, including
increasing funds for cybersecurity, focusing homeland security dollars
at communities most at threat of terrorist attacks, and providing our
first responders with the resources to protect us.
With limited resources, we must prioritize assistance to the regions
most likely to be attacked. That is why I am so pleased that this bill
takes a step toward restoring the original intent of the Urban Area
Security Initiative by focusing resources on the 25 most at-risk cities
while still providing funding for other regions through other programs.
Ten years after 9/11, the threat of radiological attack and New
York's status as the number one terror target remain. That is why I am
so pleased that this bill would maintain $22 million to support
Securing the Cities, which seeks to prevent the smuggling of illicit
nuclear material into Manhattan.
I am also pleased that Assistance to Firefighter and SAFER grants
would be adequately funded. As local governments have faced difficult
budget decisions, firefighters have been laid off, leaving our
neighborhoods with inadequate protection. This legislation would fund
firefighter hiring grants and would extend the SAFER waiver to allow
communities to retain or rehire laid-off firefighters.
I am extremely disappointed, however, that Republicans needlessly
injected divisive social issues into the bill. I've served on this
subcommittee or on the authorizing committee for nearly a decade. In
that time, I've met with the first responders, ICE agents, Border
Patrol, and many other security personnel. Not once have they said that
women's reproductive health makes our country less secure--not once.
Weighing down this bill with ideological riders is a disservice to all
first responders.
In closing, again, I would like to thank the committee for its
investments in homeland security and first responders, and I hope that
this legislation will not be used as a vehicle for ideological policy
riders on the floor.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield 3 minutes to the
chairman of the Homeland Security authorizing committee, the gentleman
from New York, Mr. Peter King.
Mr. KING of New York. I thank the chairman of the Appropriations
subcommittee for yielding.
Let me at the very outset thank him for his leadership and
cooperation in working through such a difficult bill at such a
difficult time in our history. We are faced with a severe terrorist
threat. We are also faced with severe fiscal restraints. Last year, I
very reluctantly voted against the Homeland Security appropriations
bill.
I want to commend Chairman Rogers and Chairman Aderholt for working
to resolve the good faith differences we had. For instance, in areas
such as State and local grants, we increased them by $350 million to
increase by 50 percent the amount allocated to the highest-risk areas
in our country. The Urban Area Security Initiative, the State Homeland
Security Grant Program, port security, transportation security--all of
those programs were addressed in this bill. Nothing is ever as much as
we want, but considering the realities we face as a Nation, Chairman
Rogers and Chairman Aderholt have done an outstanding job.
Coming from a district which lost so many people on September 11 and
which still faces threats, and where we every day, quite frankly,
analyze terror threat reports, this funding is extremely important,
especially to the NYPD, which does such an outstanding job in spite of
the gratuitous, mindless, shameless attacks made upon it by those in
the media and by others in elected office as well. So this funding is
extremely, extremely vital, especially for the STC, the Secure the
Cities program, which will protect not just New York but will provide a
template to protect urban areas against dirty bomb attacks throughout
the country.
Let me also focus on the issue of the TWIC program. I know the
ranking member from the Homeland Security Committee is here and that
he'll be addressing this later, but this is an issue of bipartisan
concern to our committee: the fact that we still have not been able to
protect the TWIC system and that there have been burdens imposed on our
workers as far as time constraints being imposed on them and as far as
the funding they have to spend. This is a real burden that has been put
on them.
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So in the Homeland Security Committee, we passed by voice vote the
SMART Port bill, which attempts to alleviate this burden on the port
worker. Primarily what it does is extends the validity of the TWIC
cards currently set to begin expiring later this year until the
Department of Homeland Security finally releases the TWIC reader rule.
Port workers, drivers, and others who have to obtain a TWIC should
not have to bear the burden of the government's inability to get the
job done. I believe the provision we included in this SMART Port bill
provides sufficient motivation for the Coast Guard and TSA. I can
assure you on behalf of myself--I know he can speak for himself--and
the ranking member of the committee as well, we will work together, our
committee will work with the Appropriations Committee and with the
Department as we try to resolve this issue.
Again, I thank Chairman Aderholt for his leadership and for the job
that he has done.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield 3
minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), a leading member of
our full Appropriations Committee.
Ms. KAPTUR. I would like to thank Ranking Member Price for yielding
us this time, as well as Chairman Aderholt and full committee Chairman
Rogers, for their work on this legislation and for accepting and
including the buy American language that we had worked so very hard and
requested.
The Department of Homeland Security needs to raise its consciousness
about the importance of buying American and its relationship to jobs in
America. Our language further clarifies what has long been the intent
of Congress, that the Department of Homeland Security must comply with
the Berry amendment and buy U.S.-made products. This is an essential
provision for the American economy and our manufacturers.
Congress has already voted to explicitly direct the Department of
Homeland Security to comply with the Berry amendment. The Department of
Homeland Security is either musclebound or
[[Page H3503]]
has been dragging its feet, but somehow they're not hearing us for some
odd reason. Also, the Department of Homeland Security's authorizing
committee unanimously adopted an amendment that would ensure permanent
compliance.
The Department of Homeland Security, one of the largest departments
in our government, should be the leader in Homeland Security, starting
with strengthening American procurement. Can you imagine what they
procure in a year? I know they buy a lot of U.S.-made flags--or at
least they should--but also vessels, our Coast Guard's full array of
equipment, security systems, weapons, uniforms, etc. The list goes on
and on. So why wouldn't they make an effort to do what Congress
directed?
I would like to also acknowledge the fine work of the gentleman from
North Carolina, Congressman Larry Kissell, for his consistent
leadership on this issue of buying American. I would also like to
acknowledge Representative Kathy Hochul, who, in her first term, has
been a steadfast leader for buying American as essential for U.S. job
creation.
I want to thank the full committee for their commitment to this
issue. We would like to invite the Department of Homeland Security to
the American table. Let's follow suit with the Department of Defense
and the other major departments of our government. Let's buy American
and help to contribute to procurement of goods and services made right
here in the USA. It's the best investment that we can make in the
future.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the ranking member so very much,
along with Mr. Aderholt, for including this language in the bill. Let
us hope that the Department of Homeland Security is listening, pays
attention to the law, and buys American in the national interest.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from New Jersey, the hardworking chairman of the Energy and
Water Subcommittee, who has also been on the floor this week with his
legislation, Mr. Frelinghuysen.
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the chairman
for yielding, and I rise in support of the Homeland Security
appropriations bill.
Our Nation lives with the memory of September 11, 2001, each and
every day. We can never take back the events of that day or the
thousands of lives, including 700 from New Jersey, that were lost.
Like Mr. King, I would like to highlight that this legislation
includes critical funding for investments in first responder grants.
The bill includes $1.7 billion for the Department's State and local
grant program, which include the Homeland Security Grant program, or
what we call UASI, Urban Area Security Initiative, both of which have
been greatly benefiting New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area
for the last 10 years. The bill also includes $650 million in
firefighter grants and $350 million for emergency management
performance grants.
It's important to note that this bill again includes, due to the
leadership of the chairman, language to improve accountability and
transparency to ensure the taxpayers' dollars are well spent.
Lastly, I think all of us would like to recognize how much we depend
on the hard work and dedication and tireless work of so many homeland
security professionals, emergency squads, fire and police that do the
job and some of whom have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I am privileged to yield 2
minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi, the outstanding ranking
member of the authorizing committee, Mr. Thompson.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from
North Carolina for allowing me the time.
I have a number of thoughts on the underlying bill before us today,
but I'd like to take the opportunity to discuss the Transportation
Worker Identification Credential program, the TWIC program.
Earlier today, the authorizing committee, on a bipartisan basis,
approved language modeled after a bill I introduced, H.R. 1105, to
prevent current TWIC holders, the men and women who work in our ports,
from being forced by TSA to pay for new identification cards beginning
in October of this year, given the program is not fully implemented and
the Department has not even issued a rule for biometric readers.
The TWIC program is focused on protecting the Nation's maritime
transportation facilities and vessels by requiring maritime workers and
other workers who need unescorted access to secure port facilities to
obtain a biometric identification card. After initial delays, all
maritime workers were required to obtain biometric TWIC cards by April
2009. The cost to workers for these cards is $132.50 per credential. To
date, over 2.1 million longshoremen, truckers, merchant mariners, and
rail and vessel crew members have undergone extensive homeland security
and criminal background checks to secure TWICs. Even as workers raced
in the spring of 2009 to obtain TWICs to continue working in our
Nation's ports, TSA has been more than 2 years late in starting the
reader pilots.
Our committee has been told that even under the best circumstances,
final regulations are not likely to be issued until late 2014, more
than 5 years beyond the date required in statute. Yet, unless Congress
or the administration acts, starting October 2012, workers will have to
renew the cards they were issued.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Fortenberry). The time of the gentleman has
expired.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I yield an additional
minute to the gentleman from Mississippi.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Thank you very much, Mr. Ranking Member.
The point I would like to make, Mr. Chairman, is that 2.1 million
workers have TWIC cards. Through no fault of their own, they will be
required to renew those cards unless we act.
I appreciate this legislation, acknowledging that we have to do
something for those workers or, through no fault of their own, they'll
have to renew a card, which is at this point, at best, a flash card.
It's not really a worker identification card.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham), who is the chairman of the
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee.
{time} 1450
Mr. LATHAM. Chairman Aderholt, thank you very much.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 5855, the Department of Homeland
Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2013, and I commend the
chairman and the ranking member and the staff for doing a really
excellent job of crafting a bill that both strengthens our security and
reduces government spending.
I'm pleased the committee adopted an important amendment, which I
cosponsored, which would waive Federal grant requirements to allow the
retention of firefighters hired in our local communities. This is a
critically important provision for maintaining response capabilities
throughout the Nation.
I also want to highlight the fact that despite spending reductions
elsewhere in the bill, we were fully funding FEMA's stated requirements
for disaster relief, including flood-related grants. Congress has long
recognized the Federal role in disaster relief and prevention efforts,
since the first disaster relief bill was passed in 1803. The funding
contained in the bill today is important because it continues the move
away from ad hoc disaster legislation, and toward including relief in
mitigation funding in our regular appropriations.
This assistance is vitally important for the safety net for
communities at risk for natural disasters. Throughout the summer of
2011, I saw firsthand the flood damage along the Missouri River in
western and southwestern Iowa and spoke with Iowans whose lives were
disrupted by that disaster. The flood dealt serious damage to
properties along the river and took a breathtaking toll of nearby
communities. Hazard mitigation and other disaster assistance funding is
absolutely necessary to help them rebound from this tragic flooding.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I urge all Members of the House to support
final passage of H.R. 5855.
[[Page H3504]]
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. ADERHOLT. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
LoBiondo), who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and
Maritime Transportation.
Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in very strong support of
H.R. 5855.
Earlier this year, the President requested to cut funding for the
Coast Guard more than 4 percent below the current level. This was the
first time in over a decade that a President has proposed to reduce
funding for the Coast Guard. In his budget, the President proposed to
slash the number of servicemembers by more than 1,000, which would
shutter recruiting stations, take recently upgraded helicopters out of
service and exacerbate the growing patrol boat mission-hour gap by
retiring vessels before their replacements arrive.
For acquisitions, the President proposed to slash the budget by more
than $270 million, or 19 percent below the FY2012 enacted level. The
request proposed to terminate or delay the acquisition of several
critically needed replacement assets and eliminate funding to renovate
derelict housing for servicemembers and their dependents.
The cuts put forth by the Obama administration were simply
unacceptable and I myself and, I think, a large number of Members were
gravely concerned. As chairman of the Coast Guard's authorizing
committee, I know how critical it is for us not to repeat the mistakes
of the 1990s when misguided cuts to the service's operating and
acquisitions budget left it entirely unprepared to meet the post-9/11
mission demand.
The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. ADERHOLT. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.
Mr. LoBIONDO. Fortunately, the bill before us today rejects the
draconian cuts proposed by the President and ensures the Coast Guard is
provided with the resources needed to carry out its critical missions.
I want to especially thank Chairman Aderholt, Ranking Member Price, and
their entire staff for recognizing the critical mission needs of the
Coast Guard and accommodating those needs for the protection of
America.
I urge all Members to support the legislation.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the vice-chairman of
our Subcommittee on Homeland Security, the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Carter).
Mr. CARTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5855, the
FY2013 Homeland Security Appropriations measure.
As a member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I
believe that under the leadership of Chairman Aderholt we have
exercised the much-needed oversight of the Department through the
course of this year's hearings. This bill, along with the accompanying
report, continued to ensure Congress is kept informed of how valuable
taxpayer dollars will be spent by requiring numerous reports and
briefings from DHS.
This bill funds frontline security operations at their highest level
in history, ensuring that our Border Patrol agents and ICE officers
have the resources they need to secure our borders. I'm also pleased
that this bill includes language that will improve awareness and
cooperation between Federal Agencies and nongovernmental organizations
to help them combat the heinous crime of human trafficking, also known
as modern-day slavery.
I urge my colleagues to support this critical measure.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman
from Pennsylvania, a hardworking member of our Subcommittee on Homeland
Security, Mr. Dent.
Mr. DENT. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Department of
Homeland Security Act of 2013, and I want to thank Chairman Aderholt
and Ranking Member Price for their leadership of this subcommittee.
H.R. 5855 is a fiscally responsible measure, and it totals $39
billion in discretionary funding for DHS, a decrease of about $484
million below current levels. The bill takes a scalpel to Agencies,
ensuring adequate funding is available to meet program objectives while
weeding out unnecessary spending.
I want to take a moment to highlight a few of the critical aspects of
this bill. First, our first responders, we provide $2.8 billion for
FEMA first responder grants. Additionally, the Assistance to
Firefighter Grants and Emergency Management Performance Grants will
receive $670 million, equal to the President's request.
Furthermore, I am pleased to note an amendment offered by Mr. Price,
Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Latham and me during the full committee markup to
foster further flexibility for local departments in utilizing fire
grant funds that were adopted in this measure.
As for border protection, the bill contains $10.2 billion for U.S.
Customs and Border Protection, supporting the largest totals of CBP
border agents and officers in history. Similarly, the U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement received $5.5 billion in supporting initiatives
like the Visa Security Program, as well as 34,000 ICE detention bed
spaces, our highest capacity to date.
These are just a few provisions in the bill I wanted to touch on this
afternoon. H.R. 5855 has been crafted as a smart and fiscally
responsible funding bill from the Department of Homeland Security. I
encourage my colleagues to support passage.
Also, I just want to commend the leadership of Chairman Rogers and
Ranking Member Dicks for their leadership on this measure as well.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman
from Alabama (Mr. Rogers), who is the subcommittee chairman on the
authorizing Homeland Security Subcommittee and chairing the
Transportation Security Subcommittee.
Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
bill and urge all of my colleagues to vote for it.
I also want to congratulate my friend and colleague from Alabama,
Chairman Aderholt, for all his hard work on this bill.
He has shown the American people how to craft a bill that is strong
on homeland security, helps protect us from terrorist attacks, funds
vital programs and grants, and does so in a fiscally responsible manner
by spending almost $500 million less than last year.
The bill helps protect our borders and prioritizes funding for
immigration enforcement. It provides critical grants funding for our
first responders, our heroes on the frontline of attack or disaster.
For transportation security, the bill takes on TSA's bureaucratic
mess. It cuts $61 million from TSA managerial overhead. It caps full-
time screening personnel at 46,000, and it emphasizes the private
sector's role in airport security screening operations.
{time} 1500
Importantly, it does not increase any fees that would fall on the
traveling public, which would threaten jobs in the aviation industry.
I know firsthand of Chairman Aderholt's dedication and leadership on
these issues. I also know of his commitment to reducing wasteful
spending and restoring fiscal sanity in Washington. Again, I commend my
friend and colleague from Alabama and his fine staff for their hard
work and dedication and urge all my colleagues to vote for the bill.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, does the majority have any
further requests for time?
Mr. ADERHOLT. We have no further requests for time.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I will conclude by again
commending the chairman and our whole subcommittee. We have a good
active group of members, and virtually all had positive input into this
legislation. I appreciate the spirit in which the chairman has made an
honest effort to accommodate constructive input from all sources.
There's much to commend about this bill, starting with the support of
frontline operations, but also some improvements from the funding
situation we're
[[Page H3505]]
dealing with this year with respect to State and local FEMA grants, for
example, and with respect to science and technology investments. There
are funding shortfalls in this bill with respect to the headquarters'
needs at St. Elizabeth's, with respect to certain administrative needs
of the Department, and others that we could name. But under the
constraints of the budget allocation there is a good balance in this
bill, I think, and one that has required a great deal of accommodation
and a great deal of hard work.
I have already said that I think there are some extraneous elements
of this bill that are not so constructive: the immigration provisions,
the abortion provisions, and some excessive withholding provisions. I
sincerely hope that in the debate to come we will not compound that
problem.
We know we're going to be dealing with dozens of amendments. We're
going to be dealing with additional proposed riders, ill-advised for
the most part. We're going to be dealing with some tempting spending
provisions that will cannibalize those front office expenses or the
science and technology expenses or other accounts in this bill for the
sake of amendments that may sound good but really could upset some of
the delicate balances that this bill has struck.
So we're going to have, I hope and believe, a probably lengthy and
also constructive process of discussion and amendment under the open
rule, and I very much hope that the end result of that process will be
a bill that can claim broad support. We're going to have a few hours
until that process begins, but I look forward to getting on with this
and at the end of the week producing a Homeland Security appropriations
bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ADERHOLT. As I had mentioned earlier in my opening comments, I do
believe this bill is a good bill. It reflects our best efforts to try
to address our Nation's most urgent needs: of course, first of all,
security, and second of all, fiscal discipline. Both of those are very
important in this age in which we live.
So I would urge my colleagues to support this measure as it moves to
the floor.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 5855, the
Fiscal Year 2013 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. I
want to commend Chairman Aderholt and Ranking Member Price for their
work on this bill, which provides vital security funding while also
being fiscally responsible.
As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness,
Response, and Communications, I am particularly pleased that the
Appropriations Committee rejected the Administration's proposal to
create a new National Preparedness Grant Program. The proposal in the
President's budget request lacked detail and was developed without any
input from emergency response providers. I appreciate Chairman
Aderholt's recognition that this proposal requires consideration by the
Committee on Homeland Security. That consideration is underway. The
Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness has been working with FEMA and
stakeholders to consider this and other proposals for grant reform.
Until that review is complete, it is this body's direction that FEMA
should continue to administer the grant programs in accordance with the
statutory authorities in the 9/11 Act and the SAFE Port Act.
With that, I urge all Members to support this bill.
The Acting CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Carter) having assumed the chair, Mr. Fortenberry, Acting Chair of the
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5855)
making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes, had come
to no resolution thereon.
____________________