[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 121 (Tuesday, September 11, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H5821-H5824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1630
PUBLIC TRANSIT SECURITY AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SUPPORT ACT
Mr. TURNER of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 3857) to amend the Implementing Recommendations of
the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to require the Secretary of Homeland
Security to include as an eligible use the sustainment of specialized
operational teams used by local law enforcement
[[Page H5822]]
under the Transit Security Grant Program, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3857
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Public Transit Security and
Local Law Enforcement Support Act''.
SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION REGARDING USE OF GRANT FUNDS RELATING
TO OPERATIONAL COSTS OF PUBLIC TRANSIT
SECURITY.
(a) In General.--Section 1406(b)(2) of the Implementing
Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (6 U.S.C.
1135(b)(2)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (H) as
subparagraphs (F) through (I), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new
subparagraph (E):
``(E) specialized patrol teams, as defined by the Secretary
in coordination with the recipients of grants under this
section, including the sustainment of such teams without
fiscal year limitation, as long as the eligible public
transportation agency applying for grant funds to fund a
specialized patrol team submits a sustainment plan for
maintaining in future years the capability or capacity
achieved with the grant funds;''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act and
shall apply to grants made under section 1406 of the
Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of
2007 (6 U.S.C. 1135) on or after such date.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1406(m)(1) of
the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act
of 2007 (6 U.S.C. 1135(m)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (D) by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in subparagraph (E)--
(A) by striking ``10 percent'' and inserting ``50
percent''; and
(B) by striking the period and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(F) $400,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 and 2013,
except that not more than 50 percent of such funds in each of
such fiscal years may be used for operational costs under
subsection (b)(2).''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Turner) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. TURNER of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. TURNER of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the passage of H.R. 3857, the
Public Transportation Security and Local Law Enforcement Support Act,
which helps local law enforcement meet national security demands in a
troubled economy.
Today, we solemnly remember the tragedy which took place 11 years ago
at the Pentagon, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and New York City.
I am personally reminded when I travel from my home in New York to
D.C., I look toward the southern tip of Manhattan where the Twin Towers
once stood.
As we also remember the brave New York firefighters and police
officers who ran into the inferno of the World Trade Center with no
regard for their own safety, we should think about the brave spirit
that lives on in every first responder. They are truly our last line of
defense in an increasingly dangerous world, and we should make sure
they are provided with access to all of the resources they need to keep
us safe.
In large metropolitan areas, public transit systems are among the
most vulnerable targets. In New York City, the MTA carries over 8
million people daily on its subways and buses throughout the five
boroughs. The Transit Security Grant program provides funds to public
transit agencies in high-risk areas for various security projects
including the hiring of full-time personnel for specialized anti-
terrorist teams, K-9 units, mobile screening, and public awareness
campaigns.
The program is authorized by the Implementing Recommendations of the
9/11 Commission Act of 2007 and administered by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency in consultation with the Transportation Security
Administration.
Grant funds are used to create new specialized anti-terror teams, but
until recently could not be used to sustain these teams unless the
Department of Homeland Security provided a waiver. This forced law
enforcement to face the uncertainty of the waiver process or risk
losing vital security assets. Fortunately, the Secretary provided some
relief last year so that a waiver was not required, but without this
bill, there is nothing to stop the Department of Homeland Security from
reinstating another bureaucratic waiver or process.
H.R. 3857 streamlines the grant program to make it easier for the
specialized security teams to receive funding. It authorizes the
Department of Homeland Security to provide transit security grant
programs to sustain teams and also eliminate the bureaucratic steps of
requiring eligible transit agencies to apply for a waiver. This will
help avoid countless hours of request, preparation, and review.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill because there is nothing
more important than protecting our citizens.
We must make it a priority to ensure that the brave men and women who
work so hard to keep us safe have the resources they need as soon as
they need it.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R.
3857, the Public Transit Security and Local Law Enforcement Support
Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As the President stated in his weekly address, the anniversary of 9/
11 is a time to honor and commemorate first responders, the victims of
the attacks, and the members of the Armed Forces serving at home and
abroad. It's unfortunate that the Republican majority has decided to
discontinue the House's tradition of doing just that by considering a
resolution honoring the fallen and commending our Nation's bravest on
this date.
For years, majority leaders of both parties have introduced and
scheduled consideration of a 9/11 resolution. Surely, if the House has
the time to consider the 32 bills scheduled for consideration on the
suspension calendar this week, it has the time to commemorate our
Nation's first responders, the victims of 9/11, and our troops by
considering a resolution doing just that.
Even if some politicians would prefer not to mention it, our Nation
is still at war with Afghanistan. Our troops are still in harm's way, a
half a world away, fighting a war that was the direct result of the
terrorist attacks of 9/11. Accordingly, I would urge the Republican
leadership of the House to reconsider their decision to forego
consideration of a 9/11 resolution this day.
As to the legislation under consideration today, I support this bill
that, thanks to an amendment offered by Representative Jackson Lee
during committee consideration, authorizes $400 million for the Transit
Security Grant Program. The Transit Security Grant Program provides
funds to State and local jurisdictions that need help keeping their
transportation systems secure.
As State and local budgets continue to face the strain of recovering
from the economic collapse that occurred during the previous
administration, we have a responsibility to ensure that they have the
funding needed to build and sustain the capacity to protect against a
terrorist attack. As amended, H.R. 3857 does just that.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. TURNER of New York. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she
may consume to the gentlelady from Houston, Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Let me thank Mr. Turner and the ranking
member, Mr. Thompson, for their courtesies of yielding to me and allow
me to take this moment on the floor on 9/11 to again acknowledge the
Members of Congress who this morning joined each other, if you will,
two Houses, that came together, on the east steps to be able to
acknowledge those who were lost, and I would like to say those
[[Page H5823]]
who still live in the backdrop of the tragedy, for many are still
pained by the loss of their family members. As we know in New York the
reading of the names, and, of course, the laying of the wreath that
occurred today at the Pentagon.
We cannot get those lives back, and what we recognize is that those
lives represented places around the world, but it also represented moms
and dads. Children today have grown up without those loved ones because
of the horrific and heinous tragedy, and some might say America's
naivete.
But I am glad to live in a country that believes in her freedom. I am
glad to live in a country of which we claim democracy and understand
it, understand the freedom of speech and freedom of access, freedom of
association. I would not want to live anywhere else.
But we were pained on that day because they attempted to take our
naivete away from us, our innocence. But I am glad that we came
together, both in terms of allowing people now still to travel from the
east to the west, from the north to the south, to have summer
vacations, to lay out in the open sun. This is our Nation.
I am grateful for having the privilege of serving on the Homeland
Security Committee. I hold this flag just to indicate that this is a
great Nation.
I'd like to thank our early persons who led this committee.
Certainly, Mr. Chris Cox, Mr. Jim Turner, the Homeland Security Select
Committee and members who were on that committee.
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I want to acknowledge my outstanding ranking member, Mr. Thompson,
who has been a great leader on these issues. He has been diligent; he
has been patriotic; he has been loving of this country, along with the
chairman, Mr. King, who has worked for the common good as we have tried
to work together. It has not been a perfect unity because we have had
disagreements. Many of us disagree on the interpretation of democracy
and civil liberties, but we all believe in one Nation under God, but
more importantly, the security of this Nation. Mr. Thompson, I want to
thank you for allowing me to serve with you and for your leadership.
It is in that spirit that I rise today to speak to H.R. 3857, which
amends the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of
2007.
I might just say, Mr. Turner, that there were those of us who were
here--and you come from New York, and so I know that more than likely
there were people in and around your area, the Queens area, who lost
their lives, or family members. So we acknowledge the regions that were
impacted, from Boston to New York to Pennsylvania. And certainly those
families whose family members were on those airlines, we understand,
but cannot feel, the deep pain that they have today.
The 9/11 Commission, of course, came about mainly through the many
families that walked the halls. And let me, of course, acknowledge
those families who even in their pain, again, came to the Halls of
Congress and asked us to do something. So this particular legislation
is amending the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to allow public
transportation agencies to be eligible for grants for security
improvements to be used for specialized patrol teams, including the
sustainment of such teams without fiscal year limitation, as long as
the agency applying for grant funds submits a sustainment plan for
maintaining in future years the capability or capacity achieved with
the funds. That is a good step. It allows local jurisdictions to expand
their services as long as they're able to sustain it.
In January 2007, soon after Democrats took control of the House after
being in the minority, I joined with my colleagues across both sides of
the aisle and we passed the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. This
legislative landmark was critical in strengthening our Nation's
homeland security efforts. Specifically, the 9/11 Act established the
Transportation Security Grant Program, which provides a vital source of
funding for our transportation systems across the United States.
Shortly thereafter, I remember a conference where the House and
Senate came together, and I remember the opportunity to establish
transportation security centers of excellence. I am grateful that we
established one at Texas Southern University, among other Historically
Black Colleges, where we looked at ways of improving transportation
security.
Having just been briefed by Texas Southern University, I know that
they are finishing their work, and I want to thank the team that led on
that program. Those funds were truly used productively, efficiently,
and effectively to provide new technology, new techniques and vetting
procedures on how we can truly secure America.
Since the demise of Osama bin Laden--led by the outstanding military
of the United States of America, guided, directed, of course, by the
Commander in Chief, President Obama, and the excellent military
leadership, the National Security Agency, that provided all of the
guidance for this enormous task--it has been revealed in the public
domain that terrorists continue to be interested in developing plots to
sabotage mass transit systems, and of course the aviation system. This
threat, however, is not new. Today, as I indicated, marks the 11th
anniversary since the 9/11 attacks, and as such we must take every step
to commemorate the men and women we lost on that day. We also have the
responsibility to make sure that we do not allow another catastrophic
loss of life like the one we faced that day.
In the course of the years since 9/11 we have seen incidents in
London and Spain, we've seen incidents in Mumbai, tragic incidents on
mass transit. We have also seen the individual efforts that have been
made to bring down another airline over American soil, or certainly en
route to the United States of America. Therefore, it is imperative that
Congress examine how the Department of Homeland Security and the
Transportation Security Administration are addressing the current and
evolving threat to our transportation systems and continue to support
programs that have yielded a positive security impact, such as TSA's
Transportation Security Grant Program. I have seen in my own transit
system the utilization of these funds. I've seen the utilization, as it
has been very effective in canine units.
Let's come together around recognizing that the security of America
is holistic--first, of course, the frontliners, meaning the United
States military; then, of course, the men and women who overlap in
jurisdiction under Homeland Security, the many different law
enforcements that every day work on the border, work on internal
enforcement, work at airports, coalesce and collaborate with the FBI
and DEA and ATF, and others, around the question of security.
I am glad these programs are being expanded for security purposes,
for efficiency purposes, for utilization of our tax dollars in the
right way. That is why I am pleased to see that the majority and the
ranking member, along with members of the Democratic part of the
committee, at my request and submission of an amendment, accepted my
amendment during committee consideration to authorize $400 million for
the Transportation Security Grant Program for FY12 and FY13. This
funding will ensure that transportation agencies have the resources
needed to secure our public and mass transit system. I would argue that
it complements what we're doing in aviation, which, together, maintains
the nucleus, if you will, of transportation security.
So I'm hoping that this will move quickly through the United States
Senate and find itself on the President's desk. It is crucial. I then
hope that my colleagues can come together for us to put on the floor a
Transportation Security Administration reauthorization. We've done it
before; I know we can do it now. And I ask my colleagues to come
together in the name not only of security, but of the families, the 9/
11 Commission, who now bear the brunt of that tragic day, along with so
many others.
Thank you to our first responders, and of course to the men and women
who now serve around the world and those who have come home. I ask my
colleagues to support H.R. 3857.
H.R. 3857, ``Public Transit Security and Local Law Enforcement
Support Act--Amends the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11
Commission Act of 2007 to allow grants to eligible public
transportation agencies for security improvements to be used for
specialized patrol teams, including the sustainment of such teams
without fiscal year
[[Page H5824]]
limitation, as long as the agency applying for grant funds submits a
sustainment plan for maintaining in future years the capability or
capacity achieved with the funds.''
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3857, the Public Transit
Security and Local Law Enforcement Support Act.
Mr. Speaker, In January 2007, soon after Democrats took control of
the House, I, along with my colleagues across both sides of the aisles,
championed the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.
This legislative landmark was critical in strengthening our Nation's
homeland security efforts. Specifically, the 9/11 Act established the
Transportation Security Grant Program which provides a vital source of
funding for our transportation systems across the United States.
Since the demise of Osama bin Laden, it has been revealed in the
public domain that terrorists continue to be interested in developing
plots to sabotage mass transit systems.
This threat, however, is not new.
Today marks the 11th anniversary since the 9/11 attacks. And as such,
we must take every step to commemorate the men and women we lost on
that day.
We also have the responsibility to make sure that we do not allow
another catastrophic loss of life, like the one we faced that day.
Therefore, it is imperative that we, Congress, examine how the
Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security
Administration are addressing the current and evolving threat to our
transportation systems and continue to support programs that have
yielded a positive security impact, such as TSA's Transportation
Security Grant Program.
Which is why I am pleased to see that the Majority, at my request,
accepted my amendment during Committee consideration to authorize $400
million for the Transportation Security Grant Program (TSGP) for FY 12
and FY 13.
This funding will ensure that transportation agencies have the
resources needed to secure our public and mass transit systems.
Mr. TURNER of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers. If the
gentleman from Mississippi has no further speakers, I am prepared to
close once the gentleman does.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, on this day, above all others, we turn our thoughts to
those who were lost in the tragic events of 9/11. It is unfortunate
that the Republican leadership of the House has decided not to continue
this body's tradition of considering a resolution to commemorate first
responders, the victims of the attack, and members of the Armed Forces
serving at home and abroad.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in calling for the
consideration of a 9/11 resolution, and in support of H.R. 3857. H.R.
3857 authorizes funds critical to ensuring our Nation's transportation
systems are secure. It does so to the tune of $400 million, dollars
that State and local jurisdictions desperately need.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. TURNER of New York. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support the
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Turner) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3857, 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. THOMPSON of Mississippi. 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, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
____________________