[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H40-H41]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     COUNTER TERRORIST NETWORK ACT

  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 4578) to authorize certain counter terrorist 
networks activities of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and for 
other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4578

       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 ``Counter Terrorist Network 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. DUTY TO COUNTER TERRORIST NETWORKS; DETAILS AND 
                   ASSIGNMENT.

       Section 411 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
     211) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (g)(4)--
       (A) in subparagraph (C)--
       (i) in clause (vi), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (ii) by redesignating clause (vii) as clause (viii); and
       (iii) by inserting after clause (vi) the following new 
     clause:
       ``(vii) collaborate with appropriate agencies, including 
     Federal, State, local, tribal, and international entities, to 
     enhance border security through operations such as operations 
     that seek to disrupt and dismantle networks, including 
     foreign terrorist organizations (as such term is described in 
     section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 
     1189)), that pose terrorist or other threats; and'';
       (2) by redesignating subsections (p) through (r) as 
     subsections (q) through (s), respectively; and
       (3) by inserting after subsection (o) the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(p) Assignment of Personnel.--The Commissioner may detail 
     or otherwise assign personnel of U.S. Customs and Border 
     Protection to other appropriate agencies, including to serve 
     overseas in support of global information sharing partnership 
     operations in furtherance of enhancing border security, 
     including by preventing entry into the United States by 
     individuals known or suspected of being associated with a 
     network, including a foreign terrorist organization (as such 
     term is described in section 219 of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189)), that poses terrorist or 
     other threats.''.

     SEC. 3. BRIEFINGS.

       The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
     shall biannually brief the Committee on Homeland Security of 
     the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate regarding 
     activities, during the prior six months, in furtherance of 
     clause (vii) of section 411(g)(4) of the Homeland Security 
     Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 211(g)(4)), as added by section 2 of 
     this Act. Such briefings may be provided in a classified 
     setting if the Commissioner determines such is appropriate.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Estes) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Vela) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Kansas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include any extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4578, the Counter Terrorist 
Network Act.
  The fine men and women in uniform at U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection are tasked with an incredibly important mission. Every day, 
they protect our Nation from transnational criminal organizations, 
human traffickers, and terrorists who wish to exploit vulnerabilities 
at our Nation's borders.
  To execute this critical mission, the CBP has developed a cadre of 
subject matter experts that are well versed in counternetwork 
operations. These experts work tirelessly at our Nation's seaports, 
airports, and land border crossings, honing their skills, stopping the 
flow of illicit goods and people, and creating actionable intelligence.
  Given the fact that the CBP is uniquely positioned on our Nation's 
front line, it would seem expected that members of the CBP would have 
the authority to participate in counternetwork activities that target 
terrorists and transnational threats, both domestically and 
internationally.

[[Page H41]]

  However, this is not the case. Currently, the CBP lacks the statutory 
authority to assign CBP personnel to specialized counternetwork details 
and liaison assignments with a national security focus.
  H.R. 4578 seeks to mitigate this deficiency by giving the 
Commissioner of the CBP the statutory authority to assign personnel to 
these specialized task forces and collaborate with appropriate Federal, 
State, local, and Tribal entities to enhance border security operations 
that focus on disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal 
organizations and foreign terrorist networks.
  By granting this authority to the Commissioner, the CBP's 
collaborative efforts will result in enhanced information sharing and 
an increase in intelligence-driven enforcement operations.
  Lastly, H.R. 4578 requires the Commissioner to provide a report to 
Congress within 6 months of enactment, substantially describing the 
ongoing efforts to defeat threats posed by transnational criminal and 
foreign terrorist groups.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee 
Ranking Member Vela for introducing this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the law enforcement 
community and to vote in favor of this important legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. VELA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4578, the Counter Terrorist 
Network Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I introduced H.R. 4578, the Counter Terrorist Network 
Act, to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection's ongoing efforts to 
prevent individuals who pose a known threat to our country from 
entering the United States.
  Over the years, the CBP has pushed out our borders through various 
programs, including international partnerships where officers are 
posted overseas.
  The CBP's National Targeting Center, or NTC, uses the latest 
technology and analytical tools to identify threats and share that 
information with both domestic and international law enforcement 
partners.
  The CBP vets foreign nationals traveling to the United States prior 
to arrival through the use of various sophisticated screening 
techniques. Time and again, we see terrorist acts carried out by 
individuals who were not on the Federal radar for terrorism.
  In the 17 years since the September 11 attacks, we have made huge 
investments in this country in intelligence to better connect the dots 
about those risks.
  My legislation seeks to ensure that the NTC is positioned to continue 
embedding its analysts in overseas operations so that individuals 
associated with terrorist and transnational criminal networks are 
prevented from operating with impunity.
  H.R. 4578 authorizes the NTC to continue building its collaborative 
intelligence and law enforcement partnerships to stay one step ahead of 
those individuals who wish to do us harm or commit other criminal acts.
  The bill also authorizes CBP personnel to be posted abroad to perform 
critical preemptive operations to make sure the travelers and visa 
petitioners coming to our country are thoroughly screened and vetted.
  Mr. Speaker, it is imperative for the DHS and its law enforcement 
partners to do everything practicable to screen and vet individuals 
before they arrive at our borders.
  H.R. 4578 underscores this imperative by authorizing the CBP to 
counter terrorist and criminal networks' efforts to infiltrate our 
borders in a way that has proven effective and adaptive.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4578.
  In closing, H.R. 4578 is a bipartisan bill that was unanimously 
approved by the Committee on Homeland Security late last year.
  The partnerships that the CBP has established to disrupt and 
dismantle terrorists and other criminal networks are valuable and merit 
congressional support.

  H.R. 4578 provides the CBP with statutory authority to continue these 
partnerships and it enables CBP personnel to be posted within different 
Federal and international entities in furtherance of their 
antiterrorism and homeland security missions. Congress must continue to 
support this effort, and we can do so today by passing this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the Committee on Homeland 
Security for their support, and I urge my House colleagues to pass H.R. 
4578.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ESTES of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I, once again, urge my colleagues 
to support H.R. 4578, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Estes) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4578.
  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. ESTES of Kansas. 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 motion will be postponed.

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