[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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