[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 9, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H49-H50]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SCREENING AND VETTING PASSENGER EXCHANGE ACT OF 2017
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 4581) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to
develop best practices for utilizing advanced passenger information and
passenger name record data for counterterrorism screening and vetting
operations, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4581
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 ``Screening and Vetting
Passenger Exchange Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. PASSENGER SCREENING BEST PRACTICES.
(a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security
shall develop best practices for utilizing advanced passenger
information and passenger name record data for
counterterrorism screening and vetting operations.
(b) Considerations.--The Secretary of Homeland Security
shall, to the greatest extent practicable--
(1) make available to certain countries, including visa
waiver program countries under section 217 of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1187), the best practices
required under subsection (a); and
(2) provide assistance to such countries in implementing
such best practices.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) and the gentleman from California (Mr.
Correa) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days 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 Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today to voice my full support for H.R. 4581, the Screening
and Vetting Passenger Exchange Act of 2017. This legislation directs
the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop best practices for
utilizing advanced passenger information, or API, and passenger names
record data, or PNR, for counterterrorism screening and vetting
operations.
It also enables the Secretary to share those practices with our
allies, including countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program,
and to provide assistance in implementing these practices in those
countries.
Having access to API, which is biographic information, and PNR data,
which is data about reservation and itinerary information, allows our
homeland security professionals to confirm the identities and travel
patterns of potential criminals and terrorists before they enter the
United States.
Allowing our men and women on the front lines to fight against
terrorism, to work with Visa Waiver Program countries to make sure that
they rise to the same standards only increases the safety of our
Nation, the safety of all Americans traveling abroad, and the safety of
all people across the globe. This legislation is a step in the right
direction toward addressing further potential emerging threats.
Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support our Nation's
Homeland Security by supporting my bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 4581, the Screening and Vetting Passenger
Exchange Act of 2017.
Mr. Speaker, the Screening and Vetting Passenger Act of 2017 requires
the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and share best practices
for using data provided by passengers in screening and vetting
operations with our allies around the world.
Since 2014, more than 75 million international travelers have come to
the United States. In recent years, especially during the Obama
administration, great strides were made to use the information
furnished by these incoming travelers to advance security screening and
vetting processes.
Building upon the Department's 2017 last point of departure security
enhancements that sought to raise the bar in physical screenings at
overseas airports with direct flights to the U.S., this bill will
further reinforce security measures and seek to provide our overseas
partners with the capabilities to advance their own vetting and
screening.
No country is immune from terrorism, and this bill will ensure that
the DHS can be a valued partner to nations that work with us.
By providing best practices on passenger screening, H.R. 4581 seeks
to ensure that terrorists seeking to inflict harm are not allowed to
travel without detection.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support this measure, and
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to yield 3 minutes to
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the chairman of the Homeland
Security Committee.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the
Screening and Vetting Passenger Exchange Act. I want to thank
Congressman Fitzpatrick for bringing this important legislation. The
United States is currently experiencing one of the highest terror
threat environments since
9/11.
Despite crushing the caliphate in Iraq and Syria, ISIS continues to
demonstrate its capability to inspire attacks on the West, including in
the homeland. The two terror attacks in New York City late last year
are stark reminders of this reality and the threat facing the United
States. Given the nature of this evolving threat, I established a task
force on denying terrorists entry into the United States last year and
I appointed Representative Mike Gallagher to head up the effort.
I would like to thank all of the members of the task force for their
hard work in making this effort a success. I charged this task force
with examining how terrorists might infiltrate the homeland,
identifying challenges with current U.S. Government information sharing
and vetting procedures, and reviewing the screening agencies' structure
and bureaucracy.
After completing its review, the task force issued a report outlining
its findings and providing seven recommendations designed to address
the identified gaps. These recommendations were the basis for several
of the bills we are considering today. As evidenced by the recent spate
of attacks, there is a large population of radicalized individuals in
Europe who are willing to commit violence in the name of terrorist
groups like ISIS. We must remain vigilant and cannot forget many of
these individuals are just one flight away from the United States.
Given the seriousness of this threat, we must do more at home and
abroad to screen and vet people seeking to enter the United States. The
bills we are considering today will enhance our capabilities by
improving information sharing and promoting efficiencies in the
screening and vetting process, helping ensure the homeland is the best
secured against terrorist infiltration.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close and I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this bill seeks to make international travel more secure
and fosters a strong relationship between our country and our allies.
All nations must increase their vigilance with respect to security
screening. There are thousands of ISIL foot soldiers who may seek to
enter the Western world and other nations to carry out their attacks.
This legislation seeks to harness the United States' best practices and
capabilities to advance the safety of the global aviation community as
we face an agile and evolving enemy.
[[Page H50]]
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this measure, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1415
Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this 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 Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4581.
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. FITZPATRICK. 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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