[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 8 (Friday, January 12, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E40-E41]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DHS OVERSEAS PERSONNEL ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2017

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                  HON. HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, JR.

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 9, 2018

  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4567, 
the DHS Overseas Personnel Enhancement Act of 2017.
  This legislation would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to 
brief the Committee on Homeland Security in the House of 
Representatives and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
Committee in the Senate every six months on the operations of 
Department of Homeland Security personnel that work outside of the 
United States.

[[Page E41]]

  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the newest cabinet 
department in the United States federal government and was created in 
2002 in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks. The 
department's mission is to prevent, prepare for, and respond to 
domestic issues, and it is deeply involved in border security and 
immigration services. In many ways, the DHS is still a fledgling 
cabinet department and H.R. 4567 aims to ensure transparency and 
accountability in this law enforcement body, and to encourage 
interagency communication and collaboration in their shared mission to 
fight terrorism abroad.
  As a federal law enforcement agency, it's important to establish 
oversight rules for the DHS. Government oversight is one of the pillars 
of the American democracy and is a vital part of promoting 
accountability among the powerful. This is even truer of personnel in 
countries outside of the United States, where agents can be operating 
far from a supervisor's watchful eye.
  We, as one of the most powerful nations in the world, must police our 
international presence to prevent abuses of power. As a former member 
of the Armed Services committee, I have long been a supporter of 
ethical practices and even sponsored legislation to review the United 
States treatment of suspected ``unlawful enemy combatants''. In our 
fight against terror worldwide, it's important to make sure that we 
ourselves are upholding the inalienable rights our democracy is founded 
upon.
  H.R. 4567 encourages communication and accountability within the DHS, 
and allows for transparency between this department and the legislative 
branch. I support H.R. 4567 and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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