[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 96 (Monday, June 10, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H4373-H4375]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             DHS OVERSEAS PERSONNEL ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2019

  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2590) to require a Department of Homeland Security overseas 
personnel enhancement plan, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2590

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

[[Page H4374]]

  


     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``DHS Overseas Personnel 
     Enhancement Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. OVERSEAS PERSONNEL BRIEFING.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after submission of 
     the comprehensive 3-year strategy required under section 1910 
     of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
     2017 (Public Law 114-328) and every 180 days thereafter, the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security shall brief the Committee on 
     Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 
     the Senate regarding Department of Homeland Security 
     personnel with primary duties that take place outside of the 
     United States.
       (b) Requirements.--The briefings required under subsection 
     (a) shall include the following:
       (1) A detailed summary of, and deployment schedule for, 
     each type of personnel position with primary duties that take 
     place outside of the United States and how each such position 
     contributes to the Department of Homeland Security's 
     counterterrorism mission.
       (2) Information related to how the geographic and regional 
     placement of such positions contributes to the Department's 
     counterterrorism mission.
       (3) Information related to any risk mitigation plans for 
     each geographic and regional placement, including to address 
     counter-intelligence risks.
       (4) Information regarding the costs of deploying or 
     maintaining personnel at each geographic and regional 
     placement, including information on any cost-sharing 
     agreement with foreign partners to cover a portion or all the 
     costs relating to such deployment or maintenance.
       (5) Maintain and enhance practices to guard against 
     counter-espionage and counter-intelligence threats, including 
     cyber threats, associated with Department personnel.
       (6) Information regarding trends in foreign efforts to 
     influence such personnel while deployed overseas to 
     contribute to the Department's counterterrorism mission.
       (7) Information related to the position-specific training 
     received by such personnel before and during placement at a 
     foreign location.
       (8) Challenges that may impede the communication of 
     counterterrorism information between Department personnel at 
     foreign locations and Department entities in the United 
     States, including technical, resource, and administrative 
     challenges.
       (9) The status of efforts to implement the strategy 
     referred to in subsection (a).
       (10) The status of efforts (beginning with the second 
     briefing required under this section) to implement the 
     enhancement plan under section 3.

     SEC. 3. OVERSEAS PERSONNEL ENHANCEMENT PLAN.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the first 
     briefing required under section 2, the Secretary shall submit 
     to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House and the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 
     the Senate a plan to enhance the effectiveness of Department 
     of Homeland Security personnel at foreign locations.
       (b) Plan Requirements.--The plan required under subsection 
     (a) shall include proposals to--
       (1) improve efforts of Department of Homeland Security 
     personnel at foreign locations, as necessary, for purposes of 
     providing foreign partner capacity development and furthering 
     the Department's counterterrorism mission;
       (2) as appropriate, redeploy Department personnel to 
     respond to changing threats to the United States;
       (3) enhance collaboration among Department personnel at 
     foreign locations, other Federal personnel at foreign 
     locations, and foreign partners;
       (4) improve the communication of counterterrorism 
     information between Department personnel at foreign locations 
     and Department entities in the United States, including to 
     address technical, resource, and administrative challenges; 
     and
       (5) maintain practices to guard against counter-espionage 
     threats associated with Department personnel.

     SEC. 4. TERMINATION.

       The briefing requirement under section 2 shall terminate on 
     the date that is four years after the submission of the 
     strategy referred to in such section.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Correa) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) 
each will control 20 minutes.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  June 10, 2019, on page H4374, the following appeared: The 
SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Correa) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Crenshaw) each will control 20 minutes.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: The SPEAKER pro 
tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Correa) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) each will 
control 20 minutes.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous materials on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2590, the DHS Overseas 
Personnel Enhancement Act of 2019.
  A key feature of how the Department of Homeland Security carries out 
its border security mission is the deployment of personnel abroad to 
help ensure that threats are identified and addressed before they ever 
reach our borders.
  For our part, Congress has a role to play to ensure the Department 
has the right policies and resources to keep Americans safe, both at 
home and abroad.
  H.R. 2590 builds on the existing Federal mandate that requires DHS to 
have a 3-year strategic plan for overseas deployment of DHS personnel. 
The mandate enacted in 2017 was authored by the chairman of the 
Committee of Homeland Security, Representative Thompson.
  H.R. 2590 would strengthen the strategic plan by requiring DHS to 
provide regular congressional briefings about overseas personnel. 
Following the first briefings, DHS would be required to submit a 
strategic plan to enhance the effectiveness of its overseas personnel 
deployments to Congress.
  Subsequent briefings would track DHS efforts to enhance the 
effectiveness of its personnel in foreign locations.

                              {time}  1600

  During committee markup of this bill, Democrats offered amendments to 
ensure that DHS prioritizes efforts to mitigate the risks and 
counterintelligence threats facing DHS personnel living overseas. As 
amended, it requires DHS to report on foreign efforts to influence our 
personnel and maintain practices to guard against these threats, 
including counterintelligence and cyber threats.
  Pushing our borders out to mitigate threats to the homeland before 
they ever reach our shores is an important endeavor and one we should 
all support. Providing the basic information in H.R. 2590 will help 
Congress better understand who DHS is deploying overseas and to what 
end and how we can best support components with overseas missions.
  I would note that DHS has yet to provide Congress with a 3-year 
strategy required by statute and requested by Chairman Thompson years 
ago. I hope that we do not have to wait much longer before receiving 
this strategy and additional information about how DHS is using its 
workforce overseas.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2590, the 
Department of Homeland Security Overseas Personnel Enhancement Act of 
2019. This bipartisan legislation will ensure the Department of 
Homeland Security develops personnel overseas in a strategic, 
effective, and efficient manner that will address threats before they 
reach the United States shores, while improving our relationships with 
foreign partners.
  The United States Government positions many personnel from across the 
Federal Government overseas to liaise with their foreign counterparts, 
strengthen relationships, and build capacity with them. The Department 
of Homeland Security does this to support its critical counterterrorism 
mission.
  H.R. 2590 will ensure that personnel deployed by Homeland Security 
overseas receive adequate training and mission support, while having 
their important perspectives heard by their colleagues back in the 
United States.
  Moreover, this bill addresses the importance of foreign-based 
Homeland Security personnel to effectively coordinate with other 
Federal partners, such as the FBI, in support of the Department's 
counterterror missions.
  We face an ever-changing threat landscape which presents new 
challenges to securing air travel, public spaces, surface 
transportation, and critical infrastructure from terror attacks. It is 
imperative that we work together with foreign partners to share 
information, build capacity, and learn from each other to respond to a 
dynamic threat environment, much the same as I did for many years on 
State, local, and Federal gang task forces.
  I thank Representative Watson Coleman for cosponsoring this important 
legislation, as well as Ranking Member Rogers and Chairman Thompson for 
their support of this measure. I also want to thank my good friend from 
California (Mr. Correa), who is handling the bill on the Democratic 
side.

[[Page H4375]]

  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank my colleague 
from New York (Mr. Katko) for this fine piece of legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers. I am prepared to close after 
the gentleman from New York closes as well, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, this important bill seeks to ensure our 
overseas efforts to protect the homeland are as effective and strategic 
as possible. I again urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, by passing H.R. 2590 today, Congress can ensure that our 
borders are being pushed out to mitigate threats to the homeland and 
that DHS overseas personnel are being deployed effectively and 
efficiently.
  I would also add that this measure was passed by the House in the 
115th Congress by a vote of 415-0. I hope that my colleagues will lend 
their support and join me in passing this legislation again today.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Correa) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2590, 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. CORREA. 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.

                          ____________________