[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.
____________________