[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H141-H143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AUTHORITY OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TO CONSOLIDATE, MODIFY, 
                OR REORGANIZE CUSTOMS REVENUE FUNCTIONS

  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5862) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
relating to authority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to 
consolidate, modify, or reorganize Customs revenue functions, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5862

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

     SECTION 1. AUTHORITY OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TO 
                   CONSOLIDATE, MODIFY, OR REORGANIZE CUSTOMS 
                   REVENUE FUNCTIONS.

       (a) In General.--Section 412 of the Homeland Security Act 
     of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 212(b)) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (1)--
       (i) by striking ``consolidate, discontinue,'' and inserting 
     ``discontinue''; and
       (ii) by inserting after ``reduce the staffing level'' the 
     following: ``below the optimal staffing level determined in 
     the most recent Resource Allocation Model required by section 
     301(h) of the Customs Procedural Reform and Simplification 
     Act of 1978 (19 U.S.C. 2075(h))''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, National Account 
     Managers, International Trade Analysts'' after ``Financial 
     Systems Specialists''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Authority to Consolidate, Modify, or Reorganize 
     Customs Revenue Functions.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
     Border Protection may, subject to subsection (b), 
     consolidate, modify, or reorganize customs revenue functions 
     delegated to the Commissioner under subsection (a), including 
     by adding such functions to existing positions or 
     establishing new or modifying existing job series, grades, 
     titles, or classifications for personnel, and associated 
     support staff, performing such functions, in consultation 
     with the Office of Personnel Management.
       ``(2) Position classification standards.--At the request of 
     the Commissioner, the Director of the Office of Personnel 
     Management shall establish new position classification 
     standards for any new positions established by the 
     Commissioner under paragraph (1).''.
       (b) Technical Correction.--Section 412(a)(1) of the 
     Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 212(a)(1)) is amended 
     by striking ``403(a)(1)'' and inserting ``403(1)''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Valadao). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Panetta) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

[[Page H142]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Nebraska?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, America's trading relationships, as well as the 
challenges we face in trade around the world, are evolving every day. 
We must respond to those challenges now, not years in the future.
  Families, farmers, workers, and small businesses rely on us to look 
out for them in an increasingly complex world.
  Last year, the Committee on Ways and Means traveled to the port of 
Staten Island in New York and a cattle auction barn in Minnesota to 
listen to the American people whose livelihoods depend on international 
trade. They all asked Congress to do more to insist on strong 
enforcement of our trade laws.
  The bill before us, H.R. 5862, will help address the challenges of 
ever-changing threats around the world through more effective 
enforcement of U.S. trade laws. It takes six narrowly defined jobs at 
Customs and Border Protection and replaces them with a single position 
of trade specialist in the agency's Office of International Trade.
  This streamlining will make CBP respond faster and more effectively 
to our Nation's trade challenges and protect and defend America's 
economic interests.
  I thank the bill's sponsor and author, certainly, Representative 
Steel, as well as Representative Panetta, for taking the lead on this 
critical issue for American workers and the security of our supply 
chains. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure that American 
workers, families, farmers, and small businesses are not left behind.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5862, the Global Trade 
Specialist Act. It is legislation that I am proud to have co-led with 
my friend and fellow Californian, Representative Steel.
  It is a bill that would allow Customs and Border Protection to 
fulfill the position of global trade specialist, which would help 
facilitate and further our Nation's trade by giving CBP the flexibility 
to flow with the future of international trade.
  As we know well, Customs and Border Protection has an important role 
to play when it comes to supporting trade. That is why CBP should also 
have the proper authority to modernize their staffing as the trade 
environment evolves.
  Currently, CBP's Office of International Trade has several distinct 
but separate trade positions. This includes jobs such as import 
specialists, international trade analysts, management and program 
analysts, trade economists, auditors, attorneys, and so forth. These 
jobs do help CBP execute and enforce U.S. trade laws and ultimately 
protect our American economy, but there is a position missing, and that 
is a global trade specialist.
  CBP has created such a position, but it doesn't have the flexibility, 
nor does it have the legal authority to hire for this position. Our 
legislation would give CBP that needed authority and so much more.
  The global trade specialist position would allow CBP to realign and 
reshape the workforce in response to the evolving trade environment. It 
would be able to do this because the position also would better utilize 
and focus existing resources and Customs' revenue functions. It would 
give CBP more flexibility to modernize its trade workforce, to retain 
its employees, and to build its institutional knowledge. It would equip 
trade employees to more effectively execute trade enforcement and 
compliance operations. It would increase professional development 
opportunities.
  Ultimately, by making trade facilitation jobs more attractive and 
rewarding rather than bureaucratic and boring, this legislation would 
enhance CBP's responsibility to recruit and retain staff and meet the 
mandated staffing levels as set forth in the Homeland Security Act of 
2002.
  In the formulation of this bipartisan legislation, I am not only 
proud to have worked with my fellow Ways and Means and California 
colleague, Mrs. Steel, but it was built from provisions that were 
included in both the House's America COMPETES Act and the Senate's 
United States Innovation and Competition Act.
  We also have incorporated feedback from CBP to ensure that this 
provision would work as intended and made additional changes at the 
request of Office and Personnel Management.
  Lastly, this legislation is supported by the National Treasury 
Employees Union, which represents CBP workers.
  Due to its broad support, this legislation passed unanimously at that 
Ways and Means Committee markup last November. I thank Chairman Adrian 
Smith and, of course, Ranking Member Neal for supporting this 
bipartisan bill that is the product of good-faith collaboration.
  It is a bill, Mr. Speaker, that will allow CBP employees to go beyond 
a bureaucratic role and actually allow CBP to be creative, to be 
flexible, and to be forward-thinking when it comes to the ebbs and 
flows and the future of trade.
  That is why I worked on this legislation, that is why I fully support 
its passage, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on 
the Global Trade Specialist Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1715

  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Steel), an author of the bill.
  Mrs. STEEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to 
support H.R. 5862, the Global Trade Specialist Act.
  I am proud to have introduced this bipartisan legislation with fellow 
Californian, Congressman   Jimmy Panetta.
  In the 20-plus years since Congress created the Department of 
Homeland Security, the world has changed drastically. That means 
reforms are needed to improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection's 
global trade operations.
  For over 5 years, CBP has requested authorization to create a global 
trade specialist position within its International Trade Office. This 
position would improve trade law enforcement and facilitate legitimate 
trade.
  My bill will make narrowly tailored updates to help CBP respond to 
ever-evolving trade challenges by better utilizing existing personnel 
within CBP.
  Both the House and Senate already passed bills that would grant CBP 
the authority to create a global trade specialist position, but neither 
bill has yet been enacted into law.
  The Ways and Means Committee has repeatedly heard hearing testimony 
about how a global trade specialist position within CBP will better 
serve the needs of American workers and safeguard supply chains. That 
is why the Ways and Means Committee passed the bill unanimously by a 
margin of 42-0 in November of last year.
  As geopolitical relationships change more rapidly and drastically in 
the modern world, it is critical that we empower CBP to operate as 
efficiently as possible. This legislation will empower CBP to address 
the dynamic and urgent nature of U.S. trade enforcement and help 
maintain American dominance in the global economy.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote to finally get this commonsense 
solution across the finish line for the American people.
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  In closing, as you have heard, Mr. Speaker, this legislation has 
broad bipartisan support and support from the CBP. It really is 
critical that we modernize our trade administration as our trade 
environment is changing faster than ever. CBP's staffing model must 
evolve, and Congress must do its part to facilitate that evolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, 
to send this to the Senate and ultimately to the President's desk for 
signature into law.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for very 
sufficiently described the bill, why we need to do it, and the details 
contained in the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I certainly urge my colleagues to support the bill, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.

[[Page H143]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5862, 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. SMITH of Nebraska. 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.

                          ____________________