[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23500-23501]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                9/11 RECOMMENDATIONS IMPLEMENTATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 8, 2004

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 10) to 
     provide for reform of the intelligence community, terrorism 
     prevention and prosecution, border security, and 
     international cooperation and co-ordination, and for other 
     purposes:

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the 
amendment offered by the Gentleman from Indiana designated as #29. This 
amendment directs the

[[Page 23501]]

Secretary of Homeland Security to ``ensure that all appropriate 
personnel engaged in security screening of individuals have access to 
law enforcement and intelligence information maintained by DHS.'' It 
also calls for the submission of an overview of all the agencies, 
databases, and other capabilities that exist within the Department 
involved in intelligence relating to terrorism, drug trafficking, 
illegal immigration, screening, investigations, and inspection of goods 
or individuals entering the United States. Furthermore, this amendment 
would require the submission of a report to Congress within 180 days on 
actions taken and plans in place to improve access and the flow of 
information.
  Proposals that seek to ensure that DHS is functioning efficiently, 
effectively, and in accordance with the U.S. Constitution with respect 
to individual rights and liberties should be supported fully because 
the function of DHS is a bi-partisan issue. Protecting the American 
people is a bi-partisan issue.
  Similar to this amendment, I would have offered a proposal that would 
make the ``Next Generation Airline Passenger Prescreening'' provision 
(Section 2173) more effective while taking active measures to protect 
individual rights and liberties.
  The existing language in Subsection (i) of Section 2173(a)(C) assigns 
the task of testing the next generation passenger prescreening system 
against automatic selectee and no-fly lists and records in the 
consolidated and integrated terrorist watchlist maintained by the 
Federal Government to the ``Assistant Secretary or designee.'' This is 
a very loose assignment of a very important task. Moreover, the duties 
of the Assistant Secretary would hardly allow for the time and effort 
that is necessary to perform the functions of this provision to address 
the needs of the American public.
  The Jackson Lee Amendment would have assigned this task rather to the 
``Civil Liberties Protection Officer'' or designee thereof--in 
consultation with the Assistant Secretary. Therefore, this amendment 
would have added teeth to the existing provision in the area of 
personnel assignment.
  The Civil Liberties Protection Officer is the most appropriate 
personnel to perform this function.
  Therefore, it is very important that we not only make this 
legislation efficient and thorough but that we craft it to protect 
civil rights and civil liberties. Mr. Chairman, I ask that my 
colleagues support the amendment by the Gentleman.

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