[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2479-2484]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        FAST REDRESS ACT OF 2009

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and pass the bill (H.R. 559) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 
to establish an appeal and redress process for individuals wrongly 
delayed or prohibited from boarding a flight, or denied a right, 
benefit, or privilege, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

[[Page 2480]]



                                H.R. 559

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Fair, Accurate, Secure, and 
     Timely Redress Act of 2009'' or the ``FAST Redress Act of 
     2009''.

     SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF APPEAL AND REDRESS PROCESS FOR 
                   INDIVIDUALS WRONGLY DELAYED OR PROHIBITED FROM 
                   BOARDING A FLIGHT, OR DENIED A RIGHT, BENEFIT, 
                   OR PRIVILEGE.

       (a) In General.--Subtitle H of title VIII of the Homeland 
     Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new section:

     ``SEC. 890A. APPEAL AND REDRESS PROCESS FOR PASSENGERS 
                   WRONGLY DELAYED OR PROHIBITED FROM BOARDING A 
                   FLIGHT, OR DENIED A RIGHT, BENEFIT, OR 
                   PRIVILEGE.

       ``(a) Establishment.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 
     establish a timely and fair process for individuals who 
     believe they were delayed or prohibited from boarding a 
     commercial aircraft or denied a right, benefit, or privilege 
     because they were wrongly identified as a threat when 
     screened against any terrorist watchlist or database used by 
     the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) or any 
     office or component of the Department.
       ``(b) Office of Appeals and Redress.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish in the 
     Department an Office of Appeals and Redress to implement, 
     coordinate, and execute the process established by the 
     Secretary pursuant to subsection (a). The Office shall 
     include representatives from the TSA and such other offices 
     and components of the Department as the Secretary determines 
     appropriate.
       ``(2) Comprehensive cleared list.--The process established 
     by the Secretary pursuant to subsection (a) shall include the 
     establishment of a method by which the Office, under the 
     direction of the Secretary, will maintain and appropriately 
     disseminate a comprehensive list, to be known as the 
     `Comprehensive Cleared List', of individuals who--
       ``(A) were misidentified as an individual on any terrorist 
     watchlist or database;
       ``(B) completed an approved Department of Homeland Security 
     appeal and redress request and provided such additional 
     information as required by the Department to verify the 
     individual's identity; and
       ``(C) permit the use of their personally identifiable 
     information to be shared between multiple Departmental 
     components for purposes of this section.
       ``(3) Use of comprehensive cleared list.--
       ``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall--
       ``(i) except as provided in subparagraph (B), transmit to 
     the TSA or any other appropriate office or component of the 
     Department, other Federal, State, local, and tribal entities, 
     and domestic air carriers and foreign air carriers that use 
     any terrorist watchlist or database, the Comprehensive 
     Cleared List and any other information the Secretary 
     determines necessary to resolve misidentifications and 
     improve the administration of the advanced passenger 
     prescreening system and reduce the number of false positives; 
     and
       ``(ii) ensure that the Comprehensive Cleared List is taken 
     into account by all appropriate offices or components of the 
     Department when assessing the security risk of an individual.
       ``(B) Termination.--
       ``(i) In general.--The transmission of the Comprehensive 
     Cleared List to domestic air carriers and foreign air 
     carriers under clause (i) of subparagraph (A) shall terminate 
     on the date on which the Federal Government assumes terrorist 
     watchlist or database screening functions.
       ``(ii) Written notification to congress.--Not later than 15 
     days after the date on which the transmission of the 
     Comprehensive Cleared List to the air carriers referred to in 
     clause (i) of this subparagraph terminates in accordance with 
     such clause, the Secretary shall provide written notification 
     to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation and the Committee on Homeland Security and 
     Governmental Affairs of the Senate of such termination.
       ``(4) Intergovernmental efforts.--The Secretary may--
       ``(A) enter into memoranda of understanding with other 
     Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies or entities, as 
     necessary, to improve the appeal and redress process and for 
     other purposes such as to verify an individual's identity and 
     personally identifiable information; and
       ``(B) work with other Federal, State, local, and tribal 
     agencies or entities that use any terrorist watchlist or 
     database to ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, that 
     the Comprehensive Cleared List is considered when assessing 
     the security risk of an individual.
       ``(5) Handling of personally identifiable information.--The 
     Secretary, in conjunction with the Chief Privacy Officer of 
     the Department, shall--
       ``(A) require that Federal employees of the Department 
     handling personally identifiable information of individuals 
     (in this paragraph referred to as `PII') complete mandatory 
     privacy and security training prior to being authorized to 
     handle PII;
       ``(B) ensure that the information maintained under this 
     subsection is secured by encryption, including one-way 
     hashing, data anonymization techniques, or such other 
     equivalent technical security protections as the Secretary 
     determines necessary;
       ``(C) limit the information collected from misidentified 
     passengers or other individuals to the minimum amount 
     necessary to resolve an appeal and redress request;
       ``(D) ensure that the information maintained under this 
     subsection is shared or transferred via an encrypted data 
     network that has been audited to ensure that the anti-hacking 
     and other security related software functions perform 
     properly and are updated as necessary;
       ``(E) ensure that any employee of the Department receiving 
     the information maintained under this subsection handles such 
     information in accordance with section 552a of title 5, 
     United States Code, the Federal Information Security 
     Management Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296), and other 
     applicable laws;
       ``(F) only retain the information maintained under this 
     subsection for as long as needed to assist the individual 
     traveler in the appeal and redress process;
       ``(G) engage in cooperative agreements with appropriate 
     Federal agencies and entities, on a reimbursable basis, to 
     ensure that legal name changes are properly reflected in any 
     terrorist watchlist or database and the Comprehensive Cleared 
     List to improve the appeal and redress process and to ensure 
     the most accurate lists of identifications possible (except 
     that section 552a of title 5, United States Code, shall not 
     prohibit the sharing of legal name changes among Federal 
     agencies and entities for the purposes of this section); and
       ``(H) conduct and publish a privacy impact assessment of 
     the appeal and redress process established under this section 
     and transmit the assessment to the Committee on Homeland 
     Security of the House of Representatives, and the Committee 
     on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on 
     Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
       ``(6) Initiation of appeal and redress process at 
     airports.--At each airport at which--
       ``(A) the Department has a presence, the Office shall 
     provide written information to air carrier passengers to 
     begin the appeal and redress process established pursuant to 
     subsection (a); and
       ``(B) the Department has a significant presence, provide 
     the written information referred to in subparagraph (A) and 
     ensure a TSA supervisor who is trained in such appeal and 
     redress process is available to provide support to air 
     carrier passengers in need of guidance concerning such 
     process.
       ``(7) Report to congress.--Not later than 240 days after 
     the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
     shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the 
     House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
     Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Homeland 
     Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on 
     the status of information sharing among users at the 
     Department of any terrorist watchlist or database. The report 
     shall include the following information:
       ``(A) A description of the processes and the status of the 
     implementation of this section to share the Comprehensive 
     Cleared List with other Department offices and components and 
     other Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities that 
     utilize any terrorist watchlist or database.
       ``(B) A description of the extent to which such other 
     Department offices and components are taking into account the 
     Comprehensive Cleared List.
       ``(C) Data on the number of individuals who have sought and 
     successfully obtained redress through the Office of Appeals 
     and Redress.
       ``(D) Data on the number of individuals who have sought and 
     were denied redress through the Office of Appeals and 
     Redress.
       ``(E) An assessment of what impact information sharing of 
     the Comprehensive Cleared List has had on misidentifications 
     of individuals who have successfully obtained redress through 
     the Office of Appeals and Redress.
       ``(F) An updated privacy impact assessment.
       ``(c) Terrorist Watchlist or Database Defined.--In this 
     section, the term `terrorist watchlist or database' means any 
     terrorist watchlist or database used by the Transportation 
     Security Administration or any office or component of the 
     Department of Homeland Security or specified in Homeland 
     Security Presidential Directive-6, in effect as of the date 
     of the enactment of this section.''.
       (b) Incorporation of Secure Flight.--Section 44903(j)(2) of 
     title 49, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (C)(iii)--
       (A) by redesignating subclauses (II) through (VII) as 
     subclauses (III) through (VIII), respectively; and
       (B) by inserting after subclause (I) the following new 
     subclause:

[[Page 2481]]

       ``(II) ensure, not later than 30 days after the date of the 
     enactment of the FAST Redress Act of 2009, that the procedure 
     established under subclause (I) is incorporated into the 
     appeals and redress process established under section 890A of 
     the Homeland Security Act of 2002;'';

       (2) in subparagraph (E)(iii), by inserting before the 
     period at the end the following: ``, in accordance with the 
     appeals and redress process established under section 890A of 
     the Homeland Security Act of 2002''; and
       (3) in subparagraph (G)--
       (A) in clause (i), by adding at the end the following new 
     sentence: ``The Assistant Secretary shall incorporate the 
     process established pursuant to this clause into the appeals 
     and redress process established under section 890A of the 
     Homeland Security Act of 2002.''; and
       (B) in clause (ii), by adding at the end the following new 
     sentence: ``The Assistant Secretary shall incorporate the 
     record established and maintained pursuant to this clause 
     into the Comprehensive Cleared List established and 
     maintained under such section 890A.''.
       (c) Conforming Amendment.--Title 49, United States Code, is 
     amended by striking section 44926 (and the item relating to 
     such section in the analysis for chapter 449 of title 49).
       (d) Clerical Amendment.--Section 1(b) of the Homeland 
     Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101(b)) is amended by adding 
     after the item relating to section 890 the following new 
     item:

``Sec. 890A. Appeal and redress process for passengers wrongly delayed 
              or prohibited from boarding a flight, or denied a right, 
              benefit, or privilege.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Olson) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.


                             General Leave

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on the bill 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
bill, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  H.R. 559, the Fair, Accurate, Secure, and Timely Redress Act--or the 
FAST Redress Act--was first introduced by Representative Clarke in the 
last Congress. Ms. Clarke is to be commended for her effort in steering 
this legislation through the House in a cooperative, bipartisan way.
  H.R. 559 was marked up and was approved on a bipartisan basis by the 
Committee's Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection 
Subcommittee in the last Congress. Last June, the bill was unanimously 
passed by the House, but unfortunately, it was not signed into law. 
With our new President, I believe this bill will soon become law.
  Everyone complains about the lack of sanity in the watch list 
process, but few have dared to wade into all the ins and outs of the 
system. Representative Clarke has done just that, and this legislation 
is the product of her thoughtful undertaking.
  As you know, Mr. Speaker, this issue is of great concern to me as 
well. We must have prudent security policies, and these policies must 
ensure that people are not improperly identified as potential 
terrorists or are on any watch list or database. This bill promotes 
security while also protecting civil liberties. President Obama's 
swearing-in began a new era in our homeland and national security 
policies, and smart legislation, like these measures before us today, 
will be well served by our new leadership.
  Certainly, the practice of watch-listing individuals plays an 
important role in identifying possible terror suspects. It is important 
to keep in mind that the watch list is only as good as the information 
on it. Without accurate, complete and reliable information, the purpose 
of a watch list is frustrated, and the database becomes unreliable.
  Fixing the watch list and reducing misidentifications is a 
particularly difficult challenge. To meet this challenge, all of the 
intelligence and law enforcement components that populate the list need 
to come together and need to agree to clean it up. Unfortunately, this 
has not happened.
  Since February 2007, over 32,000 Americans have sought redress 
through the DHS Traveler and Redress Inquiry Program, also known as DHS 
TRIP. Each individual voluntarily provides personal information to 
establish his or her identity. When there is a determination that this 
person is not a threat, his name is placed on a cleared list that is 
maintained by the Transportation Security Administration. This cleared 
list is populated with names of individuals who have the same or 
similar names as someone on the no fly or selectee list, but they have 
proven that they are not the people on the list. The cleared list is 
then only shared with the airlines for screening purposes, not with all 
other agencies that use the watch list.
  Under H.R. 559, the updated information would be shared throughout 
DHS and with other Federal agencies that use the terrorist watch list 
or database. This would ensure that individuals who are cleared under 
the redress process are not stopped as potential terrorists by other 
Federal agencies.
  Specifically, H.R. 559 requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to 
establish the Office of Appeals and Redress to provide a timely and 
fair redress process. The Office of Appeals and Redress is directed to 
maintain a comprehensive cleared list that contains the names of 
individuals who have been misidentified and who have corrected 
erroneous information. The comprehensive cleared list would be made 
available to those who would use the terrorist watch list or database 
to resolve misidentification.
  The bill directs TSA, CBP, the Coast Guard, and other DHS components 
to reference the Comprehensive Cleared List when assessing the security 
risk of an individual. This will ensure that individuals, such as our 
esteemed colleague from Georgia, Congressman John Lewis, will not be 
repeatedly stopped or delayed or will not have to seek redress from 
different components in the same Federal agency. Importantly, the 
measure includes protections to ensure that personally identifiable 
information is handled in accordance with privacy laws. Once enacted, 
individuals who go through the trouble of clearing their names will not 
have to repeat the exercise again and again.
  With the inauguration of President Obama, America enters a new 
chapter, and this bill moves our security policies forward in a manner 
that protects our homeland and our civil liberties.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of every John Lewis and others who are 
frequently misidentified on the watch list, I urge swift passage of 
this bill.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of the Fair, Accurate, Secure, and Timely 
Redress Act of 2009.
  At the outset, I would like to thank Ms. Clarke of New York for her 
bipartisan outreach in crafting this worthy piece of legislation. Her 
efforts to ensure that Republican concerns were addressed before 
bringing this legislation to the floor are truly admirable and 
appreciated.
  Mr. Speaker, throughout numerous hearings and briefings by executives 
in the Government Accountability Office, our committee has heard 
repeatedly that the terrorist watch list works. Recent GAO reports have 
stated, ``The watch list has helped screening agencies assess the 
potential threat a person poses and take a wide range of 
counterterrorism responses. The watch list has helped support law 
enforcement investigations and the intelligence community by tracking 
the movements of known or appropriately suspected terrorists and 
collecting information about them.''
  The bottom line is that the terrorist watch list keeps known or 
suspected terrorists out of our neighborhoods. However, this comes at a 
cost. Every month, Federal, State and local law enforcement officials 
screen some 270 million individuals against a new and constantly 
evolving consolidated terrorist watch list.

[[Page 2482]]



                              {time}  1630

  Since 2004, a known or suspected terrorist has been encountered some 
600,000 times. Some suspects were arrested, many were refused entry 
into the United States but all were identified to local law enforcement 
officials.
  Nevertheless, the system is not perfect and sometimes mistakes are 
made. The problem with this name-based system is compounded by the fact 
that some individuals have over 50 identities on the watch list. 
Occasionally this leads to misidentifications between law-abiding 
Americans and watch-listed identities.
  These misidentifications are not simply persons with Arab names, as 
the press would have you believe. Actors, writers, and yes, even 
Congressmen have been tripped up by the terrorist watch list. The 
legislation before us enables a reasonable process to ensure that once 
a misidentified individual seeks redress through the Department's 
Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, the results of that process are 
transmitted to DHS entities to prevent further inconveniences.
  Perhaps the single most important provision in this bill is the 
requirement that the Department better advertise its redress process. 
When I hear from constituents that they are being misidentified as a 
watch-listed individual, I am disturbed that they have not heard of the 
Department's process to seek redress.
  This bill requires the Department to advertise its redress process at 
each airport and have staff on hand at the largest airports to explain 
the process and answer questions from the travelling public.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. This is a bipartisan bill. I ask 
that all Members join me in supporting this legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentlelady from New York (Ms. Clarke) who has championed this issue 
ever since her arrival on the Homeland Security Committee. And 
obviously this is her bill and we support it.
  Ms. CLARKE. Mr. Speaker, nearly everyone in the homeland security 
community agrees that having a single comprehensive list of terrorist 
suspects is an important tool in keeping America safe. However, there 
are flaws in how the terrorist watch list is maintained and used.
  Over the years, this list has grown to have over 1.1 million entries. 
With so many different names on the list, it is not surprising that 
every single day countless Americans are misidentified as terrorists.
  The errors most commonly occur when an innocent person's name happens 
to be similar to the one listed in the database. For example, if your 
name is Al Smith and there is an A. Smith on the list, guess what? 
You're going to be caught. This is even worse for the millions of 
American residents who have names which can have different 
pronunciations or ways of spellings.
  This wastes time both for law enforcement, because they're using 
resources investigating innocent people, and for the general public who 
face the prospect of being wrongfully detained and possibly altogether 
prevented from going about their business. Most commonly, this affects 
air travelers who are screened against a watch list more often than 
anyone else.
  Currently, each time a reservation is made, airlines must determine 
whether a customer is a potential match based on information from us, 
from the government. Every day, thousands of people are pulled aside, 
required to go through special procedures, detained, or even denied 
boarding altogether at great personal and financial costs to the 
frustrated travelers who've missed flights. For private citizens, this 
can lead to ruined plans. These practices have, in essence, begun the 
process of eroding the foundation on which our civil liberties were 
built.
  However, at a time when we're doing everything we can to stimulate 
the economy, this problem can be catastrophic for business travelers 
and companies. The inability for thousands of people to travel for work 
puts jobs in jeopardy. And for every employee unable to make a meeting 
because of being mistakenly denied boarding, companies needlessly lose 
productivity. This is a waste when Congress is spending money to help 
commerce grow.
  Furthermore, because the terrorist watch list is used by many 
different screening agencies, other people have also been impacted by 
this problem, including anyone whose license plates are run by local 
law enforcement; port workers who have been incorrectly denied a 
Transportation Worker Identification Card, which is now required to 
work at port facilities in the U.S.; international travelers delayed or 
denied entry into the country by CBP, and potential foreign visitors 
denied visas by the State Department.
  In the future, this will likely become a greater issue as more 
potentially sensitive activities are tied to screening against the 
watch list.
  This is why I originally introduced the FAST Redress Act, which I'm 
proud to say passed the House last year with very strong bipartisan 
support. Unfortunately, despite more bipartisan support in the Senate, 
the other chamber ultimately failed to move this forward.
  Therefore, I have reintroduced this bill in the 111th Congress in the 
hope that this time we can push it through and help millions of people. 
The FAST Redress Act solves the misidentification problems by granting 
DHS the tools to create a department-wide office of redress and 
appeals--a one-stop shop for any individual who feels they're being 
incorrectly identified as a terrorist whenever they have contact with 
the government.
  This bill will greatly streamline the process for the countless 
people who, just because of their names, are regularly misidentified as 
a terrorist, creating a single, highly visible office within the 
government for everyone who wants to clear their names.
  I'm glad to see the U.S. House of Representatives taking up this bill 
once again--and doing so with such speed-- demonstrating the strong 
show of support to help the people affected by this issue.
  I'm very thankful to Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member King for 
their great bipartisan leadership in pushing the FAST Redress Act 
forward; Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee and ranking member, I also 
thank them. I thank the staff on both sides of the Homeland Security 
Committee for their hard work and the time they put into this bill, and 
my own senior legislative aid for Homeland Security, Mr. Daniel Hattis, 
for his hard work, his vigilance, and his commitment for making the 
FAST Redress Act the law of the land.
  Further, this bill has received strong support from the National 
Business Travelers Association, which has recognized that the problem 
of misidentification hurts the economy and how this bill benefits the 
business travel committee.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in support of this bipartisan support
  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe).
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for 
real economic stimulus legislation. With terrible economic news coming 
in all the time, I'm eager to support legislation that will spur 
economic investment and put an infrastructure in place that will 
promote future economic development.
  Folks in east Tennessee will tell you that the bill the House passed 
last week is a bad bill. It's bloated by wasteful spending. Back home, 
we're adapting to this troubling economic climate by tightening our 
belts and clamping down on unnecessary spending.
  Many people are understandably upset that the Federal Government's 
reaction is exactly the opposite. They're amazed when we're prepared to 
spend an additional $819 billion of their money after a $700 billion 
bailout that was spent without anyone being able to give a straight 
answer about where the money went. They're skeptical of the results 
that we're getting, and so am I.

[[Page 2483]]

  I think there are a few stimulative activities we should be taking a 
good look at. First, we should return more of the money we're taking in 
in Washington through tax cuts for people who pay taxes. In my opinion, 
and in the opinion of many economic experts, this is one of the most 
effective measures we can take. I would also cut taxes for small 
business who are going to create the jobs we need to get out of this 
economic crisis. These businesses can use this money to reinvest in 
plant equipment.
  This weekend, I met a young man named Mike who is in deep trouble 
with his two restaurants. He doesn't have the capital to keep going on. 
He hires 21 people. This is someone we need to desperately help, and 
this story can be repeated across this Nation.
  To those who've been put out of a job, I would eliminate the taxes on 
unemployment insurance. It is so counterproductive to provide people 
these benefits only to turn around and take part of the benefit right 
back, and it doesn't make any sense.
  As a former mayor, I would also encourage meaningful infrastructure 
investment focused on improving our Nation's roads, sewers, and 
education. I know from my experience that these improvements lay the 
groundwork for future economic development that will benefit our 
children's generation. In Johnson City, Tennessee, the investments we 
made several years ago make our city attractive to businesses and 
homebuyers, which in turn promote economic development.
  I hope the majority party will take these suggestions and incorporate 
them into their package so that the next bill we consider on the House 
floor will be an American stimulus package, not a Democrat or 
Republican stimulus package.
  Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from the 
State of Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis).
  Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to use my time today to 
compliment the bipartisan work of the Committee on Homeland Security. 
The bill before you, the FAST Redress Act of 2009, is the result of 
extensive bipartisan negotiations. This is what my constituents asked 
for when they elected me to Congress.
  The people of Wyoming want to see the parties working together for 
the good of the American people. And this bill is an example of the 
type of bipartisanship that I hoped to see when I came here.
  Unfortunately, my first month in this body did not display to me that 
type of bipartisanship. So to have this example here today is very 
refreshing. Last week, we had an example that was quite the opposite.
  The stimulus package went to the Senate without a single Republican 
vote. But the fact of the matter is, the American people are now 
weighing in, and they're weighing in with their Senators, and they're 
giving their Senators the opportunity to make a better decision than we 
in the House made: a decision based on the spirit of bipartisanship and 
a decision that's based on job stimulus, not on pork barrel spending.
  So I want to compliment the Committee on Homeland Security for 
bringing us a bill that is truly bipartisan. And I would encourage us, 
as a Congress, the House of Representatives, to take the same spirit of 
bipartisanship to heart when the Senate returns the stimulus package to 
us for our subsequent consideration.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers.
  I urge the passage of the bill and yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, while the practice of watch listing individuals plays an 
important role in identifying possible terrorist suspects, we must keep 
in mind that the watch list is only as good as the information on it. 
Without accurate, complete, and reliable information, 
misidentifications persist. The database becomes unreliable, and the 
purpose of the watch list is frustrated leaving America vulnerable.
  For the watch list to truly be cleaned up, there needs to be 
direction from the Obama administration to all of the consumers of the 
list throughout the Federal Government that the way the list is 
populated and maintained needs reformed. The intelligence community, 
Federal law enforcement, and DHS must all come together in order to 
revamp the watch list. In the absence of reform, America needs an 
immediate remedy. The FAST Redress Act provides just that.
  I urge swift passage of this bill, H.R. 559. Ensuring that business 
travel and other Americans can fly without being misidentified against 
a terrorist watch list will also stimulate the economy. Air travel is 
already distressed. Inter-rhetoric against a solid stimulus bill does 
little to make things right.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill moves our security policies forward in a 
manner that protects our homeland and our civil liberties.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H.R. 559, the FAST Redress Act of 2009. This bill requires the 
Homeland Security Secretary to create a timely and fair process for 
individuals who believe they were delayed or prohibited from boarding a 
commercial aircraft, or entering the country because they were wrongly 
identified as a threat when screened against any terrorist watch list 
or database used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), 
Customs and Border Protection, or any other component of the Department 
of Homeland Security.
  We have heard many news reports of people whose names are similar to 
those on the watch list, detained for hours at border crossings and 
airports, all because their name is the same or similar to a person 
with suspected terrorist ties.
  The Fast Redress Act would set up a dedicated office within 
Department of Homeland Security to coordinate and streamline the 
process of appeal for individuals who believe they have been wrongly 
placed on a government watch list and consequently remanded to 
secondary screening.
  This office would then create and share a ``Cleared List'' of 
individuals who have gone through the redress process and that list 
would be disseminated to all components of DHS--preventing the same 
individuals from being stopped by multiple government agencies.
  My home state of Michigan is home to the first and second busiest 
border crossings on the northern tier of the nation, where thousands of 
people cross the border into Canada every single day.
  Detroit Metropolitan Airport is also a hub for Northwest Airlines and 
is one of the busiest airports in the nation.
  When you combine the fact that southeast Michigan is home to one of 
the largest Arabic populations in America, the vast majority of whom 
are law abiding and patriotic Americans, with the important 
international travel corridors that exist in our community, far too 
many of my constituents have been needlessly inconvenienced without the 
goal of security being advanced.
  Unfortunately, my office has been contacted by numerous people who 
were mistakenly detained, often at gunpoint, because their name 
mistakenly appeared on the terrorist watch list.
  Now, American citizens will have a process to permanently clear their 
names, and spread that information throughout the DHS and others who 
use the watch list. And that will make it a more effective tool to keep 
our nation safe.
  We must ensure that our CBP officers and TSA agents spend their 
limited time, manpower and resources on genuine threats to our 
security; scrubbing the watch list is an important first step to making 
sure that happens.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I encourage the passage of the bill, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 559.
  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. THOMPSON of Mississippi. 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 and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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