To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the use of Civil Air Patrol personnel and resources to support homeland security missions, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I do rise today to support H.R. 1333, the Civil Air Patrol Homeland Security Act of 2007. And this legislation, which I introduced on March 6, 2007, has the bipartisan support of 56 Members of Congress.

I would first like to thank our good friend and colleague, Chairman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, as well as Ranking Member Pete King of the Homeland Security Committee, as well as Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for their cooperation and support in bringing this legislation to the floor today.

I also want to especially thank the subcommittee chairman, Henry Cuellar, who chairs the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response on which I serve as the ranking member for his support of this legislation throughout this process and throughout this 110th Congress. I want to thank Chairman Cuellar especially.

H.R. 1333, as amended, would require the Government Accountability Office, the GAO, to conduct an expansive review to determine how the Civil Air Patrol may be used to support the homeland security missions of State, local and tribal governments, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Specifically, the GAO will review how the Civil Air Patrol may provide aerial reconnaissance or communications capabilities for border security; assist in damage assessments and situational awareness; search and rescue operations, evacuations and the transport of time- sensitive medical or other materials; or perform any other activities as determined by the GAO.

This review will provide greater information regarding the cost- effectiveness of using Civil Air Patrol assets for homeland security purposes at all levels of government. It will also help us understand whether the current process for States and the Federal Government to request Civil Air Patrol assistance is overly bureaucratic, limiting the effectiveness of this important resource in times of crisis.

Aviation assets have traditionally played an important role in border security, the interdiction of contraband, search and rescue operations, evacuations, and after-action analyses that must be performed in the wake of a catastrophic event.

A Civil Air Patrol force of 57,000 volunteers and 500 planes across the country stands ready to assist in those important missions.

The Civil Air Patrol has a long history of service to this Nation. The organization was founded at the outbreak of the Second World War, during which it served as a vital watchdog along the coastlines of America, protecting us from the threat of German U-boats that patrolled our shores. They even engaged U-boats during that war as well, sinking a few.

Since then, the Civil Air Patrol has regularly assisted States in search and rescue operations and emergency response. The Civil Air Patrol indicates that it would welcome the opportunity to play an expanded role in homeland security operations, as that role would be defined by the Comptroller General, the Department of Homeland Security, and the United States Congress.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and help ensure that we are effectively utilizing all available resources for responses to catastrophic events.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would just like to confirm with the majority whether they have any additional speakers at this time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, Chairman Thompson and Chairman Oberstar and Chairman Cuellar, for their bipartisan support and leadership on this important issue in helping us move this legislation forward.

I also want to point out that I had a few interesting experiences on the border with Chairman Cuellar. I visited Laredo, Texas, on two separate occasions with him, and I looked at what our Border Patrol was up to. I noticed there was a lack of aviation assets. In fact, Chairman Cuellar and I had a rather exciting visit on a helicopter in Laredo, Texas, and we got a good look at the border areas, and witnessed the lack of aviation assets on that border.

And so that certainly helped inspire this legislation.

Also, I'd like to point out too that there are a lot of good ideas that come from places other than Washington, D.C. When I was back in my district some time ago I remember a constituent of mine named David Miller, who is an octogenarian; he served during the Second World War, a pilot. He said to me, he talked about the use of the Civil Air Patrol during the Second World War and suggested, why don't you get them more engaged for various homeland security initiatives, particularly border security? I thought it sounded like a reasonable idea, and I looked into it and, of course, that's why we're here today dealing with legislation to further examine this very important issue. I thank David Miller for his foresight, just being a good citizen and making recommendations to his elected representative.

Also I would like to point out another former member, Lester Wolf of New York, had also been a strong advocate of greater utilization of the Civil Air Patrol. He served in, I think, the Long Island area of New York and was quite strong on this need for this type of legislation.

As well as a man named Bob Minert who is the executive director of the Pennsylvania wing of the Civil Air Patrol. Again, I want to thank all of them for their interest and leadership and helping get us to where we are today.

I would just like to say that the GAO study that this legislation requires will help Congress assess the current capabilities of the Civil Air Patrol to assist the Federal Government and our State and local partners in conducting homeland security missions. The review will help us determine whether the current mechanisms to utilize the Civil Air Patrol as a force multiplier in various missions, including search and rescue and border security, are sufficient to meet today's needs.

As we saw after September 11 and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, in a catastrophic event, this country must be able to dramatically increase the number of response assets, while ensuring that Federal, State and local resources are well coordinated. By examining how various resources like the Civil Air Patrol may contribute to a mission prior to an event, we will help strengthen our Nation's security and resiliency.

I would like to thank everybody involved with this legislation, all my colleagues, and the 56 co-sponsors of this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and help to strengthen the performance of Homeland Security missions in the Department of Homeland Security.

Madam Speaker, at this time I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1333) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of the Air Force to use Civil Air Patrol personnel and resources to support homeland security missions, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this measure, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, the Civil Air Patrol has been in existence for decades, providing assistance to governments at the Federal, State and local levels in times of need.

Civil Air Patrol was established in 1941, just days before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. From that moment on, Civil Air Patrol has stood ready to supplement America's military operations. And over the years, it has shown itself to be a faithful partner to the Department of Defense. Therefore, it stands to reason that Civil Air Patrol could also partner with the Department of Homeland Security.

That is the thinking behind H.R. 1333 introduced by Representative Charlie Dent, a member of the Committee on Homeland Security. H.R. 1333 directs the Government Accountability Office to examine the capabilities of the Civil Air Patrol to support DHS's activities across the country.

The bill was unanimously adopted by the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response on April 30. Then on May 20, the full committee approved H.R. 1333 unanimously.

Civil Air Patrol is a great example of how patriotic Americans can contribute to the security of this Nation and their communities. As someone who served as a volunteer firefighter, I appreciate that kind of dedication. There is no doubt in my mind that the Civil Air Patrol is a United States treasure. In fact, during any given year, the Civil Air Patrol is responsible for nearly 95 percent of Air Force-directed search and rescue missions.

This Government Accountability Office study, called for in this bill, will improve Congress' and the administration's understanding of how Civil Air Patrol can provide homeland security assistance. The GAO study will also help Congress assess whether the operational structure in place for coordination between the Civil Air Patrol and its government and non-profit partners is sufficient and optimal for the security of our Nation.

Additionally, the bill calls for GAO to report on the cost- effectiveness of using Civil Air Patrol assets for homeland security missions and help Congress understand whether the current mechanism for Federal agencies and States to request Civil Air Patrol support are adequate.

Finally, the bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to review and analyze GAO's study and report to Congress as to which GAO recommendations warrant further action.

I commend my colleague, Mr. Dent, and his partner in this endeavor, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response, Mr. Cuellar, for developing this thoughtful bill. I support H.R. 1333 and its underlying goals and urge passage.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. If the gentleman from Pennsylvania has no speakers, I am prepared to close.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 1333. I strongly believe that the GAO report required under H.R. 1333 will provide us with the information needed to reach the right decision on the question of whether a formal relationship between DHS and CAP will serve our Nation's homeland security interests.

Certainly, over the past 60 years, Civil Air Patrol has shown itself to be a faithful partner to the Department of Defense. It is conceivable that the Civil Air Patrol could contribute to border security, search and rescue and responsive activities at DHS.

Additionally, it would be interesting to know whether the Civil Air Patrol can provide emergency transport for sensitive medical materials. I would also be interested to know whether the Civil Air Patrol area reconnaissance and communications capability can enhance our border security and DHS's ability to have situational awareness of natural disasters and other manmade events. The GAO study called for in this bill will answer these core capability questions.

For this reason, I support H.R. 1333, and urge its passage.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for these six bills brought forth by the Committee on Homeland Security. I would like to commend Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member King for their continued efforts and leadership on presenting legislation to enhance and strengthen our Nation's security. I would also like to congratulate my colleagues on the committee who authored these bills--Chairman Thompson, Congresswoman Clarke, Congresswoman Lowey, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee, Congressman Dent and Congressman Langevin.

The enactment of H.R. 1, The Implementing 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act, was a major milestone for this Congress and I was proud to be a conferee to H.R. 1. With the passage of H.R. 1, Congress took the lead in making America more secure. H.R. 1 was a comprehensive measure to enhance our Nation's homeland security capabilities in profound ways.

The Homeland Security Committee has conducted numerous hearings to investigate the many areas covered by H.R. 1 and has worked diligently at developing legislation that focuses on specific areas of homeland security that require fine tuning in order to make H.R. 1 as effective as possible.

The bills being considered today will do everything from providing redress to Americans misidentified against the terror watch lists to enhancing DHS' capability to address the threat of improvised-explosive devices to ensuring the integrity of aviation security covert tests.

H.R. 4179, the Fast Redress Act of 2008, would enhance information sharing at DHS and between DHS and other Federal agencies that use the terrorist watch list or database. The bill also includes measures that would make the redress process more efficient and protect the civil rights of individuals on TSA's ``Cleared List'' and ``No Fly'' or ``Selectee'' lists.

H.R. 5909 is vitally important given the Committee's knowledge of at least three incidents that compromised the integrity of covert tests at TSA's screening checkpoints. It provides for security measures that would prevent disclosures that will jeopardize covert testing. H.R. 5982 will also enhance airport security by requiring information sharing on best practices for using biometrics to improve airport security. H. Res. 1150 recognizes the continued importance of rail security and ensuring that it is given equal importance in our national transportation security plans.

Bombing prevention is an integral part of our national security and requires that we provide the necessary resources for this purpose. H.R. 4749 does this by increasing funding and the capabilities of the Office of Bombing Prevention. Along similar lines, The Nuclear Forensics Attribution Act authorizes programs within DHS to develop an international framework to identify and intercept nuclear materials further reducing the possibilities of nuclear threat worldwide.

Lastly, I support H.R. 1333 which calls for both GAO and the DHS Secretary to examine and prepare a report on how the Civil Air Patrol can be integrated in our efforts to enhance national security and our war against terrorism. This is a positive effort in using local resources in supporting our homeland security mission.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support these bipartisan bills that have been thoughtfully crafted to enhance national security measures that are important to the implementation of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1333, Civil Air Patrol Homeland Security Support Act of 2007, introduced by my distinguished colleague from Pennsylvania, Representative Dent. This important legislation is a first step for the Committee on Homeland Security to understand how the Civil Air Patrol can provide necessary Homeland Security assistance.

The Civil Air Patrol is a prime example of how Americans can get involved to support our Nation's preparedness and response to emergencies as well as our Nation's great history of civil aviation and aerospace education. The Civil Air Patrol is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and also serves as the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, when given an Air Force assignment for a Federal support mission. The Civil Air Patrol flies missions in one of two ways: they are either assigned an Air Force mission, wherein they fly on behalf of the Federal Government as the Air Force Auxiliary, or they fly in their non-profit status based on requests from State and local governments or other organizations, many of which have MOU's with the Civil Air Patrol that govern their partnerships. As such, the Civil Air Patrol

performs a vital service for this Nation, one which must be further examines and utilized.

Over the course of any given year, the Civil Air Patrol is responsible for conducting over 90 percent of the Nation's inland search and rescue operations on behalf of the Air Force. In fiscal year 2007 alone, the Civil Air Patrol helped save 103 lives. Beyond that capacity to execute search and rescue missions, the. Civil Air Patrol can also provide emergency transport for sensitive medical materials and conducts low-altitude reconnaissance surveys for the Government. Even with the Civil Air Patrol is not in the air but working on the ground, their volunteers have pitched in to assist with disaster response.

This important legislation will require that the GAG examine how the Civil Air Patrol's proficiency in aerial reconnaissance and communications can enhance our border security. It furthermore will assess the Civil Air Patrol's experience in conducting damage assessment and enhancing situational awareness and how that might be utilized to improve our Nation's collective response to an act of terrorism, natural disaster, or other man-made event. The GAG report produced by this legislation will be utilized to paint a clear picture of the cost-effectiveness of using Civil Air Patrol assets for homeland security missions and help this committee to understand whether the current mechanisms for Federal agencies and States to request CAP support are adequate.

In this age of a global war on terror, it is imperative that we utilize aIl the assets available to us to secure our homeland. The Civil Air Patrol has been an invaluable resource for this Nation and embodies the volunteer service that makes our Nation great. I commend the Civil Air Patrol for their commitment to service and protecting this country, and I support this legislation that seeks to further examine how we might use them for their homeland security capacity.

I wholeheartedly support this legislation and strongly urge all of my colleagues to join me in doing so.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1333, Civil Air Patrol Homeland Security Support Act of 2007.

The Civil Air Patrol is comprised completely of volunteers who provide air and ground support for disaster relief, conducts search and rescue missions, perform counter drug missions and aerial damage assessment.

Shortly after being established on December 1, 1941, our Nation was drawn into World War II with the attack at Pearl Harbor. And the Civil Air Patrol began its vital mission patrolling the skies over our great Nation.

Although originally intended to perform only reconnaissance missions, the Civil Air Patrol found themselves carrying depth charges and bombs as the deadly German U-boats attacked U.S. shipping in the Atlantic.

During the war the Civil Air Patrol found 173 German submarines, hitting 10, and sinking 2 of them.

A German commander later confirmed that coastal U-boat operations were withdrawn from the United States ``because of those damned little red and yellow airplanes'' of the Civil Air Patrol.

From this early beginning, the Civil Air Patrol established itself as a provider of critical support in times of crisis and emergency.

Whether the danger comes from hurricanes, downed or missing aircraft, wildfires or other disasters, the Civil Air Patrol can always be counted on to provide the support our Nation needs.

Even today, the Civil Air Patrol continues to serve as a vital source of aerial reconnaissance.

The Midwest continues to be ravaged by flooding and broken levees, and our Civil Air Patrol is working with local first responders, providing digital photographs of flooded areas. These images have been used to assess the extent of the floods and the damage they caused.

In my home State of Michigan, the Civil Air Patrol flies missions from the Selfridge Air National Guard Base where they supported the National Weather Service in the aftermath of tornados and heavy storms last fall.

Shortly after the attack on 9/11, the Civil Air Patrol was the first in the skies over Ground Zero, and assisted in the relief efforts.

So I believe that it is only fitting that we examine using the Civil Air Patrol for Homeland Security Missions as they have already demonstrated their capabilities to provide aerial support during emergencies around the Nation.

I look forward to viewing the final Government Accountability Office, GAO, report and examining the ways that the Civil Air Patrol can assist the Department of Homeland Security, whether that includes assisting in our border security efforts, or utilizing their search-and-rescue capabilities in the aftermath of an act of terrorism or natural disaster.

These brave men and women volunteer their time and deserve our gratitude for the vital work that furthers the security of this great Nation.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.