To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a program in the maritime environment for the mobile biometric identification of suspected individuals, including terrorists, to enhance border security.

Madam Speaker, in accordance with the Budget Enforcement Resolution, I submit those changes in law resulting from legislation approved or filed by the Committee on Homeland Security that will help achieve deficit reduction by enhancing efficiency, accountability and oversight, while eliminating waste, abuse, mismanagement, and fraud in Government programs within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Below are measures within the Committee's jurisdiction that have, to date, been approved by the House during this Congress and reflect the Committee's efforts to promote efficiency, government reform and result in budgetary savings:

H.R. 553, the Reducing Over-Classification Act, which creates a standard for formatting finished intelligence and eliminates redundant classification efforts.

H.R. 2200, the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act, which streamlines management at TSA, requires risk-based allocation of resources, and promotes operational efficiency.

H.R. 4842, the Homeland Security Science and Technology Authorization Act of 2010, which establishes new internal controls, more robust standards, and reforms for all of the research and development conducted by both the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.

H.R. 3978, the First Responder Anti-Terrorism Training Resources Act, which allows the Department of Homeland Security to accept gifts for its first responder training centers, thereby alleviating need for the Department to purchase certain equipment or material.

H.R. 3980, the Redundancy Elimination and Enhanced Performance for Preparedness Grants Act, which requires the identification of redundant rules and regulations and a plan to eliminate redundant reports and regulations.

H.R. 1148, a bill to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a program in the maritime environment for the mobile biometric identification of suspected individuals, including terrorists, to enhance border security, which promotes government efficiency by streamlining processing, prosecution, and deportation of suspected individuals.

H.R. 2868, the Chemical and Water Security Act of 2009, which controls spending by requiring that grants be awarded on a merit and risk based basis, streamlines the regulatory requirements for securing chemical and water treatment facilities and, by enhancing the security of such facilities, mitigates against the potentially astronomical costs associated with the response to and recovery from a successful terrorist attack on such a facility.

H.R. 1617, the Department of Homeland Security Component Privacy Officer Act of 2009, which establishes a privacy officer in each Department of Homeland Security component, thus enhancing efficiency by reducing the potential for the production of regulations or guidelines that are subject to challenge under privacy laws.

H.R. 4748, the Northern Border Counternarcotics Strategy Act of 2010, which enhances the efficiency of governmental efforts to prevent the illegal trafficking of drugs across the northern border by requiring a strategy stating the specific roles and responsibilities of relevant agencies.

H.R. 1178, a bill 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, which requires a report to Congress focusing on the feasibility and cost effectiveness of using the Civil Air Patrol to supplement Departmental air resources involved in border enforcement and other homeland security missions.

H.R. 1665, the Coast Guard Acquisition Reform Act of 2009, which eliminates massive cost overruns and potential future costs overruns for Coast Guard acquisitions.

H.R. 3619, the Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011, which creates an acquisition directorate to provide guidance and oversight for Coast Guard acquisitions, the result of which will be cost savings.

Madam Speaker, the measures I have listed display the Committee on Homeland Security's commitment to advancing legislation that seeks to reduce the national deficit by promoting government efficiency while focusing on our primary mission of pursuing legislation that enhances the security of our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1148) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a program in the maritime environment for the mobile biometric identification of suspected individuals, including terrorists, to enhance border security.

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

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1148, a bill that will enhance the Department of Homeland Security's ability to execute its border security mission in the maritime environment.

The U.S. coastline extends over 95,000 miles, and every day illegal immigrants and potential terrorists attempt to bypass the Department of Homeland Security watchdogs--the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection--in their efforts to sneak into the United States. Many of these individuals have already been convicted of felonies in the United States, and many more are wanted by U.S. law enforcement on outstanding warrants for felonies and other dangerous crimes.

As the lead Federal agency charged with border security, it is DHS's mission to keep dangerous people out of our country. H.R. 1148 authorizes DHS to use technology that has been successfully piloted by the Coast Guard and the US-VISIT program since November of 2006 to identify dangerous people before they cross our borders and to better coordinate prosecution with Federal law enforcement agencies.

For example, as of March 3, 2009, the department has collected biometric information from 2,455 individuals interdicted in the Mona Pass, a 90-mile stretch of water in the Caribbean between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

DHS uses satellite technology to immediately compare the individual's fingerprints against the US-VISIT databases, which includes information about wanted criminals, immigration violators, and those who have previously encountered government authorities. Of these nearly 2,500 individuals who have been checked, almost 600 people have been found to have outstanding wants and warrants in the United States.

To date, Federal prosecutors have successfully prosecuted 271, or 45 percent, of the matched individuals. As a

result, migrant flow in the Mona Pass has been reduced by 75 percent since November 17, 2006.

I would like to note that my colleague on the Management, Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee, Representative Bilirakis, had already an identical bill in the 110th Congress. And I was pleased to support his homeland security measure that passed the House by a vote of 394-3, with one Member voting present.

I urge my fellow Members to vote for this bill, one which gives the Secretary of Homeland Security the tools she needs to secure our Nation's maritime border.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers. If the gentleman from Florida has no more speakers, then I'm prepared to close after the gentleman closes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume.

I urge passage of H.R. 1148, a bill to harness technology used for the past 3 years by the Coast Guard and the US-VISIT program to enhance border security in the maritime environment. H.R. 1148 seeks to build upon the success of the DHS pilot by requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to analyze the cost of deploying the biometric program in other waters.

If enacted, H.R. 1148 would enhance the ability of DHS to conduct mobile biometric identification of suspected individuals, including terrorists interdicted at sea.

For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1148.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1148 which I introduced earlier this year. This bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a cost analysis and determine the most appropriate places to expand upon a successful pilot program conducted by the Coast Guard that collects biometric information on illegal aliens interdicted at sea. This tool, as used by the Coast Guard, has made a measurable impact on our border security and could be used by other DHS components with assets in the maritime environment, such as Customs and Border Protection. The expansion of this program will further enhance the Department's efforts to secure our borders.

The February 3 episode of Homeland Security U.S.A. showed the Coast Guard using this technology at sea when it rescued a boat full of illegal aliens attempting to make it from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico. As a result of the use of these biometrics, the Coast Guard was able to identify and detain 10 individuals with criminal records in the United States, including a repeat human smuggler who was wanted by Customs and Border Protection. This episode illustrated the use of biometrics at sea and on land. It works. In fact, the Coast Guard has reported that illegal migration in the Mona Pass, the narrow body of water between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, has been reduced by 75 percent as a result of the biometrics program.

Since the beginning of the Coast Guard's biometrics pilot in the Caribbean in November, 2006, the Coast Guard has collected biometric data from 2,455 migrants using handheld scanners. This has resulted in the identification of 598 individuals with criminal records, and the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has prosecuted 271 individuals for violations of U.S. law, with a 100 percent conviction rate.

We have seen the success of this pilot program. It ensures that individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally by sea that have criminal records will not simply be returned to their homelands. They will be detained so they cannot attempt to enter the U.S. again.

It is now time for the Department to determine the best and most effective manner to expand this program to enhance border security. I hope the Department will deploy this program in the most risk-based, cost-efficient manner possible consistent with the current appropriations of the Coast Guard and other DHS components. I also look forward to expanding the appropriations for this program. And I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort.

This is the third time that the House is considering legislation to authorize this program. An amendment I offered to the Coast Guard Authorization Act that was similar to the bill was considered, it was passed actually, last year by a voice vote on April 24. In addition, the House passed a stand-alone version of that amendment last summer, as Mr. Carney said, with his support, at 394-3.

The biometrics program is another tool that is being used by the Department in its effort to secure our borders. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1148.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I have no more speakers, Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 1148, and I thank the chairman.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1148, a measure that will help protect our nation from another attack. This bill may not make headlines but it is at the essence of what protecting the American people is all about. We cannot wrap our nation in bubble wrap but we can take thorough and effective steps to thwart potential attacks. As we have seen, the forces of evil will go to enormous lengths to accomplish their insidious goals. That is why I join in a bipartisan spirit my colleague from Florida, Gus Bilirakis in support of this measure.

This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security, no later than one year after the date of enactment, to conduct a maritime program for the mobile biometric identification of suspected individuals, including terrorists.

Biometric identification is defined to apply to the use of fingerprint and digital photography images. The Department of Homeland Security must ensure that the maritime program is coordinated with other biometric identification programs.

The Department of Homeland Security must submit a cost analysis no later than 90 days after the prospective enactment of this bill, expanding its biometric identification capabilities for maritime use to the House Appropriations and Homeland Security committees, and to the Senate Appropriations, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees. The analysis could include a tiered plan for the deployment of the program that gives priority to vessels and units more likely to encounter individuals suspected of making unlawful border crossings by sea. It is clear that we must try to secure our borders from all sides and often the liquid borders are forgotten in the discussion.

Indeed, Mr. Speaker, this legislation passed the House of Representatives and I, like 394

of my colleagues, both Democratic and Republican voted for it. Fighting against terrorists and other criminals must remain a bipartisan effort.

It is also something that we must take up on all fronts: land, sea and air. Last weekend, in my role as Chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I had the opportunity to meet some of the fine professionals who work for the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration division. They work tirelessly to defend our nation's airports. They make a stressful job seem effortless, and often are invisible, which is the hallmark of good security. And just as the transportation security professionals I met in New York City's LaGuardia Airport make our nation safer, so will the maritime security professionals from the United States Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard is made of truly dedicated and able professionals.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support and urge my colleagues to support this legislation that will further strengthen our nation's ability to protect ourselves from both criminal and terrorist attacks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1148, a bill that will enhance the Department of Homeland Security's ability to execute its border security mission in the maritime environment.

Specifically, H.R. 1148 seeks to enhance DHS's ability to harness technology successfully piloted by the Coast Guard and US-VISIT program since November 2006 to identify dangerous people before they enter our shores.

Under this program, biometrics collected from individuals interdicted--at sea--are run, in real time, against our terrorist and criminal databases.

Today, state-of-the-art handheld scanners are used by DHS personnel to collect biometric information from individuals encountered at sea.

As of March 3, 2009, DHS has collected biometric information from 2,455 individuals interdicted in the Mona Pass--the 90-mile stretch between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Through these checks, nearly 600 people have been found to have outstanding wants and warrants in the U.S.

Federal prosecutors have successfully prosecuted 271 or 45% of the matched individuals.

This program is appropriately targeted to help break the cycle of individuals who are known criminals or criminal suspects being repatriated through U.S. borders, without prosecution.

It is also worth noting that, as considered today, the Secretary of Homeland Security is given wide discretion to come up with the parameters of the maritime biometric program, including a determination as to which DHS components will participate.

Last Congress, nearly identical legislation was passed in the House by a vote of 394 to 3, with one Member voting present.

I am committed to working with Secretary Napolitano, Representative Bilirakis and other key stakeholders to ensure that the language of H.R. 1148 is clarified and strengthened as it moves through the legislative process.

I urge passage of this important homeland security legislation that will help enhance the security of our maritime borders.