Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2443) to require an inventory of all facilities certified by the Department of Homeland Security to host infrastructure or systems…
Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2443) to require an inventory of all facilities certified by the Department of Homeland Security to host infrastructure or systems classified above the Secret level, and for other purposes, as amended.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, today we are advancing another bill to support the men and women who answer the call to keep their neighbors safe.
Yesterday we honored the first responders and countless other Americans who were murdered in the September 11 terrorist attacks. We will never forget them, nor their great sacrifices of their families and loved ones.
I come from Pennsylvania, which has a proud history of service, from the National Guard to police, to fire houses, to EMTs. Even one of our former Governors, Tom Ridge, was a key player in setting up the Department of Homeland Security.
Today, we, in Congress, continue to work to reduce the blind spots that led to 9/11, and ensure our Nation's newest Department is able to get local law enforcement officers the resources that they need to keep our communities safe.
Having served as mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, I have long known that it will be the police officer on the streets of Hazleton, Shamokin or Shippensburg, not some analyst in Washington, who will recognize when a member of our community has radicalized or been recruited by a gang or terrorist sect.
That is one of the reasons why I worked with the committee to introduce H.R. 2443, the Department of Homeland Security Classified Facility Inventory Act.
My bill strengthens information sharing between local, State, and Federal law enforcement by requiring the DHS to maintain an inventory of facilities certified to store information classified above the secret level.
This is a follow-up to the Fusion Center Enhancement Act of 2017, which I first introduced last Congress and has successfully passed the committee in the House.
I come from a State with three fusion centers: the Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center, known as PaCIC, in Harrisburg; Delaware Valley Intelligence Center in Philadelphia; and Southwestern PA Region 13 Fusion Center in Pittsburgh.
This bill is part of my efforts to make the DHS share information with its State and local partners.
More and more, State and local officials are now getting the security clearances they need to get important national security information that will help them; however, gaps remain.
This bill will ensure that DHS is tracking the specific location of all the Department's secure facilities and make this information available to the appropriate State and local personnel as well as Department employees.
To be honest, it is frustrating that this legislation is even needed. Congress and DHS share the same goal of keeping our communities safe. We must make it clear that information needs to be shared to allow for proper oversight both now and in the future. Our State and local law enforcement officials are professionals and leaders of our communities. However, far too often, I have heard complaints that Federal officials do not take local information seriously simply because someone has not been able to obtain a certain security clearance. My legislation will help address this concern.
Specifically, this bill requires greater transparency and information sharing on the locations of all facilities certified by DHS to store classified infrastructure or systems above the secret level, commonly known as SCIFs. This will give local law enforcement the tools that they need to protect their communities and our Nation as a whole.
Additionally, by requiring DHS to maintain an updated list of all of these facilities, this bill will ensure that the Department does not invest in new facilities in areas already covered, in turn, reducing the chances of wasteful spending.
I urge my colleagues to support this measure, which passed the House once already as part of the larger DHS authorization bill in July. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will realize the critical need for my bill and will act quickly so President Trump can sign it into law.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2443, and I yield back the balance of my time.
