Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act of 2018

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2454-- Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act of 2017, which is the first authorization bill for the Department of Homeland Security since its creation.

I thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson for working diligently to bring this suspension bill before the House of Representatives.

H.R. 2454 directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to:

develop a data framework to integrate existing DHS datasets and systems for access by authorized personnel in a manner consistent with relevant legal authorities and privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties policies and protections;

ensure that all information of a DHS office or component that falls within the scope of the information sharing environment, and any information or intelligence relevant to priority mission needs and capability requirements of the homeland security enterprise, is included; and

ensure that the framework is accessible to DHS employees who have an appropriate security clearance, who are assigned to perform a function that requires access, and who are trained in applicable standards for safeguarding and using such information.

The bill excludes information that could:

jeopardize the protection of sources, methods, or activities;

compromise a criminal or national security investigation;

be inconsistent with the other federal laws or regulations; or

be duplicative or not serve an operational purpose.

DHS shall incorporate into such framework systems capabilities for auditing and ensuring the security of information.

Few can image how complex the federal government response to a Hurricane can be.

For example the need for information sharing is crucial to effect disaster response prior to, during and after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

U.S. cooperation with the European Commission, facilitated by the Department of State, allowed for rapid activation of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) over the Texas and Louisiana coasts affected by Category-4 Hurricane Harvey, the largest recorded rainstorms ever to hit the contiguous United States.

This service has provided local, state, and federal disaster managers with free, real-time, all-weather radar satellite images of the affected areas; we are grateful to our European partners, including the European Space Agency and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, for their assistance during this challenging time.

Since August 25, Europe's Copernicus EMS, at no cost to the United States, has generated up-to-date, satellite-based maps of the flood extent.

In combination with U.S. satellite data, these maps are critical tools for relief operations by U.S. federal, state, and local disaster responders.

First responders were in critical need of accurate information on persons who were trapped by Hurricane Harvey flood waters.

The statistics are staggering.

21 trillion gallons of rainfall fell in Texas and Louisiana in the first five days of the storm.

The estimated maximum sustained winds exceeded 130 miles per hour as the hurricane made landfall near Rockport, Texas on August 25.

A record 4,323 days, which is nearly 12 years, elapsed since a major hurricane (Category 3 or above) made landfall in the United States prior to Hurricane Harvey; the last Category 3 hurricane to hit the United States was Hurricane Wilma in 2005, the same year Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans.

The city of Cedar Bayou received 51.88 inches of rainfall, breaking the record for rainfall from a single storm in the continental United States; my city of Houston received more than 50 inches of rainfall.

More than 13,000 people have been rescued in the Houston area and more than 30,000 persons are expected to be forced out of their homes due to the storm.

More than 8,800 federal personnel were staff deployed to help respond to Hurricane Harvey, supplying approximately 2.9 million meals, 2.8 million liters of water, 37,000 tarps, and 130 generators.

In the first three days of the storm, more than 49,000 homes had suffered flood damage and more than 1,000 homes were completely destroyed in the storm.

And today, two weeks later, thousands of Texans are still without permanent and stable housing situations.

That is why the additional $7.4 billion in CDBG funding provided in the legislation is desperately needed.

Mr. Speaker, valiant emergency responders in my state worked to exhaustion, with an invaluable assist from citizen volunteers, to rescue their neighbors and save lives.

That is who Texans are and this is what we do.

We do not yet know the full cost in human lives exacted by Hurricane Harvey.

But what we do know is that the costs of recovery and reconstruction will far exceed any natural disaster in memory; best estimates place the cost in the range of $150-$200 billion.

Mr. Speaker, there is much more work to be done in my city of Houston, and across the areas affected by the terrible, awesome storm that will be forever known simply as Hurricane Harvey.

This same resource was put into use for Hurricane Irma to support response to that major storm.

This sharing of important satellite data is provided by the United States-European Commission Cooperation Arrangement on Earth Observation Data Related to the Copernicus Program.

The Department of State's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs negotiated the data sharing agreement, which has been in effect since October 2015.

The arrangement reflects a shared U.S.-E.U. vision to pursue full, free, and open data policies for government Earth observation satellites, fostering greater scientific discovery and encouraging innovation in applications and value-added services for the benefit of society at large.

I offer the thanks and appreciation for our nation--its people-- especially the residents along the Gulf Coast including the residents of the 18th Congressional District in Houston and the surrounding communities for the support from our Allies in our nation's time of need.

The Suspension before the House will facilitate data sharing among law enforcement agencies in support the mission of the Department of Homeland Security to develop and maintain a unity of effort approach to security our nation from terrorist threats.

I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2454.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2454) to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a data framework to provide access for appropriate personnel to law enforcement and other information of the Department, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2454, the Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act. This legislation provides the first ever authorization for the DHS data framework.

Under this initiative, the Department is bringing together vital DHS databases, including travel and cargo information, investigative data, and critical infrastructure data, among other things.

Mr. Speaker, Americans would not only be surprised, but appalled to learn about the number of information-sharing stovepipes that still exist within the Department of Homeland Security. This bill will bring together the datasets in each of the classified and unclassified spaces to ensure that the men and women working at the Department have the information they need to keep our Nation safe.

This bill also mandates privacy and security safeguards, training for departmental personnel, and requires the Secretary to ensure information in the framework is both protected and auditable.

The House has overwhelmingly supported this measure twice before as part of the DHS Authorization Act, on July 20, 2017, and again as a standalone measure on September 12, 2017.

The Senate made some minor changes to the bill and passed it on December 6. With today's vote, we will send this bill to the President's desk for his signature.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to again support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to urge my colleagues to support this piece of legislation once again.

Again, we are authorizing the Department of Homeland Security's data framework. It holds DHS accountable with aggressive timelines, includes robust requirements for privacy and data standards and data safeguards, as well as ensuring important congressional notifications continue.

I would like to thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson for their support in moving this measure through the House, as well as all of our colleagues on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for moving this bill through the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2454) to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a data framework to provide access for appropriate personnel to law enforcement and other information of the Department, 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.

Sixteen years after the 9/11 attacks by al-Qaida terrorists on our homeland,

most Americans would be dismayed that information-sharing stovepipes still exist.

While information sharing since that fateful day has improved dramatically, we still have work to do at the Department of Homeland Security. When the DHS was created, 22 component agencies were brought together with different missions, databases, and legal authorities.

The DHS personnel have to deal with a costly, cumbersome process to search and vet information against a large number of databases, using different logins, passwords, and legal restrictions.

The DHS data framework was designed to bring together these vital DHS datasets, including travel and cargo information, investigative data, and critical infrastructure data, among others.

The other important element of the framework is the replication of the platform on a classified network to allow classified analysis and vetting of law enforcement data against intelligence information.

Given the importance of the Data Framework Initiative, the need to weigh security versus civil liberties, as well as the Federal Government's history of delays and cost overruns on IT projects, it is critical that this program receive congressional oversight.

This bill provides the first authorization for the data framework, mandates privacy and security safeguards, as well as training for Department personnel with access to the system.

In addition to the personnel training and privacy safeguards, this bill also requires the Secretary to ensure information in the framework is both protected and audible.

I was pleased that the Committee on Homeland Security included this bill in the DHS authorization bill, which passed the floor in July, and I urge my colleagues to again support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from New York (Miss Rice), for her work on these initiatives. And I thank Chairman McCaul and the ranking member for the bipartisan way in which we focus on these important issues of homeland security.

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2454, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2454, the Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act directs the DHS to consolidate existing intelligence databases and systems at the Department in order to establish a data framework.

Specifically, H.R. 2454 requires the DHS to ensure that the data framework is accessible to DHS employees who the Secretary determines have an appropriate security clearance, have responsibilities that require access to framework information, and are trained in applicable standards for safeguarding and using such information.

By strengthening the DHS data framework, authorized personnel from each of the components and offices at the Department will have easier access to the data that they need in a timely manner.

Additionally, the DHS Security Data Framework Act of 2017 allows the DHS Secretary to incorporate into the data framework systems capabilities for auditing and ensuring the security of information within the framework. Such capabilities include mechanisms for identifying insider threats and security risks, and safeguards for privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

The anniversary of 9/11 is a time for reflection and remembrance, and also a time to enhance our defenses. We cannot allow weak data infrastructure to leave the homeland vulnerable to attacks, and I thank my good friend and colleague from Texas, Mr. Hurd, for introducing this commonsense legislation, and I urge my House colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, this is an important bill that has strong support on both sides of the aisle. It maintains effective security measures while consolidating systems, creating a more feasible way for the men and women at the DHS to access the data that they need to fulfill their critical mission.

I thank Mr. Hurd for his diligence on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 2454, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2454, the Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act of 2017.

The Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act directs the

Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a data framework consolidating existing databases and systems at the Department. H.R. 2454 requires the Secretary to ensure that this data framework is accessible to DHS employees with proper clearances and that they are trained to safeguard and use such information when appropriate.

The central data framework will help cut down on the processing time of data searchs and allow analysts at DHS agencies to more efficiently access information across the Department.

I want to thank my colleague, Congressman Will Hurd, for introducing this legislation, and Senator Maggie Hassan for introducing its companion in the Senate. This bill has already passed the House once before, and I look forward to the President signing it into law this year.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is an important piece of legislation that has strong support on both sides of the aisle. It will improve DHS' operations by moving it towards a consolidated data system, enhancing the ability of the men and women serving at DHS to access, in a timely manner, the data that they need to fulfill their critical missions. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2454.

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