Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3284) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within 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, as we gather this week and mark the 16th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we remember the nearly 3,000 innocent people lost in that heinous act--including 18 from my home of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Additionally, we honor the more than 400 first responders who perished and the countless more whose long-term health was impacted because of their courageous action. Each of us in this Chamber has heard stories of those brave firefighters, police officers, and EMTs who ran toward the danger and chaos on that Tuesday morning and made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their community and their country. Today we remember them, and we recommit to recognize their efforts and those efforts of all first responders around our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, since 9/11, we have seen the devastating impact of coordinated terrorist attacks on civilian targets. In these cases, first responders--including local police, fire, and emergency medical personnel--are the main response force. It is critical that these men and women have the training and tools to operate in these planned attacks.

That is why I have introduced H.R. 3284, the Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act of 2017, to authorize a vital workshop series allowing State and local jurisdictions to prepare for coordinated terrorist attacks.

H.R. 3284, as amended, authorizes the Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series for 5 years and delineates the activities that are required to be part of each workshop, including a review of current plans, policies and procedures, and an examination of the roles and responsibilities of each participating agency.

H.R. 3284 ensures that the whole community--from government officials, law enforcement, fire, EMS, and public health officials to the private sector--participates in the workshop.

Additionally, Mr. Speaker, this bill allows the FEMA Administrator to select jurisdictions to participate in such workshops from jurisdictions that currently receive, or previously received, Urban Area Security Initiative funding and have requested to host a workshop.

Finally, H.R. 3284 requires the participants to develop a summary report after each workshop that includes the key findings and strategies to mitigate the identified gaps.

I introduced this bill with bipartisan support, and I am proud to have the backing of two first responder organizations that I trust when working on this type of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter of support from the International Association of Fire Chiefs and a letter of support from the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.

International Association

of Fire Chiefs,

Fairfax, VA, July 21, 2017.

Hon. Brian K. Fitzpatrick,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Fitzpatrick: On behalf of the nearly

12,000 fire and emergency service leaders of the

International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), I express

our support for H.R. 3284, your legislation to authorize the

Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series (JCTAWS).

These multidisciplinary exercises help local jurisdictions

prepare for the threat of complex, coordinated terrorist

attacks.

The terrorist threat continues to evolve. As terrorist

incidents in Mumbai in 2008, Paris in 2015, and Brussels in

2016 demonstrate, complex, coordinated terror attacks using

multiple teams and a variety of tactics are a growing threat

that local jurisdictions will have to address. Local

jurisdictions must be prepared to respond to multiple

incidents at the same time involving active shooter

incidents, explosives and the use of fire as a weapon.

The JCTAWS exercises provide an environment where local

fire service, law enforcement, emergency medical service,

private sector and other disciplines can plan for joint

response to these incidents. The JCTAWS allows federal, state

and local partners to collaboratively evaluate their options

and learn how to best protect their communities. The

exercises also bring together resources from the U.S.

Department of Homeland Security, the National

Counterterrorism Center, and the Federal Bureau of

Investigation to leverage the strengths of these major

agencies. After a jurisdiction hosts a JCTAWS exercise, key

findings are communicated to the participants as well as

mitigation strategies and resources to address gaps in

preparedness.

The IAFC endorses this legislation and thanks you for

authorizing funding for this critical exercise program. We

look forward

to working with you to pass this legislation this year.

Sincerely,

Fire Chief John D. Sinclair,

President and Chairman of the Board.

Throughout our Nation's history, our first responders have always stood for peace, security, and ordered liberty that make our communities great and our country strong. For this we are eternally grateful. As we remember those who gave their lives on September 11, we, unfortunately, recall that the threats of coordinated terrorist attacks are not going away. Today it remains critical that our first responders have the resources and the tools needed to protect our communities. The Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series is one of these vital tools.

Mr. Speaker, as a first responder myself, I am proud to work with the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications on moving this meaningful legislation, and I urge all Members to join me in supporting our first responders by voting ``yes.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I, once again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3284, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I rise in support of H.R. 3284, ``Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act of 2017.''

This bipartisan bill would formally authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to hold counterterrorism workshops with state and local officials in order to address emerging terrorist threats and to enhance the ability of state and local jurisdictions to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks.

The coordination program under the measure would include:

1. Reviewing existing preparedness, response, and interdiction plans, policies, and procedures related to terrorist attacks of the participating jurisdictions and identifying gaps in such plans, operational capabilities, response resources, and authorities;

2. Identifying Federal, State, and local resources available to address the gaps identified;

3. Providing assistance, through training, exercises, and other means, to build or sustain, as appropriate, the capabilities to close such identified gaps;

4. Examining the roles and responsibilities of participating agencies and respective communities in the event of a terrorist attack;

5. Improving situational awareness and information sharing among all participating agencies in the event of a terrorist attack; and

6. Identifying and sharing best practices and lessons learned from each Workshop Series.

I would like to take the time to thank FEMA for their response to Hurricane Harvey and their efforts with Hurricane Irma.

Since Hurricane Harvey, 617,000 individuals have registered for assistance through FEMA with 13,585 interactions with survivors taking place. FEMA is an integral part of security for survivors of catastrophes. By providing these workshops, we will continue to provide security when our country is most vulnerable.

The bill would authorize $1 million a year from fiscal year 2018 through 2022 to establish the Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series.

This workshop series is intended to help local jurisdictions prevent and respond to coordinated terrorist attacks.

This bill would authorize funding for five years instead of the one- year authorization in the committee-approved version and would modify FEMA's reporting requirements.

The series would provide training and other resources to close gaps in local counterterrorism preparedness plans, and to improve coordination among state and local agencies.

Participants would include state and local officials, law enforcement officers, first responders, public health personnel, and private-sector representatives.

The most chaotic times for first responders are in response to natural disasters, leaving little to no resources to respond to a potential terror attack.

Those who seek to do our nation harm can take advantage of the lack of available first responders trained to handle counterterrorism during a natural disaster, such as Hurricane Harvey and the flooding that took place in Houston.

During Hurricane Harvey, Texas first responders were facing double effort with both a hurricane and flood; preventing proper response to a homeland security event should it have happened.

It is important to include in their training, a resource for first responders to learn how to manage a terror threat during a catastrophic event such as Hurricane Harvey.

It is imperative to provide these resources to local law enforcement agencies in order to protect the United States when it is most vulnerable.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3284.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3284, the Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, in a crisis like the attacks of September 11, 2001, our Nation's first responders--police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel--take on enormous responsibilities. They contain the situation, care for the injured, and keep people safe while putting their own lives at risk. These weighty responsibilities are central in terrorism-related crises.

Today there is an appreciation of the importance of the whole-of- Nation response where efforts among diverse stakeholders, including nontraditional first responders, are well coordinated and thoroughly planned.

The Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series is a program where one-day events are hosted across the country that bring people together who play a critical role in keeping their city's residents safe during a terrorist attack. The multicity series is a collaborative effort among Federal, State, local and private sector entities that empowers cities to provide the best response to an organized, coordinated, and multisite terrorist attack.

One of these workshops was conducted in Los Angeles, near my district. I represent the Port of Los Angeles--America's port. It touches every congressional district and faces a variety of threats that require coordinated preparation and response from Federal, State, and local agencies.

Enactment of H.R. 3284, the Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act, would codify this important program in law. Specifically, H.R. 3284 requires the FEMA Administrator, in consultation with the Directors of the National Counterterrorism Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to establish a Joint Counterterrorism Workshop Series.

Importantly, this bill requires that, at the conclusion of each event, the FEMA Administrator, in consultation with the NCTC and FBI Directors and officials from the participant city hosting the workshop series, provide all participants with an after-action report that includes key findings about lessons learned and best practices from the event, and potential mitigation strategies and resources to address gaps identified during the event.

I strongly support this counterterrorism training program, and I believe that Congress should show its support for the program by enacting this legislation. I urge my House colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3284 is an important piece of legislation that has strong support on both sides of the aisle. It empowers officials and individuals on the local level to come together to make their communities more secure.

This workshop series helps address new, evolving terrorist threats. It also enhances the ability of State and local jurisdictions to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terror attacks here in the homeland.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3284, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and so I missed Roll Call vote number 516 regarding ``On Motion to Recommit with Instructions'' (H.R. 3697). Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yes''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 517 ``On Passage of the Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act'' (H.R. 3697). Had I been present, I would have voted ``No''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 518 ``On Agreeing to the Amendment, Amendment No.

192'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, I would have voted ``No''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 519 ``On Agreeing to the Amendment, Amendment No. 195'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, I would have voted ``No''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 520 ``On Agreeing to the Amendment, Amendment No. 196'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yes''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 521 ``On Agreeing to the Amendment, Amendment No. 199'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yes''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 522 ``On Agreeing to the Amendment, Amendment No. 200'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, I would have voted ``No''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 523 ``On Agreeing to the Amendment, Amendment No. 201'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yes''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 524 ``On Agreeing to the Amendment, Amendment No. 204'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, I would have voted ``No''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 525 ``On Agreeing to the Amendment, Amendment No. 207'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, I would have voted ``No''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 526 ``On Agreeing to the Amendment, Amendment No. 223'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, 1 would have voted ``Yes''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 527 ``On Motion to Recommit with Instructions'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yes''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 528 ``On Passage of Making appropriations for the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes'' (H.R. 3354). Had I been present, I would have voted ``No''.

I missed Roll Call vote number 529 ``On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended the Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act'' (H.R. 3284). Had I been present, I would have voted ``Yes''.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, September 14, 2017, I was unfortunately not present for Roll Call votes 516 through 529 in order to attend the memorial service for a dear friend who passed away. If I had been present for these votes, I would have voted:

Yay on Roll Call vote 516 on the motion to recommit with instructions;

Nay on Roll Call vote 517 on passage of the Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act (H.R. 3697);

Nay on Roll Call vote 518 on agreeing to the amendment no. 192;

Nay on Roll Call vote 519 on agreeing to the amendment no. 195;

Yay on Roll Call vote 520 on agreeing to the amendment no. 196;

Yay on Roll Call vote 521 on agreeing to the amendment no. 199;

Yay on Roll Call vote 522 on agreeing to the amendment no. 200;

Yay on Roll Call vote 523 on agreeing to the amendment no. 201;

Nay on Roll Call vote 524 on agreeing to the amendment no. 204;

Nay on Roll Call vote 525 on agreeing to the amendment no. 207;

Yay on Roll Call vote 526 on agreeing to the amendment no. 223;

Yay on Roll Call vote 527 on the motion to recommit with instructions;

Nay on Roll Call vote 528 on passage of H.R. 3354; and

Yay on Roll Call vote 529 on the motion to suspend the rules and pass the Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act (H.R. 3284) as amended.