REPORT Act

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 625, the Reporting Efficiently to Proper Officials in Response to Terrorism Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, the REPORT Act creates an important new congressional oversight process with respect to incidents of terrorism on U.S. soil. H.R. 625 requires the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the FBI, and, as appropriate, the National Counterterrorism Center, to submit an unclassified report, which may be accompanied by a classified annex, to Congress within a year of the completion of an investigation of an act of terrorism.

The report to Congress must outline the facts and information related to the terrorist act but may also discuss national security gaps that come to light in the investigation that may be addressed by changes in law enforcement practices or changes in the law.

The gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar), introduced the REPORT Act to ensure that this body has the benefit of learning, long after the press attention has moved to other matters, the facts surrounding terrorist incidents.

The legislation is informed by the gentleman's experience as the representative for San Bernardino, California, which, of course, was the target of a vicious December 2015 attack that resulted in the death of 14 innocent victims.

I would note that, in order to protect any ongoing investigation or prosecution, the congressional notification can be waived if doing so presents a danger of interference to any ongoing terrorist investigation.

As a cosponsor of H.R. 625, I strongly believe that this legislation will enhance our ability as Members of Congress to help heal our communities after an attack and help prevent future terrorist attacks to keep Americans safe.

I urge my House colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar).

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, H.R. 625 is an important piece of legislation that has strong support on both sides of the aisle.

Effective communication and unity of effort is critical immediately following a terrorist attack. It is our duty as Members of Congress to give law enforcement space to do their investigation but then, when the facts are known, to get them and then use that knowledge to inform policymaking. H.R. 625 seeks to do just that. As such,

I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 625.

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

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 625, the Reporting Efficiently to Proper Officials in Response to Terrorism Act of 2017, or the ``REPORT Act.''

The REPORT Act bridges an information and preparedness gap that has for too long clouded the information Congress receives about acts of terrorism that happen in our homeland.

The REPORT Act requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and, if appropriate, the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, to submit an unclassified report to Congress, within one year of the completion of an investigation of act of terrorism in the United States.

This report will include a statement of the facts regarding the act of terrorism; identify any possible national security gaps that could prevent future acts of terrorism, and any recommendations for additional homeland security improvement measures.

The report will help Congress to enact legislation to effectively address security gaps in our national security efforts.

The REPORT Act fosters accountability, collaboration, and preparedness.

Acts of terror and violence have been at the forefront of the American collective memory for more than a decade now.

Americans have become accustomed to hearing about attacks all across our homeland and around the world.

The Bookings Institute labeled 2016 as the year of the ``Lone Wolf'' terrorist.

Radicalized individuals acting on their own pose a strategic and institutional threat to our national security.

This phenomenon requires us to think creatively and collectively to be prepared to address the idiosyncratic aspects of this new wave of terror.

The REPORT Act relies on our current security structure to prepare us for the future.

Attacks such as the attack on LGBT people of color in Pulse, the attacks in the City of San Bernardino, and recent attacks in London highlight the importance of collaboration and sharing of knowledge to prevent more attacks from happening.

This common sense bill relies on our current expertise to prepare for the future.

Mr. Speaker, we share the responsibility with the President to keep Americans safe and this bill is a step towards improving the way we go about protecting the American people.

I support the REPORT Act and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 625) to provide for joint reports by relevant Federal agencies to Congress regarding incidents of terrorism, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 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, Congress has an obligation to ensure that our national counterterrorism programs and policies are as effective as possible. At every opportunity, we should assess gaps and weaknesses and work to find opportunities for improvement.

For example, the committee's investigation into the 2013 tragic Boston Marathon bombings revealed a series of weaknesses we have worked to correct; and many of the recent attacks, including the San Bernardino and Garland shootings, the Orlando Pulse nightclub attack, and other small-scale plots have each prompted review, reflection, and action.

The REPORT Act will provide valuable assistance in this work by requiring the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with other Federal officials, to submit a report to Congress on incidents of terrorism within 1 year of completion of the investigation.

Importantly, this report will provide Congress with the facts of the incident, a review of security gaps, and recommendations to improve homeland security efforts.

As the committee has learned over the years, it can often be a challenge to obtain timely and comprehensive sharing of information by the executive branch in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. While perhaps understandable, the REPORT Act, offered by Congressman Aguilar, will help ensure that Congress receives the information it needs. This is a valuable addition, and I encourage my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Aguilar for introducing this important legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 625, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Reporting Efficiently to Proper Officials in Response to Terrorism Act, or the REPORT Act.

I introduced the REPORT Act a year after the San Bernardino terrorist attack. Our community has seen more than its fair share of gun violence, but this terrorist mass shooting claimed 14 lives, injured another 22 people, and shook my community. In the days and weeks after, we pledged to do all we could to prevent another attack like this from happening ever again. This is what this bill seeks to do.

The REPORT Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress when a terror attack occurs in the United States. Under the bill, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the United States Attorney General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the head of the National Counterterrorism Center will produce a report detailing the attack and how to prevent future attacks.

The idea is to have a uniform after-action report following a terrorist attack here in the United States. There is currently no legal requirement to create such a report. Specifically, this report will include policy recommendations for lawmakers to make our communities safer and to prevent the next San Bernardino, Boston, New York, or Orlando.

Mr. Speaker, this is a bipartisan bill. It also has the support of regional leaders in communities impacted by acts of terror. It has been endorsed by my region's law enforcement community: San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan and Sheriff John McMahon. Chief Burguan and Sheriff McMahon are my community's law enforcement leaders who led the heroic response on December 2, 2015, and stopped the violent rampage, preventing further loss of life.

The REPORT Act is a commonsense bill that will empower lawmakers with the facts they need to create meaningful laws to thwart future attacks of terror.

This bill is for the 14 killed and 22 injured in San Bernardino. It is for my community. It is also for every American city touched by these heinous acts of terrorism.

We can and must work together to protect our homeland, and I believe this is a smart, bipartisan step to achieve that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Prematurity Awareness Month.

Today, we think of infant mortality as a problem of the past, but according to the World Health Organization, complications of pre-term birth now outrank all other causes as the world's number one killer of children under the age of 5.

Prematurity is a serious global problem affecting families from every nation and every facet of society, even here in the most developed nation in the world.

In the 2017 March of Dimes' Premature Birth Report Card, the United States was awarded a C grade due to the persistence of high pre-term birth rates.

However, up to 75 percent of all deaths due to pre-term birth can be prevented through relatively low-cost interventions. We have the resources to address this problem, but we must also have the will.

Let's recognize November as Prematurity Awareness Month by supporting efforts at home and abroad to reduce the impact of pre-term births, honor those working on this issue around the globe, and promote policies that will prevent pre-term births and improve outcomes for affected infants. My resolution, H.R. 625, I believe, would do just that.