Secure Border Communications Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6742) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure that appropriate officers and agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection are equipped with secure radios or other two-way communication devices, supported by system interoperability, and for other purposes.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Secure Border Communications Act.

Every day our CBP agents and officers serve on the front lines in the fight to secure our homeland. They face threats from armed drug cartels, dangerous gangs like MS-13, human traffickers, and potential terrorists.

These brave individuals take pride in serving with vigilance, integrity, and professionalism in order to keep us safe.

To be successful, however, they must be equipped with the tools they need to do their jobs well. Too often, the communications devices and radios used by CBP officers and other agents are outdated and unreliable.

For instance, Border Patrol agents patrolling on the ground may not have direct radio contact with CBP air assets or other law enforcement officers working the area. This hinders interagency communications and jeopardizes their mission and safety.

At a subcommittee hearing earlier this year, a Border Patrol agent stated that she had been issued a radio that often failed. At times, she would need to communicate with a fellow agent but was forced to use her personal cell phone.

We cannot allow these kinds of technical failures to endanger the lives of our agents and weaken our national security. We must do better.

Fortunately, we can begin to fix this problem today. This legislation will ensure that CBP agents and officers are equipped with interoperable and secure radios or two-way communication devices.

In addition, this bill highlights the importance of reliable encrypted communications that will prevent powerful cartels from intercepting sensitive information, such as our CBP agents' and officers' locations.

Passing this bill is a simple step that we can take to help our CBP agents do their jobs and protect our homeland.

I would like to thank Congressman Mast for all his hard work on this issue. Congressman Mast is no stranger to service and sacrifice, serving overseas in our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he has the scars to prove it. We thank him for his service. It is a great honor to have him sponsor a bill from our committee.

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

Committee on Ways and Means,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, September 24, 2018.

Hon. Michael T. McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman McCaul: I write to you regarding H.R. 6742,

the ``Secure Border Communications Act'', on which the

Committee on Ways and Means was granted an additional

referral.

As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions

in H.R. 6742 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the

Committee on Ways and Means, I agree to waive formal

consideration of this bill. The Committee on Ways and Means

takes this action with the mutual understanding that we do

not waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained

in this or similar legislation, and the Committee will be

appropriately consulted and involved as the bill or similar

legislation moves forward so that we may address any

remaining issues that fall within our jurisdiction. The

Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an

appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate

conference involving this or similar legislation, and

requests your support for such request.

I would appreciate your response confirming this

understanding with respect to H.R. 6742 and ask that a copy

of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the

Congressional Record during consideration of the bill on the

House floor.

Sincerely,

Kevin Brady,

Chairman.

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

Mr. Speaker, this ensures that not only are communication devices operable but that they are interoperable between agents down on the border risking their lives day in and day out.

I can't thank them enough. I have been down to the border so many times, and I see the harsh conditions that they operate under. I just want to send a message of gratitude from the United States Congress and our Committee on Homeland Security, and thank them for the work that they do tirelessly. Honestly, I think we don't thank them enough for what they do.

The encryption issue is vitally important because the drug cartels are getting so sophisticated that they can pick up communications of our law enforcement. This bill will go a long way to help protect those communications and make sure that they can do their job in a more safe and efficient manner in protecting the American public.

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

Mr. Speaker, the following cost estimate for H.R. 6742, the Secure Border Communications Act prepared by the Congressional Budget Office was not available to the Committee at the time of filing of the legislative report.

Department of Homeland Security Legislation

As passed by the House of Representatives on September 25, 2018

On September 25, the House of Representatives passed the

following three pieces of legislation:

H.R. 6620, the Protecting Critical Infrastructure Against

Drones and Emerging Threats Act, which would require the

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prepare assessments

of the threats presented by unmanned aircraft systems (often

called drones) and other emerging threats associated with

such new technologies;

H.R. 6735, the Public-Private Cybersecurity Cooperation

Act, which would require DHS to establish procedures for

people or organizations to report vulnerabilities in the

department's information systems; and

H.R. 6740, the Border Tunnel Task Force Act, which would

direct DHS to establish task forces to combat threats from

cross-border tunnels; the task forces could include personnel

from federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.

CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not

significantly affect spending by DHS in any fiscal year

because the department could largely implement each act with

existing personnel.

Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending

or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not

apply.

CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not

increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of

the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.

None of the acts contain intergovernmental or private-

sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform

Act.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz.

The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy

Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

U.S. Congress,

Congressional Budget Office,

Washington, DC, September 27, 2018.

Hon. Michael McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6620, H.R. 6735,

and H.R. 6740, three bills concerning the Department of

Homeland Security that were ordered reported by the Committee

on Homeland Security on September 13, 2018.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be

pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark

Grabowicz.

Sincerely,

Keith Hall.

Enclosure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6742, the Secure Border Communications Act. Every single day the brave law enforcement officers of the United States Customs and Border Protection put themselves in harm's way in order to secure our borders and ports of entry. This bill will strengthen interagency border security communication and communication within U.S. Customs and Border Protection by improving communication technologies for all CBP officers and agents.

When agents or officers are in the field, secure communications with other CBP personnel and law enforcement agencies is imperative to mission success and officer safety. Currently, communication devices and radios used by officers and agents are outdated and hinder interagency communication. I never want there to be a circumstance where a CBP officer or agent is operating in a remote area along our border and is not able to call for backup or whose location is intercepted by the cartels due to defective devices. We must not accept that as a possibility; we must ensure that our agents and officers are fully equipped with the proper technology.

H.R. 6742 will require the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that CBP personnel are equipped with secure radios or other two-way communication devices. These devices will allow officers and agents to communicate between ports of entry and inspection stations, and with other law enforcement entities operating in the same area of responsibility.

I want to thank my friend and colleague, Chairman McCaul, for his cosponsorship and leadership on this important bill. Mr. Speaker, we are in the midst of a war on terror and continue to be the target of radicals who want to do our country harm. Ensuring our law enforcement officers operating along the borders and at our ports of entry are fully equipped is essential to national security. Beyond the threat of terrorism, securing our border is vitally important to preventing drug and human trafficking. Improving communication is a critical component of this mission. Mr. Speaker, let's take some decisive action to secure our border. Let's pass this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6742, the Secure Border Communications Act.

Mr. Speaker, it is essential that the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security have reliable and effective communications equipment in the field.

Unfortunately, in recent years, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been unable to achieve and maintain baseline communications capabilities, with devices exhibiting a range of issues from system incompatibility to outright inoperability. For Border Patrol agents in remote areas of the border, particularly along the U.S.-Canadian border, such issues give rise to troubling operational and officer safety challenges.

In response, H.R. 6742 directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that CBP agents and officers are equipped with secure radio technologies that are interoperable regardless of where used along the border.

Additionally, it authorizes the Secretary to evaluate new and emerging communications technologies to determine their suitability for use along the border.

On a related note, a recent positive development came this summer when CBP awarded $26 million in contracts to upgrade their mission critical equipment.

While CBP is slowly upgrading their communication networks and equipment, H.R. 6742 underscores Congress' interest in seeing meaningful progress. As such, I support H.R. 6742 and ask my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, it is our duty as Members of Congress to ensure that the men and women who patrol and protect our border are trained and equipped to do their jobs.

Unreliable communication in areas between ports of entry or remote areas due to system inoperability is an issue H.R. 6742 aims to fix. It seeks to do so by placing on the shoulders of the Secretary of Homeland Security the responsibility for ensuring that each agent or officer is equipped with secure, reliable radios.

Mr. Speaker, I support this approach. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6742, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, the following cost estimate for H.R. 6742, the Secure Border Communications Act prepared by the Congressional Budget Office was not available to the Committee at the time of filing of the legislative report.

September 25, 2018.

Hon. Michael McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 6742, the Secure

Border Communications Act.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be

pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark

Grabowicz.

Sincerely,

Keith Hall.

Enclosure.

H.R. 6742--Secure Border Communications Act

H.R. 6742 would require Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to equip CBP

officers and border patrol agents with radios or similar

devices that permit secure and effective communication with

DHS personnel and with other federal and nonfederal law

enforcement entities. According to CBP, it outfits its

officers and agents with radios that largely satisfy the

act's requirements, so CBO estimates that implementing H.R.

6742 would have no significant effect on agency spending.

Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending

or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not

apply.

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 6742 would not increase

net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four

consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.

H.R. 6742 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector

mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz.

The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy

Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.