DHS Contract Reporting Act of 2021

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are closing out the Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support for 23 important measures to make our communities more secure and improve Department of Homeland Security operations in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.

I am particularly pleased that we were able to reach agreement on the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act to expand and strengthen this vital program so that more nonprofits and houses of worship can access security assistance at this time of heightened threats of violent extremism and terrorism. With antisemitic and other violent threats on the rise, it is clear this legislation is needed now more than ever.

I also want to thank Ranking Member John Katko, as he retires from Congress, for his contributions to the Homeland Security Committee and his critical support throughout this process for the Committee's bipartisan package found in Division G of the NDAA.

While the package reflects the contributions of so many of my colleagues, l would like to give special acknowledgment to Congresswoman Val Demings who championed the Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Act. This legislation directs DHS to explore ways to provide needed bridge funding to cities to preserve homeland security capability gains accomplished through the Urban Area Security Initiative grant program when they no longer receive such funding.

With respect to cybersecurity, I am pleased that we were able to reach agreement on bipartisan provisions that originated in the Committee on Homeland Security. They include Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin's legislation to reauthorize the Secret Service's National Computer Forensics Institute, Congresswoman Elaine Luria's bill to authorize DHS's President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition, and legislation authored by Congressman Eric Swalwell aimed at improving DHS's cybersecurity training to protect industrial control systems.

While I am enormously proud of the bipartisan homeland security provisions that were included, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my disappointment that we were not able to reach agreement with the Senate on amending the law to treat TSA's workforce like most other Federal employees or authorize the vital work of DHS's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. We will continue to seek an agreement on these critical measures.

Lastly, I am particularly proud that the NDAA honors my late friend, Congressman A. Donald McEachin, by including his bill, the DHS Mentor- Protege Program Act, to help small businesses better compete for DHS contracts. It is a fitting tribute to my friend that we came together to pass a bill to open doors of opportunity to small businesses-- something that he was passionate about doing.

Mr. Speaker, the full list of Homeland Security Committee measures that will be enacted by this year's NOAA is as follows:

H.R. 6825, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act of 2022, sponsored by Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS).

H.R. 5615, the Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Act, sponsored by Rep. Val Butler Demings (D-FL).

H.R. 6387, the School and Daycare Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr. (D-NJ).

H.R. 8801, the DHS Joint Task Force Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Rep. J. Luis Correa (D-CA) and S. 4656, the DHS Joint Task Forces Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Sen. Gary C. Peters (D-MI).

H.R. 2915, the Homeland Procurement Reform Act, sponsored by Rep. J. Luis Correa (D-CA) and S. 1009, the Homeland Procurement Reform Act, sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

H.R. 6824, the President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition Act, sponsored by Rep. Elaine G. Luria (D-VA).

H.R. 7777, the Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Training Act, sponsored by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).

H.R. 7174, the National Computer Forensics Institute Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and S. 4673, the National Computer Forensics Institute Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

H.R. 5574, the TSA Reaching Across Nationalities, Societies, and Languages to Advance Traveler Education Act (``TRANSLATE Act''), sponsored by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) and S. 3296, the TSA Reaching Across Nationalities, Societies, and Languages to Advance Traveler Education Act (``TRANSLATE Act''), sponsored by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4363, the DHS Contract Reporting Act of 2021.

Improving transparency and accountability is an essential way for the America people to gain and have confidence in their government and the Department of Homeland Security.

Currently, there is no clear line of sight into DHS' purchasing decisions. Even though DHS is required to report some contract awards to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, it is not required to report them to other committees with oversight responsibilities such as ours, the House Committee on Homeland Security.

And most importantly, if the American people want to know where their tax dollars are going, that information is almost impossible to find.

Today, if someone wanted to find a DHS contract award, they would have to know how to use and navigate the cumbersome Federal data systems, and even then they may not be successful if they don't already know some key details about the contract.

Furthermore, DHS acquisition management is still on the Government Accountability Office's high-risk list. GAO reports that although DHS has taken steps to strengthen its acquisition requirements development process, DHS continues to face challenges in effectively executing its acquisition portfolio, with many programs not meeting the cost and schedule goals they establish.

I want to change this. The bill I am putting forward today will increase the transparency into these contracts. The DHS Contract Reporting Act of 2021 requires DHS to have a public facing website where it will report all contract awards over $4 million.

To illustrate the current opaqueness of our oversight, I want to ask: Does anybody here know whether all the DHS contracts that should have been awarded competitively actually were? I don't know the answer. But I do know that competition and contract awards helps to lower the cost of services and technologies the Department buys, and to get the best return on investment for the American taxpayer.

To get at this type of information and to have more insight into DHS' awards more generally, this bill also requires DHS to include key aspects of each contract award it reports, such as the total amount it plans to spend; what the contract is for; what type of agreement it is; and whether the government competed the contract award.

According to the government's top 100 contractors report for 2020, DHS alone awarded over $12 billion to its top 100 contractors. And this is an increase in spending of $1 billion from just the previous year.

This includes everything from drones and IT systems to medical services at the border. With these significant levels of increased spending, it is crucial that Congress have better oversight of DHS contracts.

If this requirement would have been in place last year, the American people and Congress would have had that insight into nearly 1,000 contracts DHS awarded in 2020. We need to put this requirement in place now so that Congress can ensure better stewardship of taxpayer dollars next year.

With increased Federal spending across the board, it is more important than ever that this committee does its job to ensure DHS is being a good steward of taxpayer dollars. More accountability will make the Department a better business partner and a better provider of services to the public, and that is why I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I would like to thank Ranking Member Katko and Representatives Luria and Slotkin for reaching across the aisle and cosponsoring this bill with me.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4363) to establish a daily public reporting requirement for covered contract awards of the Department of Homeland Security, 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 extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4363, the DHS Contract Reporting Act of the 2021. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Homeland Security spends billions of dollars each year to acquire goods and services needed to carry out its missions.

It purchases everything from disaster relief supplies to passenger screening equipment to software designed to protect Federal Government networks from cyber threats.

The Department's Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office have consistently identified challenges with respect to DHS contract management efforts.

For instance, the DHS Inspector General has identified instances where FEMA awarded contracts to inexperienced vendors that were unable to deliver critical supplies in response to major disasters.

In June 2020, GAO determined that U.S. Customs and Border Protection had misspent funding that Congress specifically appropriated for migrant medical care and related supplies.

H.R. 4363 seeks to improve visibility in DHS' contract awards by requiring daily reporting of contract awards on the Department's public website. The reports are to include key information about the award, such as the purpose of the contract and where work is expected to be performed.

The reports are also to include information about the award recipient, such as the name of the company and whether it is considered a small business.

H.R. 4363 has bipartisan support and was reported out of committee by voice vote. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I am prepared to close after the gentleman from Mississippi closes. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I am prepared to close.

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

Mr. Speaker, DHS obligated the $20 billion on goods and services in fiscal year 2020, making it the fourth highest spending civilian agency in the Federal Government.

Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the Department's funds are well spent. Enactment of H.R. 4363 would provide greater transparency into the Department's contract awards and enable better oversight of DHS's spending.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4363, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4363, the DHS Contract Reporting Act of 2021.

The Department of Homeland Security, along with its component agencies, is appropriated billions of dollars every year to carry out its mission. This legislation, authorized by my colleague, Representative Harshbarger, will bring long overdue transparency to the money DHS spends when contracting services from the private sector.

I commend Representative Harshbarger for her legislation to battle waste, fraud, and abuse, and to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently and transparently.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to join me in supporting H.R. 4363, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Harshbarger).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge Members to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.