DHS Intelligence and Analysis Oversight and Transparency Act

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8664, the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Oversight and Transparency Act.

H.R. 8664 would require the Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security to annually audit and report to Congress on the information systems and bulk data of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, or I&A.

The bill would ensure such systems and data are consistent with oversight guidelines.

Last year, at the request of Ranking Member Thompson, the Government Accountability Office issued a report that found that I&A is not auditing its information systems and bulk data.

Such audits are necessary to ensure, for example, that information pertaining to U.S. persons that is collected, stored, shared, and managed in information systems is protected.

The GAO report recommended that the Undersecretary identify who is responsible for conducting the audits of information systems and that the responsible official actually conduct them. This bill would simply codify the recommendations made in the GAO report.

Mr. Speaker, I support this commonsense legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill would ensure that DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis audits their systems and data, and that personnel follow policies to protect the privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties of United States persons.

I thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lee) for introducing the bill in response to oversight done by Democrats on the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8664, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8664) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an annual audit of the information systems and bulk data of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis 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 extraneous material on H.R. 8664.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8664, the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Oversight and Transparency Act introduced by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lee).

DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis, or I&A, is required to audit bulk data transferred to or from I&A to appropriately limit intrusion into information related to the civil rights and liberties and other privacy concerns of Americans.

A recent GAO study found I&A has not implemented guidelines to address this issue. Ms. Lee's bill would amend the Homeland Security Act to require I&A to conduct an annual audit and report to Congress on its progress.

I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her commonsense legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lee).

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

Mr. Speaker, I, again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8664, and I thank Ms. Lee for her hard work on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8664, the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Oversight and Transparency Act.

Our public servants must carefully protect the personal information and data of Americans.

Unfortunately, time and again, we have seen examples of agencies and bureaucrats who have failed to secure and protect our most sensitive information.

A recent report from the Government Accountability Office found that the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis, I&A, has not fully implemented oversight guidelines pertaining to bulk data collection activities and has not conducted an audit as outlined in the intelligence oversight guidelines.

To ensure transparency and to protect Americans' civil liberties, privacy, and civil rights, my bill, the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Oversight and Transparency Act, will require DHS' I&A to conduct an annual audit to assess whether access to and searches of Americans' data are appropriately limited and in line with the I&A's intelligence guidelines.

To further conduct oversight, this bill will require the Undersecretary for Intelligence and Analysis to submit a report to Congress that outlines the findings of every annual audit to ensure transparency for the American people.

Americans deserve to know what data and information is being accessed by government agencies. This bill will make sure that entities responsible for conducting audits of information systems and bulk data are carrying out their duties in accordance with I&A's oversight guidelines.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 8664.