Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce a bill to name a U.S. Post Office in Indianapolis in honor of Senator Richard Lugar. Senator Lugar, who served as mayor of Indianapolis from 1968 to 1975, also represented Indiana honorably in the U.S. Senate from 1977 to 2013. He was a brilliant scholar, a brave member of our armed forces, and a dedicated public servant who championed people and principle over party.

His distinguished life demonstrates the type of leader that Indiana cultivates, and his public service is an unquestionable example of his deep commitment to our country. He was not only a pillar of strength in his local community, but he was also a trusted, unfailing personification of excellence in national leadership.

That excellence pervaded everything that Senator Lugar achieved in life, beginning early in his youth. He participated in youth organizations, reaching the highest achievement attainable in the Boy Scouts of America--the rank of Eagle Scout.

After completing his studies at Denison University, he studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Following graduation, he served in the United States Navy as an intelligence officer.

His political career began shortly thereafter, upon his return to Indianapolis. He promptly began contributing to the well-being of the community in Indianapolis, serving on the local school board and then becoming mayor in 1968.

Following his mayoral service, Lugar ran for the United State Senate, and he was elected in 1976. It was in the Senate where Richard Lugar truly became the resilient and formidable political leader that we have come to recognize. He served as the Chairman of the Senate Agricultural Committee, where he garnered bipartisan support for farm program reforms, initiated the biofuels research program, reformed the food stamp program, and preserved the federal school lunch program. He also served 34 years on the Senate Foreign Relations committee, including two terms as chair. In this capacity, he was a leader in reducing the threat of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons through the passage and implementation of the Nunn-Lugar program. He also played an essential role in enactment of sanctions against the Apartheid government of South Africa and the U.S. recognition of democratic government in the Philippines. He contributed to the expansion of the NATO Alliance, the implementation of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to end the global AIDS epidemic, and the ratification of anti-terrorist treaties. For all he accomplished, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. He was awarded 47 honorary degrees and received numerous other awards. When he passed away, he was the President of the Lugar Center, a non-profit organization focusing on global food security, Weapons of Mass Destruction proliferation, aid effectiveness, and bipartisan governance.

His commitment to good governance and diplomacy, particularly his tireless efforts on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made our world a better, safer place. He won the respect of people across the political spectrum and earned that Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 from President Obama--our nation's highest civilian honor.

In our increasingly divided society, everyone can help his legacy live on by pledging to advance the Hoosier values of bipartisanship and cooperation that defined Senator Richard Lugar's life.

This bill is supported by the entire Indiana delegation, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this effort.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to reintroduce the Duck Boat Safety bill, to implement safety regulations for amphibious passenger vessels. These safety recommendations were made by federal agencies to address known problems associated with duck boats that have resulted in far too many injuries and fatalities.

I became aware of these problems when my constituents, the Coleman family, were involved in a horrible duck boat accident on July 19, 2018 in Branson, Missouri. Tia Coleman was one of only two survivors in her family of 11, losing her husband Glenn and her children Reece (nine years old), Evan (seven years old), and Arya (one year old). Tia's 13- year-old nephew, Donovan Coleman, was the other surviving family member, losing his mother Angela, his younger brother Maxwell (two years old), his uncles Ervin (76 years old) and Butch (70 years old), and his aunt Belinda (69 years old). Boarding a duck boat on Table Rock Lake started out as a fun outing for this family, but it turned into an unspeakable tragedy when the boat capsized and sank. Seventeen of the 31 passengers on board were killed.

Investigations by state and federal authorities are still underway, and lawsuits are pending over the specifics of this incident. But there is a long record of problems associated with duck boat operations that should be addressed now. Since 1999, more than 40 people have died in duck boat accidents, the vast majority of them from drowning when the vessel sinks. In 2002, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued recommendations to improve the safety of the vessels in cases of flooding or sinking, but little has been done to implement those measures. We know from these past incidents that more can be done to make these vessels safe. Congress does not need to wait to act.

While we wait to learn more about the specific circumstances and causes that led to the tragedy on Table Rock Lake, this legislation would implement the NTSB's past recommendations to improve the ability of duck boats (officially referred to as ``amphibious passenger vessels'') to stay afloat in a flooding or sinking situation.

Specifically, this bill would direct the Coast Guard to issue regulations within one year of enactment to require operators of amphibious passenger vessels to retrofit their vessels to provide reserve buoyancy. Vessel operators would have no longer than two years to comply with the requirements.

While vessel operators work to comply with the reserve buoyancy requirements, this bill directs them to implement interim measures to improve vessel safety, including:

a. Removing canopies from vessels for waterborne operations, or replacing canopies with structures that do not restrict escape in the event of flooding or sinking;

b. If canopies are removed, requiring that all passengers wear a personal flotation device while the vessel is on the water;

c. Permanently closing all unnecessary access plugs and reducing through-hull penetrations to the minimum number and size necessary;

d. Installing independently-powered electric bilge pumps;

e. Installing no fewer than four independently-powered bilge alarms;

f. Mandating inspection of vessels in water after each through-hull penetration;

g. Verifying watertight integrity of vessels in the water at the outset of each waterborne departure; and

h. Otherwise complying with existing Coast Guard regulations related to the inspection, configuration, and operation of such vessels.

Those vessels that do not meet the one-year deadline to implement interim safety measures, as well as those that do not meet the two-year deadline to install reserve buoyancy systems, would be prohibited from operating on U.S. waterways until they are compliant.

Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill to make common-sense corrections to the persistent safety problems facing duck boats so that no other family must face the kind of tragedy experienced by my constituents on Table Rock Lake. I urge the House to support this bill

Mr. Chair, last November, the American people elected us to this body because of the urgent need to shore up our health care system and bring down the cost of prescription drugs.

Today, we are making good on that promise to the country by passing another critically-important piece of legislation.

H.R. 987, the Strengthening Health Care and Prescription Drugs Act helps protect the Affordable Care Act from the sabotage of the Trump Administration.

In particular, this bill bans the use of ``junk'' health care plans that harm people with pre-existing conditions; it also helps provide states with more resources to increase health care coverage.

Second, this legislation helps increase generic prescription drug competition which will help bring down prices for patients.

In particular, this legislation includes a bill that I cosponsored that makes it illegal for prescription drug manufacturers to use a practice called ``pay-for-delay.'' This anti-competitive practice delays generic manufacturers from bringing cheaper drugs to market. This bill will prohibit this practice and help increase drug competition.

This bill will not solve every problem ailing our health care system, nor will it immediately fix our prescription drug prices problems.

But the American people deserve these needed reforms without delay. This bill's passage today will help us build additional policies to shore up our health care system and further bring down the cost of prescription drugs. I encourage all of my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, May 4 marked 2 years since House Republicans passed their TrumpCare legislation to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. If passed, this reckless bill would have ripped away healthcare from millions. Thanks to Americans' tireless activism, this bill did not become law. But that wasn't the end of the crusade to protect our care.

This administration continues to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, implementing rules and gutting programs in a very cruel conspiracy to undermine it; and people with preexisting conditions are some of the most vulnerable in a very dangerous game.

Madam Speaker, the Affordable Care Act, with its strong protections, helped many of these Americans obtain health insurance for the very first time. But now, this administration is using a back-door guidance to allow junk insurance plans the ability to deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions.

That is why I am glad the House plans to vote on H.R. 986, which will stop this move and protect Americans living with preexisting conditions.

I will proudly vote for this bill.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Barbara Boyd on her 90th birthday.

Barbara is a living legend in the Indianapolis community, and this milestone birthday is the perfect opportunity to recognize her distinguished career in journalism. A true trailblazer in the Indianapolis media market, Barbara was the first African-American female to report and anchor television news in our city. Her impressive career lasted twenty-five years at Channel 6 news, earning her a spot in both the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame and the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.

She is famously known for a groundbreaking piece highlighting her own struggle with breast cancer in which she addressed the television audience from a hospital bed after undergoing a mastectomy. Barbara was a strong advocate in the fight against breast cancer. Her brave decision to share her personal journey helped educate many people about the disease and inspired people to seek medical care.

Beyond her work in communications, Barbara has long been involved with numerous community and civic groups, including the March of Dimes, the United Negro College Fund, NAACP, and a host of other organizations that helped her leave an indelible mark on our city.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing Ms. Barbara Boyd a happy 90th birthday and thanking her for her years of dedicated service. Her work has informed and inspired countless individuals in our community, and her legacy serves as an inspiration to many. She will be treasured for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I spoke at the memorial service for Indiana's former Senator Birch Byah and missed roll call votes 172 to 174. Had I been present, I would have cast the following votes:

Roll Call 172, on the Previous Question on the Rule, H. Res. 329, vote YEA.

Roll Call 173, on H. Res. 329, vote YEA.

Roll Call 174, the Motion to Table the Green of Tennessee Privileged Resolution, H. Res. 304, vote YEA.

personal explanation

Madam Speaker, on April 2, just a few days from now, we will observe Equal Pay Day in the United States. This commemoration represents the amount of time into this new year a woman must work to earn as much as a man earned in 2018 alone.

As long as this continues, we are effectively telling our wives, our daughters, our mothers, and every woman in our life that they are inherently worth less.

I don't believe this. I don't believe my colleagues do either, which is why I encourage everyone to support the Paycheck Fairness Act when it comes to a vote tomorrow.

This bill represents a major step toward closing the pay gap, ensuring employers pay women what they are due, and the process will grow our economy by putting more money in Americans' paychecks and helping families thrive.

I am honored to support this legislation for my daughter, for the hardworking families in our district, and for women across America who deserve a fair wage for honest work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 2019 Indianapolis Irish Citizen of the Year, Kevin Charles Murray.

Kevin has long been active in the Indianapolis Irish community. In 1981, he co-founded the Indianapolis St. Patrick's Day Parade and the Celtic Cross Committee in 1990. His involvement in events and advocacy for the Indianapolis Irish community are too long to list, which is why this accolade is so long overdue.

In addition to his work in the Irish community, Kevin has worked diligently as an attorney in our city for 40 years. He has used his passion, community connections and education to work at all levels of Indiana government and politics. He served under former Governor Joe Kernan, Lt. Governor Kathy Davis, as the Senate Parliamentarian, and most recently, under the three Marion County Sheriffs, Sheriff Frank Anderson, Sheriff John Layton and Sheriff Kerry J. Forestal.

Kevin's contributions will be felt in Marion County for generations to come. I am thankful to consider Kevin a friend, congratulate him on this achievement, and look forward to his continued work in our city and state.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Uni- Capitol Washington Internship Programme, (UCWIP). Our great nation has benefited from the cross-cultural exchange and dedication to public service that a group of remarkable Australian college students have demonstrated during their time on Capitol Hill.

The Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Programme champions the positive growth of Australian undergraduate students through leadership and development on key political issues and in crucial policy areas. For two decades, UCWIP has matched some of the most outstanding young leaders with offices in the United States Congress. I am honored, once again, to be a host this year. Though each program participant is unique, I am proud to say that the reaction to working with them is universally positive. Our interns are known for being extremely bright, and their meaningful contributions regularly exceed our expectations. This has been especially true for our UCWIP intern, Somhita Chatterjee. Somhita came to us from the University of Melbourne, as an honor student pursuing Politics, International Studies, Media and Communications. Over the past month, I have watched Somhita work as an incredible leader, making assessments that are logical and well-thought out. She is dedicated and not afraid to champion issues that are important to her. She has also taught us so much about her home country and the many values we have in common. I have absolutely no doubt that Somhita's dynamic personality and skillset will help her to be the best that she can be in all her future endeavors. Somhita's generosity in serving Hoosiers, hard work, and positive presence have all been an incredible asset to our office, and we look forward to seeing her future success.

Moreover, the program would not be where it is without a dedicated leader with a strong vision, and an unwavering spirit, making it all possible. I would like to thank Eric Federing for his continued leadership as the director and founder of the Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Programme. Under Eric's supervision, we see individual U.S.- Australia relationships are thriving, forging new friendships that are a testament to our shared prosperity. Today's political climate calls for a global vision, and I am thankful that Eric continuously works to promote the exchange of views and ideas among leaders of the future. It has been an honor to have Somhita in our office, and I thank her for her hard work and commitment to public service. I wish her the best wherever her next journey may take her.

Madam Speaker, I am introducing the Transition-To-Success Mentoring Act to help local education agencies prepare at-risk students for the transition from middle school to high school.

The Transition-To-Success Mentoring Act would establish a grant program for school-based mentoring programs targeted at helping at-risk middle school students transition from

middle to high school. Under my legislation, participating students would develop and execute a formalized plan for success in high school and beyond, and be supported by a school faculty member or volunteer from the community known as a ``Success Coach.''

Middle school is a uniquely challenging time for students, and ensuring a smooth transition from middle to high school is critical to their long-term success. School-based mentoring is an innovative supplement to the traditional learning that takes place in the classroom, providing underserved and at-risk students with attention and support to keep them engaged in school. This legislation is a small step towards providing some of the most vulnerable students with individual attention to help cross the bridge towards high school, college, and career. I urge you to join me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce a bill to implement safety regulations for amphibious passenger vessels, including those known as duck boats. These safety recommendations were made by federal agencies to address known problems associated with duck boats that have resulted in far too many injuries and fatalities.

I became aware of these problems when my constituents, the Coleman family, were involved in a horrible duck boat accident on July

19, 2018 in Branson, Missouri. Tia Coleman was one of only two survivors from her family of 11, losing her husband Glenn and her children Reece (nine years old), Evan (seven years old), and Arya (one year old). Tia's 13 year old nephew, Donovan Coleman, was the other surviving family member, losing his mother Angela, his younger brother Maxwell (two years old), his uncles Ervin (76 years old) and Butch (70 years old), and his aunt Belinda (69 years old). Boarding a duck boat on Table Rock Lake started out as a fun outing for family members but turned into an unspeakable tragedy when the boat capsized and sank. Seventeen of the 31 passengers on board were killed.

Investigations by state and federal authorities are still underway and lawsuits are pending over the specifics of this incident. But there is a long record of problems associated with duck boat operations that can be addressed now. Since 1999 more than 40 people have died in duck boats accidents, the vast majority of them from drowning when the vessel sinks. In 2002, the Natonal Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued recommendations to improve the safety of the vessels in cases of flooding or sinking, but little has been done to implement those measures. We know from these past incidents that more can be done to make these vessels safe. Congress does not need to wait to act.

While we wait to learn more about the specific circumstances and causes that led to the tragedy on Table Rock Lake, this legislation would implement the NTSB's past recommendations to improve the ability of duck boats (officially referred to as ``amphibious passenger vessels'') to stay afloat in a flooding or sinking situation.

Specifically, this bill would direct the Coast Guard to issue regulations within 180 days to require operators of amphibious passenger vessels to retrofit their vessels to provide reserve buoyancy. Vessel operators would have no longer than two years to comply with the requirements.

While vessel operators work to comply with the reserve buoyancy requirements, this bill directs them to implement interim measures to improve vessel safety, including:

a. Remove canopies from vessels for waterborne operations, or replacing canopies with structures that do not restrict escape in the event of flooding or sinking;

b. If canopies are removed, require that all passengers wear a personal flotation device while the vessel is on the water;

c. Permanently close all unnecessary access plugs and reduce through- hull penetrations to the minimum number and size necessary;

d. Install independently-powered electric bilge pumps;

e. Install not fewer than four independently-powered bilge alarms;

f. Mandate inspection of vessels in water after each through-hull penetration;

g. Verify watertight integrity of vessels in the water at the outset of each waterborne departure; and

h. Otherwise comply with existing Coast Guard regulations related to the inspection, configuration, and operation of such vessels.

Those vessels that do not meet the 180-day deadline to implement interim safety measures, as well as those that do not meet the two-year deadline to install reserve buoyancy systems, would be prohibited from operating on U.S. waterways until they are in compliance.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill to make common-sense corrections to the persistent safety problems facing duck boats so that no other family must face the kind of tragedy faced by my constituents on Table Rock Lake. I want to thank my colleague, Senator McCaskill, for introducing the companion measure, S. 3301, and I urge the House to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to an important issue facing our service members and veterans.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, over 500,000 veterans are dying each year. Under a law passed in 2000, many of these men and women qualify for military honors at their funerals, including a two-person honor guard. These honor guards perform an impressive ceremony that includes folding and presenting the flag of the United States and playing Taps. This demonstration of our nation's unceasing appreciation is incredibly important to family, friends, and the entire veterans community.

The Indiana National Guard, like in other states, strives to provide funeral teams whenever possible. Unfortunately, with so many veterans passing each year, there are too few men and women prepared to render honors. Service members and veterans in my hometown of Indianapolis recognized this shortage and organized the Indy Metropolitan Military Honor Guard to meet the need, averaging 400 funerals per year and amassing over 9,600 man hours and 56,000 miles traveled.

Those who serve in our Armed Forces never do so for accolades or honors. Yet, we honor them with medals and ribbons to recognize their service and tell the story of their achievements. In Indiana, the National Guard decorates funeral team members and the Metro Military Honor Guard provides a ribbon to be worn by its participants. Yet, this is not the case across much of the country. Service members and veterans who serve on honor guards are providing a valuable service and should be decorated for their contribution.

Mr. Speaker, today I'm pleased to recognize all the service members and veterans who serve on honor guards across the country. I call on all states to follow Indiana's example and adopt a ribbon to recognize these dedicated individuals.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Marion County Commission on Youth, whose tireless work over the past twenty- five years has benefited countless youth and families in my hometown of Indianapolis.

Marion County Commission on Youth (MCCOY) champions the positive development of youth through leadership on key issues and support of those directly serving young people. As an intermediary organization, MCCOY focuses on developing the high-level, strategic partnerships and supports needed for youth to thrive. This vital work is accomplished in four key pillars: Advocacy on issues impacting young people and their families; capacity-building programming for youth service providers; convening opportunities for service providers and community leaders; and resources to connect young people and families to programming.

MCCOY acts as a catalyst for the positive development of youth in Marion County. Committed to partnerships and youth empowerment, the organization works alongside the nonprofit, business, and government sectors as well as young people themselves to encourage and nurture a landscape of robust youth development programming. For more than a decade, MCCOY has engaged local stakeholders in generating and supporting employment skills-building and work opportunities for Indianapolis young people. Today, the organization is a leading partner of Project Indy a project of the City of Indianapolis which gives thousands of local young people job experience and skills during the summer months. MCCOY has also played an important role in my own Youth Opportunities Fair, connecting young people with organizations providing work, volunteer, and other enrichment opportunities.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Marion County Commission on Youth for its efforts to ensure every young person in central Indiana has opportunities to thrive, learn, engage, and contribute.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff).

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to say a few words about this very important bill. I say important because as we face threats around the world, threats like Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and terrorism, the annual Intelligence Authorization Act is meant to provide our intelligence personnel with the resources and authorities they need to keep America safe.

In some respects, Mr. Chairman, this bill accomplishes that very goal. We refocus our resources on countering our most significant adversary states. We better equip the intel community to counter foreign interference in our elections, which is very critical going into 2018, all the way to 2020.

We give new authorities related to pervasive challenges, including threats to our supply chain, recruitment and development of minority talent, and strengthening of the cyber and technical workforce.

I support these very important developments. Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, the bill also supports or indicates significant problematic changes to many classified authorities. I am particularly concerned about what this means for the way we conduct counterterrorism operations.

Mr. Chairman, the Trump administration has changed counterterrorism policies in a way that does not make America safer. By expanding the areas where the U.S. Government may be operating and broadening authorities, Mr. Chairman, we are planting the seeds of anger and hate which will fester and grow, increasing the threat of an attack in the future.

Mr. Chairman, I strongly believe in protecting the United States and her allies. But, if two decades of the war against terrorism have taught us anything, it is that we can't fight our way out of this. Yes, we need to target known terrorist leaders, Mr. Chairman, but we also need to actively minimize actions that spur new hatred and drive people to terrorism.

After years of striving for a more comprehensive, targeted, and productive counterterrorism approach, this bill sends us back to the days of broad unrestrained authorities. With so much on the line, Mr. Chairman, we should be using this bill to send a message to this administration that America must maintain her values.

Success at any cost is not success at all, but a foolhardy approach to leverage power. We must keep America safe, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, today, I am pleased to introduce a bill to reform the Federal Protective Service (FPS) because I believe it is long overdue to improve the important organization. In the aftermath of the 1995 Murrah Building bombing, the Department of Justice (DOJ) assessed the vulnerability of Federal office buildings in the United States, particularly to acts of terrorism and other forms of violence. The DOJ report made several recommendations, including upgrading the Federal Protective Service (FPS) and bringing each Federal facility up to minimum standards suggested for its security level. When the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City was attacked, it was after careful planning that focused on gaps in the federal building security at the site to allow the massive destruction and the loss of life that touched all Americans.

The DOJ report noted that the FPS has the experience and historical character to provide security services in Federal buildings for much of the Federal workforce. But, the report also noted that FPS has limited resources to determine building security requirements to address terrorist threats. FPS, according to the report, needs to re-establish its role and take the lead in emphasizing the need for security.

Unfortunately years later, many of the reforms that DOJ found necessary have not taken place. Since the bombing of the Murrah Building, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General have both issued numerous reports indicating where FPS needs to improve in order to prevent another tragedy and improve security in Federal buildings. The GAO has made very clear that FPS must increase its oversight of its contract guard force, improve screening practices, and be more nimble in responding to threats to Federal buildings.

The Federal Protective Service is a part of the frontline defense for thousands of Federal buildings, which include Federal courthouses, Social Security Administration buildings, Agency headquarters, and other buildings. FPS has approximately 1,300 employees, including approximately 1,000 Law Enforcement Officers

(LEOs) or ``inspectors'' and 15,000 contract guards, also known as Protective Security Officers (PSOs). After the Oklahoma City bombings in 1995, FPS' authorized staffing level was 1,450. FPS maintained about the same level of staffing until it dropped to 1,100 in 2007. After concerns about the decrease and its effect on security, Congress, through the appropriations process, began mandating a minimum staffing level. Ultimately, this means that the FPS has fewer employees than it had in 1996, in the immediate aftermath of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, while GSA has expanded its real estate holdings since 1996 by nearly 33 percent.

FPS spends about $1.3 billion in executing its mission while delivering security and law enforcement services for the 8,700 assets that the General Services Administration (GSA) owns, controls, or leases. FPS services include providing a visible uniformed presence in major Federal buildings; responding to criminal incidents and other emergencies; installing and monitoring security devices and systems; investigating criminal incidents; conducting physical security assessments; coordinating a comprehensive program for occupants' emergency plans; presenting formal crime prevention and security awareness programs; and providing police emergency and special security services during natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and major civil disturbances, including man-made disasters, such as bomb explosions and riots.

As the Federal inventory of buildings has steadily increased over the last 30 years, the quality and implementation of security standards have varied greatly. The Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Managment has unfortunately found that security in Federal buildings is not uniform and is often set by non-security personnel employed by tenant agencies through a Building Security Committee for each individual public building. This approach to security makes it difficult to gauge properly the actual risk at Federal facilities and then allocate FPS resources appropriately.

My bill, the FPS Reform Act of 2018, addresses some of the long- standing issues identified by the original DOJ report in the aftermath of the bombing of Alfred P. Murrah Building and subsequent reports by the GAO. It creates a minimum level of training for Protective Service Officers (PSOs) while increasing the authority of PSOs to carry firearms and detain suspects accused of a felony. The bill also improves the training and procedures for federal agencies participating in the Building Security Committees to ensure that that there are uniform and appropriate security standards for individual buildings occupied by federal agencies. Finally, the bill requires the Secretary of DHS to study and report back to Congress on several areas of concern with respect to securing federal buildings including the level of personnel needed to secure federal buildings, the best model for funding FPS, the feasibility of federalizing FPS contract officers, and best practices in preventing explosives from entering Federal buildings.

More than 22 years after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, it is readily apparent that although FPS has made some strides in improving the protection of Federal buildings there is more progress that needs to be made. In my role as Ranking Member of the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee and a former law enforcement official, I believe it is imperative that I do everything possible to protect the millions of federal workers and daily visitors, and to keep federal buildings safe. With increased oversight and additional legislative authority I believe the Federal Protective Service can thrive in its mission of protecting Federal Facilities, their occupants, and visitors by providing superior law enforcement and protective security services.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to consider this legislation and pass it as soon as possible.