Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable volunteer firefighter, Ms. Deleigh Daniel.

Ms. Daniel wanted to become a firefighter after hearing her ex- husband speak about his experiences and the importance of being able to save a life or someone's home. In 2007, she joined the Linn Steiner Roundaway Volunteer Fire Department where she is one of two female firefighters. In 2009, she joined the Indianola Volunteer Fire Department where she is the first female firefighter.

Ms. Daniel's greatest satisfaction as a volunteer firefighter is knowing the benefit of saving lives, businesses, personal property, and the educating others on fire prevention and safety techniques.

Her children, Claire and Clay are supportive of their mother being a firefighter and being able to fulfill her life's goal. Ms. Daniel lives her life by this motto, ``I can accomplish anything I set my mind to''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Deleigh Daniel for her dedication to serving her community and our great country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable veteran, Tommy Traxler, Jr. Mr. Traxler has shown what can be done through hard work, setting goals, and aiming high.

Tommy Traxler, Jr., was born January 17, 1945 in Crystal Springs, Mississippi to the late Charlean Traxler and Tommy Traxler, Sr. He was reared by his grandmother, the late Gussie Hudson.

He was a 1963 graduate of William H. Holtzclaw Memorial High School in Crystal Springs, Mississippi and 1965 graduate of Utica Junior College, Utica, Mississippi. On September 6, 1966, Tommy was killed in Vietnam.

Tommy had two siblings; one brother, Charles E. Pickett and one sister, Cynthia Traxler of Crystal Springs, Mississippi. His hobbies included football, basketball and drawing.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Tommy Traxler, Jr. for his dedication to serving our great country and his community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Jackson, Mississippi Fire Department. The Jackson Fire Department is the largest fire department in the State of Mississippi. The Jackson Fire Department currently consists of 7 divisions with 433 budgeted positions. The 7 divisions that make up the Jackson Fire Department are Administration and Finance; Arson and Internal Affairs; Community Relations and Fire Safety Education; Emergency Services; Training, Safety, Research and Development; Office of the Fire Marshal; and Fire Loss.

Emergency Services is the largest division which consists of 21 fire stations and 32 pieces of emergency equipment. In 2006, they upgraded all of their Self-Contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA) along with new ultralite facepieces. The Jackson Fire Department constantly strives for improvement and the highest level of firefighting by updating and purchasing

the latest firefighting equipment and technology such as thermal cameras, chemical detectors, weather stations, portable radios, TSI Portacount Plus Respirator fit testers, Scott Eagle Imagers, video conference systems, Lifepak AEDs, and personal protective gear.

In April 2006, the Jackson Fire Department sponsored an Urban Search and Rescue class, which enhances their ability to serve the City of Jackson and any other city in times of immediate need. In the summer of 2006, the Jackson Fire Department received 7 new fire trucks.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Jackson Fire Department for their dedication to serving the citizens of Jackson, Mississippi.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a courageous woman of the community, Mrs. Annie Larry.

Annie Larry, a lifelong resident of Rolling Fork, MS was born August 4, 1962. She is the sixth of ten children born to the late Mariah and Herman Larry. Annie has been married to Nathaniel Pinkins for twenty- six years, and they have four children.

Mrs. Larry graduated from Rolling Fork High School in 1981. She went on to receive an Associate Degree in 1983 from Mississippi Delta Community College. In 2009 Annie became the first female volunteer firewoman in Rolling Fork, MS.

Annie is the Founder and President of the gospel group, Southern Truth, of which she started 17 years ago. She is a member of House of Peace, under the leadership of Apostle Linda Sweezer.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Annie Larry for her dedication to serving others and giving back to the community she grew up in.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable veteran, John Matthews, Jr. He is a lifelong resident of the Mississippi Delta.

Mr. Matthews was drafted to serve in the United States Army after graduating from Alcorn State University and becoming a licensed educator.

Mr. Matthews served during the time of the Vietnam Conflict and was a member of the 258th Personnel Service Company and the 30th Air Defense Artillery Brigade. He earned the rank of Sergeant Major and after serving our country for 30 years he retired with an Honorable Discharge. Upon completion of his tour of duty, Mr. Matthews returned to the Mississippi Delta and was a business manager, educator and cancer research assistant.

Mr. Matthews has stated that his service to America taught him discipline and leadership skills, and gave him the opportunity to travel and interact with various ethnic groups around the world.

Mr. Matthews wanted to continue his contact with fellow veterans so he became a member of the American Legion Post 206 in Indianola, Mississippi. In 2010 he was elected to serve as Vice Commander of VFW Post 206. He serves in other leadership roles as Chairman of the Sunflower Humphreys Counties Progress, Inc; Head Start Policy Council; Chairman of the Sunflower County Democratic Executive Committee; Community representative of the Sunflower County Crime Stoppers Program and Deacon at Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church.

Mr. Matthews is married to Ms. Gwendolyn Goines-Matthews. His life motto is from Robert E. Lee: ``First be sure you're right, and then proceed''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. John Matthews for his dedication to serving our great country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a remarkable young man, Oliver Evans. He is the younger of two children born to Oliver and Pearlie Evans. Oliver is a graduate of Clarksdale High School, Coahoma Community College and Mississippi Valley State University.

Oliver has been a fireman for four years with the Clarksdale Fire Department. He is certified by the Mississippi State Fire Academy. Saving lives is an emotional, physically fit, and demanding job. Firefighters must always be conscious of their physical ability and responsibility. Oliver received the ``Most Physically Fit Award'' from the Mississippi State Fire Academy. As a fireman, routine activities and exercises are what help him improve upon his ability to save lives such as checking fire hydrants, appliances, fire equipment, visiting local schools, building inspections and skill enhancement training. The extra training can be challenging and there are always new technologies that you must master. Again, the job is both physically and mentally demanding. You never know what to expect, the normal instinct is to run from danger; a firefighter runs into danger. Oliver said, ``I considered myself truly blessed to have the opportunity to affect the lives of others in the way that this job has provided.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Oliver Evans, a committed firefighter and public servant.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a selfless man of the community, Mr. Robert Seaton, Sr.

Robert Seaton is a resident of Sharkey County, Mississippi. He was born December 2, 1944 in Blanton, Mississippi to the late Leola and Oscar Seaton. Mr. Seaton was raised by his grandparents, Ester and Joseph Kelly until 1954, the death of his grandmother.

Mr. Seaton graduated from Rolling Fork School. After graduation he moved to Los Angeles, California where he worked in a bakery downtown. In 1972, he returned to Mississippi. Since his return Robert worked for an auto mechanics shop, served 14 years as a volunteer Firefighter in Cary, Mississippi, and served two terms as Alderman in the Town of Cary until he became the Mayor of Cary.

Robert is a member of New Hope M. B. Church in Blanton, Mississippi. He also is a member of the Deer Creek Watershed Executive Board. Mr. Seaton hosts Fire Prevention Week each year for the children of the community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Robert Seaton, Sr. for his dedication to serving others and giving back to the community he grew up in.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable volunteer fire department in the Mississippi Delta.

The Shaw Volunteer Fire Company Number One was established on November 15, 1921 with Chas F. Hill as Fire Chief, R. V. Farmer as Assistant Chief, and N. L. Chapman as Captain and twenty firemen. Recently, the Shaw Volunteer Fire Department became a part of the Bolivar County Fire Department and is known as District 5. This has increased their service area to surrounding communities and they currently serve 4,000 residents.

Since its establishment, the Shaw Volunteer Fire Department has been a great benefit to the citizens of Shaw by saving many lives, businesses, and personal property. The fire department has been the first responders and rescuers at numerous incidents like automobile, school bus, and natural disasters.

The Shaw Volunteer Fire Department was one of the first departments to have female firefighters. Under the direction of its current Fire Chief, Timothy Caninco and Captain Bernice Boone and 12 firefighters, they have established the Shaw Fire Academy to educate and train youths and adults on fire safety. The fire department has received numerous outstanding performance certifications and awards.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the City of Shaw Volunteer Fire Department for its dedication to serving the citizens of Shaw and responding to call for help within the surrounding area.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Tutwiler Volunteer Fire Department (Tutwiler VFD) located in Tutwiler, Mississippi. The department serves a population of 3,550 citizens.

The Tutwiler VFD is staffed by twelve volunteers tasked with the responsibility of saving lives and responding to emergencies. The staff consists of both full and part time volunteers. Some of the volunteers have been certified by the National Fire Protection Association and/or the State of Mississippi as a highly trained and qualified firefighter and first responder. Volunteer fire departments with trained firefighters are an invaluable asset to rural areas like Tutwiler.

The job of saving lives requires skill, a passion for life, and good equipment. Some of the volunteers work for more than one volunteer fire department because many communities are small and spread apart.

The Tutwiler VFD has a lot of territory to cover. They respond to calls from the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility, the Tallahatchie County School District, and neighboring communities. The correctional facility is a 2800 bed facility, and the school district has a student body of over 800 students. When the Tutwiler VFD staff is not responding to calls, they engage in ongoing community outreach to educate citizens on fire safety measures and techniques.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Tutwiler Volunteer Fire Department for the work they are doing to save lives in the Mississippi Delta.

Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to improve the level of security provided by the Federal Protective Service, FPS.

Formed in 1971 as the uniformed protection service for the General Service Administration, GSA, the Federal Protective Service's mission is to safeguard the Federal buildings that Americans access every day across the country. FPS is charged with protecting over 9,000 Federal facilities, including many of our own Congressional district offices.

Since FPS was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, a series of government audits have uncovered major breaches in the security services FPS provides and attributed these lapses, in large part, to slipshod oversight by the agency of its contractor workforce.

One glaring example of FPS's lapses in providing security occurred in February 2011 when contract guards failed to detect explosive material that was left undetected inside the Patrick V. McNamara Federal building in Detroit for 21 days.

Testifying on July 13, 2011 about this incident before the Committee on Homeland Security, the Government Accountability Office, GAO, stated that FPS needs to undertake a stronger role in overseeing contractor performance, to reevaluate its hiring and training practices for contract guards, and to implement a comprehensive risk assessment strategy.

On July 24, 2012, at a subsequent Committee on Homeland Security hearing, FPS's lack of a comprehensive risk management strategy was identified as a major obstacle to FPS' ability to safeguard Federal facilities and effectively serve as the lead agency charged with coordinating infrastructure protection government-wide.

Both hearings addressed the Federal Protective Service's pressing need to replace the failed Risk Assessment and Management Program, RAMP, to monitor the hours and duties performed by contract guards-- which has cost of over $41 million--with an effective tool to implement risk assessment. As an interim step, FPS has since developed the Modified Infrastructure Survey Too, MIST.

Since May 2007, the Committee on Homeland Security has held five oversight hearings of FPS. Additionally, since 2008, GAO has issued seven oversight reports, at my request, on the agency that identified a wide range of challenges FPS faces in protecting Federal facilities. Among the areas for reform identified in these reports are the need for increased oversight of the contract guard program; the need for FPS to implement a risk management strategy to improve facility security; enhanced schedule and cost estimating practices to facilitate the transition of management functions; and a comprehensive approach to human capital management.

The legislation I am reintroducing today: (1) seeks to increase security at Federal facilities by adding 500 more Federal Law Enforcement Officers; (2) directs FPS to intensify its monitoring of contract guards; (3) requires national minimum standards for the training and certification of contract guard staff; (4) requires that security standards for Federal facilities established by the Interagency Security Committee be implemented; (5) directs FPS to conduct a 1-year pilot program to assess whether a Federal Security Guard that is a Federal employee would do a better job protecting the highest risk Federal facilities than a contract guard; (6) requires a law enforcement presence at the highest risk Federal facilities; and (7) directs the Government Accountability Office to investigate the adequacy of the fee-based funding system utilized by FPS and determine whether it prevents the agency from fully executing its security mission.

Under my legislation, the FPS' inspector corps would be increased to 1,350, thereby elevating the Federal law enforcement presence inside Federal buildings by offering ``boots on the ground'' security expertise.

I strongly believe that a more robust inspector workforce would, for the first time, provide FPS with a core of specialized security personnel with the training and authority required to create long- overdue change within the entire organization.

My legislation also calls for dedicated contract oversight staff to oversee the performance of contract guards; this would allow FPS inspectors focus on their security and law enforcement duties and not be bogged down in contract-management concerns.

Similarly, my legislation would require a law enforcement presence at the highest risk Federal facilities, which directly addresses a gap in the current system, where contract guards, who lack arrest authority are charged with protecting high-profile Federal facilities.

I introduced similar legislation in the 111th and 112th Congresses to ensure that the Federal Protective Service fulfills its responsibility to coordinate infrastructure protection across the Federal government, and to make certain that effective management procedures are implemented to hold contractors accountable for the hiring, training and certification of security guards who are charged with protecting Federal facilities.

It has been 18 years since the Alfred P. Murrah building was attacked in Oklahoma City. We have been fortunate that an attack of this magnitude has not occurred against a

Federal building in the intervening years. That said, we must do more to ensure that Federal buildings are secure and that the Federal Protective Service can effectively fulfill its mission.

Enactment of my legislation will bring about long-overdue and necessary reforms and help FPS become the agency that Congress envisioned and the American people deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable 22-year-old young man from Shaw, Mississippi. Jacques Alexander Marquis Matthews has answered the call of duty to his country and is currently serving as an active soldier in the Mississippi National Guard stationed in Afghanistan.

Specialist Matthews comes from a lineage filled with military servicemen and women. His paternal grandfather, Mr. William Carter, is a Vietnam Veteran who served in the United States Air Force; his maternal uncle, Mr. James Attaway, served in the United States Marines; and his mother, Ramona Matthews, had just enlisted in the United States Army when she learned she was pregnant with her first child, Jacques.

Specialist Matthews was raised in a single parent home by his mother, Ramona, along with his two younger brothers, Chauncey and Malik. Specialist Matthews understood the pain of his mother as she struggled to provide for them and the reproach of his grandparents, William and Alicestean Carter and Susie Matthews. As his mother's oldest child, much was expected of him and he wanted to fulfill those expectations. But like many other young men, what appears to be quick and easy was tempting. And sometimes he was prey to those temptations. In fact he said and I quote, ``my mother was more determined than me--for me to succeed. So, she snatched me from that wrong path and told me my life had three paths it could take and I had to choose one right then, college, military, or she was going to commit a homicide and that's all I needed to know. Needless to say, I chose the military.''

Mr. Speaker, Specialist Matthews has a litany of highlights during his military career including:

In 2008: Specialist Matthews enlisted in the Mississippi National Guard.

August 2008-October 2008: Specialist Matthews did his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

October 2008: Specialist Matthews completed his basic training. He was recognized during graduation for having scored a perfect 300 on the physical fitness portion of the training.

July 10, 2010-July 31, 2010: Specialist Matthews was a member of the 2089th Vertical Company, 223rd Engineer Battalion. He received the Army Achievement Medal for his Superior and Unflagging Support of his unit.

November 6, 2010: Specialist Matthews was honored with the Commanders Award for scoring 297 on the Annual Army Physical Fitness Test while he was a member of the 223rd Engineer Battalion.

November 7, 2010: Specialist Matthews while in the 168th Engineer Brigade received the Silver Castle Challenge Certificate of Achievement for having completed the Army Physical Fitness test with a score of 297. He was recognized for distinguishing himself by his excellent conditioning. He is truly to be commended for the accomplishment and deserving of the recognition for his sacrifice and self-discipline.

May 2011: Specialist Matthews was in the 2089th Vertical Construction Company when he was honored with the Army Meritorious Achievement Medal for his selfless service, loyalty and honor, dedication and integrity as an example for all to follow for his significant contribution to the success of his unit and the Mississippi Army National Guard.

October 2011-November 2011: Specialist Matthews received the Meritorious Service Award in recognition of his superior physical ability during the annual training while assigned to Detachment 1 of the 2089th Vertical Construction Company.

May 7, 2012: Specialist Matthews' unit, the 2089th Vertical Construction Company, 223rd Engineer Battalion was activated to Afghanistan.

I want Specialist Matthews' story to serve as one of encouragement to those who think there is no hope for change and to those who prejudge someone because of their circumstances. Specialist Matthews has expressed great interest in building an exciting career in the military answering the call at home and abroad whenever and wherever he is needed.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Specialist Jacques Alexander Marquis Matthews, from the Second Congressional District of Mississippi, now serving as a member of the Mississippi National Guard currently stationed in Afghanistan. As he so proudly represents the United States, I too am proud to represent him as a Member of Congress. I wish him a continued rewarding military career and a safe return home to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding individual who has served the citizens of the great State of Mississippi for nearly half a century. Mrs. Alice Varnado Harden was an outstanding teacher, a profound leader and a truly inspiring individual. Senator Harden's unwavering passion for enriching the lives of others and remarkable character and integrity is worthy of recognition by this honorable body, inasmuch as her governing presence will be sorely missed throughout this nation.

Mississippi Senator Alice Varnado Harden was born on April 17, 1948 in Pike County, Mississippi to John Oatis Varnado and Lula Robinson Varnado. She was the third of nine children who grew up in the Washington Addition community of Jackson, Mississippi. A woman of humble beginnings, Senator Harden exhibited extraordinarily strong leadership skills, academic talents and teaching abilities that would later lend to her phenomenal performance as the first African American female to be elected to the Mississippi Senate.

Senator Harden's zeal for education blossomed during her years at Jim Hill High School and Jackson State University. At Jackson State University she earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Health and Wellness. Upon graduating from Jackson State University, Senator Harden began a noteworthy career as a teacher at Calloway High School in the Jackson Public School District where she quickly gained the respect and admiration of her students, colleagues and administrative supervisors.

Recognizing that public schools in Mississippi were failing to deliver on its promise to adequately prepare its students for the challenges and demands of an ever changing world, Senator Harden gradually redefined her passion for educating from being purely a lecturer to being an advocate for quality public education. As president of the Mississippi Association of Educators, Senator Harden, despite the threat of incarceration by the courts, called for a strike in 1985 to fight for salary increases for the state's teachers. The voice for hundreds of teachers and thousands of children, Senator Harden's steadfast commitment to effectuate change from the front to the back of the classroom, was victorious. Her steadfast commitment to the pursuit of change in how Mississippi honored its educators led to a statewide pay increase for teachers.

Mrs. Harden's roles as an activist propelled her into the realm of politics. In 1988, She was elected to represent Mississippi's 28th Senate District, filling a seat vacated by civil rights activist State Senator Henry Kersey. During her 24 years of service as a Senator, Mrs. Harden served as chair of both the Education and the Universities and Colleges Committees. She also served on the Appropriations Committee, Corrections Committee, the Fees, Salaries and Administration Committee, the Housing Committee, and the Interstate and Federal Cooperation Committee.

Across Mississippi Senator Harden was known as a champion not only for public education, but also as a giant for human and civil rights. She was a staunch supporter and defender of legislation protecting workers' and immigrant rights and was successful in enacting laws that required the presence of certified translators in all Mississippi courts. Her efforts in the Senate also resulted in pay raises and free healthcare for state employees. One of her most notable victories during her leadership of the Senate's Elections Committee was the passage of Mississippi's Motor Voter Act. This bill empowered citizens throughout the State of Mississippi with greater accessibility to the election polls.

Senator Alice Harden's professional associations, achievements and awards are numerous and impressive. They speak volumes with regards to her service and vision for Mississippi communities. Senator Harden was a lifetime active member of St. James Missionary Baptist Church, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the Women's Political Network, the National Council of Negro Women, the League of Women Voters and a life member of the NAACP. Additionally, she was a member of NOBEL Women, the National Conference of State Legislators, and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and chaired the Southern Legislative Conference's Education Committee and the Mississippi Advisory Council to the United States Civil Rights Commission. She also represented Mississippi on the Education Commission of the States.

In striving for academic excellence, Senator Harden pursued her doctorate in Educational Administration at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, until her health began to fail. Senator Harden served her state and community faithfully until her death on Thursday, December 6, 2012.

Ms. Harden was married for 37 years to Dennis Lambert Harden. Dennis and their son Sachem brought the greatest and most abundant joy and love to her life. She was often heard talking long hours about Dennis' undying love and his support for every facet and every endeavor that enriched both their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting and paying tribute to the outstanding life, achievements and legacy of Mississippi State Senator Alice Varnado Harden. Her passion for public education, human and civil right and voter empowerment is laudable and worthy of recognition by the United States Congress. She will be celebrated forever as one of Mississippi's greatest leaders.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3542, the No-Hassle Flying Act of 2012. I support this legislation because it represents a commonsense proposal to make air travel more convenient and has the potential to enhance efficiencies.

Currently, all baggage arriving at U.S. airports must be rescreened prior to being loaded on a connecting flight. This is true even for travelers arriving from designated preclearance airports where the passengers themselves do not need to be screened again because DHS has verified that screening at those airports is at least as effective as our own. This dynamic places an unnecessary burden on TSA screeners, the airlines, and the flying public who, on occasion, arrive at their final destination only to find that their baggage has not.

As I stated when we considered the House companion to S. 3542 in September, where we can eliminate duplicative screening without compromising security, I will lend my support.

I commend Senator Klobuchar for her work on this legislation and thank her for including important provisions I requested that require TSA to coordinate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection when determining what baggage must be rescreened in the United States.

Accordingly, I support this legislation that the Obama administration proposed, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security of the Committee on Homeland Security, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Madam Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I am prepared to close.

There are areas where TSA needs to improve its performance. On that we can all agree. Just last week, GAO released a report detailing TSA's failure to properly oversee privatized screeners and revealing that some airports with their privatized screeners do not perform as well as their federalized counterparts.

I look forward to addressing those issues with my colleagues on the Committee on Homeland Security in the 113th Congress.

Today, we have an opportunity to support legislation supported by industry, the Obama administration, and TSA that has the potential to enhance the efficiency and cost effectiveness of screening baggage.

With that, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support S. 3542 so it can be sent to the President for his signature and yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1998, the DHS Audit Requirement Target Act of 2012 and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, since it was established nearly a decade ago, the Department of Homeland Security has been unable to obtain a ``clean'' or unqualified audit of its financial statements. This is simply unacceptable.

When I was chairman last Congress, the Committee on Homeland Security conducted significant oversight of the deficiencies that have plagued the Department's financial management efforts since its creation.

While we understand that DHS has taken many of the steps necessary to obtain a clean audit, more remains to be done. S. 1998 would direct DHS to take the necessary steps to obtain a clean audit by the end of fiscal year 2013. It also requires DHS to report to Congress on its plans to strengthen its financial controls and modernize its financial management systems.

Madam Speaker, S. 1998 helps put DHS on a path toward sound financial management, and for that reason, I plan to support the bill today.

With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Madam Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I am prepared to close.

In summary, S. 1998 is another step in Congress' effort to put DHS on a sound financial path.

Speaking of a path, Madam Speaker, this is probably the chair's last official act on the floor, and I want to just say to him today that I have enjoyed his chairmanship on the committee, and I'm certain whatever the future holds in Congress, he will be a worthy participant in the process.

I would like to personally say that I have enjoyed working with him.

I yield to the gentlelady from Texas.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the legislation before us today to authorize the activities of the United States Coast Guard.

While I am dismayed that the measure does not include broader provisions to authorize the Coast Guard's important homeland security missions, I am pleased that it provides a much-needed and long overdue refinement to the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program.

The Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program, administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Coast Guard, is focused on protecting the Nation's maritime transportation facilities and vessels by requiring workers who need unescorted access to secure port facilities to obtain a biometric identification card.

Currently, workers must travel to TWIC enrollment centers to enroll in the program and then make a second trip to pick up and activate their approved TWICs.

This unnecessary process of requiring workers to make two trips to enrollment centers, which may be hundreds of miles from their home or workplace, has burdened American maritime and transportation workers since the program's inception in 2007.

The measure before us streamlines the program by requiring DHS to develop a process to mail TWICs to approved applicants rather than making workers return to an enrollment center to do so.

Unfortunately, however, this bill fails to fully address a number of maritime security provisions that passed in the House this Congress.

Nevertheless, on balance I support the legislation before us today and in particular the provision to streamline the TWIC process for American workers.

I urge Members to give it their support.