Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a remarkable young woman Ms. Jalisa Allen, the 2012 Salutatorian at Coahoma Agricultural High School.

Jalisa is the daughter of Janette Allen, and has two siblings. Together they proudly reside in Friars Point, Mississippi. She is a senior at Coahoma Agricultural High School. At the age of seven, Jalisa decided that she was going to get the best education possible. While pursuing this goal, she has achieved the award of being placed on both the Principal List and the Superintendent List. Jalisa is also active in many school organizations such as, Future Business Leaders of America, Math Club, Science Club, and Youth Leadership.

Jalisa plans to attend the University of Mississippi in Oxford and become an Anesthesiologist. After obtaining a degree, Jalisa intends to use her education to help her local community in Friars Point.

Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Jalisa Allen, Coahoma Agricultural High School Salutatorian of the Class of 2012.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Emily E. Randle. Emily is Raymond High School's Valedictorian at Raymond High School for the Class of 2012. She is the daughter of David and Ruth Randle of Utica, Mississippi.

Ms. Emily Randle has a 4.2 GPA and is enrolled in both advanced performance and accelerated classes. She has appeared numerous times on the Principal's List while in high school. Emily is also involved in extra-curricular activities. She is the President of the Senior Class, a member of the Beta Club, and a member of the Student Council.

Emily is very serious about continuing her education and has received several academic scholarships from colleges and universities in the United States. She has also been selected as a National Achievement Scholarship Finalist, Clinton Alumni Chapter Scholarship Recipient, Rho Lambda Omega Alpha Kappa Alpha Scholarship Recipient, 2012 MS Scholars Award, and Outstanding Young Citizen for the Loyal Order of the Elks 2011.

Emily is also actively involved in extracurricular activities such as, playing the trumpet in the Raymond High School Band, serving as the drum major for the 2011-2012 school year, and participating in both the Mid-South Honor Band for 2011 and the Capital District Honor Band. Emily is also a member of the Young People's Department at her church, Pearl Street AME Church.

After high school, Emily plans to attend Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. She intends to pursue a career in Intelligence Securities with hopes of becoming a research analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigations or the National Security Agency.

Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me in honoring Ms. Emily E. Randle, Valedictorian of Raymond High School Class of 2012.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a historic landmark in Jefferson County, Prospect Hill. Prospect Hill served as the catalyst for freed-slaves to immigrate to a colony known as ``Mississippi in Africa''. Prospect Hill represents a small, but important part of American history. This landmark, rich in history, contributed extensively to the dispersal of African Americans to Africa.

Prospect Hill was originally founded by Revolutionary War veteran, Issac Rose; in his will he provided funds that would allow freed-slaves to immigrate to the region of Liberia known as ``Mississippi in Africa''. Although this sparked turmoil in Jefferson County, this action eventually led to the successful immigration of free-slaves to Liberia in the 1830's.

Prospect Hill has long served as a portion of the past that reflects on the abundant history of the South. Its memory recalls the presence of hope and determination that was incessant during the 19th century. As a prominent landmark, Prospect Hill conserves a crucial piece of American history.

In 2011, Prospect Hill was included on Mississippi's list of the Ten Most Endangered Historic Places. As a result, The Archaeological Conservancy acquired Prospect Hill to conduct research for educational purposes and preservation efforts. Today Prospect Hill continues to undergo renovation by The Archaeological Conservancy, in an attempt to restore an important element of American history.

Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me in recognizing Prospect Hill as an important Historical Site in Jefferson County, Mississippi.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a very astute young woman from the Second Congressional District, Ms. Jessica Thompson. She has been bestowed the distinction of Salutatorian for the Class of 2012 of Charleston High School in Charleston, Mississippi.

Jessica is an extremely hard worker, and is devoted to academics. She has maintained a position on the Superintendent and Principal Lists throughout high school. In addition to honoring her academic responsibilities, Jessica has also remained dedicated to her extracurricular activities. She has served as the captain of the cheerleading squad, a member of the science club, the Student Council Treasurer, a member of the Future Christian Athletes organization, a National Honor Society member, and as an usher at St. Paul C.M.E. Church.

Jessica will be attending the University of Southern Mississippi as a Lucky-Day Scholar this fall, and plans to major in Kinesiotherapy. After obtaining a bachelor degree in Kinesiotherapy, she plans to become a physical therapist. Jessica does not take her education for granted, because she knows that an education is essential to her hopes of fulfilling

her dreams. Jessica gives the credit of her achievements to her parents, Ms. Lisa Thompson and the late Thomas Thompson, and her twin sister, Eboni, because their support has shaped her into the young woman that she is today.

Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Jessica Thompson for her unwavering dedication to education, and striving to improve not only her life but the lives of others.

Mr. Speaker I rise to honor a remarkable young woman, Sabrina Smith, a recent graduate at Madison Shannon Palmer High School in Marks, Mississippi. Sabrina is the proud daughter of Sharon Smith and they reside in Lambert, Mississippi.

Her teachers consider her to be an ideal student because of her honesty, respectful behavior, and hard work. Sabrina is a recipient of numerous awards including the Honor Roll, Principal List, Superintendent List, Perfect Attendance, and special recognition from her teachers for making the highest grades in their classes. Her class work has always exhibited the highest standard of excellence. Every day she works to better herself in school, as well as in everything she undertakes because she understands a good education leads to success.

Sabrina has always been involved in extracurricular activities. She is a former member of the Madison Shannon Palmer High School Choir, a member of the Student Council, Treasurer for the Sophomore Class of 2010, and Secretary for the Junior Class of 2011. Sabrina is also a member of the National Beta Club where she regularly participates in its book drives. She is a dedicated supporter of community service. Sabrina wanted to get an early start on her career aspirations, so she volunteered to participate in the Quitman County School District Job Shadow Program. Through this program, Sabrina learned valuable hands-on professional skills such as punctuality, the principles of business attire and good grooming, problem solving, oral communication, team spirit and compromise, and responsibility. She believes that these are some of the skills that are necessary for her to be successful in both her career and her life.

Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Sabrina Smith as Valedictorian of Madison Shannon Palmer High School's Class of 2012.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an advocate of literacy and research communications, Mrs. Maureen Wiggins Shoemaker.

Mrs. Shoemaker was born in Sumner, Mississippi. She attended R. H. Bearden Elementary School (formerly West District High School), and graduated from West Tallahatchie High School in 1974. She has received degrees from Coahoma Jr. College, Jackson State University, and also received a Master's in Elementary Education from Mississippi Valley University.

Mrs. Shoemaker's passion for literacy led her to continue her studies in Library Science at Southern University in Louisiana. Mrs. Shoemaker has served R. H. Bearden Elementary School and West Tallahatchie High School faithfully through her efforts to renovate and improve the technology sustainability in both libraries.

Mrs. Shoemaker has been an asset to the West Tallahatchie School District, due to her ability to recognize and address the dire needs of the students in the Tallahatchie School District. In addition, she has remained active in her community working with the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility and Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids of Mississippi (SPARK). Through these partnerships, Mrs. Shoemaker has been able to spread her passion for literacy among supporters of all ages.

Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Maureen Wiggins Shoemaker for her continued efforts to support literacy in the State of Mississippi.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a remarkable gentleman, Ricky Dixon. He was born April 7, 1994, in Greenville, Mississippi. He is the proud son of Ms. Hevonne Dixon and Mr. Collis Grisby.

Ricky's mother has truly been an inspiration to him. While raising Ricky, she obtained her college degree while also working a full time job. It was this example that inspired Ricky to always strive for greatness regardless of his circumstances.

Ricky is very competitive and a high academic achiever; his test score on the Algebra I state exam for the State of Mississippi subject area test ranked him in the top ten percentile among high school students in the State of Mississippi. The following year he was inducted into the National Honor Society.

In 2010, Ricky began his junior year in high school at Rosa Fort High School. During this time, he had the privilege of traveling to Washington, DC, to attend the Al Neuharth Free Spirit Journalism Conference. This experience broadened Ricky's knowledge and opened his eyes to what the world has to offer in terms of career opportunities. However, although Ricky knows that his education can offer him opportunities around the country, he wants to return to Rosa Fort and teach Algebra I so other students can go anywhere and be successful.

Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Ricky Dixon as the Salutatorian of Rosa Fort High School's Class of 2012.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to express my opposition to H.R. 5855, the ``Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2013.'' The need to find savings in the Federal budget must not be at the expense of homeland security. I am troubled that H.R. 5855 provides $39.1 billion for the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) activities, which is $393 million below what the President sought for the Department to continue to carry out its homeland and non-homeland security missions and $484 million below what was provided for Fiscal Year (FY) 2012.

H.R. 5855 also sends a troubling message about the majority's commitment to honoring its promises. Last year, Democrats and Republicans came together to pass the Budget Control Act. Both sides made sacrifices to achieve a compromise that would keep the government running and address Federal budgetary challenges. H.R. 5855 reneges on the commitments Republicans made last year by reducing the funding allocation for the Department of Homeland Security beyond what is required by statute and below the amount the Department has stated it needs. This ``bait and switch'' is unjustified and undermines the security of our Nation.

As a result of the Republicans' misguided priorities, several programs critical to our national security are underfunded. For example, H.R. 5855 provides $45.4 million in funding for Infrastructure Compliance Programs for FY 2013, which is about $29 million below the President's request and $48 million below the FY 2012 enacted level. Under H.R. 5855, DHS will not have resources necessary to implement the long-awaited final rule for ammonium nitrate or fully-implement the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program. As the author of the originating legislation for the ammonium nitrate security program and co-author of the originating legislation for the CFATS program, I strongly believe that these programs are at a crossroads and support is essential for them to realize Congressional intent and address vulnerabilities that put ordinary Americans at risk.

H.R. 5855 also misses a critical opportunity to put a struggling border security and immigration enforcement program on a path to success. It rejects the President's proposal to transfer the US VISIT program to Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and, instead, sets up a new bureaucratic office--the ``Office of Biometric Identity Management'' within the National Protection and Programs Directorate, where it has languished for nearly a decade. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 highlighted the need to identify and remove visitors to the U.S. who are legally admitted to this country but fail to depart when their visas expire, as four of the 9/11 terrorists were overstays. In response, Congress enacted the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, which directed the deployment of an entry-exit system ``with all deliberate speed and as expeditiously as practicable.'' While the US VISIT program has begun to capture biometric data of foreign travelers entering the U.S. at air, land, and sea ports, it has repeatedly failed to make progress in deploying a biometric exit system for travelers departing the U.S. This failure to fully implement the program has undermined DHS's ability to verify with certainty which travelers have departed this country. Inexplicably, H.R. 5855 rejects aligning this program with the agencies responsible for border and immigration enforcement, thereby sending the message that the House is not serious about tackling the alien overstay problem.

With respect to homeland security grants, I would note that H.R. 5855 provides $1.7 billion for State, local, and tribal grant programs, which is $412 million above FY 2012, but still falls short of where it needs to be. In FY 2010 and 2011, Congress recognized the first responders and first preventers on the State, local and tribal levels and provided $3 billion and $2.23 billion respectively. And, like last year, this bill punts responsibility for allocating funding to the 12 targeted grant programs to the Secretary of Homeland Security. Last month, FEMA released the National Preparedness Report. The report found a direct link between grant investments and the development of preparedness capabilities. In areas that have seen substantial grant investment--from emergency communications to medical surge capabilities to emergency planning--State governments reported measurably improved preparedness capabilities. The report also found that in areas where we have not invested, we are less prepared. The report makes clear: targeted homeland security grants work. I fear that if we continue to fail to fund these important grant programs adequately, capabilities that we have spent over a decade developing will be lost.

Finally, I am disturbed that H.R. 5855 is full of political sweeteners intended to rally support from the extreme right-wing faction of the Republican party. From slashing funding for the Transportation Security Agency, to increasing funding for the 287(g) program, to abortion limitations in ICE detention facilities, H.R. 5855 is full of politically-driven provisions that distract from pressing homeland security matters and divert resources from addressing them.

I recognize that the appropriators were faced with a difficult task in drafting this spending bill, and I appreciate the efforts of Chairman Aderholt and Ranking Member Price to draft a bill to adequately fund the Department of Homeland Security's activities in FY 2013. The funding allocation being what it is, however, this bill could never fully meet our nation's homeland security needs. Therefore, I must oppose H.R. 5855.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and acknowledge Dr. Matthew Holden, Academician.

Holden was born in Mound Bayou, Mississippi and subsequently grew up in Chicago. He is married to the former Dorothy Amanda Howard and they are the parents of Paul Christopher Hendricks and John Matthew Alexander Holden. Holden is an alumnus of Northwestern University (M.A., Ph.D., Political Science, Anthropology minor), of Roosevelt University (B. A., Political Science, History minor), and of Wendell Phillips High School (Chicago).

He taught at Wayne State University in Detroit, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Wisconsin--Madison, and the University of Virginia, where he was the Henry L. and Grace M. Doherty Professor of Politics. He has also been the Newman Visiting Professor of American Civilization, Cornell University, and has been a visiting professor at Jackson State University. In his writings and experience, Holden has emphasized the connection of political science concepts to the actual world that they seek to explain, and of learning from the actual world to refine concepts.

Professor Holden has written extensively in many fields of the discipline of political science. This work has included energy politics and environmental policy, regulatory policy and practice, urban and metropolitan politics, public policy and administration, executive politics, law and politics, and race and ethnic politics.

Among his works are Continuity & Disruption: Essays in Public Administration, a study of race and politics entitled The Divisible Republic, an edited volume on Varieties of Political Conservatism, and contributions to a joint volume on Resources and Decisions.

He is also the author of a new volume, now in the last stage of writing, entitled The Practice of Power, a study of public administration and political power, for the University of Oklahoma Press. This volume is based on the Rothbaum Lecture in Representative Government delivered in 2001 and rewritten over the past decade. In 1973, he published a two volume perspective on race relations and civil rights entitled The Politics of the Black ``Nation'' and The White Man's Burden. A combined trade edition was also published under the title The Divisible Republic.

He has also been engaged in many activities outside the academy. He held full time appointive public office as Commissioner of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin and as Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He has been a member of the Electricity Advisory Board (U.S. Department of Energy), Task Force on Electric System Reliability (U.S. Department of Energy), President's Air Quality Advisory Board, and of the Board of Directors of Atlantic Energy, Inc.

Among his public affairs activities have been assignments in congressional testimony on D.C., government organization and on energy policy, and as a witness before the House Judiciary Committee on historical and constitutional standards on Presidential impeachment. He has also been a witness on state legislative hearings on energy.

He has also been a member of the Delegate Assembly of the National Urban League, the Education and Youth Incentives Committee of the National Urban League, the Boards of Directors of the Madison, Wisconsin and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Urban Leagues, in local NAACP chapters, and is an active lay-person in the Episcopal Church.

He has also been a strong advocate for improving the analytical basis of African American politics, and has spent recent years advancing the concept of a think tank on politics, economics, and government, especially in the Lower Mississippi Valley. One of his major current interests, as well, is historic preservation, especially in Mound Bayou where the vicissitudes of the contemporary economy are severe and adverse effects.

He is a former President of the American Political Science Association, a former President of the Policy Studies Organization, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Senior Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. He holds the LLD. (Hon.) from Tuskegee University, the L.H.D. (Hon.) from Roosevelt University, and the L.H.D. (Hon.) from Virginia Theological Seminary. Holden has recently become a member of the Board of the Abraham Lincoln Association.

Jackson State University has also created a Matthew Holden, Jr. Symposium Lecture in recognition of his work and of his and Mrs. Dorothy Holden's donation of the 4,000 volume library that is now called The Mrs. Dorothy Howard Holden and Dr. Matthew Holden, Jr. Reading Room. Holden's academic, personal, and official papers have mainly been donated to the University of Virginia Archives. When those papers are processed they will provide one of most extensive collections in any university of materials on regulatory policy and procedure as seen from a commissioner's standpoint.

Holden served in the United States Army, with sixteen months in Korea in the 7th Infantry Division Artillery.

Matthew Holden, Jr. is the Wepner Distinguished Professor in Political Science, University of Illinois--Springfield, a position he has held since August 2009. He is the convener of the Wepner Symposium on the Lincoln Legacy and Contemporary Scholarship.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for allowing me the time.

I have a number of thoughts on the underlying bill before us today, but I'd like to take the opportunity to discuss the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, the TWIC program.

Earlier today, the authorizing committee, on a bipartisan basis, approved language modeled after a bill I introduced, H.R. 1105, to prevent current TWIC holders, the men and women who work in our ports, from being forced by TSA to pay for new identification cards beginning in October of this year, given the program is not fully implemented and the Department has not even issued a rule for biometric readers.

The TWIC program is focused on protecting the Nation's maritime transportation facilities and vessels by requiring maritime workers and other workers who need unescorted access to secure port facilities to obtain a biometric identification card. After initial delays, all maritime workers were required to obtain biometric TWIC cards by April 2009. The cost to workers for these cards is $132.50 per credential. To date, over 2.1 million longshoremen, truckers, merchant mariners, and rail and vessel crew members have undergone extensive homeland security and criminal background checks to secure TWICs. Even as workers raced in the spring of 2009 to obtain TWICs to continue working in our Nation's ports, TSA has been more than 2 years late in starting the reader pilots.

Our committee has been told that even under the best circumstances, final regulations are not likely to be issued until late 2014, more than 5 years beyond the date required in statute. Yet, unless Congress or the administration acts, starting October 2012, workers will have to renew the cards they were issued.

Thank you very much, Mr. Ranking Member.

The point I would like to make, Mr. Chairman, is that 2.1 million workers have TWIC cards. Through no fault of their own, they will be required to renew those cards unless we act.

I appreciate this legislation, acknowledging that we have to do something for those workers or, through no fault of their own, they'll have to renew a card, which is at this point, at best, a flash card. It's not really a worker identification card.

Mr. Speaker, no one in this body needs to be reminded that on Sept. 11, 2001, the United States suffered one of the most horrific acts of mass murder in the history of our country. The deaths of nearly 3,000 Americans thrust this nation into a fight against an unconventional, non-state enemy that embraces terror, violence, and human destruction in a purposeful attack on civilian populations. That fight continues today.

In March 2007, the alleged mastermind of the plot, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, was captured. He and four others have been charged with 169 overt acts in furtherance of the 9/11 attacks on innocent Americans, including 2,973 individual counts of murder in violation of the law of war and providing material support of terrorism. They are now scheduled to face trial at Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.

Despite the horrific nature of the crime that was perpetrated against our nation and our citizens, a foundation of the American justice system is the right of the accused to receive a fair trial no matter how abhorrent the action. While we have an obligation to use all of the instruments of our national power and authority to counter the threats of terrorists who maim and murder with utter impunity, we cannot allow our outrage and thirst for justice to trump this uniquely American rule of law. We must be guided, and when appropriate, constrained by our core values. This is essential to our effort, and to our legitimacy, in engaging and defeating enemies who traffic in fear and live in darkness. Our enemies continue to pose a serious, adaptive and asymmetric threat and our efforts to deter them must be equally zealous.

We must ensure that all of our efforts are relentlessly empirical and pragmatic, while demanding compliance with the rule of law. All instruments of our national power and authority must be used to oppose these modern asymmetric threats. We must recognize that the instruments that are constrained and guided by our core values, including the rule of law, are the only truly effective and sustainable instruments. While the most effective instruments for countering these threats are those that are constrained and guided by our core values, including the rule of law, we must also, as Justice Jackson said at the Nuremburg Trials, ``stay the hand of vengeance'' and ensure that ``power [pays tribute] to reason.'' Our reformed military commission will ensure the steady hand of justice is applied with these alleged war criminals. Justice, after all, ``is the greatest interest of man on earth. . . and so long as it is duly honored, there is a foundation for general security, general happiness and the improvement and progress of our (human) race.'' Daniel Webster, Sept. 12, 1845.

Reformed military commissions are fully integrated within our federal framework of criminal justice, are overseen by our Article III appellate courts, and are severely confined to their law of war jurisdiction. Reformed military commissions can and will deal effectively, independently, and fairly with the law of war violations referred to them for trial, and they are already featuring a specialized interagency legal practice within the law of armed conflict and counterterrorism. Our military commissions are comparable to a civilian court, in that they have been modeled on the federal criminal justice system and incorporate all of the guarantees that are essential to a fair and just trial. To begin with, the accused is presumed innocent, and the prosecution has the burden of proving his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The accused is also protected against self- incrimination. Statements obtained through the use of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment are not admissible, and before any statement of the accused may be admitted, a military judge must find it to be reliable, probative, and voluntary.

The simple fact is, the rights of the accused before a military commission are virtually identical to the rights of the accused in a federal court: the right to notice of the charges; the right to counsel and choice of counsel; the right to be present during the proceedings; the right to present evidence, cross-examine witnesses, and compel attendance of witnesses in his or her defense; the right to exculpatory evidence that the prosecution may have as to guilt, sentencing, and the credibility of adverse witnesses; the right to an impartial decision- maker; the right to suppression of evidence that is not reliable or probative or that will result in unfair prejudice; the right to not be deposed without his or her consent; and the right to appeal to a federal civilian court of appeals and, ultimately, to the United States Supreme Court.

While there may be differences between the military commission and the federal court venue, the divergence exists for principled reasons. It is grounded in necessity. It remains consistent with the rule of law. And it ensures that the commission has the ability to provide accountability during a time of armed conflict when no other adequate or effective means to do so exists.

Finally, let me say that the proceedings before military tribunals are transparent. In this regard, they also closely parallel federal practice. Prosecutors are committed to allowing family members of the victims, the media, and the public to access to the proceedings. This reflects the belief--not only within the commission structure, but among our citizenry as a whole--that there is great value in allowing Americans, and the world, to witness criminal trials and to see first- hand the fairness and impartiality with which our nation dispenses justice.

These cases of alleged terrorists and murderers will be handled fairly within the rule of law, persistently and consistently to their end. Brigadier General Mark Martins, the chief prosecutor of the military commission, recently indicated that he has foregone an opportunity for promotion to ensure consistent handling of these important matters to their conclusion. We have come to expect no less than this selfless and heroic act from this General. He is a lawyer of exceptional skill and a man of extraordinary principle. He not only understands the form of the law, but also its spirit. And he recognizes, as Dr. Martin Luther King once said, that denial of justice anywhere diminishes justice everywhere. There is no better person for this job than Gen. Martins, a Harvard classmate of our President, and I for one am grateful that he has agreed to remain in this position, and to see this trial through a full and fair hearing of the alleged heinous acts of war and terror on the American public.

Mr. Speaker, it is no secret, nor is it an overstatement, to say that we live in a dangerous world. My state of Mississippi knows this well with the proud service of thousands of our sons and daughters serving the military and the nearly 100 Mississippians who have given their lives in protection of our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. We should not allow our fears--or our outrage over acts designed to stoke those fears--however to guide our actions, even in these challenging and sometimes anxious times. Only fairness and justice can lead us to peace, and when the world thinks of fairness and justice, I want it to think of America. I have no doubt that when the accused perpetrators of 9/11 are brought to trial before a military commission, this country, and our system and values, will be considered in precisely that way.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 5512, the Divisional Realignment Act of 2012, which will improve court management for the United States District Courts in the Northern District of Mississippi and the Eastern District of Missouri.

I introduced this bill to help realign counties in those Federal judicial districts, which includes a change that affects counties within my own congressional district. I am pleased to have my colleagues in the Mississippi delegation who represent impacted counties join me as original cosponsors, Congressman Harper and Nunnelee. In Missouri, Representatives Emerson and Carnahan, whose congressional districts overlay the counties affected by the change there, also joined as original cosponsors.

H.R. 5512 will primarily eliminate the Delta Division--one of four existing statutory divisions--in the Northern District of Mississippi. To accomplish this, the eight counties in the Delta Division will be absorbed into the other divisions, while some counties from the other divisions will be realigned.

The proposed also renames the Eastern Division as the Aberdeen Division and the Western Division as the Oxford Division. The two places authorized to hold court now for the Delta Division would continue to exist under the realignment within the Greenville division.

The Delta Division, unlike the other three divisions, is not serviced by a Federal courthouse. This fact has created unnecessary issues regarding venue and jury selection. The realignment will ensure that all counties in the district are statutorily linked to divisions with courthouses. It will also be more economical for jury travel and will more fairly balance the caseload in the Northern District.

This realignment is supported by the judges of the Northern District of Mississippi, the Fifth Circuit Judicial Council, and the Judicial Conference of the United States. In addition, the proposal is backed by the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi.

Regarding the Eastern District of Missouri, H.R. 5512 simply shifts two counties from the Eastern Division to the Southeastern Division.

This adjustment will enhance convenient access to court services for the public and improve judicial administration of the case load.

More specifically, the realignment will allow cases for those two counties to be held in Cape Girardeau, which has a new state-of-the-art Federal courthouse. This location is also closer for citizens in those counties than in the St. Louis location where the court is now held. As a result, the change will lessen the burden on jurors traveling, as well as lessen the cost of mileage expenses. In addition, a shift will better align the places of holding court with the total population served today.

This realignment is supported by the judges of the Eastern District of Missouri, the Eighth Judicial Circuit Council, and the Judicial Conference of the United States. In addition, it is supported by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.

Lastly, I note that the bill under consideration today has been amended by adding a section that establishes a 60-day delayed effective date. This will ensure that both courts have sufficient time to transition court operations through local orders and scheduling.

Mr. Speaker, the House Judiciary Committee reported the Divisional Realignment Act favorably by a voice vote on May 16. I urge my colleagues to support this necessary, bipartisan and noncontroversial bill, which would help constituents and improve Federal court operations in my home State of Mississippi and in the State of Missouri.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1299, the Secure Border Act of 2011, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This bill would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit to Congress a comprehensive strategy for gaining operational control of our borders within the next 5 years. This bill defines operational control as the prevention of all unlawful entries into the United States, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics, and other contraband.

While this is a laudable goal, it is also extraordinarily ambitious, and the bill authorizes no additional resources to achieving this goal. I am pleased, however, that the bill would require the Secretary to submit to Congress a resource allocation model for Customs and Border Protection staffing requirements at all land, air, and seaports of entry. This is important information that our committee has repeatedly requested from CBP on a bipartisan basis but has not yet received.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers if the gentleman from New York is prepared to close.

In closing, I thank the lead sponsor of this bill, the gentlewoman from Michigan, Representative Miller, for her leadership on border and maritime issues and for her willingness to work on a bipartisan basis in areas of shared concern. I support the bill.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3670 and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Memorial Day is a time not only to honor members of our armed services who gave their lives in defense of our liberty, but also to convey our support for veterans and servicemembers. With the commemoration of Memorial Day earlier this week, it is fitting that we're considering H.R. 3670 today.

H.R. 3670, by conferring job protections for servicemembers, conveys our commitment to help reservists and other members of the uniformed services return to civilian life. Specifically, the bill would ensure that the protections afforded under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act apply to Transportation Security Administration employees and applicants, just as they do everywhere in the public and private sector.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to acknowledge TSA's leadership in hiring veterans. Currently, veterans make up over 23 percent of TSA's workforce. I would encourage my colleagues and the

general public to keep that number in mind when they encounter a TSA worker at an airport checkpoint. There is a one in four chance that the person conducting the screening is a veteran and deserves the respect and appreciation commensurate with that title.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the original sponsor of the legislation under consideration, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Brown).

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

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Chairman, I am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3670 enjoys bipartisan support of both the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on Homeland Security and deserves the support of the full House today.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2764, the WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2011.

Mr. Speaker, this bill would strengthen information sharing at all levels of government with regard to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear terrorist threats.

In the decade since the attacks on September 11, 2001, concern about an attack on U.S. soil with weapons of mass destruction or dirty bombs have come in sharper focus, specifically concerns that terrorists and other rogue actors may want to access loose nuclear materials from the former Soviet Union or even weaponized biological agents that originated from stockpiles of now-toppled authoritarian regimes have grown.

This bill also requires DHS to coordinate with other components in the intelligence community and other Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities to provide recommendations on information sharing.

I would note for the record, Mr. Speaker, that the committee approved, on a bipartisan basis, the Pascrell WMD bill earlier this month.

I look forward to seeing this measure, which was endorsed by a bipartisan commission, considered on the House floor in the very near future.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 2764. Enactment of this measure will strengthen the partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and our Nation's first preventers against one of the most vexing homeland security threats: weapons of mass destruction.

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