Floor Statements

I certainly thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the combined rule, but specifically I want to talk in favor of the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, which will finally approve this very, very long overdue project. The act that we are going to be passing will certainly show this House's intent to pass it, and I do believe that now the Senate will pass the Keystone Pipeline project as well.

There are just so many reasons--so many reasons--to vote in favor of this bill:

First of all, tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, American jobs, at zero cost to the American taxpayers.

Greater American access to safe and reliable North American energy resources, because certainly getting more energy from our close friends, our neighbors, our closest ally, the Canadians, makes perfect sense.

Reduced energy costs for American families. How important is that?

Enhanced American energy security. And in today's modern world, more than ever, energy independence and energy security equals national security.

So no wonder, Madam Speaker, that this project is supported by so many groups from all across the spectrum: labor organizations, so many labor organizations are supportive of this because of the jobs that it will bring; so many business organizations because of what it is going to do to help turbocharge our economy; and certainly the vast majority of American people, in poll after poll after poll, have demonstrated that they want this project to happen. They are totally cognizant, very aware of what this project means, again, to reducing our reliance that we have currently on fossil fuel from foreign sources, some countries that are not particularly favorable to American values and our way of life, and the American people are very, very supportive of this project.

I say now, Madam Speaker, that it is time to turn away from the extreme environmentalists and work toward the priorities of the American people. The time to act is now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1691, the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014.

This measure would replace the current antiquated overtime system used by the Border Patrol and create a new pay system that results in more hours worked on the border, provides more reliable schedules and paychecks for agents, and saves taxpayers millions of dollars each year.

As Chairman of the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee, I have been focused on increasing border security efforts along our long and porous border and supporting the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol who defend our nation against drug and human smugglers and others who would do us harm.

This measure supports that effort.

The men and women who secure our borders often work alone, in very remote locations on the border. They cannot simply punch a clock at the end of their shift if they are in pursuit of illicit border crossers. Instead they work irregular hours to track and apprehend dangerous criminal aliens.

This bill will allow front line supervisors to better manage agents' work schedules, saving taxpayers millions of dollars each year. In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill will save taxpayers up to $100 million a year.

Last year, the Office of Special Counsel issued a scathing report about the misuse and

abuse of the current overtime system by Customs and Border Protection. This legislation will end such abuse in the future, at the same time increasing the number of hours the Border Patrol can secure the border, which is the equivalent of adding an additional 1,500 Border Patrol agents.

With additional hours on the border, our nation will be more secure as additional agent hours will help gain control of the border, carry out additional law enforcement missions, and apprehend dangerous criminals.

Mr. Speaker, the mission carried out by the men and women of the Border Patrol is extremely dangerous--more than one hundred agents have given their lives protecting our nation.

We owe it to them to give them a stable, predicable paycheck that takes into account the irregular nature of the arduous work they do every day on the border.

So, I want to commend the leadership of the Chief of the Border Patrol, Michael Fisher, and the Deputy Chief of the Border Patrol, Ronald Viteillo, for their commitment to finding sustainable reforms for agent pay, while also improving the security of our border.

I urge my colleagues to support this common sense bill that saves the taxpayers millions of dollars.

Mr. Speaker, certainly, protecting and preserving the Great Lakes has always been a principal advocacy of mine through my entire tenure in public office and even before I came into public office. I actually grew up on the Great Lakes. My family was in the marina business. So the lakes were more than just a source of recreation for us. They put food on the table in our family. Like so many from the region, the Great Lakes are a proud part of our identity. We have heard from so many of the various States in the Great Lakes basin today the passion that we all have for these magnificent, magnificent Great Lakes.

As has been said, they generate billions of dollars each and every year through fishing, through the shipping industry, and recreational activities as well. They are 20 percent of the freshwater drinking supply on the entire planet, quite frankly.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we have not been the best stewards of these magnificent lakes, and we do owe it to future generations to help assure that they are protected and that they are preserved. One great way to do this for the Great Lakes is through this continued funding and support of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that we are debating here on the floor today.

Over the years, Mr. Speaker, I have seen firsthand the impact the GLRI is having on our lakes. From dredging to beach and shoreline restoration to fighting against invasive species, these projects are critical to protecting and restoring the Great Lakes ecosystems.

Actually, in October, I was at a place called Harsens Island in my district where I saw an effort underway to control phragmites, which is sort of an odd name. It is a huge, invasive plant that has been actually choking wetlands throughout the Great Lakes Basin, but funding through this program is eradicating them and letting Mother Nature breathe again.

Along the shoreline of the St. Clair River, GLRI funded the restoration of natural habitats, improved stormwater drainage, and improved water quality, but there is so much more to do. For example, the Clinton River, which flows through a very major metropolitan area in southeast Michigan, is in need of similar restoration projects.

We also need to look at ways that can better detect toxins in our waterways with real-time water quality monitoring systems, some of which we have in my area as it comes through Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, into Lake St. Clair, and down the Detroit River. It is not happening in Lake Erie, and it has to be part of the notification protocol there as well. We also are having some of these green-blue algae blooms in our area.

As was mentioned, these are a gift from God. God gave us these magnificent lakes that have provided us with so much, but we do need to be better stewards of them, and quite frankly, we have a lot of making up to do to Mother Nature.

Mr. Speaker, we can start that certainly today by strongly supporting H.R. 5764, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act. I certainly rise in strong support of this bill from the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce), and I urge all of my colleagues to support it as well.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Wayne H. Wood, a longtime constituent and friend of mine, and a lifelong friend to the farmers of Michigan. Mr. Wood is retiring after fourteen years as president of the Michigan Farm Bureau.

For most of his adult life, Mr. Wood has been dedicated to the well- being and advancement of the farmers that help put food on the tables of all Americans. Having served as president of the Michigan Farm Bureau since 2000, he also represented that same organization as its vice president the twelve years before that. He was first elected to the board of directors in 1984 as a Director-at-Large. But his roots run even deeper than that, as he was the president of the Sanilac County Farm Bureau for five years before he moved up to the state organization.

As a director representing the Midwest Region on the American Farm Bureau Federation board of directors, he has extended his influence beyond the borders of Michigan. His region includes a dozen states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Mr. Wood has held a number of important positions of leadership related to the farming industry. He serves on and formerly chaired the Michigan Agriculture Preservation Fund Board, a nine-member board, appointed by the governor, which oversees the state Purchase of Development Rights program and grant funding. He also spent four years presiding over the Michigan Farmland and Community Alliance, an MFB affiliate organization dedicated to farmland preservation.

In 2003, Mr. Wood became the sole agricultural representative on two high-profile councils. First, Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed Mr. Wood to her Michigan Land Use Leadership Council, which was charged with studying urban sprawl and making recommendations to the governor on how to minimize the impact of current land use trends on the state's environment and economy. Second, the director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality appointed him to a newly formed Environmental Advisory Council. The Council is responsible for advising the department on major issues that may affect DEQ programs, policies and operations.

In 2004, the general manager of the Michigan State Fair appointed Mr. Wood to co-chair a commission charged with studying and making recommendations regarding changes and improvements to the annual state fair. In 2005, Governor Granholm appointed him to a newly formed Michigan Food Policy Council, which is charged with making recommendations on ways to increase economic development opportunities in Michigan's food sector while improving agricultural production, community well-being and public health across the state.

Nationally, Mr. Wood was appointed by former Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz to the Rural Environmental Conservation Program Advisory Board.

I know that Wayne Wood's heart will never be far from dairy farming, as he will continue to run his own family farm with his wife, Diane, his son, Mark, his brother Randy, and his nephew, Greg.

On behalf of the people of Michigan's 10th District, and the farmers of Michigan and the Midwest, I congratulate Mr. Wayne H. Wood on his retirement and thank him for his tireless service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 225th anniversary since the creation of the United States Customs Service, the oldest legacy agency consolidated into the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), within the Department of Homeland Security.

The history of the U.S. Customs Service is in many ways the history of the nation. In the years after the American Revolution, our young Nation needed to generate funds to power its economy and rebuild its infrastructure. On July 31, 1789, the First United States Congress, in its fifth act, created the U.S. Customs Service, staffed by official Customs collectors. In this role, a Customs collector had the responsibility to supervise the collection of custom duties on imported goods in a particular city or region to enforce the newly passed Tariff Act.

Customs collectors also oversaw the building of revenue cutters, to patrol our coasts, and lighthouses to guide ships to our ports, which was essential to the Nation's maritime security and trade activities. For over 100 years after its birth, before the passage of the Sixteenth Amendment, the tariffs collected by the Customs Service were the primary source of funds for the entire government, which paid for the nation's early growth, infrastructure and land purchases such as the Louisiana and Oregon territories.

The responsibilities of the U.S. Customs Service would be reshaped and refocused following the attacks of 9/11. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 transferred the U.S. Customs Service in its entirety from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of Homeland Security.

Today, CBP manages the Nation's 328 air, land, and sea ports of entry. CBP officers, like their predecessor Customs inspectors, serve on the frontlines, securing our homeland from transnational threats, including terrorists, terrorist weapons, drugs and other contraband, while simultaneously facilitating the legitimate flow travel and trade across our borders.

While the responsibilities of a CBP Officer have grown since 9/11, Officers continue to perform essential revenue-collecting services as when established by the founders of the Republic, and enforce hundreds of immigration, agriculture, and trade laws.

The men and women of CBP are still making history. They continue to fuel our Nation's economy and support American jobs by facilitating legitimate trade and travel while keeping our borders secure.

On behalf of a grateful nation, I want to commend the men and women of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their many years of service and wish them a happy 225th anniversary.

Mr. Chairman, recently, I met with about 600 farmers at an annual gathering in my district which we call Dinner on the Farm, where local farmers express their concerns over the negative impact EPA's proposed regulations would have on their businesses.

The Michigan Farm Bureau actually showed me this map of my district which shows what could be subject to Federal regulation if the proposed EPA rule is actually adopted. And highlighted are the water sources that would be impacted. It actually excludes wetlands because then it would cover my entire district, including just about anything that includes moisture.

Mr. Chairman, this is another shocking example of this administration trying to do an end run around the Congress and the legislative process with more overreaching regulations that will drive up food prices for American families.

By stopping the EPA from expanding their scope and requiring the Agency to coordinate with States, this legislation will help to protect this Nation's agricultural community from Federal overreach that threatens their livelihood and ultimately this Nation's economic success.

Mr. Speaker, Ranking Member Robert Brady and I rise today to congratulate and recognize the outstanding employees of the Officers (Clerk of the House, Sergeant at Arms, and Chief Administrative Officer) and the Inspector General of the U.S. House of Representatives who have reached the milestone of 25 years of service to the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as the recipients of the House Employee Excellence Award.

The House's most important asset is its dedicated and exceptional employees, whose work, which is often behind the scenes, is vital in keeping the operations and services of the House running smoothly and efficiently. The employees we recognize today are acknowledged and commended for their hard work, dedication, professionalism, support of House Members and their staffs and constituents, and for their contributions day-in and day-out to the overall operations of the House. These employees have a wide range of responsibilities and skills that support the legislative process, ensure the security of the institution, maintain our technology and service infrastructure, and contribute to a more effective and efficiently operating House support structure. They have accomplished many great things in a wide range of activities, and the House of Representatives and its Members, staff, and the American public is better served because of them.

We recognize and honor the individuals named below for 25 years of dedicated service to the House. Collectively, this group has provided 325 years of service to the U.S. House of Representatives:

David E. Bailey, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer;

Cephas L. Carter, Office of the Clerk;

Antoinette P. Freeman, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer;

Anthony T. Howard, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer;

Carlos Leon-Campos, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer;

Michael P. Mallon, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer;

William B. Plaster, Office of the Clerk;

Vincent H. Plowden, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer;

Wallace A. Simpson, Office of the Sergeant at Arms;

Susan E. Sneden, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer;

Jerome B. Williams, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer;

Waverly Y. Williams, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer;

Diane E. Wilson, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.

We also recognize and congratulate four House employees for receiving the Employee Excellence Award. This is a merit-based award, given to one employee from each House Officer organization, and the Office of Inspector General. Selected employees exhibited outstanding overall job performance and displayed a willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty for their organization throughout the last year. We honor the individuals named below for receiving this prestigious award.

Russell H. Gore, Office of the Clerk;

Joyce L. Hamlett, Office of the Sergeant at Arms;

Christopher Jordan, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer;

Susan E. Simpson, Office of Inspector General.

On behalf of the entire House community, I extend our congratulations and once again recognize and thank these employees for their professionalism and commitment to the U.S. House of Representatives as a whole, and in particular to their respective House Officers and the Inspector General. Their long hours and hard work are invaluable, and their years of unwavering service, dedication, and commitment to the House set an example for their colleagues and other employees who will follow in their footsteps. I celebrate our honorees, and I am proud to stand before you and the nation on their behalf to recognize the importance of their public service.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the underlying resolution.

Mr. Speaker, the ultimate law of our great Nation is not just the important work that we undertake here in the House. Above all else, it is the Constitution that we all swear to preserve, protect, and defend. Above everything, it is the Constitution.

The first words of the Constitution, article I, section 1, are the following:

All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a

Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a

Senate and a House of Representatives.

It doesn't just say ``some.'' It says all legislative powers are vested in the Congress of the United States. No other entity of our Federal Government has the power to write law, not the executive branch or the judicial branch--only Congress.

Article I, section 7 states the following:

Every bill which shall have passed the House of

Representatives and the Senate shall, before it becomes a

law, be presented to the President of the United States; if

he approves, he shall sign it, but if not, he shall return

it.

So if he approves, it shall become law. If not, he vetoes the law and sends it back to Congress. Nowhere is the President given the authority to rewrite the law on his own.

Article II, section 3 places the following responsibilities with the President:

He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution asks the third branch of government, the judicial branch, to solve problems arising from the President's failure to faithfully execute the law and, specifically, aspects of the Affordable Care Act, as he is required in article II, section 3 and to have exercised power expressly given to Congress to write the law under article I.

Mr. Speaker, the Founders, in their genius, put in place this system of checks and balances for a very, very important purpose, which is to make certain that no one person could both impose and then enforce the law--because that type of action amounts to

tyranny, Mr. Speaker. In short, we have no king in this Nation. In America, we have a President. We do not have a king.

Mr. Speaker, as a representative of the people of the 10th District of Michigan and someone who is sworn to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, I believe strongly that I have a responsibility to support this resolution, so that the courts can affirm that legislative power is vested in this House--the people's House--and not in the White House.

As the chairman of the Committee on House Administration, I will have the responsibility to verify that any contracts with those who will litigate this case comport with the rules of the House. That is a responsibility I take very, very seriously.

As such, many on the minority side have asked how much this will cost. My answer is that we don't know yet because no contracts have been negotiated. We don't know how long such litigation will take to conclude, but the questions I would ask are: What price do you put on the adherence to the rule of law? What price do you place on the continuation of our system of checks and balances? What price do you put on the Constitution of the United States? My answer to each is: priceless, Mr. Speaker.

I am certain that this process will move forward with due diligence, will be conducted within the rules of this House, and it is my firm hope that in the end the courts will uphold the constitutional principles that are the bedrock upon which our great Nation has been built.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3202) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare a comprehensive security assessment of the transportation security card program, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that

all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 3202, which is called the Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act, commonly referred to as TWIC, which I will now call TWIC. That is a mouthful.

First, I would certainly like to thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for introducing this very thoughtful legislation. She has really worked very diligently on this in a very bipartisan way. We have worked together to move this legislation through our subcommittee and through the full Committee on Homeland Security.

This bill will really help Congress determine the value of the TWIC program and simultaneously allow the department to proceed apace with finalizing the long-awaited card reader rule.

I mentioned I am a cosponsor of this bill because it really responds to key recommendations of the GAO that the TWIC program should have a baseline security assessment before the program moves forward.

As many of my colleagues with ports in their districts know, TWIC is a port security program that has been wrought with constant delays and questions about its overall security value.

Last year, the Border and Maritime Subcommittee that I am honored to chair held a hearing with the Coast Guard, with the TSA, and with the GAO on the TWIC program and the ongoing concerns that we have with it, and this legislation, Mr. Speaker, is really a result of that oversight.

Now, it may be hard to believe, but more than a decade after the legislation that required TWIC was first enacted, there has been no security or effectiveness assessment of the program to assess the underlying assumptions of the security and access control concerns that the card was intended to mitigate.

This bill seeks to answer the simple question: How, if at all, does TWIC improve maritime security? It should have been one of the very first things that the department did when it began to implement this program, and this bill ensures that it finally gets done.

The TWIC card was initially designed to prevent terrorists from gaining access to sensitive parts of our Nation's ports through the use of biometric-enabled credentials. However, with no biometric reader regulations in place, the TWIC card currently is used really as a flash pass, since most facilities and vessels are neither currently required to nor voluntarily utilize biometric readers. The lack of biometric readers, therefore, limits the effectiveness of this program.

For several years, members of the Homeland Security Committee have been calling on the department to release the card reader rule to provide some certainty to workers and to industry. We finally received the notice of proposed rulemaking over a year ago, which would require TWIC readers to be used at the riskiest 5 percent of all the TWIC- regulated vessels and facilities, and this comes, Mr. Speaker, nearly 6 years after workers were first required to pay for and to obtain a TWIC card.

The delays are so significant that workers have already had to renew their biometric credentials in the time that it has taken to issue regulations on credential readers to actually utilize this biometric- enabled technology.

While we certainly all agree that there is huge room for improvement with the TWIC program, putting it on hold for several more years, we think, would do more harm than good. The business community has been preparing for this TWIC rule for several years.

This bill will give them certainty about the requirements of the program. It also allows the Coast Guard and the TSA to continue their efforts to deliver the port security program that Congress enacted several years ago.

Finally, H.R. 3202 requires the GAO to perform consistent reviews of the TWIC program and to follow the changes the department makes as a result of the required assessment. This added level of review will provide Congress, especially the members of our committee, with progress updates for future legislative action.

The proposed rule and open GAO recommendations lead to some very basic questions about mitigating threats, risk, and vulnerability at our Nation's ports and how the TWIC program should be used effectively to prevent a potential terrorist attack. We certainly have an obligation to get this right.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3202, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of

Representatives,

Washington, DC, July 8, 2014.

Hon. Michael T. McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I write concerning H.R. 3202, the

Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential

Assessment Act, as ordered reported, with amendment, by the

Committee on Homeland Security on June 11, 2014. This

legislation includes matters that fall within the Rule X

jurisdiction of the Committee on Transportation and

Infrastructure.

In order to expedite floor consideration of H.R. 3202, the

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will forgo

action on this bill. However, this is conditional on our

mutual understanding that forgoing consideration of the bill

does not prejudice the Committee with respect to the

appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional

claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or

similar legislation that fall within the Committee's Rule X

jurisdiction. I request you urge the Speaker to name members

of the Committee to any conference committee named to

consider such provisions.

Please place a copy of this letter and your response

acknowledging our jurisdictional interest into the committee

report on H.R. 3202 and into the Congressional Record during

consideration of the measure on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Bill Shuster,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to associate myself with many of the comments that my ranking member on the subcommittee has made in regards to maritime security. It is interesting on Homeland Security, both our subcommittee and the full committee as well, how we do work in a very bipartisan fashion.

Really, the first and foremost responsibility of the Federal Government is to provide for the common defense, whether it's national security or homeland security. With all the issues that are facing our Nation, we think about the potential for terrorist attacks, and this piece of legislation really focusing on the maritime security of our ports throughout our Nation is, I think, so incredibly important, and so I am just delighted that we were finally able to bring it to the floor.

I would certainly, again, urge all my colleagues to support this very strong, very bipartisan piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3846) to provide for the authorization of border, maritime, and transportation security responsibilities and functions in the Department of Homeland Security and the establishment of United States Customs and Border Protection, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 3846, the United States Customs and Border Protection Authorization Act, and I certainly want to thank my colleagues, the chairman of the full Homeland Security Committee, Mr. McCaul, and the ranking member, Mr. Thompson, and my ranking member on the subcommittee, Ms. Jackson Lee.

The Homeland Security Committee has a strong history of collaboration and bipartisanship, and I think this bill illustrates our ability to find consensus as we work to strengthen the homeland.

This is a very important day not only for the men and women of Customs and Border Protection, CBP, but also for the U.S. House of Representatives. This past week actually marks the 10-year anniversary of the release of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations to Congress. While most of these recommendations were implemented, unfortunately, several remained unfulfilled or incomplete.

Among one of the most important incomplete recommendations was for Congress to create a single, principal point of oversight and review for homeland security. The fractured jurisdiction over the Department of Homeland

Security has certainly limited Congress' ability to provide effective guidance to the third largest agency in the Federal Government. In the 10 years since the Department was created, it has never had a comprehensive reauthorization; and, as a result, components such as Customs and Border Protection have never been authorized in statute since being transferred to the Department of Homeland Security through the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

While there remain several committees with overlapping oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, I believe this legislation that is on the floor today is a testament that this body can still work together to fulfill Congress' primary responsibilities under the Constitution.

As I mentioned, CBP, with more than 44,000 law enforcement officers and agents, has never been formally authorized in statute. As a result, CBP operates on devolved authority granted to the Secretary of Homeland Security and on guidance provided by Congress through annual appropriation bills rather than from specific authority accorded to the component by its authorizers.

H.R. 3846, the United States Customs and Border Protection Authorization Act, is the first attempt by Congress since the passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security to clearly delineate the current authorities and responsibilities of the largest Federal law enforcement entity in our Nation. The fact that this agency has been operating for as long as they have without a clear statutory mandate from Congress and the American people certainly is a problem that needs to be corrected.

The Homeland Security Act, when passed nearly 12 years ago, was sort of a snapshot in time that reflects the choices made by Congress to quickly cobble together 22 agencies. Now is the time to update the statute and make changes where necessary to reflect the current security missions of the Department within CBP, which have significantly evolved over the last decade.

For example, after DHS was created, most of the authority for the work CBP currently performs was vested in a position called the Under Secretary of Border and Transportation Security. And if you haven't heard of it lately, it is because it was eliminated by then-Secretary Chertoff in 2005. Nonetheless, the position remains in law. I use that as an example.

So this bill is a first step in fixing outdated provisions from the source legislation that created the Department. Congress has the responsibility to give the Department of Homeland Security and its components the necessary direction through the regular authorization process, and this measure is a very important first step in doing so.

This bill provides a basic outline of the missions and responsibilities that we give to the Commissioner of CBP and its subcomponents--such as the Office of Field Operations, the United States Border Patrol, the Office of Air and Marine Operations, the Office of Intelligence and Investigative Liaison, and the Office of International Affairs--so they know what this Congress expects.

In addition to fixing the outdated provisions in the law, this legislation goes a long way in ensuring transparency and oversight in CBP. This bill also contains strong accountability measures to ensure that agents and officers respect civil rights, civil liberties and use force policies, especially with regard to the use of deadly force.

With the ongoing crisis of unaccompanied children crossing the border in ever-increasing numbers, making sure that we understand the root causes of the surge is vitally important as well. This bill includes a provision that takes a very hard look at why these children are coming so that we can provide the men and women of the Border Patrol and CBP the tools to stem the tide.

Issues like the recent surge remind us of why we need to continually update the authorities of key law enforcement agencies within the Department of Homeland Security. CBP's mission continues to change, and this Congress has a duty to give our officers and the agents proper authorities to carry out their important work.

Finally, I want to commend the work and the assistance of CBP and the Department of Homeland Security over the past 2 years since we have started the intricate task of cleaning up the Homeland Security Act. Their assistance really helped to make this bill much better.

I urge my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to support this good government, commonsense legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, June 26, 2014.

Hon. Michael McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman McCaul: I am writing concerning H.R. 3846,

the ``United States Customs and Border Protection

Authorization Act of 2014,'' which was favorably reported out

of your Committee on June 11, 2014.

Given that numerous provisions in the bill are within the

jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means, I appreciate

that you have addressed these provisions in response to the

Committee's concerns. As a result, in order to expedite floor

consideration of the bill, the Committee on Ways and Means

will forego action on H.R. 3846. This is also being done with

the understanding that it does not in any way prejudice the

Committee with respect to the appointment of conferees or its

jurisdictional prerogatives on this or similar legislation.

I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming

this understanding with respect to H.R. 3846, and would ask

that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be

included in the Congressional Record during Floor

consideration.

Sincerely,

Dave Camp,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, who has been a very passionate advocate for this particular piece of legislation. It really has been under his direction that we have worked on this very much together.

I would just advise, Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, so if the gentlewoman would like to close, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I would just say in closing, first of all, I thought that the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Mr. McCaul, made some excellent, excellent remarks. One of the things that he said that is absolutely true, and I know all of us feel this, is every time we talk to a CBP officer, one of the men and women who so bravely secure our borders, they can't quite believe that Congress has never authorized their agency. It is not a great thing for their morale that we have never really paid them the attention that they deserve.

So I think this bill is, as I said at the beginning of my remarks, such an important first step for this Congress to be able to do that.

With the humanitarian crisis that is happening at our southern border with this tsunami of unaccompanied children that is coming in, we all see the video each and every day of our brave men and women, our CBP officers, trying to handle that. They have responsibilities there, things that they are doing there that are taking them away, quite frankly, as they are handling the children, taking them away from their duties and responsibilities of stopping the drug cartels, et cetera, from entering our borders. I just think this bill is incredibly important.

I would also mention as well, as we talk about the issues on the southern border, which are certainly in all of our news each and every day, but America has more than one border. We have the northern border as well. I see the dean of the House, Mr. Dingell, is on the floor. He and I, both being from the northern border State of Michigan, have worked together very diligently on northern border issues. We have in Michigan the two busiest northern border crossings on the entire northern tier of our Nation there. Again, our CBP officers have stopped so many that wish our Nation harm, whether that is human smuggling or drug smuggling or what have you, we have some unique dynamics on the northern border as well, as well as our maritime border.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very, very important bill. Again, securing the homeland is certainly foremost of all of our responsibilities.

I would once again urge our colleagues to support H.R. 3846, the United States Customs and Border Protection Authorization Act, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Congressional Research Service, otherwise known as CRS on Capitol Hill. CRS is a unit of the Library of Congress that provides policy analysis to Members of Congress and our staffs. CRS is a tremendous resource for Congress. In 1914, in its wisdom, Congress created the predecessor to CRS, named the Legislative Reference Service, to help support our work. In 1970, the Legislative Reference Service was expanded and became CRS. These days, we rely on CRS to provide us with authoritative and objective information so we can do our jobs. CRS has an impressive repository of reports on subjects we consider, and we look to CRS and the professionals who make up its workforce to provide us with factual and nonpartisan answers. I congratulate CRS on its Centennial, and we look forward to another 100 years of service to Congress.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I certainly want to thank Mr. Meehan for his diligent work on this issue--for quite a long time, actually. He raised concerns with the Department of Homeland Security preclearance operations very early on, and his leadership has been so important to the success of this bill and where we are today.

You know, really, I think there have been few issues that have kept CBP leadership busier over the last year

than preclearance. The troubled rollout of the preclearance in Abu Dhabi caused an awful lot of consternation in the Congress.

The preclearance facility in Abu Dhabi was the first such operation established since 9/11 based primarily on a security rationale. Therefore, the lack of appropriate congressional coordination and notification troubled many Members on both sides of the aisle.

In fact, preclearance operations were the subject of a limitation amendment to last year's Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill that I cosponsored with Mr. Meehan.

The bill under consideration today is sort of a fusion of Mr. Meehan's original text and then the FY14 Consolidated Appropriations Act, as well as Ms. Jackson Lee's bill on this topic also, and it was very carefully crafted after numerous consultations with the Department of Homeland Security, the airline industry, and, again, Members from both sides of the aisle.

It really sets the contours for future preclearance operations which incorporate a series of notifications and certifications, including a justification that outlines the homeland security benefit and impact to domestic staffing and wait times that any new preclearance operations would have. Moreover, Mr. Speaker, this bill requires Congress to be notified in the event that the Department of Homeland Security modifies or changes an existing agreement.

I certainly want to be clear that the House Homeland Security Committee supports preclearance where it makes sense. Preclearance, of course, has been around as a security screening and trade facilitation tool since the early 1950s actually, and since 9/11, the security value of these operations has only been heightened. However, this bill makes it absolutely clear that the Department of Homeland Security cannot repeat the mistakes of the past.

I would also like to just thank Chairman Camp of the Ways and Means Committee, who helped work with us with the Homeland Security Committee to get this bill to the floor today. Again, I certainly want to thank Mr. Meehan and other Members who have worked hard to make sure that the American airlines are not negatively impacted by future preclearance operations overseas.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I offer this amendment because I stand shoulder to shoulder with the troops on the ground, any one of whom will tell you that the champion workhorse aircraft in theater in both Iraq and Afghanistan has been the A-10.

Now, it might be an old airplane, but I will tell you it has been proven to be ideally suited for its mission. It is lethal, it is incredibly effective, and when our troops on the ground, Mr. Chairman, hear it coming, they know what it means. But guess what? So does our enemy, because they know pain is coming their way.

The Air Force wants to save money, but they don't have an adequate follow-on at this time. And with what is happening in Iraq and the Middle East, eliminating the A-10 is the absolutely wrong move. Army Chief of Staff General Odierno says that the A-10 is the best close air support aircraft, and I agree, and, most importantly, so do our brave men and women on the ground.

The A-10s were authorized in both the House and Senate Armed Services Committee, and I urge my colleagues to continue their support and vote ``yes'' on this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, at this time, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Barber), the cosponsor of this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I would yield at this time 30 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Austin Scott).

Mr. Chairman, at this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Stewart) who has very personal experience with the ability of the A-10.

Mr. Chairman, I would urge all of our colleagues to join us in supporting our troops by supporting this amendment, and I would say before you vote ``yes'' or ``no,'' speak to those who have actually fought in combat on the ground in the battle zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, and I am very confident that the message you will hear from them will be the same message that all of us have gotten, and that is to keep the A-10 flying.

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

Will the gentleman yield?

I would just indicate that we had several other amendments that we offered up to the committee, but we were told there would be a point of order on those amendments, so we had offsets articulated in those amendments, so we were looking for additional dollars.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Offered By: Mrs. Miller of Michigan

Amendment No. 17: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Sec. 10002. None of the funds made available by this Act

may be used to divest, retire, transfer, or place in storage,

or prepare to divest, retire, transfer, or place in storage,

any A-10 aircraft, or to disestablish any units of the active

or reserve component associated with such aircraft.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res 100) authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the concurrent resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support today of House Concurrent Resolution 100, authorizing the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

It is certainly fitting that we take pause and recognize the passage of this historic landmark legislation that was passed into law and the events in our Nation that called upon its leaders to act all those years ago.

The passage of the Civil Rights Act was a major step forward for America that finally allowed our great Nation to truly live up to its creed found in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal.

188 years following the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, 99 years after the conclusion of the Civil War, and after decades of struggle by great leaders like Martin Luther King and so many Americans who fought valiantly, broad bipartisan majorities of both Houses of Congress came together to ensure equality for every American.

The passage of the Civil Rights Act was a very proud moment for the House of Representatives because America faced a time of choosing in 1964, and together, our Congress rallied and voted to strengthen individual protections and rights, and voted to end discrimination and segregation 50 years ago.

The Civil Rights Act still remains one of the most important pieces of legislation that has ever been debated in our Chamber and instituted across our great Nation, not only for people of color or different nations of origin, but for each and every American, regardless of gender or socioeconomic status or their religious background.

Our Nation has a very vibrant and rich history, and that moment, 50 years ago, when many different people of various walks of life joined together and, in one voice, called for equality stands as one of the most monumental in our history.

Our Nation stood as a witness to those who led and participated in civil rights protests such as the March on Washington, sit-ins at lunch counters, and maintaining one's seat on a bus and refusing to move solely based on one's color of one's skin.

Fifty years ago, so many risked prison or worse to overcome huge odds and stand for what they truly believed must be changed. Their contributions reverberated across every State and every town and every home. Many took up roles as spokespersons, using their talents or what was available to them to make peaceful statements. Several have joined this Chamber as Members.

I see John Lewis has joined us today, and I am just very proud to be able to serve with a man of his historic background and distinguished service to our Nation, Mr. Speaker.

These people were pillars, absolutely pillars of strength. They used their courage to meet injustice head-on, and they are memorialized in the history that we carry forward. The actions of those individuals called on every citizen of our Nation to recognize and to listen to the struggles of others and to support the call for a change to our laws.

So many individuals from all walks of life rose up and lifted their voices to add to the call for change in our Nation, and they stood for all of those who were to come after them in the next generation and for the betterment of their lives.

They brought their concerns to the forefront of our political stage and they spoke for all of us, men, women, rich or poor.

In my home State of Michigan, Mr. Speaker, we were blessed to have so many great leaders in this movement, but one of those individuals was truly a civil rights icon who became a treasured member of our community. Rosa Parks inspired countless Americans with her grace, her dignity and strength, and through the simple yet profound act of refusing to give up her seat on a bus, she continued her advocacy for equality and freedom and inspired so many others who have carried the cause for individual rights forward to this very day.

She also has a connection to this House with another Member of Congress as well, a Michigan colleague of mine, John Conyers, who was also a recognized leader in the civil rights movement.

As we mark this 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, we remember the

efforts, the struggles, and the achievement of those who stood for equal rights. They saw to it that America will make good on its promise for every individual to obtain justice, freedom, and equality.

It is certainly fitting, Mr. Speaker, that the House and the Senate join together later this month to formally remember and pay tribute to our Nation's civil rights attaining this milestone.

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

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute to say that the gentleman from Georgia, Representative Lewis, mentioned the term ``heroes.'' He truly is a hero, an American hero, a treasure.

In the 12 years I have been honored to be a Member of Congress, anytime I hear him come to the floor and talk about civil rights, someone who has actually lived it, I wish I could take him home and have him talk to groups of schoolchildren, and I know he does that in his own district and around the country.

Because every time the gentleman from Georgia, as well as Representative Clyburn and so many others come to this floor to talk about the civil rights movement, it really is very moving, and it makes us all think about, before we are anything, we are Americans first, and he truly is a hero.

I will continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would certainly urge all of my colleagues, as well, to support this resolution, which will authorize the use of the rotunda of the United States Capitol Building for a ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

I yield back the balance of my time.