Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1238) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Health Affairs responsible for coordinating the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security related to food, agriculture, and veterinary defense against terrorism, and for other purposes.

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.

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

I rise today in support of H.R. 1238, the Securing our Agriculture and Food Act, introduced by Congressman David Young of Iowa. This bill seeks to authorize the Department of Homeland Security's food, agriculture, and veterinary defense program within the Office of Health Affairs.

Last year, the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications held a hearing to examine the potential devastating impacts of an intentional attack on, or a natural disruption of, U.S. agricultural or food production systems.

The food and agriculture sector is critically important to our Nation's economy. U.S. food and agriculture accounts for roughly one- fifth of the Nation's economic activity, and contributed $835 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product in 2014, and is responsible for 1 out of every 12 U.S. jobs.

Coming from Iowa and as a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Congressman Young of Iowa knows all too well the importance of protecting this sector, which is vital to the economy and our way of life. I appreciate him introducing this bill of which I am pleased to be an original cosponsor.

I thank Chairman Walden of the Energy and Commerce Committee and Chairman Conaway of the Agriculture Committee for working with us to advance this bill.

Mr. Speaker, we also look forward to working with our Senate colleagues, who recently approved companion legislation without amendment in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

This bipartisan legislation passed the House last September by voice vote, and I urge all Members to join me once again in supporting this bill.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC, March 16, 2017.

Hon. Michael T. McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman McCaul: I write in regard to H.R. 1238,

Securing our Agriculture and Food Act, which was referred in

addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. I wanted to

notify you that the Committee will forgo action on the bill

so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for

consideration.

The Committee on Energy and Commerce takes this action with

our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of

H.R. 1238, the Committee does not waive any jurisdiction over

the subject matter contained in this or similar legislation

and will be appropriately consulted and involved as this or

similar legislation moves forward to address any remaining

issues within the Committee's jurisdiction. The Committee

also reserves the right to seek appointment of an appropriate

number of conferees to any House-Senate conference involving

this or similar legislation and asks that you support any

such request.

I would appreciate your response confirming this

understanding with respect to H.R. 1238 and ask that a copy

of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in your

committee's report on the legislation or the Congressional

Record during its consideration on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Greg Walden,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Young).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume, and I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1238.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1365) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require certain acquisition innovation, 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 materials on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1365, the Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Innovation Act.

The bill allows DHS to designate a senior official to manage acquisition innovation efforts; test, develop, and distribute acquisition best practices throughout the Department; and establish performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts. Republican amendments at the committee markup strengthened the underlying bill by encouraging DHS to obtain feedback from the private sector and incorporate this feedback into future efforts.

As we have seen from numerous watchdog reports, the Federal Government's acquisition and contracting process is broken, cumbersome, and bureaucratic. DHS must continue to innovate to ensure the private sector can best support our critical homeland security needs. The Department has recently taken positive steps in using new contracting tools and collaborating with industry. This legislation supports those efforts and encourages their continued use.

I commend Oversight and Management Efficiency Subcommittee Ranking Member Correa for all of his hard work on this legislation.

I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1365, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Nicholas Caruselle for his lifelong commitment to providing quality hospital care to the community.

Born on December 10, 1954, to Anna Maria and Paul Caruselle, Nicholas has lived on Staten Island his whole life. In 1974, he began working at Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) as an oxygen technician, where he would spend the next 42 years of his life. It was there where he met his sweetheart, Janice, whom he later married on November 23, 1979. They have been happily married for 37 years with three wonderful children, all of whom were born at SIUH.

Nick's dedication to patient-centered care is evidenced by how long he has worked at SIUH. After serving as an oxygen technician, he later went on to serve in various positions providing excellent cardiopulmonary care from 1977 to 1996. Later on, he served as Senior Vice President of Operations and retired as Deputy Executive Director and South Site Administrator for SIUH.

Nicholas Caruselle has achieved numerous accomplishments throughout his career at SIUH. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, he tirelessly fought to obtain $40 million in government funding to rebuild crucial hospital infrastructure. Furthermore, he was instrumental in the development of the Sleep Medicine Institute, the Elizabeth A. Connelly Emergency and Trauma Center, the Regina McGinn, MD Education Center, and the Heart Tower. The enormous impact Nick has had on improving SIUH and the care of its patients is truly immeasurable.

Mr. Speaker, Nicholas Caruselle has spent his entire career improving the lives of others. I thank him for his devotion to his community of work and I wish him a very happy retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Anthony Ferreri for his enduring devotion to serving others in need.

A lifelong Staten Islander, Anthony has been at the forefront of providing quality hospital care. President and CEO of Staten Island University Hospital since 2003, he has overseen the hospital's growth with the addition of the Elizabeth A. Connelly Emergency and Trauma Center in 2009 and the Regina M. McGinn, MD Education Center in 2011. This dedication led Modem HealthCare Magazine to award Anthony its Community Leadership Award.

In 2013, after being named as Executive Director of the North Shore-- LIJ Health System's Western Region, Anthony Ferreri was then appointed the Executive Vice President just two years later. With his new position came additional duties, as he also became the System's Chief Affiliation Officer and Regional Executive Director for Westchester County. His established track record of effective partnerships with area hospitals and medical centers made him an ideal choice for this position, at which he excelled.

Anthony has also proven himself a steadfast servant to his community. He has served numerous nonprofit boards, among them the Friends of May Chang Foundation, New York Organ Donor Network, and the Snug Harbor Cultural Center. Furthermore, he is the Chairman of the Board of Staten Island's Moore Catholic High School. He has been recognized on multiple occasions for his community service. One such example is that he was only the 12th graduate of New Dorp High School to be inducted into its Hall of Fame. Moreover, he was also awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations.

Mr. Speaker, Anthony Ferreri has spent his life serving his community and providing quality care to hospital patients. I thank him for his lifetime of work and I wish him the best in retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th Birthday of Brooklyn's Dolores Bellucci Contes.

Dolores was born on February 19, 1917, and has been a resident of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn for over 80 years. In fact, she has lived at the same address since 1950. In 1951, after her husband's sudden death, she was widowed at the age of 33. Despite her grief, she demonstrated strength and temerity by becoming a working mother in order to support her children. Dolores got remarried in 1961 to her late husband, George Contes, with whom she spent 50 joyous years.

I cannot emphasize enough Dolores' determination and wisdom. She owned a local small business, ``Nail Elegance,'' for many years. Moreover, the fact that she worked until the age of 91 is simply astounding. It takes a special kind of person to have the kind of dedication and work ethic that Dolores has had her entire life.

Mr. Speaker, I wish Dolores Bellucci Contes a very happy 100th birthday. Simply put, people like Dolores are what make Brooklyn great. She has truly lived a life worth living, and I am honored to represent her in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th Birthday of Staten Island's Michelena Cucchia.

Michelena, or Minnie, as she is known to her friends and family, was born on January 21, 1917, in Manhattan to Charles and Grace Sciascia. After moving to Staten Island in 1932, Minnie met the love of her life, Salvatore ``Sam'' Cucchia. On December 19, 1936, Minnie and Sam were married at St. Joseph's Church. Afterward, they moved to a home in New Dorp on Staten Island to raise their daughters, Angela and Grace, and their son, Steve.

At the age of 100 years young, Minnie Cucchia is still active. With six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and two great-great- grandchildren, she certainly enjoys spending time with the many members of her family. Moreover, she continues to partake in her favorite hobbies, such as crocheting blankets, hats, and scarves for babies that she then donates to a local hospital. To this day, Minnie still lives in the house in New Dorp where she and Sam raised their wonderful children. She truly is a lifelong Staten Islander.

Mr. Speaker, I wish Minnie Cucchia a very happy 100th birthday. I applaud the tremendous life she has led. I am proud to call her

one of my constituents, as she embodies the very essence of the American spirit.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 549) to amend the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to clarify certain allowable uses of funds for public transportation security assistance grants and establish periods of performance for such grants, and for other purposes.

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.

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

I rise today in support of H.R. 549, the Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act. With more than 10 billion riders using surface transportation annually and limited security screening, it should not be surprising to us that terrorists have an interest in targeting mass transit. We saw it in London, Madrid, Brussels, and when a terrorist left a backpack of IEDs at a transit station in Elizabeth, New Jersey, last fall.

Given the repeated calls from ISIS and other radical Islamic terrorist groups for lone wolves and sympathizers to plan smaller attacks where larger crowds gather, we must ensure that the first responders and transit agencies have the tools they need to secure our transit systems.

That is why, last Congress, I introduced the Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act. This bill addresses concerns raised during a field hearing the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications held last year in Ranking Member Payne's district on preparedness for incidents impacting surface transportation. As chairman of that subcommittee, I introduced this legislation to ensure action follows our subcommittee's oversight, and that is why I reintroduced this commonsense legislation in the 115th Congress.

Witnesses at last year's field hearing testified about the importance of the transit security grant program, but found that the period of performance was a challenging timeframe to meet, especially for completing vital, large-scale capital security projects. These projects are vital to transit agencies to help enhance their security features systemwide and harden infrastructure.

H.R. 549 addresses this challenge by codifying the period of performance for transit security grant program awards at 36 months for the majority of eligible projects and extending the period of performance for large-scale capital security projects to 55 months.

Additionally, transit security grant program awards can be used to provide personnel with effective security training. Unfortunately, recipients of these awards are not currently permitted to use transit security grant program funds to pay for backfilling personnel attending such training. In some cases, that extra cost at the transit agency has resulted in an inability to send staff for vital security training. My bill will permit transit security grant program funds to be used for this purpose, consistent with other Homeland Security grant programs.

The current threat environment is evolving and complex, which makes it even more imperative that the transit security grant program provide flexible solutions for grant recipients. I am proud to sponsor this bipartisan legislation, which passed the House by voice vote last year.

I urge all Members to join me in supporting H.R. 549.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I, once again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 549.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 687) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a process to review applications for certain grants to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed any applicable national voluntary consensus standards, and for other purposes.

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.

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

As chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, I rise today in support of H.R. 687. This legislation would establish a review process for grant applicants seeking to purchase equipment or systems that do not meet or exceed national voluntary consensus standards.

With threats consistently evolving, it is reassuring to see new technology emerge which will promote the safety of our communities and first responders. However, emerging technology is frequently developed faster than voluntary consensus standards can be implemented.

Recipients of grants under FEMA's State Homeland Security Grant Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative must procure equipment that meets these standards. Unfortunately, if emerging technology or equipment does not have a voluntary consensus standard and a grant recipient would like to use those funds to purchase such technology, FEMA does not have a uniform process to consider applications for that equipment.

H.R. 687 requires FEMA to develop such a process for reviewing these requests. Previously, this bill was introduced in the 114th Congress by the subcommittee's ranking member, Mr. Payne, and subsequently received bipartisan support by my subcommittee and the Committee on Homeland Security as well as the House when it was passed under suspension of the rules in September of 2016.

I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for reintroducing this commonsense bill. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 687 because it will ensure our first responders have the ability to purchase equipment and emerging technology needed to effectively adapt to the current threat landscape.

Earlier this month, the Committee on Homeland Security released the January Terror Threat Snapshot, which found that the United States remains a top target for terrorists. It is clear that the threat to our communities is not going away.

Congress has the responsibility to make America safer and stronger. We can do so by ensuring commonsense measures are in place to ensure first responders have the tools that they need to address these threats.

I urge all Members to join me in supporting H.R. 687.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 687, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 584) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance preparedness and response capabilities for cyber attacks, bolster the dissemination of homeland security information related to cyber threats, and for other purposes.

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.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 584, the Cyber Preparedness Act of 2017.

Cybersecurity is a major national security issue and the threat is real and immediate. Day in and day out nation-states or criminal actors target the United States' critical infrastructure, the private sector, and everyday Americans, and they are succeeding. However, even with the heightened awareness on cybersecurity, it appears that the United States is not adequately prepared to prevent and respond to cyber attacks.

Since 2012, FEMA has released an annual National Preparedness Report, which highlights States' progress in meeting 32 core capabilities, as defined by the National Preparedness Goal. Every year, States have ranked their cybersecurity capabilities as one of their lowest.

I found these facts very alarming and wanted to learn more about the current state of cyber preparedness. That is why, last Congress, my subcommittee, the Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications Subcommittee, held a joint hearing with the committee's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee to look at cyber preparedness and how the Federal Government can help States address some of the challenges they face.

We heard from a Homeland Security adviser, a fusion center representative, the Center for Internet Security, a chief information officer, and a chief technology officer, who explained the great progress the United States has made in enhancing their security capabilities. However, they cautioned that challenges still remain, especially with regard to information sharing of cyber threats and risks, and whether Homeland Security grants may be used for cybersecurity enhancements.

Last Congress, I introduced this bill to address the findings from that hearing. I introduced this bill in this Congress to ensure that States and first responders have the resources needed to prepare for and protect against cyber attacks.

This commonsense legislation will: Enhance cyber risk information sharing with State and major urban area fusion centers; authorize representatives from State and urban area fusion centers to be assigned to the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center; and permit the NCCIC personnel to be deployed to the fusion centers.

It will allow information sharing on cyber preparedness best practices with State and local stakeholders. It will clarify the eligibility of State Homeland Security Grant Program and Urban Area Security Initiative funding for cybersecurity enhancements; and it will work to combat the overclassification of cyber risk information so that it can be shared more broadly with stakeholders who have a need to know.

I appreciate that Chairman McCaul, Chairman Ratcliffe, and Ranking Member Payne joined me again as original cosponsors of H.R. 584. This bipartisan legislation passed the House by voice vote last Congress. I am pleased that the House is willing to take up this measure again in the new Congress.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan bill.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I, once again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 584, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 690) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to enhance certain duties of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, and for other purposes.

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.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 690, the Gains in Global Nuclear Detection Architecture Act of 2016, sponsored by Representative Richmond. H.R. 690 directs the Department of Homeland Security's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to develop and maintain documentation that provides information on how the office's research investments align with gaps in the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture and the research challenges identified by the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.

It further directs the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to document the rationale for selecting research topics and to develop a systematic approach for evaluating how the outcomes of the office's individual research projects collectively contribute to addressing the research challenges.

ISIS has declared its intention to develop weapons of mass destruction, which include nuclear devices, as well as radiological dispersal devices. The key to preventing this from happening is to make sure that nuclear material never falls into terrorist hands.

According to data compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency, there were nearly 1,150 incidents involving theft, criminal possession, or loss of radiological material reported between 1993 and 2014. The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in California identified 325 instances alone between 2013 and 2014 in 38 different countries where nuclear or radioactive material was stolen, lost, or outside of regulatory control.

The amount of nuclear material in peaceful uses in the world has risen by 70 percent since 1999. It will continue to grow in the coming decades as global use of nuclear power increases.

Just last summer, six men were convicted in Tbilisi, Georgia, for trying to sell uranium-238; and in January of 2016, three members of a criminal group were detained for trying to sell caesium-137, which could be used to make a dirty bomb.

We must ensure that terrorists never get their hands on radioactive materials. This bill will enhance the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office's ability to provide radiation detection devices specifically aimed at preventing terrorists from being able to obtain enough radioactive material to construct a dirty bomb.

This bill will ensure that the research topics it chooses to invest in to enhance our ability to detect smuggled nuclear materials are aligned with the gaps that have been identified in the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture, a multiagency framework for detecting, analyzing, and reporting on nuclear and other radioactive materials that are out of regulatory control.

Requiring the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office to document their rationale for choosing research topics will ensure that the most important gaps in the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture are addressed.

I would like to thank Mr. Richmond for the work that he and his staff have done on this legislation. I believe this will better enable this country to detect smuggling of nuclear materials and prevent ISIS and other terrorists from carrying out a nuclear or radiological attack on American soil.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space and

Technology,

Washington, DC, January 30, 2017.

Hon. Michael McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing concerning H.R. 690, the

``Gains in Global Nuclear Detection Architecture Act,'' which

was introduced on January 24, 2017.

H.R. 690 contains provisions within the Committee on

Science, Space, and Technology's Rule X jurisdiction. In

order to expedite this bill for floor consideration, the

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology will forego

action on the bill. This is being done on the basis of our

mutual understanding that doing so will in no way diminish or

alter the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space,

and Technology with respect to the appointment of conferees,

or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject

matters contained in the bill or similar legislation.

I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming

this understanding, and would request that you include a copy

of this letter and your response in the Congressional Record

during the floor consideration of this bill. Thank you in

advance for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Lamar Smith,

Chairman.

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

Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 690.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 655) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Securing the Cities program to enhance the ability of the United States to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high consequence events utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials that pose a high risk to homeland security in high-risk urban areas, and for other purposes.

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.

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

Mr. Speaker, as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, I rise in support of H.R. 655, the Securing the Cities Act of 2017.

Representing New York's 11th Congressional District, which includes Staten Island and Brooklyn, and as a former district attorney, I fully understand the importance of protecting our major cities from catastrophic terrorist attacks. In keeping our pledge to never forget 9/11, it is our duty to ensure that such an attack never happens again. This legislation underscores our commitment and gives the Department of Homeland Security the tools it needs to carry out this mission.

In 2015, the Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. At that hearing, we heard from Commissioner Bratton of the New York City Police Department who described the current threat environment facing New York City. In his testimony, he specifically referenced the risk that terrorists may introduce illicit nuclear materials into the city to conduct an attack. Similarly, Secretary of Homeland Security Kelly recently stated: The United States must prepare for the eventuality of a catastrophic attack given the potential impact and consequences.

This bill establishes the Securing the Cities program at the Department of Homeland Security to enhance the ability of the United States to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high- consequence events using nuclear and other radiological materials in high-risk urban areas.

The Securing the Cities program within the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office provides training, equipment, and other resources to State and local law enforcement in high-risk urban areas to prevent a terrorist group from carrying out an attack using a radiological or nuclear device.

The Securing the Cities program began in 2006 as a pilot program in the New York City region which included Jersey City and Newark. Since 2007, the New York City region has purchased nearly 14,000 radiation detectors and trained nearly 20,000 personnel. The pilot program has been so successful it was expanded to the Los Angeles/Long Beach region in fiscal year 2012, the National Capital Region in fiscal year 2014, and to the cities of Houston and Chicago in 2016. Once the Securing

the Cities program is fully implemented, it will protect nearly 100 million people across this country.

I would like to thank the Department of Homeland Security for its hard work and commitment to this program. Given the alarming terrorist threat from ISIS and al Qaeda and their willingness to carry out an attack using a weapon of mass destruction, this program could not be more vital.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 655.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 655, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 437) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to codify authority under existing grant guidance authorizing use of Urban Area Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Grant Program funding for enhancing medical preparedness, medical surge capacity, and mass prophylaxis capabilities.

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.

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

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, I rise today in support of H.R. 437, the Medical Preparedness Allowable Use Act. H.R. 437 was introduced by Congressman Bilirakis, a former chairman of the Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications Subcommittee.

This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to make it clear that State Homeland Security Grant Program and Urban Area Security Initiative Grant funds may be used to enhance medical preparedness and purchase medical countermeasures.

H.R. 437 codifies current grant guidance to ensure that recipients of the State Homeland Security Grant Program and Urban Area Security Initiative Grants will continue to be able to use these funds for medical preparedness equipment and activities.

Mr. Speaker, the threat of a terrorist attack using a chemical or biological agent is real. We must ensure our first responders have the tools and capabilities they need should such an event occur.

In my district, the City of New York has put their Homeland Security grants to good use for this purpose. In 2014, they held a full-scale exercise which simulated an anthrax attack on the city. Participants from agencies across the city, including the health department, the New York City Police Department, and the Office of Emergency Management worked to set up locations to quickly distribute lifesaving medical countermeasures to city residents across the five boroughs.

We must ensure that the State Homeland Security Grant Program and the Urban Areas Security Initiative funds continue to be available, despite any changes to yearly grant guidance, for exercises like the one conducted by New York City and other important medical preparedness activities. This bill does just that.

Identical language to H.R. 437 passed the House last Congress by a vote of 377-2.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Bilirakis for introducing this commonsense bill. I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).

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

Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 437.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jim Munson, the former head coach of Tottenville High School's football team.

Throughout his 24 seasons as head coach, Coach Munson demonstrated nothing but unconditional dedication to his team and his players. His devotion to the game is just one of the many reasons that the Tottenville Pirates were so successful. Under his leadership, the Pirates won the Public Schools Athletic League City Championship in 1997 and 2003. Moreover, Jim retired with a stellar 178-88-3 overall record.

Among his many achievements, Coach Munson coached two future NFL players: three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Andruzzi, an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots, and Adewale Ogunleye, an All-Pro defensive end who played in Super Bowl XLI for the Chicago Bears. But one of Coach Munson's proudest moments was coaching his son James, who now plays for Navy as a safety, from 2011 through 2014. I am sure that Jim will spend a lot of time in retirement cheering on James from the sidelines. Luckily, the Pirates won't lose Jim entirely, as he will remain at the school as assistant principal and athletic director.

Mr. Speaker, Jim Munson has served his team, school and community for dozens of years. I thank him for everything he has done for Tottenville High School and wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.