Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 474 and ask for its immediate consideration. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr.…
Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 474 and ask for its immediate consideration.
Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz- Balart). All time yielded is for purposes of debate only.
General Leave
I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 474.
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. House Resolution 474 provides for consideration of H.R. 2200, the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act of 2009. This legislation is a much-needed fix to an agency tasked with maintaining security in some of our most important facilities. The urgency is clear, especially since many programs under TSA have not been altered or revised since their original authorization in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act passed immediately after the attacks on September 11, 2001.
Since that time, we have seen threats against our transportation systems change dramatically. We've seen attacks against rail and mass transit systems in London, Madrid and Mombai. As a result, this legislation broadens the focus of TSA to address more than just aviation security, which, for years, received an overwhelming majority of funding and manpower.
So this bill triples the funding for surface transportation systems. I'm pleased to say this increased attention to surface transportation is done in consultation with consumer groups to ensure security provided at subway stations and other facilities does not turn the daily commute into a daily mess.
In addition, we create a much-needed position of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Surface Transportation to give a voice to that component of TSA.
Another significant advance in this bill is its risk assessment allocation method. According to the FAA, there are 561 certified airports in the United States, including commercial and general aviation. Moreover, there is an untold number of bus terminals, subway stations, and rail facilities in the United States. The security of the American people demands TSA's limited resources be directed toward the modes and facilities which face the greatest risk.
This bill directs the TSA administrator to adopt a policy whereby funding is allocated based upon risk, not merely based on population or some other criteria.
Regarding aviation security, the bill provides for a strengthened perimeter security program at our Nation's airports. It also provides a pilot program for biometric identification access systems at seven airports for airport employees. And in many cases, security experts have found canines can provide unparalleled detection of narcotics and explosive materials. So this bill provides for 250 canine detection teams, and an amendment by Representative Doc Hastings of Washington will provide for even more.
There are plenty of other positive steps this legislation makes. But what I believe is most important about this bill is the way it has made its way through the House. The bill has been developed over several months with a great amount of input from majority and minority Members, labor and business and independent analysis. The bill passed out of the Homeland Security Committee without any dissenting votes, and as it comes to the floor, 14 substantive amendments will be debated. Of those 14, eight are Republican amendments and six, obviously, are from the Democratic side.
I had the privilege to serve on Homeland Security, Mr. Speaker, and it is with pride that I say I found that committee to be among the most bipartisan committees in the House of Representatives. The efforts by Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member King to work for the protection of the United States work well within the committee and allow for bipartisan effort from both sides.
The rule will provide for ample debate on this important bill and allow Members to vote on many proposals to improve it. This bill is a great example of bipartisan cooperation to address a problem our Nation wishes us to address. The security of our Nation's passengers require sensible solutions, and this bill provides them just that.
I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the underlying bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments of my friend from Florida. I think they would have more weight on maybe another bill than this one, where clearly there has been bipartisan effort from the very beginning. The bill has been in the works for a long time, and it passed out of the committee without objection.
So with that, I would yield 5 minutes to the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, Mr. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi.
I yield the gentleman 2 more minutes.
Mr. Speaker, how much time on each side remains?
Thank you. I'd say to my friend from Indiana, I appreciate his concerns, and virtually everything that he is concerned about is in the bill. And I think it's important that I read from section 405, found on page 87, where it says, ``The Assistant Secretary, in coordination with the Terrorist Screening Center, shall include on the No Fly List any individual who was a detainee housed at the Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on or after January 1, 2009, after a final disposition has been issued by the President.
``For purposes of this clause, the term `detainee' means an individual in the custody or under the physical control of the United States as a result of armed conflict.''
So virtually everything he talked about is in this bill already, and that's why the bill came out of Homeland Security without opposition.
With that, I yield 5 minutes to the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
I yield another 30 seconds.
Mr. Speaker, again, to my friend from Indiana, I don't think the language in the bill could be any clearer about these detainees and their being part of the No Fly List.
I am going to now yield 2 minutes to my friend from New York (Ms. Clarke), who is a member of the Homeland Security Committee.
Mr. Speaker, I would inquire of the time remaining on both sides.
I would like to yield 2 minutes to another member of the committee, to my friend from Texas (Mr. Al Green).
Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to another member of the committee, the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Kirkpatrick).
Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 3 minutes to my friend from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).
I yield the gentleman 1 more minute.
We do not.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Florida and I appreciated today's debate as well.
I would ask that House Resolution 474 be passed this morning, that the rule be passed.
This is a bill, H.R. 2200, involving transportation security. It's been a bill that has been long in the making and long overdue, and it is time to move forward with this piece of legislation.
The bill itself was developed over several months with a great amount of input from majority and minority Members, labor and business, and independent analysis. We heard from Representative Green about all of the input that went in from various perspectives and the fact that everyone was heard.
The bill passed out of the Homeland Security Committee without any dissenting votes. We've heard Mr. Souder complain that his amendment was modified to include the President of the United States. I mean, obvious reflection of separation of powers has to be part of the bill. Otherwise, it's exactly what he wanted. And it does not allow detainees of Guantanamo to come into the United States. They will become part of the No Fly List if they were ever detained at the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. So the language is clear with respect to his concerns.
The bill, as it comes to the floor, will have 14 substantive amendments debated: eight by Republicans; six by Democrats. This rule will provide for ample debate on this important bill and allow Members to vote on many proposals to improve it. The bill is a great example of bipartisan cooperation. It addresses the need for risk-based determinations, surface transportation and biometrics.
I would urge, Mr. Speaker, a ``yes'' vote on the rule and on the underlying bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question.
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.
The previous question was ordered.