Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize former California State Senator Robert ``Bob'' Wieckowski, who left office Monday, December 5, 2022, after 12 years serving in the California State Legislature.

Bob was born in San Francisco and grew up in Fremont, California. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 1977 and moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as staff for Congressman Don Edwards until 1982. He returned to school and received a Juris Doctor from Santa Clara University Law School in 1985. From 1986 until 1988, Bob studied Polish in Krakow, Poland.

While practicing bankruptcy law, Bob began his political career serving on Fremont's City Council from 2004 to 2010 and served as vice mayor from 2008 to 2010. From there, Bob was elected to the California State Assembly to serve District 25 in 2010. He served as the Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Insurance Committee, Health Committee, Public Employment and Retirement Committee, and Social Security Committee. He also launched his ``Made in California Jobs Initiative'' in 2011.

In 2014, Bob was elected to the California State Senate to represent District 10. In that chamber he served on the Judiciary Committee, Transportation Committee, Appropriations Committee, Budget, and Fiscal Review Committee, Housing Committee, and Chaired the Environmental Quality Committee. Notably, Bob passed legislation that expanded housing by removing barriers and allowing residents to construct accessory dwelling units through, increased wage garnishment restrictions, and pushed for more robust climate adaptation.

For 12 years, Bob Wieckowski diligently served in the California State Legislature, serving our mutual constituents. His work has left a lasting impact on the Tri-City community and California more broadly. I wish him well-deserved rest and relaxation with his wife, Sue, and son, Luke, as he enters this new chapter.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize former California State Assemblymember Bill Quirk, who retired Wednesday, November 30, 2022, after 10 years serving our community in the California State Assembly.

Bill was born in Summit, New Jersey, and moved to the Bay Area when he was 15 years old. He received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Applied Physics in 1967 and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics in 1970 from Columbia University. He then moved back to California to work as a postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology.

Bill continued his work as a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. In 1973, he supervised the first global three-dimensional model of the earth's climate. Bill then moved to Hayward in 1978 and began his work at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he contributed his talents for 26 years. He specialized in foreign nuclear programs until his retirement in 2005. His expertise was vital in negotiating the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1996.

In 2004, Bill began his political career when he was elected to the Hayward City Council. During that time, he also served on the board of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency and the Hayward Area Shoreline Planning Agency.

In 2012, Bill ran and was elected to represent California's 20th Assembly District and was re-elected 4 times before announcing his retirement. During his tenure, he served on the Assembly Rules Committee, Appropriations Committee, Public Utilities and Commerce Committee, Agriculture Committee, Public Safety Committee, and chaired the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. Bill and his team prioritized legislation that addressed issues related to energy, climate change, transportation, and public safety. He helped pass numerous critical bills, including one that made it easier to request restraining orders to prevent repeated episodes of domestic violence, and another that increased resources for testing lead levels in drinking water.

For 10 years, Bill Quirk has diligently served our mutual constituents. His work has left a lasting impact on the community in Alameda County and California more broadly. I wish him well-deserved rest and relaxation with his wife, Laurel, children, Ian and Zephyr, and grandchildren, Rory and Emily, as he enters this new chapter.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Dublin City Council member Shawn Kumagai at the conclusion of his council membership on December 20, 2022.

Shawn's career is demonstrative of his commitment to public service. It began when he enlisted in the Navy in 2001, serving active duty and ascending in rank to Chief Petty Officer until 2011. He continues his service in the Navy Reserve with an intelligence unit at Camp Parks Reserve Forces Training Area as Master Chief Petty Officer.

Shawn received his Associate of Arts degree in Chinese Mandarin from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in 2001. While on active duty, Shawn received a Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Arts from Excelsior University in 2007. Shawn later received his Masters of Instructional Science and Technology from California State University Monterey Bay in 2013.

In 2016, Shawn moved with his brother to Dublin while he worked as an instructional design consultant for Pacific Gas and Electric. In 2019, Shawn became the District Director for California Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, representing the 16th district.

When he was elected to Dublin City Council in 2018, Shawn made history as the city's first openly gay elected official. He helped the city maintain a balanced budget and receive the highest credit rating possible. Shawn also successfully advocated for displaying the pride flag at Dublin City Hall in 2019. In December 2020, Mayor Melissa Hernandez appointed Shawn as a vice mayor, and in that role, he helped secure $1 million in funding for small business rent relief grants during the pandemic.

As a council member, Shawn served on various committees, including the Alameda County Fire Department Advisory Committee, Alameda County Housing Authority, Association of Bay Area Governments General Assembly, East Bay Regional Park District Liaison Committee, Economic Development Committee, Tri-Valley Affordable Housing Committee, Military Communities Committee, and the Tri-Valley Water Liaison Committee, among others.

For the past four years, Shawn has worked to ensure the City of Dublin is responsive to the needs of its residents. I join the Dublin community in celebrating his numerous achievements. I wish him quality time with his loving husband, Alex, and brother, Kevin, as he moves forward to his next adventure.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize outgoing Dublin Unified School District Trustee Megan Rouse as her term ends on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, after nine years of serving Dublin's students.

Megan graduated from Smith College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics and Mathematics in 1993. After moving to Dublin in 1997, she returned to school and earned a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from the University of California Berkeley's Haas School of Business in 2001.

Megan began her career in corporate investment banking in New York and San Francisco. She remains a Certified Financial Planner practitioner and owner of her own financial planning business, helping individuals and families reach their financial goals. She also served on the board of the Financial Planning Association of the East Bay for 11 years.

After she was appointed as a Dublin Unified School District trustee in 2013, Megan was elected to her first full term in 2014 with a successful bid for re-election in 2018. As a school board member, she serves on the wellness committee, budget committee, and grading committee, while also participating in programming for the Tri-Valley Special Education Local Plan Area and Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program.

Through all of this, Megan has remained an active member of the Dublin community. Since 2014 she has been an active member of the Rotary Club of Dublin, holding various leadership positions. She also serves as a deacon and finance elder at John Knox Church, served on the board of Joy Preschool and Daycare for five years, and was the committee chair of Cub Scouts Pack 930.

I thank Megan for lending her diligence and leadership to the Dublin Unified School District Board for nearly a decade. I join the Tri- Valley community in celebrating her numerous accomplishments and wish her and her loving husband, Gordon, and two children, Maribel and Gabe, all the best as they decide what challenges to take on next.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize District Attorney Nancy O'Malley who is retiring after serving as the chief law enforcement officer in Alameda County for 13 years.

Nancy's career began as a rape crisis counselor volunteer where she witnessed firsthand the way in which victims of crime were disregarded or disrespected by the justice system. It inspired her to go into law enforcement and rise to the rank of chief assistant district attorney.

She has now served the county for 37 years and has developed a national reputation for excellence as the county's first elected female district attorney.

She also created the one-stop shop idea of a family justice center replicated across the country providing legal, health, housing, psychological, and other support services. She has also written and sponsored 60 bills that have become law in California helping people with disabilities access the courts, as well as making sure that victims of crime have their day in court, too.

Nancy also founded the Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit, or HEAT, which has led the Nation in response to human trafficking.

Furthermore, I am fortunate for Nancy's guidance as my former boss, mentor, friend, and even officiant at my wedding. As Nancy's service to the office comes to an end next year, her work to serve justice will go on.

I congratulate Nancy and wish her and her husband, John, a happy retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern after 33 years of service to Alameda County.

Greg graduated from Saint Mary's College with a degree in Economics and Business Administration and from the National Academy at the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

Greg joined the Alameda County Sheriffs Department in 1980 and was promoted to sergeant at the age of 28. He has served as Sheriff since 2007, where his leadership led to the implementation of many new programs that serve the community.

Greg developed an Urban Shield tactical training exercise, which was the first of its kind in the nation, and was replicated by other cities throughout the nation. After the Boston Marathon bombing, Boston Police credited Greg's urban Shield exercise with bringing the bombers to JustIce.

In addition, as Sheriff, Greg supported the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs Activities League (DSAL)'s staff in their creation and expansion of athletic programming for youth, re-entry internships, and work to address food equity in Alameda County. The DSAL boxing and soccer leagues are known county-wide, and Dig Deep Farms, founded in 2010 under Greg's leadership, is not only providing internship opportunities to increase job training opportunities for the recently incarcerated, but also makes deliveries of fresh produce for patients of public health clinics in need of healthy food.

He also organized and implemented a Tri-Valley Substation for additional patrol and community policing coverage for the rural eastern part of Alameda County and increased staffing, participation and grant funding for the Narcotics Task Force, interoperable communications, training, and DNA cold case investigations. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Greg managed various departments as the Director of Emergency Services for Alameda County, overseeing housing. testing, vaccination, hospitalizations, supplies and providing emergency workers.

Under Greg's leadership, the Alameda County Sheriffs Office is better equipped, has become more technologically advanced, and is better prepared to manage large-scale emergencies.

Greg helped create a professional culture with well-trained staff that treats the community with dignity and respect. I thank Greg for his career of serving and protecting Alameda County, in addition to his wife, Kathleen, who supported him throughout his service. I wish him and his family the best in his retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dot Theodore, who concluded her service as a trustee oh the board of the Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) on November 9, 2022, after 8 years of service.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Biology from San Francisco State University in 1998, Dot began to work in biotech research in the Bay Area. In 2004, Dot and her husband chose to lay down roots in Castro Valley. Dot then continued her education and obtained a Master's in Public Health in 2013 from the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, she serves as the interim director for the Alameda County Public Health Department's Office of HIV Care, where she provides support for local organizations that serve low-income individuals living with HIV.

With 2 children attending Castro Valley Unified schools, Dot became heavily involved in school affairs. From 2011 to 2016, Dot served as PTA President for Castro Valley Elementary. In 2012, she served as an executive board member for Creekside Middle School Parents Club. Dot has also served on CVUSD's Local Control Accountability Plan Steering Committee and recently served as the Head of the Safe Routes to School program at Castro Valley Elementary. In that role, she coordinated events promoting active transportation and safety for students. She also participates with Bike/Walk CV to add more sidewalks in Castro Valley.

In 2014, Dot was elected as a board trustee for CVUSD and re-elected in 2018, serving as board president until her departure. While on the board, Dot worked to embrace the growing diversity of the district and ensure students could access a high-quality education at all grade levels.

She has overseen new dual immersion programs, the creation of an Engineering pathway for students, placement of social workers and counseling support for elementary students, and the implementation of culturally responsive curricula for educators. Dot was also instrumental in creating wellness centers for students at Castro Valley High School and both Canyon and Creekside middle schools through Measure G Bond funds.

For 8 years, Dot has remained a fierce advocate for the students of CVUSD and worked to ensure that the district lived up to its ``All means all'' motto. Her presence will be missed on the board, but I am sure she will continue to fight for our children. I join the community in celebrating her numerous achievements on the board and wish her rest and relaxation with her children, Ben, and Daphne, as she starts her new chapter.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke to recognize the life of Joseph ``Joe'' Howard Santarlasci, Jr., a decorated Vietnam veteran, investment banker, professor, and thought leader who passed away on October 29, 2022 in Brooklyn, NY.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Joe graduated from Malvern Prep in 1963, Brown University in 1967, and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in 1973. Joe was in ROTC at Brown and served his country as a Navy Lieutenant from 1967 to 1971 with two tours of active duty in Vietnam. He was part of the ``brown water navy'' and got his jump wings. Joe was also awarded the Vietnamese Medal of Honor. He was the duty officer during the recovery of the Apollo 11 astronauts when they splashed down in the Pacific on July 24, 1969 and carried ``the football'' during the mission. Joe followed in the footsteps of his father Joseph Howard Santarlasci, a fighter pilot who was shot down numerous times during World War II.

After graduation from UVA, Joe started his first job as an investment banker at First Chicago. On the weekends, he was a fly half for the USA Eagles rugby team. He then moved to New York City, where he specialized in M&A at several leading investment banks.

Joe moved to Washington, D.C. in 1985 to co-found the turnaround management firm Whitby, Santarlasci & Co., Inc. with Von Whitby of Salt Lake City, Utah. He took great pride in restructuring companies with the goal of saving as many jobs as possible.

From 2013 to 2019, Joe taught Entrepreneurial Finance at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI. After he stopped teaching, he stayed in touch with his students and continued to help them along their journeys. He then co-founded the Brown University Veterans Alumni Council. Under his leadership, Brown extended need-blind admission to veterans and eliminated the estimated family contribution, replacing it with scholarship, enabling Brown to meet the total cost of attendance for qualified veterans.

In 2021, Joe moved to Brooklyn, NY to be closer to his sons Nicolas and Marco. Seeing how bereft Joe was feeling without his students, Marco showed Joe how to use Twitter, where he became a leading voice for tolerance, kindness and justice. News of his death trended as #RIPJoe, was liked by over 50,000 people and commented upon by more than 7,000. Everyone who knew him treasured his heart, intellect, and quick wit.

In addition to his father and son, Joe was predeceased by his mother Rosemary Theresa Donovan Santarlasci. He is missed by his wife of 34 years, Elizabeth Ann Stanton (Betsy Santarlasci); their sons Nicolas Donovan Santarlasci (Rachel ``Rai'' Manning) and Marco Foster Santarlasci of Brooklyn, NY; brother Stephen Michael Santarlasci (Eileen Taubman) of Paoli, PA; and Stephen's daughter Michelle Santarlasci Carini (John) and their children Cecelia and Anthony of Malvern, PA.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize New Haven Unified School Board Trustee Linda Canlas on the occasion of her retirement on November 30, 2022.

Linda immigrated from the Philippines to the United States in 1970 and became a naturalized citizen at 18 years old. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University East Bay in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in History and obtained her California State Teaching Credential. After spending some time in the classroom, Linda received a master's degree in Educational Leadership and a professional school administrative credential from the State of California.

After beginning her teaching career in Norfolk, Virginia, Linda returned to the Bay Area to teach in the Newark Unified School District and remained there until 1996. During this time, Linda served her students in various capacities as a teacher, district student at-risk/ support services coordinator, district performing arts coordinator, mentor teacher, and vice principal. Linda then served as a principal in Hayward Unified School District until 2016. Under Linda's leadership, two public elementary schools were able to significantly raise their academic performance, demonstrating her commitment to upholding California curriculum standards and Common Core implementation.

Linda was first elected as a Board Trustee for New Haven Unified School District in 2010 and was reelected in 2014 and 2018. During her three terms on the board, she served in the roles of clerk and board president, all while earning another master's degree in Governance from the California School Boards Association. One of her passion projects while a trustee was to rename a middle school in honor of co-founders of the United Farm Workers movement, Larry ltliong and Phillip Vera Cruz. Thanks to her efforts, Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School is the first public school in the country to be named after a Filipino- American.

Outside her official duties on the Board, Linda has been an active advocate for education in the community. She is a board member for the New Haven Schools Foundation, she has been President of the Alameda County School Boards Association since 2017 and has been a member of the East Bay Coalition for Public Education Leadership Team since 2019. She is also an active Filipino American National Historical Society member and serves on the Board of the Ukulele Festival of Northern California. Because of her history of contributions to education, governance, and community, in 2017, Linda was recognized by the Filipina Women's Network as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the world.

For over three decades, Linda Canlas has played a pivotal role in ensuring quality education for the students of California's 15th congressional district. I join the community in celebrating the many achievements of her career and wish her rest and relaxation with her husband, Dennis, and her daughters, Camille and Jacqueline, as she begins her retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today, along with Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, to recognize Daniel ``Dan'' Franklin--a distinguished World War II veteran, and a loving father, grandfather, and great grandfather--who has just celebrated his 95th birthday.

Dan was 16 when he joined the Navy in 1942 and was only 17 on D-Day, where his landing craft was charged with delivering soldiers and ammunition to Omaha Beach. The

ship was shot out from under Dan, and although he lost many of his crewmates, Dan survived by creating an artificial breakwater.

In 2013, he received the French Legion of Honor medal, created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte and considered France's highest honor, one that has been awarded to surviving American veterans for their heroism on D-Day. Recipients of the Legion of Honor are known as ``Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion d'Honneur.''

Dan was discharged from the Navy in February 1946, at the age of 19. Initially resuming work at a florist shop in Kansas City, Dan decided to look for a different occupation. Through help of friends, family and the local Jewish Federation, Dan embarked on what was to be a 43-year career in the paper distribution business.

Even though he did not complete high school, Dan advanced his career, moving to Dallas, Chicago and finally Moraga, California, as a vice- president of a seven-billion-dollar corporation.

He has survived his wife Marilyn, but is still the center of a family of four children, eleven grandchildren, two great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Jim DeMersman on the occasion of his retirement as the Executive Director of Pleasanton's Museum on Main on Friday, November 4, 2022.

Jim graduated from Houghton University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Business Administration in 1980. He began his museum career at the Genesee Country Museum as an assistant to the director of education and curator. He then moved to the Bay Area to work as the executive director of the Hayward Area Historical Society until 2007.

In 2009, Jim became the executive director of Pleasanton's Museum on Main. Jim helped to expand the museum's annual visitor numbers from 9,000 to 30,000 by promoting enriching exhibits and upgrading the permanent

exhibit room with additional technology to expand public access. Jim also expanded the offerings at the Adobe Historical Facility by addressing numerous historic program needs. In addition, Jim oversaw joint programs that helped connect the museum to the community through building a network of supporters by hosting multiple nonprofit events in partnership with Pleasanton's Downtown Association, Heritage Association, and Art League.

Jim's leadership at Museum on Main also saw the creation of new and exciting programs. Jim helped create the first Wine and Valentines event, which has become an annual fundraiser. The museum also popularized and expanded an Ed Kinney series to include matinees and evening performances.

When the pandemic struck, Jim helped the Museum on Main pivot to virtual programming to allow staff to continue to serve the community. Popular fundraising events like the Ghost Walk Event moved to a virtual format, allowing even more community members to engage and enjoy the museum's activities. Even with remote work and financial hurdles, Jim sustained operations by utilizing grant funds from public and private foundations.

For 13 years, Jim DeMersman has played a pivotal role in preserving the history and culture of California's 15th Congressional District. I join the Tri-Valley community wishing him rest and relaxation with his husband, Richard, as he begins his retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the life of Frederick ``Fred'' Eugene Zehnder, founder and editor of the San Leandro Times, the Castro Valley Forum, and prominent KTVU news director, on the anniversary of his passing on June 27, 2021.

Born on a dairy farm in Lakeport, California on March 5, 1934, Fred's love for journalism began at the age of 10 when he started the Scotts Valley News. This one-page weekly report was written, edited, and delivered all by Fred.

In 1952, Fred attended Humboldt State College where he earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism. While studying at Humboldt, he worked part-time at the local radio station in Eureka, California.

In 1956, Fred was drafted into the Army. At his posting in Fort Bliss, Texas, he worked as an Army public information officer under Sam Donaldson. After his time in the Army, Fred worked for KVIQ-TV in Eureka as the station's first news director. He later worked for several other networks, including KPIX Channel 5, CBS-TV, and KGO-TV. In 1988, Fred became the news director at KTVU Channel 2 in Oakland, California, until his retirement in 1999. For over 20 years, he worked with talents such as Dennis Richmond, Barbara Simpson, Elaine Corral, Leslie Griffith, Julie Haener, Bill Martin, and Mark Ibanez.

While working at KTVU, Fred founded the San Leandro Times and later purchased the Castro Valley Forum. Every Wednesday, over 22,000 copies of the Castro Valley Forum continue to be delivered for free to Castro Valley residents and businesses. Additionally, on Thursdays, over 38,000 free copies of the San

Leandro Times are distributed to businesses and residents throughout San Leandro.

Fred tragically lost his life at the age of 87, after being struck by a drunk driver while walking in his Alameda neighborhood.

Fred shaped the journalism landscape in the East Bay, both in print and television. We're grateful for his commitment to community journalism and the legacy he created. He is survived by his three brothers, John, Robert, and David; his seven nephews and niece, Andy, Chris, Jim, Mark, David, Rob, Mitch, and Carolyn; and his long-time friends and business partners Howard and Claudette Morrison.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Art Pulaski, who is retiring after 26 years with the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, which represents over 2 million union members in manufacturing, transportation, construction, service and the public sector.

Art has a long history with labor advocacy. He began his organizing career at age 16 when, as a supermarket clerk, he joined the Amalgamated Meat Cutters Union. After working his way through college and graduate school, he worked as a union organizer.

Art most recently served as the Chief Officer, after serving as the Executive Secretary-Treasurer, where he built coalitions with union and community groups to protect workers and retirees. Under his leadership, the Federation has more than doubled in size and has had numerous legislative achievements. The Federation restored daily overtime pay, raised the minimum wage, and passed the nation's first Paid Family Leave law.

In 2010, the Federation led a successful campaign to ensure that every California Democrat in Congress voted in favor of the Affordable Care Act. Furthermore, in 2003, Art led the creation of the Stand for California Coalition, a group of labor unions, religious organizations, civil rights groups and business interests, as well as helped to develop the Apollo Alliance, a national coalition for cleaner energy and better jobs.

Art has also served on numerous gubernatorial panels and commissions on economic progress and workforce development. He was a founder of one of California's model childcare centers, called PalCare, and served as president of nationally televised PBS series ``We Do the Work'', the Labor Project for Working Families and the California Works Foundation.

Art has spent his career protecting our community by advocating for workers, ensuring they are paid fairly, and improving workplace conditions. Art will be missed by the entire Federation but is looking forward to continuing his commitment to the labor community as a volunteer and spending time with his four children: Erin, Katie, Luke, and Kaleb, and his two grandchildren, Wilder and August.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7777) to amend the Homeland

Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to establish an industrial control systems cybersecurity training initiative, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security for their support for moving my bill, H.R. 7777, the Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Training Act, through committee. I thank the Speaker and majority leader for bringing this measure to the floor today.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 7777 is not only a winning number on a slot machine; it is a winning formula for bringing cyber hygiene to our industrial control systems across America.

Every day, we rely on critical infrastructure to power our homes, fuel our cars, and connect us online. One essential component of critical infrastructure is industrial control systems, also known as ICS, which digitally manage operations of these vital systems.

As Congress considers legislation to address cybersecurity threats to America's interests, my legislation would help to secure vulnerable ICS at every level of our economy and our government. H.R. 7777 would make permanent an existing education initiative within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also known as CISA.

This initiative, the ICS training initiative, provides free virtual and in-person cybersecurity training to public and private security entities, including critical infrastructure administrators, national laboratories, and even small businesses.

This training equips technology professionals across all levels with the tools and expertise necessary to secure themselves against advanced persistent threats.

When threats turn into successful attacks, it impacts the daily lives of every American, including sowing discord into our electoral processes, as we have seen election after election; shutting down our pipelines; or breaking down supply chains that provide essential food and other materials.

That means virtually everything that is connected to a network has a potential vulnerability, or what we would refer to as a left-of-boom vulnerability, the vulnerability that exists before the attack occurs. Every person, small business, or government database is a potential target.

In 2021 alone, cybercrimes inflicted approximately $6 trillion in damages across the world. Attacks on industrial networks account for a significant portion of that number, and it is only going to get worse in the future.

These threats often emerge from sophisticated state actors, like Russia and China, that have the ability to exploit vulnerabilities to disrupt and destroy the systems that make our way of life possible.

As Putin and his regime become increasingly isolated because of a successful sanctions regime and the effort that we are prosecuting to help keep Ukraine in the fight, we should expect the Kremlin to progressively target the United States and our allies with unconventional cyberattacks on our election systems and critical infrastructure. Any success that Russia has in exploiting vulnerabilities will inevitably be closely watched by other countries, particularly China.

In sum, we know this threat is real and that malignant actors will persistently probe our systems to find additional weaknesses to exploit, which would cause real harms, harms to Americans that would blunt innovation, steal American secrets, and destroy America's small businesses.

In my district, cybersecurity professionals deal with threats to ICS every single day. I specifically note two major Federal research centers, Sandia and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, which play a critical role in protecting against worldwide cyber threats. They are in the heart of my district in Livermore, California.

This support is leveraged every day by numerous Federal agencies, including CISA, which sit on the front lines of protecting our infrastructure from bad actors. We in Congress must do everything we can to equip our security protectors with the resources they need to continue the fight, and that is what this legislation does.

Resources must include proactive ways to help cybersecurity-focused entities retain a competitive workforce. The training programs in my legislation will equip technology professionals with the skills, expertise, and resources they need to build resilience against threats to some of our most sensitive facilities.

I applaud CISA for increasing these trainings, which H.R. 7777--which I love saying--would make permanent. This commonsense program is an easy solution to build resilience against cyberattacks for our most vulnerable systems.

Madam Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I appreciate the bipartisan, cooperative effort here to make sure that our cyber professionals across America are ready to meet the growing threats from Russia, China, and even nonstate cyber actors. That is exactly what H.R. 7777 seeks to do, by authorizing CISA's ICS cybersecurity training program and directing CISA to report to Congress annually about the initiative.

Improving the state of our cybersecurity workforce will be an ongoing effort, and these reports will help Congress continue to strengthen this program in the future.

Passing this bill will help us continue to move forward in developing the cybersecurity workforce we need to defend against the growing cyber threats that we face. In particular, this will help strengthen small businesses, particularly those in critical infrastructure, who do not yet today have cybersecurity defense forces receiving that training.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7777, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7174) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reauthorize the National Computer Forensics Institute of the United States Secret Service, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 7174, the National Computer Forensics Institute Reauthorization Act of 2022, introduced in this House by Ms. Slotkin of Michigan.

Ms. Slotkin's legislation addresses ransomware threats that are on the rise and are costing American companies and the American people millions of dollars each year. In fact, former Cisco CEO John Chambers estimates that in the year 2022, we will see approximately $120,000, on average, in costs to 60,000 American businesses who will be victims of ransomware attacks.

Ransomware attacks have targeted our most critical industries, from the energy sector to food processing to schools and even hospitals. State and local law enforcement are on the front lines of protecting against this threat and often are the first people called when an attack occurs, and they are on the ground in communities to respond.

Recently, FBI Director Chris Wray told Congress that within an hour, if a business calls the FBI, one of his agents can respond, either virtually or at their doorstep, to assist them.

More than ever, State and local law enforcement need the training and tools to investigate and respond to ransomware and other cyber-based attacks. That is where the National Computer Forensics Institute, or NCFI, comes in.

Established in 2008 by the U.S. Secret Service, NCFI is recognized as a preeminent Federal facility for State and local law enforcement to receive cybersecurity training.

At NCFI, the Secret Service trains State, local, Tribal, and territory officers, prosecutors, and judges in cybercrime investigations and cyber-incident response.

To date, because of this training, more than 18,000 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges across all 50 States and territories have received training at NCFI's center in Hoover, Alabama.

As introduced, Ms. Slotkin's H.R. 7174 would reauthorize NCFI through 2032.

Like many of my colleagues here in Congress, I began my career as a prosecutor, and I know the importance of training law enforcement, prosecutors, and judicial officers.

Before a case ever reaches the trial stage, dozens of law enforcement officers, investigators, and attorneys have pored over every shred of evidence to ensure justice is served.

Since evidence today is increasingly digital and more and more meticulous to review, it is imperative that law enforcement, prosecutors, and judicial officers from communities across the country have access to necessary training on emerging and digital technologies, like AI, and equipment to put that training into action. That is what Ms. Slotkin's bill will do.

H.R. 7174 will ensure that NCFI's operation will continue for 10 more years and better position the institute for success.

The bill strengthens its operations by requiring privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections be integrated into the training; it authorizes NCFI to engage in research and development of different approaches to training for investigations involving ransomware and threats involving the use of emerging digital assets; and it requires the Secret Service Director to report on the demand for training at NCFI, the institute's ability to meet that demand, and whether to expand further NCFI facilities and training opportunities.

NCFI's authority to continue its training will end in November of this year, but we know that cyber actors, nation-state and non-nation- state, their efforts will not, which makes H.R. 7174's swift passage so important.

The House authorized the NCFI by an overwhelming bipartisan vote in the 115th Congress, and the Committee on

Homeland Security passed this bipartisan bill by unanimous voice vote last month. It has 17 bipartisan cosponsors.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleague to support Ms. Slotkin's legislation once again, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on the Judiciary,

Washington, DC, June 8, 2022.

Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Thompson: This letter is to advise you that

the Committee on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to

review the provisions in H.R. 7174, the ``National Computer

Forensics Institute Reauthorization Act of 2022,'' that fall

within our Rule X jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting

with us on those provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no

objection to your including them in the bill for

consideration on the House floor, and to expedite that

consideration is willing to forgo action on H.R. 7174, with

the understanding that we do not thereby waive any future

jurisdictional claim over those provisions or their subject

matters.

In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar

legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the

right to request an appropriate number of conferees to

address any concerns with these or similar provisions that

may arise in conference.

Please place this letter into the Congressional Record

during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank

you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked

regarding this matter and others between our committees.

Sincerely,

Jerrold Nadler,

Chairman.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

As stated, the NCFI training and education program is too important to expire. It will do so in November. I appreciate the gentlewoman from Iowa and her side's support for this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I urge swift passage of H.R. 7174, and I yield back the balance of my time.