Floor Statements

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

I rise in strong support of H.R. 612, the United States-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Enhancement Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking Chairman Ratcliffe for his leadership on the subcommittee and, in particular, on the issue of cybersecurity. I have greatly enjoyed our partnership on this and many issues. I appreciate his due diligence and his hard work on many national security issues.

Let me also start by expressing my deep gratitude to Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson in acting so quickly to bring this bill to the floor. Both the chairman and ranking member led a very productive committee last Congress, and I am very pleased that their commitment to protect our national security has extended to swift action this year as well. That urgency is particularly relevant to this bill, the United States-Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Enhancement Act.

As Chairman Ratcliffe mentioned, last May, he and I traveled to Israel to meet with public and private cybersecurity officials. I think I can speak for my friend when I say that we were very impressed by the Israeli's efforts in this space. Israel was one of the first countries to recognize the potential threat posed by interconnected computer systems, and they have been leaders in cybersecurity now for decades.

For instance, the first stateful firewall technology was first developed by an Israeli firm. Today, these firewalls are ubiquitous across the information security landscape. In fact, despite its size, Israel is the second largest exporter of cybersecurity goods and services, behind only the United States. U.S. companies have certainly taken notice. Mr. Ratcliffe and I, as he mentioned, met with some of their representatives during our trip.

Just last week, Reuters reported that one of the components of Microsoft's $1 billion per year cybersecurity strategy is acquisition of three Israeli corporations.

Collaboration with our closest Middle East ally only makes sense from a national security perspective. Preserving Israeli security is essential to stability in the region.

We clearly have a lot to learn from each other as well, which is why I have championed government-to-government interaction on cybersecurity, such as the recent letter of intent for more information-sharing between DHS and Israel that was championed by former Deputy Secretary Mayorkas.

Beyond our governments working together, Chairman Ratcliffe and I also believe the government can do more to encourage collaboration between our private sector and nonprofit entities on issues directly relevant to homeland security. That is why, upon our return, we worked in close collaboration to develop two bills to enhance these cooperative relationships.

I could not have asked for a better partnership in this effort. I was thrilled that our first bill, the United States-Israel Advanced Research Partnership Act, was signed into law last month. It is our second bill, which passed the House in November, but failed to make

it through the Senate before Congress adjourned last year, that we are discussing today.

Specifically, this bill creates a cybersecurity grant program for joint research and development ventures between Israeli and American entities. Projects would be selected after a merit review process and would have to address requirements in cybersecurity determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security. The grants would also be subject to a cost-sharing requirement, with at least 50 percent of project funds coming from a non-Federal source.

Importantly, H.R. 612 leverages existing United States-Israel R&D infrastructure, specifically the Binational Industrial Research and Development, or BIRD Foundation, and the Binational Science Foundation, or BSF. Both organizations have a proven track record of encouraging joint research ventures.

BIRD, for instance, has financed R&D and commercialization projects that have led to a cumulative $8 billion in commercial sales since its founding, while BSF regularly funds collaborations between the top scientists in our respective countries as 45 Nobel laureates have received support from the Foundation.

Now, using the existing infrastructure, as was done in 2007 when Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act that led to the creation of BIRD Energy, also allows us to capitalize on both foundations' robust networks of United States and Israeli entities to help seed these joint ventures. All of these factors are particularly critical in the fast-moving cybersecurity domain where offensive and defensive tactics and techniques change on a monthly or even weekly basis.

As such, advances in the discipline require a near constant reexamining of assumptions, and having people from different backgrounds and security cultures working together engenders an environment where such reexamination is encouraged. While both the U.S. and Israel have robust cybersecurity communities, further collaboration will spur more advances to combat the threats that we face.

Although some of these advances are technological in nature, basic cybersecurity research, such as investigations into the psychology of secure interface design and social engineering, is also supported by the bill. All told, the programs authorized in H.R. 612 will both address urgent homeland security needs and build capacity for further transnational collaboration on cybersecurity, all while matching Federal investment with private sector dollars and funds from the Israeli Government.

Mr. Speaker, I normally preface my remarks on cybersecurity with an explanation of the threat our country faces. I would hope that, given recent events, I don't have to remind my colleagues of the dangers that we face in this sphere which, as I see it, is one of the key national security challenges of the 21st century.

I would hope that incidents like the recent attack on the Ukrainian power grid demonstrate the power of a computer keyboard to affect our critical infrastructure. I would hope that the breach of hundreds of millions of accounts at Yahoo, which affected around 10 percent of the world's population, demonstrates how pervasive data collection is and its vulnerabilities. I would certainly hope that the Russian information warfare operations targeting the very foundations of our democracy, our elections, demonstrate the stakes that we face.

In the face of these threats, we must join together with our allies to protect a free and open internet and ensure that the amazing benefits of technology are not overshadowed by the new vulnerabilities that they open up. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 612 is an important step to driving the innovation we need in the security space to meet these two goals.

As with any bills that make it to the floor, this bill owes much to the dedicated staff on both sides of the aisle who spent countless hours behind the scenes reviewing this legislation. I thank them for their extraordinary and exceptional work.

I am also very grateful, again, to Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Thompson, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Richmond for their continued leadership on cybersecurity and, in particular, Chairman Ratcliffe for his work and for their assistance in quickly actualizing the lessons that we have learned on our trip to Israel.

Finally, in closing, I owe, once again, a debt of gratitude to my friend across the aisle, Chairman Ratcliffe, who, in his first term, immediately had a substantial impact on our Nation's cybersecurity and with whom it has been a great pleasure to work. I look forward to our continued work in this Congress and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 612 does three things: it encourages innovative approaches to address top priorities in homeland security R&D; it strengthens ties with Israel, one of our closest allies; and it does so in a public-private partnership that matches Federal investment.

Mr. Speaker, if you indulge me for a moment, I would like to read something the Saudi Arabian Computer Emergency Response Team put out last week: ``Following a recent cyberattack which targeted several national organizations, this is an urgent call for your cybersecurity team to be on the alert for Shamoon 2 and ransomware attacks that could possibly cripple your organization's systems.''

For those of my colleagues who are not aware, the Shamoon attacks of 2012 took down tens of thousands of computers at the Saudi state oil company, Saudi Aramco. The Shamoon 2 variant has been targeting Saudi Government agencies and private industry since November.

I bring this up, Mr. Speaker, because open source intelligence reports point to Iran as being responsible for the original Shamoon attack. I believe there is a good chance that Iranian-aligned actors are behind the recent incidents as well. Our Israeli partners live under this threat every day, and, to be frank, so do we.

Last year, the Justice Department indicted seven Iranian hackers for attacks on the U.S. financial sector and for probing the networks of a New York dam. The same threats that leave me unable to sleep keep my friend Dr. Matania, head of the Israel National Cyber Bureau, up at night as well.

Closing our aperture of vulnerability will be difficult, Mr. Speaker, but it is possible if we work together to bring our countries' unique perspectives to bear on the problem. I know my colleagues in the Senate share these sentiments, and I hope they will move quickly to take this bill up and start fostering further collaboration as soon as possible.

Let me again thank Chairman Ratcliffe for his leadership and his outstanding work on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 612.

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

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall vote No. 66, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I believe that we live in the greatest country on Earth, and I am proud to say so. But I have to say that last week's executive order by President Trump on refugee resettlement is shaking that faith.

How can we hold ourselves as a beacon of hope when we turn away tens of thousands of the most desperate and vulnerable of our men, women, and children of this planet? How can we be the light of the world when our policies are driven by darkness and fear?

I am going to keep that light alive. I am going to fight to keep it that way because that is what we are, that is what we represent. I am going to fight because I still believe that we are that shining city on the hill. And I am going to fight for my State of Rhode Island, which was founded on the principle of free religious practice, not fear of the other. I am going to fight against injustice with my amazing constituents who joined together for the second weekend in a row of rallying at our State House to keep that light alive.

Mr. Speaker, we are a strong country, but we are strong because of our values and our principles embodied in our Constitution. Let's continue to build that shining city on the hill for the world. I am going to continue this fight, and I hope my colleagues will, too.

Mr. Speaker, 7,000 in Rhode Island, over 500,000 in Washington, and millions across the country, the Women's March was democracy in action this past Saturday, and it filled me with hope, hope for a better future and hope that we can withstand whatever challenges lie ahead as a nation.

The scene in Rhode Island was incredible, replicated around the world. I joined millions who gathered and marched to remind us that women's rights are human rights and to support inclusion and equality for all--immigrants, the LGBT community, people of color, people with disabilities, and people of differing faiths and backgrounds. This is the diversity that makes us stronger as a nation, and this is the diversity that President Trump must now represent in a way that is befitting of the honor and dignity of his office.

Together, Mr. Speaker, we must hold him accountable to protect opportunity for all Americans, not just a select few, because it is by working together, treating people with dignity and respect that we move America forward. A rising tide lifts all boats, Mr. Speaker. I believe that the rising tide of engagement and passion that we saw on Saturday will lift all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of National Mentoring Month and in honor of the youth mentors across Rhode Island and the Nation.

Every day, mentors enrich the lives of young people. They are powerful role models who provide essential support for at-risk youth.

Just some of examples of the powerful impact that mentors have in the life of young people are that vulnerable young people with mentors are more likely to enroll in college and volunteer more regularly than their peers. They are 46 percent less likely to start using drugs and 52 percent less likely to skip school.

They are also more likely to develop self-confidence, form healthy relationships, and cultivate productive habits.

Organizations like the Rhode Island Mentoring Partnership and Big Brothers Big Sisters lead the way in the Ocean State. Organizations like this and mentors across the country are improving our communities one child at a time, and I am proud to honor them as we recognize National Mentoring Month this January 2017. I encourage more people to step forward and serve as mentors and make a difference in the lives of young people.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed.

Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to a vote on final passage as amended.

Mr. Speaker, the amendment I am offering this afternoon is simple. It would prevent any jurisdiction's swap laws from automatically being considered comparable to the United States if it is found to have engaged in cyber attacks targeting U.S. elections. As someone who has been involved in cybersecurity policy for the better part of a decade, it could not be more relevant, it could not be more timely.

During the past year, Mr. Speaker, the core of our democracy came under attack. The Russian Government, acting under the orders of authoritarian President Vladimir Putin, conducted a sustained information warfare campaign designed to undermine the American people's faith in our electoral system. The influence operation involved traditional tradecraft, including Russian state-owned media broadcasters. It also, notably and notoriously, involved the hacking of Democratic Party organizations, including the Democratic National Committee.

These are facts, Mr. Speaker. They are the findings of independent security researchers that have been recently confirmed by the brave men and women serving their country as part of the intelligence community for whom I have great respect. The contours of what happened are indisputable, and they should be undisputed.

Yet, our response to this unprecedented attack has been anything but unified. Putin and his henchmen acted with an intent to sow discord, to make us question each other's motives, and to raise doubt about the validity of our election results. We know this was Putin's intent, and yet, rather than acting with solidarity to address the problem, we bicker.

Mr. Speaker, next Friday, I will be here at the Capitol for one of the greatest American traditions, the peaceful transition of power. Mr. Trump may not have been my choice for President, but, come next week, he will nonetheless be my President. I will join with my colleagues here, and we will congratulate him on his inauguration. We will do so because there is no evidence that any vote tallies were altered and, like it or not, Mr. Trump clearly prevailed in the electoral college.

But if we can join together on the election of the President, something many of my colleagues have severe disagreements about, why can we not do so to decry Putin's attempted interference? Why do we not speak today as a body with one voice to say: you've failed, Mr. Putin; our faith in our democracy is as strong as ever?

I will not pretend that my amendment to this bill is sufficient punishment for the brazen attack on our democracy. But it will send a powerful message that this House is unified. It will send a powerful message to Putin that American democracy is resilient. It will send a powerful message to our allies that we will not stand idly by as Russians attempt to affect their democratic institutions. And it will send a powerful message to our constituents that our commitment to free and fair elections rises above partisan politics.

President Obama spoke very eloquently on Tuesday about the challenges faced by our democracy. ``Our democracy is threatened,'' he said, ``whenever we take it for granted.'' Passing this amendment makes it abundantly clear that we very much understand how lucky we are to live in this country and how attacks on it will not be tolerated. I will reiterate that this amendment will not kill the bill in any way. Rather, we will move immediately to vote on final passage following its adoption.

I urge my colleagues to join me in this display of solidarity and resilience.

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, we are less than 2 weeks into the start of the new Congress and Republicans are already trying to make good on their central campaign promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Regrettably, it is a promise that will cause more than 30 million Americans and at least 86,000 Rhode Islanders to lose their health coverage. It will increase prescription drug costs for almost 16,000 Ocean State seniors, and it will cost Rhode Island an estimated 12,000 jobs in 2019, according to a recent report by The Commonwealth Fund and George Washington University.

Mr. Speaker, the Republicans' promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act will have devastating consequences for healthcare providers, patients, families, and even employers. I have long said that ObamaCare isn't perfect, and I am willing to work in a bipartisan manner to improve it--a task we have tried to accomplish for years without Republican cooperation.

Mr. Speaker, the budget resolution the Republicans are jamming through Congress now is anything but bipartisan. I pledge to do everything in my power to fight their cynical attempts to revoke the health coverage of thousands of Rhode Islanders and of millions of Americans who need it and who depend on it.

Mr. Speaker, it is always difficult saying good-bye to a Member of our Hill family. When I was first elected to Congress, I sought a chief of staff who could work with me to help lead my team and shape my policy portfolio: someone who knew the Hill as well as the legislative process in Congress; someone who was smart, strong, and compassionate; someone with sharp instincts; and, most importantly, someone I could trust. I found all of those qualities and so much more in Kristin Nicholson.

As my chief of staff, Kristin has been a trusted confidant, adviser, and a true friend. So it is with both sadness and pride that after 16 years in my office I say good-bye to Kristin as she leaves the Hill to become director of the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University.

Kristin's leadership has been essential to me and my entire staff; and although we will miss her tremendously, she leaves behind a team that has benefited from her professionalism, passion, humor, and grace under fire.

Kristin, I cannot thank you enough for your service to me and the people of Rhode Island. Congratulations and best wishes.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my good friend and colleague, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, in recognition of Career and Technical Education Month. As cochairs of the Congressional CTE Caucus, we are absolutely committed to ensuring that every student has the ability to achieve his or her career goals.

Mr. Speaker, it is long past time to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. I certainly look forward to working with all my colleagues on this important legislation.

This year the CTE Caucus will also focus on expanding apprenticeships and employer-educator partnerships, as well as helping school counselors to provide students the information necessary to make informed career decisions.

To that end, I encourage all of my colleagues to join us on the Congressional CTE Caucus and also to cosponsor the bipartisan Counseling for Career Choice Act that we will introduce later this month that will ensure that school counselors have all the job training information that they need to understand in order to advise their students about the good-paying jobs that will be available to them in the future.

I want to thank, again, my good friend and colleague, Mr. Thompson from Pennsylvania, for being such a strong partner on these issues.

Mr. Speaker, in these challenging times, as we work to protect the country from the security threats we face, I call on the Republican leadership to bring a clean bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security to the floor.

As a senior member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I know that DHS plays a vital role in protecting us from threats like ISIL, and I strongly support those who defend our Nation, go to work every day to protect us, and particularly those who put their lives on the line.

Protecting the homeland extends beyond conventional acts of terror to things like cybersecurity, an area that I am deeply concerned about. Through endeavors like the National Cybersecurity Communications and Integration Center and US-CERT, DHS partners with industry to defend us against attacks and works to protect and assist Federal agencies from cyber assault.

Mr. Speaker, the attack on Sony and Anthem's massive data breach underscore the need for the robust cybersecurity activities supported by DHS. For the majority to prevent DHS' hardworking employees from being paid or undertaking new projects is politics trumping policy, and I urge my Republican colleagues to abandon their misguided strategy and bring a clean bill to the floor that will appropriately fund DHS.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember a lifelong Rhode Islander who dedicated his life to his country and to his family. James McIntyre leaves behind eight children, 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and I have no doubt that his absence will be felt by them every day.

James served this nation in the Korean War, and after leaving the U.S. Army, he went on to become a longtime surveyor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He never hesitated to lend a hand to family or friends. He was always eager to tackle a project, earning him a reputation as the resident handyman, and the first one to call when something needed fixing. His generosity of spirit was extended to his friends at the Knights of Columbus, and to all who asked.

I have had the honor of working with James's daughter, Nancy Beattie, for more than 20 years. Nancy is my director of constituent services and one of the kindest, most generous and genuine people that I have ever met. She works tirelessly on behalf of my constituents, and is a living representation of the values that James instilled in his family. My deepest condolences go out to Nancy and to James's loving wife of 61 years, Margaret McIntyre, and I know my colleagues will join me in extending our sympathy to the entire McIntyre family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015. I would like to thank my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Karen Bass, for introducing this bill and for all she does on behalf of foster youth.

As an original cosponsor of this bill and a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, I encourage all my colleagues to support this important legislation. In the previous Congress, similar legislation passed the

House by a vote of 399-0--a strong show of support for foster youth.

Foster youth are some of the most at-risk children in our society. They are often the victims of abuse or neglect; and too many face trials and tribulations beyond their years. So much that we take for granted--a stable home, living with our siblings, or returning to the same school year after year--are constant obstacles for these children.

This legislation will specifically address the link between girls in foster care and sex trafficking, and will require states to develop a child protection plan to identify and assess all reports involving children known or suspected to be victims of trafficking. Additionally, states must provide training plans for child protective services workers to appropriately respond to reports of child trafficking and have procedures in place that will connect child victims to public or private specialized services.

I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation, and again I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the National Cybersecurity Protection Act and the Senate Amendment to the Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act. I applaud my friend and fellow co-Chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, Mike McCaul, as well as Chairman Carper in the Senate and Ranking Member Thompson here in the House, for their efforts to bring this legislation to this point.

I believe that cybersecurity is one of the defining national security challenges of our time. No other issue affects our national defense, our economic well-being, and our individual lives as cybersecurity does. With each day's news rife with stories of cyberattacks and data breaches that target our agencies, companies, citizens and allies, we as policymakers have a responsibility to act.

I have made no secret of the frustration I have felt for the past several years as Congress has failed to act to shore up our cybersecurity. This week, with these bills and others, we are making a down payment on what must be a sustained level of attention and effort. The challenge we face demands no less.

But so very much more needs to be done--and soon. I am extremely disappointed that the Senate has failed to pass information sharing legislation that was approved by the House, legislation that the private sector and government agencies agree is long overdue. And while the bills before us and others that Congress has passed in recent days are important, even these measures are limited in scope. In particular, they do not address any organizational changes within the executive branch that I firmly believe are necessary, such as the creation of a National Office for Cyberspace within the Executive Office of the President, with budgetary oversight powers, able to coordinate and oversee the security of agency information systems and infrastructure across government.

Still and all, these pieces of legislation move the ball forward in key areas, and above all ends the inaction on cybersecurity issues that has gripped this Congress for far too long. I applaud my House and Senate colleagues for their efforts, and urge support of these measures.

Mr. Speaker, I applaud the work Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Lowey and their staffs put towards drafting legislation to fund the federal government. Sadly, I cannot support the finished product due to extraneous provisions that have no business being in an appropriations bill. These riders, included at the last minute with no debate and no input from Democratic members, circumvent the will of American voters, harm retirees, put taxpayer dollars at risk, and allow a privileged few to have even more influence over our elections.

These extraneous provisions have nothing to do with funding the government. Instead, they will cut benefits to seniors and roll back critical Dodd-Frank provisions to protect taxpayer dollars. They will also increase the amount of money that special interests, private corporations, and wealthy donors can spend on political conventions and other election activities, when we know that more money in politics is not the solution, it's the problem.

Rhode Islanders are still recovering from the financial crisis of 2008, and I cannot in vote for a return to the status quo, which helped bring about the crisis in the first place. The derivatives provision is a Christmas gift to big banks at the expense of American taxpayers. It would remove restrictions included in Dodd-Frank that prevent these banks from gambling with our constituents' money by using taxpayer- insured bank deposits in risky derivatives transactions.

I am greatly disappointed that I am not able to support what is in many other ways a solid bill. This legislation includes funding for important investments to our infrastructure, the National Institutes of Health, Ebola response efforts, spinal cord injury research, the peerless Virginia-class submarines, and so many other initiatives and programs that are critical to our national defense and our future as a nation--not to mention that it provides for the brave men and women in our armed services and intelligence community who are in harm's way even as we speak. Regrettably, these priorities were eclipsed by poisonous provisions that could greatly undermine the important work voters elected us to do--restore the economic certainty we need to keep our economy growing and our businesses hiring.

Mr. Speaker. I have supported numerous bipartisan efforts in the past to fund the government, and I know what can be accomplished when Democrats and Republicans sit down and negotiate in good faith. But the price Republicans are trying to exact this time is simply too high, and I will not sacrifice my principles and the interests of my constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support the Intelligence Authorization Act. As a member of the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, I know these Authorization bills provide the necessary accountability, direction, and resources for those who keep our nation safe.

Today's bill reflects the continuation of the Committee's bipartisan and bicameral work, and I want to thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger for their strong and consistent leadership on these critical issues.

Today I want to highlight two areas of specific interest to me.

First, this legislation strikes a careful balance between ensuring that our nation's secrets are kept safe and providing appropriate transparency with the American people. There are lawful ways to raise concerns of wrongdoing and procedures to declassify information when appropriate. In the past, Congress has strengthened these avenues, including by enhancing whistleblower protections and the role of Inspectors General.

As it has each year, this bill adds to the mission of counterintelligence to ensure that information is protected and that the tools utilized by security professionals are handled lawfully and with full consideration for the privacy and civil liberties of our intelligence professionals. This bill continues this important direction, asking the DNI to establish appropriate guidelines to govern how publicly available information can be utilized.

Second, this bill continues to support the work of the men and women at the front lines of cybersecurity. It helps cyber professionals at NSA, FBI, and DHS to hone their tools and skills to protect us, while supporting initiatives to grow the next-generation cyber workforce. And it will further aid the Intelligence Community in understanding and defending certain networks from cyber threats.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of our work on this bill, and I urge its passage.