Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an individual whose dedication and sacrifice have helped to secure our Nation. I would like to recognize Troy A. Miller, a remarkable individual whose 31 years of service to this country have culminated in his final role leading U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner. In this position, he directed CBP's 65,000 employees in executing its three core missions of counterterrorism, border security, and trade enforcement, while facilitating $4 trillion in trade and facilitating travel of over 410 million people through ports of entry.

As he prepares to retire, I rise to recognize a career defined by integrity, selflessness, and an unwavering commitment to public service. Every time he was asked to fill a critical leadership role, he quickly answered the call and served with distinction.

I also want to extend my appreciation to his family who have supported him throughout his incredible career. I offer my sincere thanks to his wife, Jennifer, and his daughter, Alexandria.

Troy led CBP, the Nation's largest law enforcement agency, through a myriad of challenges, to include the COVID-19 pandemic, surges of migration along the Nation's borders, and hurricane relief efforts.

Among his many notable achievements, Troy confronted the scourge of fentanyl by evolving CBP to not only match but surpass the sophistication and persistence of the criminal organizations responsible for trafficking this lethal drug across our borders and into our communities. His efforts brought together coordinated intelligence and special enforcement operations to find and intercept fentanyl wherever it attempted to infiltrate our borders--whether in cargo, among travelers, or through small packages. Furthermore, he extended these efforts beyond our borders, taking the fight to local cartel leaders and dismantling the foreign supply chains responsible for aiding the proliferation of this criminal activity.

Troy also made his mark as a true champion of the dedicated CBP workforce. He was not only a fierce advocate for the agency's technology, infrastructure, and resource needs, but also a driving force in fostering a culture that prioritized the health and well-being of its people--CBP's greatest asset. Troy recognized the critical importance of mission readiness and understood the intense pressures associated with a career at CBP. He spearheaded the development and expansion of CBP's workforce care program, making significant investments in the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health of its personnel. He focused on removing stigmas, delivering services directly to employees across the Nation, and providing specialized support to help CBP's workforce navigate the tough operational situations they face every day.

Through his distinguished career at CBP, Troy made significant advancements to the national and economic security of the United States.

Between December 2021 and November 2022, Troy served as CBP's Deputy Commissioner, the agency's senior career official, responsible for overseeing the daily operations of CBP's expansive mission.

Prior to his role as Deputy Commissioner, Troy served as the Director, Field Operations for CBP's New York Field Office where he was responsible for CBP's national security, anti-terrorism, immigration, agriculture, and trade enforcement operations at two of the country's busiest international airports--John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport--the East Coast's largest container seaport in New York/Newark, and CBP's Pharmaceutical, Health and Chemicals Center of Excellence and Expertise.

Troy also served as the first Executive Director of the CBP National Targeting Center, where he expanded CBP's targeting, research, and analysis capabilities, and strengthened interagency and international coordination to screen, vet, and mitigate high-risk cargo and travelers. He established Counter Network and Counterterrorism Divisions within the National Targeting Center, transforming CBP's approach to identifying threat actors and dismantling the transnational criminal and terrorist networks that support them. Under his leadership, and pursuant to National Security Presidential Memorandum- 9, the National Vetting Center was established as an interagency solution for vetting support and strategically located at the National Targeting Center. To this day, Troy's national security targeting expertise is recognized worldwide.

From 2013 to 2015, Troy served as the Acting Assistant Commissioner, Office of Intelligence and Investigative Liaison, where he initiated an organizational restructuring in direct support of field components and border enforcement entities that partner with them and promoted initiatives to transcend physical borders. In addition, he has held numerous leadership positions including Assistant Port Director, Seattle; Director of Targeting and Analysis, Office of Intelligence and Operations Coordination; and Director of the National Targeting Center- Passenger.

Troy began his federal career with the U.S. Customs Service in 1993 as a Customs Inspector. He received the Distinguished Executive Presidential Rank Award in 2016 and was awarded the Meritorious Executive Presidential Rank Award in 2021.

Troy's 31 years of devoted service to our great Nation is a shining example of a life to which we should all aspire and is deserving of our gratitude. His meaningful contributions to CBP have strengthened the organization and his legacy will be the foundation for future leaders. Troy will be missed, but we wish him well as he enters this new chapter of life alongside Jennifer and Alexandria.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 8663) to require the Science and Technology Directorate in the Department of Homeland Security to develop greater capacity to detect, identify, and disrupt illicit substances in very low concentrations.

Mr. 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 the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, once again, with a strong voice of support for H.R. 8663, the DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act of 2024. This critical piece of legislation will equip DHS S&T with the authority it needs to improve the safety, effectiveness, and efficiency of drug detection equipment and reference libraries to protect frontline DHS personnel who seek to protect our Nation from the flow of illicit fentanyl and other drugs amidst the catastrophic mess at our southwest border.

I am glad that the Senate took swift action and passed this measure and concur with the amendment, which requires DHS to coordinate with the DEA and upholds the authority of other Federal agencies utilizing drug equipment and reference libraries.

I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota) for his diligent work on this legislation in the House, as well as the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa).

I also thank Senator Cornyn of Texas for working across Chambers and championing this important legislation through the Senate.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill so we can get it to the President's desk as soon as possible, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaLota).

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

Again, I strongly urge my colleagues to concur in the Senate amendments to H.R. 8663, and I appreciate the New Yorkers who contributed to this bill as well as Mr. Correa. 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. 9748) to require the Under Secretary of the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security to develop a Department-wide policy and process to safeguard research and development from unauthorized access to or disclosure of sensitive information in research and development acquisitions, and for other purposes.

Mr. 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 H.R. 9748.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9748, the Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act.

The Science and Technology Directorate is the principle of research and development at DHS.

In 2022, the DHS Office of Inspector General found that S&T failed to safeguard sensitive information in research and development projects.

This bill requires S&T to develop a proper standard for safeguarding sensitive information, which has become especially critical given the heightened activity of our adversaries.

I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. D'Esposito) for his leadership on this issue, and I am proud to join him as a cosponsor.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. D'Esposito).

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

Mr. Speaker, I, again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9748, and 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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8664) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an annual audit of the information systems and bulk data of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. 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 H.R. 8664.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8664, the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Oversight and Transparency Act introduced by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lee).

DHS' Office of Intelligence and Analysis, or I&A, is required to audit bulk data transferred to or from I&A to appropriately limit intrusion into information related to the civil rights and liberties and other privacy concerns of Americans.

A recent GAO study found I&A has not implemented guidelines to address this issue. Ms. Lee's bill would amend the Homeland Security Act to require I&A to conduct an annual audit and report to Congress on its progress.

I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her commonsense legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lee).

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

Mr. Speaker, I, again, urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8664, and I thank Ms. Lee for her hard work on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8662) to reduce commuting burdens on Transportation Security Administration employees, and for other purposes.

Mr. 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 H.R. 8662.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 8662, the TSA Commuting Fairness Act.

TSA often struggles to adequately employ enough personnel, and given the high cost of housing near airports, travel time to and from work may be an inhibitor for current and future employees.

This bill would require the TSA administrator to conduct a feasibility study to address this issue. I thank my colleague from New York (Mr. Kennedy) for bringing this legislation forward.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, I am prepared to close after the gentleman from New York closes, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8662, and 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 move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3959) to require the Transportation Security Administration to streamline the enrollment processes for individuals applying for a Transportation Security Administration security threat assessment for certain programs, including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential and Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment programs of the Administration, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 3959.

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

I rise today in support of S. 3959, the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act of 2024, which will streamline the background check and credentialing processes for American truck drivers across the United States. Truck drivers are a vital element of the U.S. supply chain that touch every sector of our economy.

From the food on your table to the lifesaving medicine at the pharmacy to the gas pump, truck drivers are an essential part of our daily lives that often go overlooked.

As it currently stands, truck drivers who transport hazardous materials or require access to secure areas of regulated maritime facilities in the United States must undergo separate background checks for the credentials they need to do their jobs, even though the background checks are the exact same.

This bill would streamline credentialing for America's truck drivers by eliminating duplicative background checks administered by the TSA.

S. 3959 will allow truck drivers to apply for and enroll in any security threat assessment program administered by the TSA for the credentials they need based on only one background check, not multiple threat assessment programs.

We depend on our truck drivers every day, and I firmly believe that we should make their lives easier by streamlining their credentialing process.

I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the House companion to this bill, H.R. 5840, and I am grateful to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves) for his leadership in the House, as well as Senator Wicker of Mississippi for bringing forth this important piece of legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), the sponsor and author of the House version of this bill.

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

I, too, want to thank Mr. Graves and Ranking Member Smith. I urge my colleagues to support S. 3959, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9769) to ensure the security and integrity of United States critical infrastructure by establishing an interagency task force and requiring a comprehensive report on the targeting of United States critical infrastructure by People's Republic of China state-sponsored cyber actors, and for other purposes.

Mr. 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 H.R. 9769.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9769. As we have all witnessed in recent weeks, foreign malicious cyber actors are continuously attempting to infiltrate IT environments in a wide range of U.S. critical infrastructure sectors.

The DHS Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act will establish an interagency task force chaired by the Director of CISA to address the cybersecurity threats posed by PRC cyber actors, including Volt Typhoon.

I commend my colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lee), for her leadership in confronting these threats. I am proud to have joined her in introducing this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9769, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9689) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish a DHS Cybersecurity Internship Program, and for other purposes.

Mr. 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 H.R. 9689.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9689, the DHS Cybersecurity Internship Program Act.

I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke), for her work on this legislation.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9689, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6229) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize a program to assess the threat, vulnerability, and consequences of terrorism or other security threats, as appropriate, to certain events, and for other purposes.

Mr. 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 H.R. 6229.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6229, the DHS Special Events Program and Support Act. I thank the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus) for bringing this measure forward.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6229, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7365) to provide PreCheck to certain severely injured or disabled veterans, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. 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 H.R. 7365.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7365, the VETS Safe Travel Act. The bill would make the Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck program available to certain disabled veterans. It is an important piece of legislation, and I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gosar) for his attention to this matter.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I am appreciative of both Mr. Gosar, as a veteran myself, and Mr. Thanedar, the Democrat cosponsor of this bill, for their hard work on it and their whipping of it and whipping me and the committee to get it done.

I again urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7365, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9668) to establish in the Department of Homeland Security a working group relating to countering terrorist, cybersecurity, border and port security, and transportation security threats posed to the United States by the Chinese Communist Party, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. 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 H.R. 9668.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 9668, the SHIELD Against the CCP Act.

Throughout the past few years, the Chinese Communist Party has increasingly threatened our security, the security of our homeland. We must begin to come up with serious solutions to this very serious problem, and this bill is an important start.

This bill will require DHS to establish a working group to appropriately address and counter these threats.

I commend my colleague, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Strong) for his work on this measure.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I echo those comments. This is another great bipartisan effort in the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9668, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize John David ``JD'' Logan for his eminent service and dedication to the people of Tennessee's Seventh District.

Four and a half years ago, as Capitol Hill was wrestling with how to serve our constituents during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, JD joined our team in his last semester of college. He was instrumental in helping us respond to the unprecedented increase in correspondence and casework requests. Amidst these challenges, JD distinguished himself as a highly capable staffer with uncommon character.

Since then, JD has been instrumental in countless projects and held numerous positions. He rose quickly in our office, from Legislative Correspondent to Legislative Assistant, and most recently, to Senior Legislative Assistant. Because of his skill set and reliability, he has taken on many projects outside his portfolio, including building our very successful internship program. As a testament to his leadership, we have hired multiple former interns to join our staff full-time.

JD has served Tennessee's Seventh District with commitment and distinction in every way. He has covered a wide swath of legislation, committee work, constituent services, correspondence, operations, and communications over his years on our team, and we are beyond grateful for his hard work and devoted service. In all that he does, he excels with diligence, and humility.

Most recently, he has been invaluable to my work on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a host of policy areas. His dedication to applying the principles of our founding to complex issues facing the Nation today has served our district--and our Nation--well.

During his time on my team, our country has gone through much. All along, we have been grateful for his steadfast discipline and hard work. He tirelessly pursues truth and is a constant source of encouragement to all he encounters. As a staffer and as a leader, he carries himself with integrity and courage. It is difficult to fully express our deep appreciation for his faithful service to our office and our Nation. As a staffer, as a man, and as an American, he is of the highest quality.

We are profoundly grateful for JD's service to our office and the constituents of Tennessee's Seventh District. JD's zeal for our great Nation and its values, combined with his dogged dedication to the highest degree of excellence in all he does, marks him as a great American and invaluable servant to this country. Although it is with sadness to see JD's time here in our office come to a close, we are confident he will continue to distinguish himself in public service across the Capitol. We wish him and his wife, Addison the very best. On behalf of Tennessee's Seventh District, I commend JD for his excellent service and wish him well.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5302) to designate the Air and Marine Operations Marine Unit of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection located at 101 Km 18.5 in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, as the ``Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit''.

Mr. 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 the measure under consideration.

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

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5302, the Michel O. Maceda Memorial Act.

On November 17, 2022, Marine Interdiction Agent Michel Maceda was conducting a drug interdiction stopped 14 miles off the coast of Puerto Rico when he was tragically mortally wounded in a firefight with drug smugglers. Agent Maceda's heroism and service to our country is a debt that can never be repaid.

This legislation would designate Air and Marine Operations Unit in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, as the Michel O. Maceda Marine Unit. I urge all of my colleagues to support this gesture, recognizing a monumental hero.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5302. The frontline personnel who work tirelessly to protect our homeland are the reason we can all sleep soundly at night. This bill extends our gratitude to Michel O. Maceda for his heroism and service to this great Nation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6231) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require a prioritized policy issuance review process for the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

Mr. 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 H.R. 6231.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 6231, the Department of Homeland Security Policy

Issuance Review Act. I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ivey) for this commonsense oversight legislation. I urge support of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Again, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. This is a bipartisan bill. Mr. Ivey put a lot of work into this. It makes good common sense, and it allows us to oversee the Department with more authority and effectiveness. I fully support it, and I urge my colleagues to do so. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7832) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a plan to identify, integrate, and deploy new, innovative, disruptive, or other emerging or advanced technologies to enhance, or address capability gaps in, border security operations, and for other purposes.

Mr. 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 H.R. 7832.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7832, the Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act. This bill would enable Congress to better equip frontline personnel with the tools and resources necessary to secure and protect the United States border.

It is a necessary piece of legislation amidst the current crisis at our southwest border. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa) for his attention to this matter.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7832, and I yield back the balance of my time.