Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today out of gratitude to recognize the professional achievements and service of my friend, Susan Phalen. Formerly the Communications Director for the House Homeland Security Committee, Susan now holds the title of Director of External Affairs at

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3359) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act.

Mr. Speaker, with each passing day, nation-states, hackers, and other cyber criminals are finding new ways to attack our cyber infrastructure and expose new vulnerabilities.

As technology has advanced, more and more Americans have become dependent on computer networks and information technology, making everyone a potential victim.

In September, we learned that Equifax had been successfully hacked and 145.5 million people were affected by this breach. Last month, it is reported that 57 million people who use Uber might have had their personal information stolen in a cyber attack in 2016.

These attacks are not just aimed at American consumers, however. Our foreign adversaries are routinely engaging in cyber warfare as well.

In 2015, hackers traced back to the Chinese Government accessed sensitive material from the Office of Personnel Management on 22 million persons' security clearances. Last year, Russia was caught trying to undermine our democratic process.

These kinds of attacks are simply unacceptable. We must not allow them to continue. Fortunately, we have prioritized cybersecurity issues at the Committee on Homeland Security over the last few years and have taken strong, bipartisan action. In 2014, committee efforts resulted in the enactment of legislation that provided DHS expedited hiring authority, ensuring the DHS is assessing its cybersecurity workforce, and it clarified the Department's role in the cybersecurity of Federal networks.

In 2015, the Cybersecurity Act provided liability protections for public-to-private and private-to-private cyber threat information sharing. While these are important actions, we need to do more, and today we have a chance to do just that.

The legislation before us streamlines the infrastructure of the National Protection and Programs Directorate and redesignates it as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. This realignment will achieve the DHS' goal of creating a stand-alone operational organization, focusing on and elevating the vital cybersecurity mission of the Department.

This bill requires the appointment of a Director who is responsible for leading cybersecurity and infrastructure programs and operations for the agency, developing and utilizing mechanisms for active and frequent collaboration with sector-specific agencies, and coordinating and implementing comprehensive strategic plans and risk assessments for the agency.

This action enjoys great support from the DHS. Less than two weeks ago, while addressing cybersecurity issues in testimony before our committee, then-Acting Secretary Elaine Duke stated: ``In the face of these digital threats, it is a DHS priority to work with Congress on legislation that would focus our cybersecurity and critical infrastructure mission at the NPPD.''

Taking action today reaffirms that priority.

Cybersecurity is an issue that transcends partisan politics. In light of the risk and potential consequence of cyber attacks, we must stand together and strengthen the security of digital America and the resilience of our cyber networks.

I would like to thank the members of the Homeland Security Committee, Ranking Member Thompson, and the staff for all their hard work.

I would also like to thank the Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, Mr. Walden; the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman, Mr. Shuster; and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman, Mr. Gowdy, for their efforts to see this through.

Mr. Speaker, this is another bipartisan example of how varied stakeholders can come together and draft and pass important legislation. It is an opportunity we have today to elevate the importance of cybersecurity at the Department of Homeland Security to achieve its goal of protecting the United States. I urge my colleagues to support this vital piece of legislation.

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

House of Representatives,

Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC, December 8, 2017.

Hon. Michael T. McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman McCaul: I am writing to notify you that the

Committee on Energy and Commerce will forgo action on H.R.

3359, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of

2017, so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor

for consideration. This is done with the understanding that

the Committee's jurisdictional interests over this and

similar legislation are in no way diminished or altered. In

addition, the Committee reserves the right to seek conferees

on H.R. 3359 and expects your support when such a request is

made.

Please include a copy of this letter outlining our mutual

understanding with respect to H.R. 3359 in the Congressional

Record during consideration of the bill on the House floor.

Sincerely,

Greg Warden,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ratcliffe), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Gallagher).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins).

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

Mr. Speaker, I cannot go into the classified space in this setting, but I can tell you that our foreign adversaries are looking to hurt us and hit us every day, whether it be from Russia, from China, from Iran, from North Korea. The attacks have targeted Home Depot, Sony, Equifax, 20 million security clearances stolen, to other reports that I can't even get into. But it is a serious threat.

When people ask me what keeps me up at night, of course ISIS does and of course al Qaida does. What happened today in New York, I was just there this morning when the bomb went off. But a cyber attack could bring down our power grid, could bring down our stock market, our financial institutions, our energy sector. A major cyber attack on this Nation could cripple this Nation and its economy and the lives of the people in the United States. Mr. Speaker, that is why this bill is so important, to elevate the civilian agency within the Department, to form a single agency that deals with cybersecurity.

I am very proud of the work my colleagues have done to get to this point. I have been, as Mr. Ratcliffe said, very dogged in my determination, and I would urge that the Senate take up this measure because we cannot afford to delay because the threat is that great.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of one of the finest and most dedicated members of the Office of Emergency Management: Michael ``Mike'' Fisher of Bastrop, Texas. He was one of the most respected individuals in not only Bastrop County, but throughout our great state.

For 11 years, Mike served as Deputy Director of Emergency Management for Bastrop County. He was considered a ``man of vision and an innovator of Emergency Management.'' He had an uncanny ability to foresee the future of disasters and stay ahead of the diverse emergencies in our state and Bastrop County. These skills enabled him to succeed on many levels within his position.

Mike managed the emergency response for our local disasters, including the 2009 Wilderness Ridge Fire and the Hidden Pines Fire of October 2015, as well as coordinated the county's response to the major flooding events we've experienced in more recent years.

His leadership, knowledge, and dedication to the challenges he was given were so extensive that he was often sought out to help surrounding counties and jurisdictions. Mike was always looking to help others.

To his friends and colleagues, Mike was known as a trusted counselor, a good listener, and a peacemaker. Yet, when he spoke, all listened.

Above all, his most important accomplishment was his family. To Mike's wife, Bonnie, his entire family, and the good people of Bastrop County, you have the gratitude of the nation and we join you in mourning the loss of this great public servant.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution, expressing the urgent need for a political solution in Yemen.

As the civil war in Yemen continues well into its third year, the situation on the ground becomes more dire by the day. Despite multiple international attempts to broker a political agreement to end the human suffering, peace remains elusive.

Meanwhile, al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, also known as AQAP, has taken advantage of this power vacuum created by the conflict. This has allowed them to expand into the southern and eastern ports of Yemen, where they continue to plot external operations against the United States.

Simultaneously--much like in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq--Iran continues its campaign of influence in Yemen, where its actions have prolonged the conflict and exacerbated the political and humanitarian nightmare.

As highlighted by Secretary Mattis, ``everywhere you look, if there is trouble in the region, you find Iran.'' This is not by coincidence. As Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized to our congressional delegation on a recent trip to Israel, Iran has been working around the clock to solidify its presence across the region through the establishment of a land bridge from Iraq to Lebanon, commonly referred to as the ``Shiite Crescent.''

Despite a United Nations authorized arms embargo against the Houthi forces, Iran, on multiple occasions, has been caught attempting to smuggle weapons and munitions into the region. They have also provided technical assistance to the Houthis--and Saudi Arabia is often their main target.

In order to protect the security interests of the Saudi people, the government in Riyadh has taken defense actions to both limit Iranian support to the Houthis, such as blockades, as well as offensive measures to stem attacks on the kingdom, such as the unsuccessful ballistic missile attack on the capital earlier this month. However, while Saudi Arabia has the right to prioritize its security, we cannot dismiss the effects of its actions on the grave humanitarian suffering on the ground, where more than 27 million face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.

As such, this resolution rightly highlights the need for a political solution to this conflict and condemns Iranian activities that undermine peace efforts. Furthermore, it calls on all parties of the conflict to take additional measures to prevent civilian casualties and increase much-needed humanitarian access.

Lastly, this resolution encourages the international community to join in providing the resources necessary to address this crisis.

I commend all those involved. It is a real threat that I see as chairman of Homeland Security every day. I thank the chairman, and the gentleman on the other side of the aisle for bringing this important legislation to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, let me first commend Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel for their strong bipartisan work on this very important legislation that sanctions Iran's ballistic missile program and the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah.

Over the last several decades, the tyrannical regime in Iran has been racing to develop a nuclear weapons program that could threaten the United States and our allies and potentially spark an arms race in the Middle East.

Unfortunately, the extremely flawed JCPOA kept parts of Iran's nuclear infrastructure in place and strengthened the regime's leader with a windfall of cash. Because this toothless deal failed to address Iran's other malign activities, such as support for terror and their intercontinental ballistic missile program, we must now find other ways to apply new pressure.

Fortunately, the House is taking action today. One of the bills we are considering will require the President to impose additional sanctions on enemies and individuals supporting Iran's development of ballistic missiles. I sincerely hope that we can soon add even more pressure on Iran by designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, legislation I pursued in the last two Congresses.

Going after state sponsors is an important part of winning this fight, but we must fight also directly individual terror groups to limit the resources to prevent future attacks. That is why I am pleased that we also are considering measures to target Hezbollah.

This package would direct the President to impose new sanctions on financial institutions and foreign governments that support Hezbollah and affiliated organizations, as well as individual members of the terror groups, that they have used civilians as human shields.

I will say it is Hezbollah that killed so many of our marines in Beirut, Lebanon, let us not forget.

The chairman and ranking member and I recently visited Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu, who described the Shia Crescent of Iran going into Iraq, into Syria, into Lebanon. He talked to us about the manufacturing plant in Lebanon manufacturing rockets pointed straight at the State of Israel.

These bills, I believe, will take us steps closer toward ridding the world of this terrible threat posed by Islamic terror.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and ranking member.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3101) to enhance cybersecurity information sharing and coordination at ports in the United States, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our Ports Act.

More than $1.3 trillion in cargo travels through American seaports along our coasts every year. A safe but constant and unrestricted flow of goods and services through our maritime transportation system have played a vital role in allowing the United States to become the global superpower it is today. To put it simply, our seaports are the gateways to our economic survival.

Unfortunately, as our port systems increasingly benefit from new technology, high-capacity information technology, and computer systems, they are also increasingly finding themselves in the crosshairs of those who are waging a cyber war against the United States. These attacks originate from rogue hackers, terrorist groups, and adversarial nation-states, and America is a constant target.

In recent years, China successfully stole over 20 million security clearances from OPM. Russia has waged a cyber war against our political system. Equifax had a breach that jeopardized sensitive information on over 43 million people.

In June, the Port of Los Angeles, one that several of our committee members will be visiting next week, was briefly shut down because of a cyber attack. This is one of our busiest ports, and it is estimated that it cost nearly $300 million in economic damage. We must do more to strengthen cybersecurity of these essential maritime hubs.

Fortunately, we have that opportunity. The legislation before us requires the Department and the Secretary of Homeland Security to implement a risk assessment model which focuses on cybersecurity vulnerabilities and risk. This assessment will be reviewed periodically so we can determine the best security practices to implement at each port.

The bill also requires that the DHS Secretary work with the National and Area Maritime Security Advisory Committees to analyze and share cyber risks and to report to Congress measures that have been taken to improve cybersecurity at our Nation's ports. This bill will strengthen the security of our homeland and protect our economic assets.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Torres and other members of the Homeland Security Committee for their hard work on this issue. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of

Representatives,

Washington, DC, October 19, 2017.

Hon. Michael T. McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,

Washington, DC.

I write concerning H.R. 3101, the Strengthening

Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our

Ports Act of 2017. This legislation includes matters that

fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure.

I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this

legislation before the House of Representatives in an

expeditious manner, and accordingly, the Committee on

Transportation and Infrastructure will forego action on the

bill. However, this is conditional on our mutual

understanding that foregoing consideration of the bill does

not prejudice the Committee with respect to the appointment

of conferees or to any future jurisdictional claim over the

subject matters contained in the bill or similar legislation

that fall within the Committee's Rule X jurisdiction.

Further, this is conditional on our understanding that

mutually agreed upon changes to the legislation will be

incorporated into the bill prior to floor consideration.

Lastly, should a conference on the bill be necessary, I

request your support for the appointment of conferees from

the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure during any

House-Senate conference convened on this or related

legislation.

Finally, I would ask that a copy this letter and your

response acknowledging our jurisdictional interest be

included in the bill report filed by the Committee on

Homeland Security, as well as in the Congressional Record

during consideration of the measure on the House floor, to

memorialize our understanding. I look forward to working with

the Committee on Homeland Security as the bill moves through

the legislative process.

Sincerely,

Bill Shuster,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers. If the gentleman from Texas has no other speakers, I am prepared to close once the gentleman does.

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

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

I once again urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. I want to thank Congresswoman Torres for her strong leadership on this bill, Mr. Vela, Ranking Member Thompson.

Mr. Speaker, we have passed over 50 bills out of my committee, out of the House floor, and sent them to the Senate, where they still sit there with no action whatsoever. And when it comes to homeland security measures, I believe that it is dangerous to do nothing, and I urge the Senate to take up action on this bill and the other 50 bills that we have sent over to the Senate.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4038) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reassert article I authorities over the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bipartisan DHS Accountability Enhancement Act.

Mr. Speaker, the current threats confronting our homeland continue to evolve each and every day. They come from international terrorists, drug smugglers, human traffickers, hackers engaged in cyber warfare, transnational gangs like MS-13, and natural disasters.

To best address these threats, the American people need a Department of Homeland Security that is effective and accountable to the people it protects.

The Founding Fathers gave Congress the authority to write laws and give direction to the executive branch under Article I of our Constitution. Today, we have an important opportunity to reassert that constitutional authority.

The legislation before us eliminates an outdated provision that gives DHS overly broad authority to act on its own and reorganize without congressional approval. It is authority that was well-intentioned when it was first provided right after 9/11, but the time has come to rebalance this legislative equation.

Mr. Speaker, as you may be aware, it is the only authority of its kind in the entire executive branch. As Members of Congress, we have a solemn obligation to help protect the American people from anyone who wishes to bring us harm.

In the wake of 9/11, we reached across the aisle and worked together to create the Department of Homeland Security and demonstrated that the security of our homeland is not a partisan issue.

This is not just an academic exercise. On October 6 of this year, DHS used this authority for the first time in many years. We also want to work with DHS to support them, but continued use of this authority is not the best way to make the Department stronger.

I am proud to say that the Committee on Homeland Security, which I chair, has a strong bipartisan track record. This year we came together as Republicans and Democrats and passed the first-ever comprehensive reauthorization of DHS through the House with an overwhelming majority support.

Let's continue that progress today and pass this legislation. I also call on the Senate to pass our reauthorization of DHS as soon as possible so our country can be more secure.

I would like to thank Ranking Member Bennie Thompson, Congressman Vela, and all of the staff on the committee for their hard work on this issue. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Cuban Airport Security Act. Last-point-of-departure airports are critically important to our homeland security. One only need look at the latest laptop ban that was instituted at 10 last-point-of-departure airports, given the fact that the terrorists have now learned how to turn them into explosive devices.

The American people should have grave concern about the level of security in place at any foreign airport where the host government refuses to allow strict inspections of airport security by Members of Congress.

As a footnote, Mr. Speaker, it was just last year that Mr. Katko and I applied for visas to the Government of Cuba to inspect these airports to see how safe they were, and the Cuban Government's response to that was to deny our visa applications.

What is more concerning is that over the course of the last year, the United States Government personnel in Cuba have been targeted and subjected to harmful sonic attacks, which in some cases have caused permanent brain damage. This must not be tolerated.

Too many questions remain when it comes to Cuba's airports. Congress is still largely in the dark in terms of Cuba's security equipment, training procedures, and other perimeter security.

This bill takes an important step forward to shed light on current inadequacies and help to ensure proper oversight of inbound flights from Cuba to the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend my good friend from New York (Mr. Katko) for his continued leadership on aviation security and last- point-of-departure airports, which has been critical in bringing these issues to the forefront, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Weber for holding this Special Order and his leadership on this issue. My condolences to the people in his district. I know Beaumont, particularly, was hit the hardest. We were hit hard all around, but I know Beaumont was hit very hard. That is why we need to pass the supplemental in October, to help the great people in the great State of Texas.

I am chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. One of my responsibilities is overseeing the response efforts of FEMA--Federal, State, and local--to see is this working or not. I have seen what happened in Katrina and Rita and other disasters. I can tell you that this was the most impressive response effort Federal, State, and local.

I commend the President for signing an advanced disaster declaration at the request of my Governor, Governor Abbott, who enabled us to mobilize in advance and preposition assets to have, I think, one of the best responses I have seen in one of the most tragic storms that Texas has ever weathered.

By way of history, personally, my grandfather survived the 1900 Galveston hurricane. They rescued him from a treetop. He was 8 years old. Sadly, 10,000 people were killed in that tragic event.

In this case, we saved almost 20,000 lives, thanks to the good work of the people in this picture that I had the great privilege to see right after the storm hit. It was one of the most compassionate humanitarian responses I think I have ever witnessed.

This particular photo, I think, really captured what Houston looked like at the time--the first floor under water. It almost looks like the Iwo Jima of Harvey. You have DPS--Department of Public Safety--the American flag, a marine, Coast Guard, and National Guard. These people came together.

But do you know who else came together?

You talked about the Cajun Navy, who came together from Louisiana to help Texans. A lot of Texans saved Texans in this storm. But to see that process was really a shining light in a very dark time.

There are so many untold stories of heroic bravery that took place. I call it Operation Dunkirk. Many of us know or read about that battle, or many of us have seen the movie, of all of the private boats that came out to save the British in that battle.

We saw hundreds of private boats coming out, working in unison with Federal, State, and local responders, saving lives. Again, there were 20,000 lives saved in the process.

Katy High School--Katy is in my district--became the forward operating base for the Texas Guard, the Active Duty servicemembers, and all of the first responders. This is where they launched their efforts to the Beaumont area after they took care of all of the crises and the flooding in the Houston area. I saw these guys going out in boats and helicopters and saving lives. This is the best side of mankind in one of the darkest chapters that our State has really seen. I had an opportunity to bring Speaker Ryan and Chairman Shuster of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee down to look at this. A remarkable story in, again, a really awful time, but we saw the resiliency of Texans helping other Texans.

But I also want to credit the entire Nation for responding in a very compassionate way. I went to the shelters and the churches and I saw all of the food coming in, and people calling me from other States asking: What can I do to help?

The firefighters I saw coming from Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Ohio were all converging on the State. Indeed, the eyes of the Nation were on the State of Texas during this devastating hurricane that continued to rain for days.

Lastly, I do want to talk about what we can do moving forward. This is a 1940 map flood control plan that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps under President Roosevelt, back in the forties. And you see here the Addicks Reservoir and Barker Reservoir that were built in the 1940s. This is the Buffalo Bayou, and this is downtown Houston.

But they had another plan at the time, and it was on Cypress Creek. That is in my district. In Katy is where these guys were. This is where it all started. This is the third flood in 2 years in this area, all starting at Cypress Creek. This is all developed now. It is not rice fields anymore. It was a watershed event into these reservoirs that then had a controlled release at 1 in the morning into these neighborhoods below, flooding the Buffalo Bayou, and then flooding Houston.

Mr. Speaker, as we look at the supplemental and other projects, this is the prevention that I think we can be doing in Congress that makes a lot of sense to provide infrastructure at key points to stop this flooding from ever happening again.

I know, as Texans, we are all going to come together as a delegation. I know this entire Congress would come together to not only save lives, as we did, and help with FEMA assistance to get people back up on their feet, but then do smart projects like this one to stop this kind of flooding from ever happening again. That is smart prevention that, at the end of the day, is going to save money and save human lives in the process.

In closing, I just want to say that I have never been prouder to call myself a Texan. I have seen a lot. It is my seventh term. Judge Poe and I came in together, and we have seen a lot in the seven terms we have been in Congress. I have never seen our State rally like this at a time of need, and the Nation rallying behind the State of Texas. I want to thank all of those who made it possible in our great State, and also in our great country, the United States of America.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the following exchange of letters regarding H.R. 3354.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Homeland Security,

Washington, DC, September 8, 2017.

Hon. John Carter,

Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on

Homeland Security, Washington, DC.

Hon. Lucille Roybal-Allard,

Ranking Member, House Committee on Appropriations,

Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Carter, and Ranking Member Roybal-Allard: I

write to convey our mutual understanding regarding Section

503(a)(5) of Title E of the Rules Committee Print for H.R.

3354, the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations

Act. Specifically, this section does not authorize the

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to utilize section 872

of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to use appropriated

funds to reorganize DHS organizational units.

As Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, I

strongly believe that any significant reorganization of

components within the Department should be subject to

specific statutory authorization. Toward that end, last

month, the House passed H.R. 2825, the Department of Homeland

Security Authorization Act of 2017, which strikes section

872. As the Department has matured, it is no longer necessary

for DHS to have unilateral authority to reorganize its

organizational units. I appreciate your commitment to making

DHS a more efficient and effective organization.

Respectfully,

Michael T. McCaul,

Chairman.

Bennie G. Thompson,

Ranking Member.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2471) to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to share with State, local, and regional fusion centers release information from a Federal correctional facility, including name, charging date, and expected place and date of release, of certain individuals who may pose a terrorist threat, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks and to voice my support for the TRACER Act.

Mr. Speaker, 16 years ago, 19 cowardly terrorists hijacked four airplanes and used them as missiles to kill 3,000 innocent people. The souls that were lost belonged to moms and dads, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters.

It was a day that we will never forget. Each year, as we look back, we all remember something different about that morning. There are those who remember getting a phone call and listening to a frantic voice on the other end. Some remember running into the streets as the Twin Towers fell and feared for their lives. Others saw the Pentagon in flames and wondered who did this and why.

There are many other images and thoughts that are seared into our minds. However, we can also remember the heroism of our first responders, the brave firefighters and police officers who raced to the scene and charged up the stairs of the World Trade Center to save their fellow countrymen.

We can picture strangers helping strangers navigate through the dust and debris in downtown New York, and we can be grateful for the courageous passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 who saved an untold number of lives and perhaps this very building that we stand in here today.

Yesterday morning, I stood at Ground Zero in New York and listened to each of the victims' names that were read. I remembered a nation that came together and stood by one another as we recovered from this heinous attack.

September 11 showed the entire world that terrorists could knock our buildings down, but they could not dent the American spirit. In the aftermath, we pledged to work with one another and prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.

Today, we are still engaged in a generational fight to defeat Islamist terrorism, but I believe we will eventually win that fight as long as we pursue policies that will make it easier to protect our homeland and the American people.

One of the lessons we learned from 9/11 was the need to strengthen information sharing among Federal, State, and local authorities, and while we have taken steps to address this in the past, we need to do more.

This act, the TRACER Act, introduced by Congressman Rutherford, would require the Department of Homeland Security to share with local and regional fusion centers important information regarding potential risks posed by individuals who were previously convicted on charges related to terrorism. More specifically, it would allow DHS to share the expected place and date of release of these incarcerated terrorists.

Providing law enforcement officials with this information will allow them to minimize potential risks to their communities by countering extremist recidivism. This legislation is an opportunity to strengthen coordination between all levels of law enforcement and help keep Americans safe.

Again, I would like to thank Congressman Rutherford for all of his hard work on this legislation, and I hope that his constituents and the entire State of Florida make a strong recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

As someone who has personally toured devastated communities back home in my home State of Texas as a result of Hurricane Harvey, it is clear that there are still many long days ahead. However, we can be very thankful for the men and women at DHS, including FEMA and the United States Coast Guard, as well as thousands of local first responders and volunteers who have been called to action.

The American people deserve to know that all levels of government are working together to keep our homeland safe. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I, once again, urge my colleagues to support this important legislation. It is bipartisan, ensures that State and local law enforcement have greater access to Federal counterterrorism information and, most importantly, neighborhoods; when terrorists are released back into the communities, they at least know who they have in their neighborhoods.

I also want to applaud Congressman Rutherford, who cannot be here today because of Hurricane Irma. My thoughts and prayers are with the State of Florida as they continue to respond and recover from that devastating hurricane.

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

Mr. Chair, on rollcall no. 429, I mistakenly voted ``yes'' when I intended to vote ``no.''

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, on July 24, 2017, I missed the voting session due to family obligations. If present, I would have voted as follows:

YES--H.R. 3180--Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018

YES--S. 114--A bill to authorize appropriations for the Veterans Choice Program

YES--H.R. 3218--Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act

I intended to vote yes on all of these measures. After World War II, my father--who was a B-17 bombardier navigator in the Army Air Corps-- became the first in our family to attend college thanks to the GI Bill. I am ecstatic that the House passed H.R. 3218 to expand this vital program for our Veterans and their families who sacrifice so much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of increased sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea. I thank Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Eliot Engel for their leadership on this issue. I cannot overstate the importance of sending a strong message to our adversaries that there will be consequences for their bad behavior.

Back in October of last year, at the height of the Presidential campaign, I was briefed by our intelligence community. They told me that Russia engaged in a blatant effort to meddle in our domestic affairs and, specifically, our democratic process. I was an outspoken supporter of the need for a strong response then, and I remain so now.

However, in the process of making Russia pay an economic cost for their bad behavior, we must ensure we are not harming U.S. interests at home and abroad.

I want to thank Chairman Royce for clarifying that Section 232 of this bill only applies to Russian energy export pipelines. We should not be in the business of sanctioning pipelines that help provide energy independence from Russia. Putin uses this as a tool to provide political leverage over his neighbors.

So, again, I want to thank Chairman Royce for his leadership in working with me on this, I think, clarification to the Senate companion and for his leadership in the House on this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the cost estimate from the Congressional Budget Office regarding H.R. 2825. The cost estimate was not available at the time of the filing of the Committee report.

U.S. Congress,

Congressional Budget Office,

Washington, DC, July 20, 2017.

Hon. Michael McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2825, the DHS

Authorization Act of 2017.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be

pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark

Grabowicz.

Sincerely,

Mark P. Hadley

(For Keith Hall, Director).

Enclosure.

H.R. 2825--DHS Authorization Act of 2017

As reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on June 28,

2017