United States Ports of Entry Threat and Operational Review Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6400, the United States Ports of Entry Threat and Operational Review Act.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6400 would require the Department of Homeland Security to conduct an analysis of the threats and operations at all United States air, land, and sea ports of entry.

Following the completion of the threat analysis, H.R. 6400 requires the Department to produce a strategy and implementation plan to mitigate such threats. The strategy and implementation plan must include consideration of improvements needed at the ports of entry to reduce wait times and facilitate the lawful movement of trade, travel, and people.

This bill is modeled after the Northern Border Security Review Act, which was signed into law in 2016. Most of what is required in this measure is already being done by the Department. What H.R. 6400 would do is bring together various mandated materials into one report. The Department should be able to carry out this new mandate in a way that is not duplicative of other efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 6400, a measure that directs DHS to take a holistic approach to protecting our ports of entry, vital gateways for trade and travel.

Speaking of the need for a holistic approach to homeland security, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that the Department's Quadrennial Homeland Security Review is 247 days overdue.

Pursuant to section 707 of the Homeland Security Act, the Department is required to produce this overarching strategy every 4 years. As the author of the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Technical Corrections Act of 2017, a measure aimed at improving the quality of future reviews that is pending in the Senate, I strongly believe that DHS needs to do a better job of prioritizing its vast array of homeland security mission areas.

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