Securing Department of Homeland Security Firearms Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Homeland Security has grown into the Nation's largest Federal law enforcement agency. More than 60,000 law enforcement officers within DHS are entrusted with securing our country as well as maintaining and safeguarding sensitive law enforcement equipment, such as firearms, ammunition, and badges.

In 2010, DHS' Office of Inspector General reported 289 firearms issued to DHS officers were lost between 2006 and 2008. By 2017, when the inspector general did a follow-up review, it found that 228 firearms, 1,900 badges, and 2,100 sensitive assets were either lost or stolen between 2014 and 2016.

Just last winter, ICE realized that it had more ammunition than it was tracking. CNN reported on 70 cases where Federal air marshals lost or misplaced their weapons, including leaving firearms in airport bathrooms.

Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago, a constituent from my home State of California, Antonio Ramos, 27 years old, was fatally shot with a 9- millimeter pistol stolen from a DHS officer. This is tragic and unacceptable, and we can do better.

The inspector general identified the absence of a Department-wide directive or policy of securing sensitive assets as a major reason for the Department's mismanagement of firearms and other equipment. Insufficient tracking and recording mechanisms and poor oversight were also factors identified.

This bill, Securing DHS Firearms Act, seeks to fix these issues by ensuring the Department has effective controls over firearms and other sensitive assets. Additionally, it requires DHS to develop reporting and record-keeping requirements for lost firearms and other assets that law enforcement personnel can adhere to.

Enactment of the Securing DHS Firearms Act of 2019 is necessary to ensure that the highly sensitive assets that help DHS officers protect our country don't fall into the wrong hands.

I first introduced this bill in the 115th Congress where it received bipartisan support and passed this House unanimously on January 9, 2018. I urge my colleagues to once again pass this commonsense legislation.

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