Securing Department of Homeland Security Firearms Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1437, the Securing DHS Firearms Act of 2019. This bill makes some much-needed improvements to address the security of firearms at the Department of Homeland Security.

A DHS Office of Inspector General report from October of 2017 found that the DHS and component personnel misplaced over 2,100 highly sensitive assets, including 228 firearms, and 1,889 badges between the fiscal years of 2014 and 2016.

The statistics from the OIG report and the lack of accountability for DHS personnel that fail to safeguard sensitive assets is startling. DHS performs a critical national security mission. It is unacceptable that DHS has deficiencies in the training personnel receive on how to properly safeguard and track sensitive assets like firearms.

H.R. 1437 follows the recommendations made by the OIG in its report and requires the under secretary of management at DHS to issue a directive to ensure the Department and its components adequately safeguard sensitive assets.

H.R. 1437 also mandates DHS to revise its Personal Property Asset Management Program Manual to require recurrent training and appropriate procedures to secure assets in accordance with the DHS directive.

The Securing DHS Firearms Act of 2019 puts into place important steps to ensure that DHS is appropriately safeguarding sensitive assets while conducting its critical mission. This much-needed bill is identical to legislation passed in the 115th Congress by a voice vote.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Correa for introducing this legislation, and I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill.

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