James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are closing out the Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support for 23 important measures to make our communities more secure and improve Department of Homeland Security operations in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.

I am particularly pleased that we were able to reach agreement on the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act to expand and strengthen this vital program so that more nonprofits and houses of worship can access security assistance at this time of heightened threats of violent extremism and terrorism. With antisemitic and other violent threats on the rise, it is clear this legislation is needed now more than ever.

I also want to thank Ranking Member John Katko, as he retires from Congress, for his contributions to the Homeland Security Committee and his critical support throughout this process for the Committee's bipartisan package found in Division G of the NDAA.

While the package reflects the contributions of so many of my colleagues, l would like to give special acknowledgment to Congresswoman Val Demings who championed the Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Act. This legislation directs DHS to explore ways to provide needed bridge funding to cities to preserve homeland security capability gains accomplished through the Urban Area Security Initiative grant program when they no longer receive such funding.

With respect to cybersecurity, I am pleased that we were able to reach agreement on bipartisan provisions that originated in the Committee on Homeland Security. They include Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin's legislation to reauthorize the Secret Service's National Computer Forensics Institute, Congresswoman Elaine Luria's bill to authorize DHS's President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition, and legislation authored by Congressman Eric Swalwell aimed at improving DHS's cybersecurity training to protect industrial control systems.

While I am enormously proud of the bipartisan homeland security provisions that were included, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my disappointment that we were not able to reach agreement with the Senate on amending the law to treat TSA's workforce like most other Federal employees or authorize the vital work of DHS's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. We will continue to seek an agreement on these critical measures.

Lastly, I am particularly proud that the NDAA honors my late friend, Congressman A. Donald McEachin, by including his bill, the DHS Mentor- Protege Program Act, to help small businesses better compete for DHS contracts. It is a fitting tribute to my friend that we came together to pass a bill to open doors of opportunity to small businesses-- something that he was passionate about doing.

Mr. Speaker, the full list of Homeland Security Committee measures that will be enacted by this year's NOAA is as follows:

H.R. 6825, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act of 2022, sponsored by Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS).

H.R. 5615, the Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Act, sponsored by Rep. Val Butler Demings (D-FL).

H.R. 6387, the School and Daycare Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr. (D-NJ).

H.R. 8801, the DHS Joint Task Force Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Rep. J. Luis Correa (D-CA) and S. 4656, the DHS Joint Task Forces Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Sen. Gary C. Peters (D-MI).

H.R. 2915, the Homeland Procurement Reform Act, sponsored by Rep. J. Luis Correa (D-CA) and S. 1009, the Homeland Procurement Reform Act, sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

H.R. 6824, the President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition Act, sponsored by Rep. Elaine G. Luria (D-VA).

H.R. 7777, the Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Training Act, sponsored by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).

H.R. 7174, the National Computer Forensics Institute Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and S. 4673, the National Computer Forensics Institute Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

H.R. 5574, the TSA Reaching Across Nationalities, Societies, and Languages to Advance Traveler Education Act (``TRANSLATE Act''), sponsored by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) and S. 3296, the TSA Reaching Across Nationalities, Societies, and Languages to Advance Traveler Education Act (``TRANSLATE Act''), sponsored by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D- NY).

H.R. 4089, the Darren Drake Act, sponsored by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ).

H.R. 370, the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Technical Corrections Act of 2021, sponsored by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D- NJ).

H.R. 408, the Department of Homeland Security Mentor-Protege Program Act of 2021, sponsored by Rep. A. Donald McEachin (D-VA).

Section 7106, to authorize DHS's Chemical Security Analysis Center, sponsored by Rep. Anthony G. Brown (D-MD).

H.R. 8316, the Securing America's Borders Against Fentanyl Act, sponsored by Rep. Abigail Davis Spanberger (D-VA) and S. 5052, the Securing America's Borders Against Fentanyl Act sponsored by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ).

H.R. 4094, the One-Stop Pilot Program Act of 2021, sponsored by Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member John Katko (R-NY).

H.R. 6868, the Cybersecurity Grants for Schools Act of 2022, sponsored by Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY).

H.R. 4363, the DHS Contract Reporting Act of 2021, sponsored by Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN).

H.R. 5658, the DHS Roles and Responsibilities in Cyber Space Act, sponsored by Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE).

H.R. 5274, the Prevent Exposure to Narcotics and Toxics (PREVENT) Act, sponsored by Rep. David P. Joyce (R-OH).

H.R. 4476, the DHS Trade and Economic Security Council Act of 2021, sponsored by Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI) and S. 4243, the DHS Trade and Economic Security Council Act of 2022, sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH).

H.R. 4209, the DHS Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel Defense Act, sponsored by Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) and S. 4339, the DHS Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel Defense Act, sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

S. 4902, the Invent Here, Make Here for Homeland Security Act, sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH).

S. 2540, the CISA Technical Corrections and Improvements Act of 2021, sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH).

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