Providing For Consideration Of H.R. 2200, Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the rule for the Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act, H.R. 2200. I would also like to thank my colleague, Mr. Perlmutter from Colorado, who until this session was a member of that committee and is eminently qualified to talk about homeland security issues.

As I stated, this rule reflects a bipartisan rule process in which more than half of the proposed amendments were made in order. And more than half of the amendments, Mr. Speaker, that we are considering today are sponsored by my Republican colleagues.

H.R. 2200 is the first authorization bill for all of the Transportation Security Administration since TSA was established in 2001. It authorizes over $15.6 billion in appropriations to the Transportation Security Administration for fiscal year 2010 and 2011.

The product of months of bipartisan negotiations, H.R. 2200 was drafted with significant contributions from both Democratic and Republican members of the committee, industry stakeholders, labor representatives, the Government Accountability Office, and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's office.

With the change in administration, TSA is at a crossroads. It has to decide how to allocate its resources going forward and who it wants to be.

For the first 8 years, TSA acted like the Aviation Security Administration more than a Transportation Security Administration. This bill takes important steps to bring greater resources and support for the much-neglected surface transportation security mission.

On the aviation side, this bill greatly improves aviation security, and not
only commercial aviation but also general aviation. Specifically, the bill establishes an Aviation Security Advisory Committee, an Air Cargo Working Group, and a General Aviation Security Working Group to ensure robust and meaningful stakeholder input.

Also, Mr. Speaker, in the area of general aviation, the bill authorizes $10 million for a new grant program to enhance perimeter security, airfield security, and terminal security at general aviation facilities. And I fully support and believe this provision will be strengthened even more with the passage of an amendment that the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake) is expected to offer. It will require the issuance of these grants to be competitive and risk-based. The allocation of scarce Federal funds, specifically those from TSA, should be based on risk. Section 102 of the bill actually requires TSA to report to Congress on the extent to which it is allocating transportation security resources on the basis of risk.

The bill, Mr. Speaker, also is forward-looking and makes great strides, most notably with respect to biometrics. During the recess, I had the opportunity to observe how other countries are using biometric technology to increase security. I strongly believe that greater deployment of biometric equipment can help to address some of our most vexing security challenges. This is why I am pleased to include a provision authorizing the development of a biometric system for law enforcement officers who fly armed.

This bill, Mr. Speaker, also includes provisions on the Registered Traveler and Transportation Worker Identification Credential programs, TSA's two main biometric programs.

Another amendment that the rule makes in order is sponsored by my good friend from North Carolina, Mr. Butterfield. The amendment would enhance the underlying bill by adding facial and iris recognition to TSA's biometric toolbox.

On the surface transportation side, this bill enhances surface transportation security by authorizing a tripling of funding over fiscal year 2009. These new resources would help support a newly created Surface Transportation Security Inspection Office. This office would be responsible for training and managing inspectors that work in the field and assist surface transportation operators with security inspections.

Additionally, Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes 300 more surface transportation security inspectors over the next 2 years and Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response Teams, called VIPER teams, to do security operations in mass transit and other surface systems.

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Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Thank you, Mr. Perlmutter.

H.R. 2200 also authorizes the creation of a Transit Security Advisory Committee, or TSAC, a Passenger Carrier Security Working Group, and a Freight Rail Security Working Group to provide robust stakeholder input to TSA on security policies that impact this sector. Given TSA's limited experience in this sector, I would expect it to be relying heavily on these groups.

Another major provision that I was particularly pleased to include would streamline the security licensing for truckers. Ms. Jackson-Lee, lead sponsor of this bill, and I have been working with our committee colleague, Mr. Lungren, for years on this issue, and finally we have a vehicle to move key provisions in the SAFE Trucker Act. These provisions address redundant background security checks which we have learned are draining of financial resources on transportation workers.

I'm committed to marking up H.R. 1881, the Transportation Security Workforce Enhancement Act of 2009, later this summer, which will provide collective bargaining rights for the TSA workforce. To me, the unfinished business of the 9/11 Act was the granting of these rights to the men and women who are the backbone of TSA. I'm hopeful that these changes in the White House and at the front office at DHS will ensure that we are successful this time around.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill.

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