Coast Guard Authorization Act Of 2010

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3619, a bill to authorize the activities of the United States Coast Guard. The legislation before us today builds on H.R. 2830, the Coast Guard authorization bill that the House approved by a vote of 395-7 last Congress. Like that bill, H.R. 3619 provides long overdue resources to an agency that has been underfunded for many years.

Specifically, H.R. 3619 authorizes approximately $10 billion for FY 2010 to ensure that the Coast Guard has the resources it needs to live up to its motto, ``Always Ready.'' Not only does it provide $2 billion to the Coast Guard to secure our Nation's maritime environment in this post-9/11 world, H.R. 3619 strengthens our Nation's port and maritime security by authorizing 1,500 additional servicemembers, more Maritime Security Response Teams, an expansion of canine detection teams, a maritime biometric verification system for individuals interdicted at sea, the Coast Guard Port Assistance Program, and a public awareness program for recreational boaters to report suspicious activities on the water.

With the addition of the Oberstar amendment, this bill also makes a few refinements to the TWIC program. This program is called the Transportation Worker Improvement Card, Madam Chairman, and in so many instances, as we found out, people are still waiting for their TWIC card.

H.R. 3619 also requires the Coast Guard to lead the efforts to enforce security zones around vessels carrying certain dangerous cargos, such as liquefied natural gas. The bill takes a risk-based approach to ensure that limited resources are utilized appropriately. It also requires that necessary training be provided to any State and local entity that partners with the Coast Guard to protect a security zone.

There's a lot in this bill, in addition to provisions in the port security realm. This measure also brings new transparency and accountability standards for the Coast Guard's contracting with the private sector. It reforms the 25-year, $24 billion Deepwater acquisition program. It also enhances security on cruise ships, provides a new process for Members of Congress to nominate candidates to the Coast Guard Academy, and creates a new Minority Service Institution Management Internship program.

In closing, Madam Chairman, I'd like to thank Chairman Oberstar and Chairman Cummings for their efforts to bring this bill to the floor. I'd also like to express my appreciation to Ranking Member King and his staff for working so cooperatively to move this bill expeditiously. I can only hope that we will see a similar commitment from the Senate colleagues. We need to get a final bill to the President for his signature as soon as possible.

I urge passage of this important legislation.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.

Mr. OBERSTAR. I ran out of time under our allocation to express my great appreciation to the chairman for the splendid cooperation we've had, one-on-one and staff-to-staff, in fashioning those portions of the bill that come under the jurisdiction of the Homeland Security Committee. It's been a pleasure working with the chairman and his staff and to get this language fashioned, and appreciate the splendid cooperation that we've had. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Chair, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, as the motto states, the brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard are always ready to safeguard the Nation in our ports, at sea and around the world. I am confident that this bill before the House today will assist the Coast Guard just as they assist American people every day. I urge my colleagues to give H.R. 3619 their strong support.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Chairman, currently, all transportation workers who work at our Nation's ports have a Transportation Worker Identification Credential, commonly referred to as a TWIC card.

This card costs around $132, and it requires applicants to pass a security background check. Some ports have required transportation workers, including truckers and longshoremen, to have additional access badges and background checks prior to entering.

The TWIC program was supposed to simplify the process by eliminating duplicate background checks and by minimizing the burden on transportation workers. It does not make sense for States to require and to charge transportation workers for additional background checks when workers have already passed a stringent Federal background check.

Language in the manager's amendment eliminates duplicative background checks by prohibiting States from requiring transportation workers to undergo State security background checks in addition to TWIC. At the same time, the bill provides discretion to the Secretary of Homeland Security to allow a State to maintain its program if there is a compelling homeland security reason for a separate security check.

The House supported a single Federal credential for port workers with the approval of the Castor amendment to H.R. 2200, the Transportation Security Authorization Act, which was passed earlier.

The Mica amendment before us today would prohibit the TWIC from being the sole government-issued security card that maritime workers have to secure in order to work in our Nation's ports. Under the Mica amendment, a truckdriver or a port worker who needs to access ports in various States could be required to obtain a security credential from multiple States rather than being able to obtain a single Federal credential which would be accepted at ports around the country.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I would like to include in the Record a letter from the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department also opposing this amendment.

TRANSPORTATION

TRADES DEPARTMENT, AFL-CIO,

Washington, DC, October 22, 2009.
Re oppose the Mica amendment to the Coast Guard authorization bill.

DEAR REPRESENTATIVE: On behalf of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO (TTD), I urge you to oppose the Mica amendment to the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (H.R. 3619). TTD also supports final passage of the underlying bill and the Manager's amendment to be offered by Chairman Oberstar.

The Mica Amendment would allow states and local governments to impose additional and duplicative security background checks on workers who have access to vessels and port facilities. These workers are already required to hold a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and pass an extensive security vetting process that includes a criminal background check. One of the objectives of the TWIC program was to create a national security standard along with a national credential that would be accepted throughout the U.S. maritime industry. If states and others are allowed to impose different security standards, a worker who holds a TWIC and works at one port might be unable to enter other ports of vessels located in different jurisdictions. The patchwork of credentials and security checks that would be created by the Mica amendment is inconsistent with the national scope of the TWIC program and would impose additional fees on workers and their employers.

Finally, the Mica amendment would undermine language originally introduced by Rep. Castor that seeks to limit state and local security checks. This language has already been approved by the House as part of the TSA Reauthorization bill and is included in the Manager's amendment to H.R. 3619. Specifically, this language would prohibit a state or local government from adding on a separate security check for a purpose for which a federal transportation security card has already been issued. This clarifies that workers, for example, who have already applied for and received a TWIC should not be subject to additional and duplicate security checks for entering a port or a maritime vessel. This is a modest prohibition and can be waived by DHS if a state can demonstrate a compelling homeland security reason for imposing additional security checks.

Again, I urge you to oppose the Mica Amendment and vote for the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (H.R. 3619) when it is considered on the House floor.

Sincerely,

EDWARD WYTKIND,
President.

Again, Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

It's clear that it would provide an undue hardship on a number of individuals and States. It's duplicative.

We need one Federal card for security and identification purposes. The TWIC card has been approved by this Congress, and I urge opposition to this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).

The amendment was rejected.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source