Fiscal Year 2014 Intelligence Authorization Act

Floor Speech

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA) (S. 1681).

The FY2014 IAA includes provisions to ensure that men and women of our Intelligence Community (IC) have the resources, capabilities, and authorities necessary to protect our nation and its citizens, while ensuring critical and continuous Congressional oversight of the IC.

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) passed H.R. 3381, its companion bill to S. 1681, last November. Unfortunately, the House never acted on it, and the HPSCI passed a combined FY2014/FY2015 IAA (H.R. 4681) containing many of the same provisions as the HPSCI-passed FY14 IAA and S. 1681, with some important additional provisions. The FY2014/FY2015 IAA recently passed our body with overwhelming support.

The FY2014 IAA contains a provision I authored and was originally included in the HPSCI-passed bill, requiring a report, within 90 days of enactment, on the extent to which the IC has implemented the Inspector General of the IC's recommendations contained in the May 2013 report, entitled ``Study of Intelligence Community Electronic Waste Disposal Practices.''

This provision is also included in FY2014/FY2015 IAA requiring a report in unclassified form, with a classified annex as necessary. Because H.R. 4681 is unlikely to be enacted before this report is due, I encourage the Director of National Intelligence to submit this report in unclassified form, with a classified annex as necessary.

Of great importance to the citizens of my district is another provision I authored for H.R. 4681, which directs the Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence & Analysis (I&A) to conduct an assessment of the security of our nation's oil refineries and related rail transportation infrastructure. It directs l&A to make recommendations on how to improve intelligence collection and sharing of information to better protect those facilities and the surrounding communities from any harm.

My district is home to several oil refineries, which employ thousands of people and provide well-paying middle class jobs. They are a key part of the regional economy. As domestic oil production continues to increase in the region, I have heard from several of my constituents about their growing concerns regarding the security of the shipment and storage of crude oil and subsequent refined products.

Constituents have reported tanker cars parked in their communities covered in elaborate graffiti. If a vandal has the opportunity to deface a tanker car, imagine what could be done by someone with more sinister motives?

I take all concerns my constituents share with me seriously, and I believe we have the responsibility to protect our workers, our domestic refineries and our communities from potential threats.

While I support the passage of the FY2014 IAA, I will continue to work with my colleagues on the HPSCI and in the Senate to ensure that the FY2015 IAA continues my refinery and rail infrastructure security provision.

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