over, but it has been going on for thousands of years. i do not understand. that is my only comment. host: thank you, and good luck to you. guest: a lot of people want our involvement to end. it has been two decades. the war began after september 11, two thousand one, because the origins of the -- 2001, because the origins of the terrorist attack were there. why are we still involved? we are still putting our own men and women in uniform in danger. we are not really getting anywhere. >> we'll leave this here as the u.s. house is about to gavel in. it's part of our long-time commitment to bring you live

gavel to gavel coverage of congress. on the house agenda today, a number of homeland security and financial services bills. now live coverage of the house here on c-span. homeland security, work force by conferring new responsibilities, establishing employment engagement steering committee and authorizing an annual employee award program and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. torres, and the gentleman from new york, mr. garbarino, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. torres. mr. torres: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. torres: i rise in support of h.r. 490, the d.h.s. morale act and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman is recognized. mr. torres: every day the department of homeland security work force carries out a number of measures, from securing work space to responding to disaster. the men and women of the work force should feel appreciated not only by the american people but also by d.h.s. that doesn't seem to be the case. the office of personnel management said d.h.s. employees are less satisfied with their job compared to the average federal employee. since 2005, the d.h.s.'s own employees ranked the department dead last in the annual best places to work federal survey. scratching below the surface, the best places to work survey found d.h.s.'s is the most dissatisfied when it comes to train, team work, work-life balance and support for diversity. in response to the concerns expressed by the work force, chairman thompson introduced the

d.h.s. morale act to require d.h.s. to create and implement policies related to leadership development, employee engagement, career progression and employee recognition. specifically, h.r. 490 requires the department oprioritize career development opportunities and leadership development opportunities for d.h.s. employees. additionally it would require d.h.s. to one, establish an employee engagement steering committee comprised of employees from across the department to better identify the causes of low morale and what initiatives are working to improve it, an annual employee award program to recognize those who go above and beyond in their work, to protect the homeland. identical crergses of the measure have been approved by the house if prior congresses. this congress a new provision was added to the bill to respond to recommendations issued last month by the government accountability office regarding morale challenges at the department.

the provision directs d.h.s.'s chief human capital officer to review and approve d.h.s. component agency plans to ensure they include initiatives to address the root causes of lo morale and performance metrics for measuring implementation of those initiatives. enact. of h.r. 490 will help put d.h.s. on a path toward fixing long stand mog real problems at d.h.s. i urge the passage of h.r. 490 and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. garbarino: i rise in support of h.r. 490. this legislation sponsored by chairman thompson, will empow they are department's chief human capital officer to improve leadership development, employee engagement, and morale in the department which consistently ranked near the bottom of all federal departments. this bill will support the department's most important

asset, the many dedicated security professionals that work dill sently to better protect our nation. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 490 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: i have no more speakers and i'm prepared to close. after the gentleman from new york closes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: i have no further speakers. i urge members to support this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: h.r. 490 would improve morale among the department's 240,000 employees. that is why it as the support of unions representing d.h.s. employee the national border patrol council, national treasury employers union and the american fed the ration of government employees. enactment of h.r. 490 will force d.h.s. to examine the root causes of the long standing morale problems and develop

responsive approaches to move the department forward in a positive direction. with that, madam speaker, i ask for my colleagues' support and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the howls -- will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 490. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. >> madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> i request a roll call vote. the speaker pro tempore: 3ur sunt to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. torres: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the

rules and pass h.r. 473. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 473, a bill to require review of travel programs and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york, mr. torres and the gentleman from new york, mr. garbarino, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. torres. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. torres: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today to support h.r. 473, the trusted traveler reconsideration and restoration act of 2021. before the pandemic millions of travelers participated in d.h.s.'s trusted traveler

programs like t.s.a.'s precheck, c.b.p.'s global entry, nexus, sentry and fast programs to get them where they need to go a little faster. these are win-win programs where d.h.s. moves vetted goods and people in an expeditious manner, freeing up resources for higher risk travelers. it is troubling to hear about people being unable to enroll in one of these program despite meeting all the security requirements needed to participate. we all have an interest in ensuring that the vetting for these programs is thorough and where there are identifying errors or other issues that may result in a qualifying applicant being wrongly rejected, the issues get addressed in a timely way. to ensure the programs are operating effectively and consistency, h.r. 473 directs the government accountability office to review d.h.s.'s trusted traveler programs. the g.a.o. study will provide

insight into into the matching process and the redress for those improperly rejected. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. garbarino: i rise in strong support of h.r. 473, the trusted traveler restoration act of 2021. this bill, sponsored by chairman jon katko and co-sponsored by others seeks to help those who have had their trusted traveler status revoked. the department of homeland security's trusted traveler programs are critical to the safe and secure free movement of people. however there are instances in which individuals are mistaken for people with the same or similar name who are otherwise -- or who otherwise find themselves in a position to lose their trusted traveler status based on a database error.

for those unfortunate person, the pa process of getting their trusted traveler status reinstated involves timely, cumbersome hurdles. in these ince it's as, travelers lose valuable time off their trusted traveler period even though they spent hard-earned money to apply. this seeks to bring relief to the traveling public. the bill requires a comprehensive review by the government accountability office on existing d.h.s. processes related to trusting traveler processes and how they can improve access to having their trusted traveler status reinstayed when it's revoked in error. h.r. 473 directs the director of homeland security to review enrollment in the program for a period commensurate for the time they lost due to error in enrollment.

i thank the chairman for the commitment to bring the bill to the floor today. i urge my colleagues to support the bill and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: i have no more speakers, i'm prepared to close after the gentleman closes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. pll torres: the trusted traveler programs are important tools to screen people efficiently and concentrate its resources on high-risk travelers. it is critical that the department's process always be fair, consistent and based on accurate information. the g.a.o. assessment directed by this bill will help d.h.s. to work toward those ends. i thank my colleague if new york, mr. katko, for introducing this bill and urge its passage. with that, i yield back the balance of my time the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house

suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 473. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. torres: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 370. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 370, a bill to amend the homeland security act of 2002 to make technical corrections to the requirement that the secretary of homeland security submit quad renall reviews and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. torres, and the gentleman from new york, mr. garbarino, each

will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. torres. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include ex-trained -- extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. torres: rise in support of h.r. 370, the qua dreadian homeland security technical corrections act and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. torres: since 2007, the department of homeland security has been required to produce a quadrenall review of the sprawl -- a quad renall review of the sprawling department. today -- to date, deform h.s. has issued two quadren nimbings al reviews, the third which was due by 2017 was never released by the trump administration.

congress mandated that d.h.s., like the defense department, undertake a bottom-up reviewer four years in recognition of the fact that it has a vital, flex-expanding set of missions that need to be assessed at regular intervals to help d.h.s. stay ahead of constantly evolving threats facing our country. with the deadline for the fourth q.h.s.r. fast approach, the gentlelady from new jersey, mrs. watson coleman, introduced this bill to ensure that deficiencies at the government -- that the government accountability office identified in prior rere-views are addressed. in 2016, g.a.o. issued a report that showed several problems in how they address the q.h.s.r.'s. they raised questions about how they preserved documentation, and said documentation is important to ensure

repeatability of the process. it is required that d.h.s. retain and if requested provide to congress documentation regarding each q.h.s.r. it direct robust consultation with state and local governments, academic institutions and other stake holders. finally, h.r. 370 requires d. h s. to undertake and document a risk analysis to inform its policy position. a critical feature that was lacking in prior reviews. with that i urge passage and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: i unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. gardocki ba beanie: -- garbarino: this bill has strong bipartisan support from the committee. therefore i urge all my colleagues to join me in

supporting h.r. 370 and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: madam speaker, i have no more speakers. i'm prepared to close after the gentleman from new york closes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: i urge members to support this bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. d.h.s. is a sprawling $50 billion federal agency with a diverse array of mission sets. as such it is critical that every four years d.h.s. carry out a rigorous bottom up risk informed review of the entire department that reflects robust engagement with homeland security partners to produce a qhsr that can drive the department's strategic vision for years to come. enactment of h.r. 370 will ensure that happens and that in the years ahead d.h.s. better aligns its budget and programs with its ever expanding missions. an identical version of this

measure passed the house last congress by a vote of 415-0. with that, madam speaker, i urge the passage of h.r. 370. and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 370. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from seek recognition? mr. garbarino: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. torres: mr. speaker, i move

that the house rules and pass h.r. h.r. 367. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 367, a bill to amend the homeland security act of 2002 to establish an acquisition professional career program, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. torres, and the gentleman from new york, mr. garbarino, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. torres. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 367, the homeland security acquisition professional career program act. and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker.

h.r. 367 authorizes the department of homeland security's acquisition professional career program which since 2008 has been credited with helping d.h.s. onboard over 300 new hires in its acquisition work force. d.h.s. acquisition professionals such as contract specialists, are responsible for spending billions of dollars each year on the goods and services needed for the department to carry out its mission. they acquire everything from disaster relief supplies for fema, to coast guard cutters, and software designed to protect federal government networks from cyber threats. unfortunately, when it comes to hiring and retaining acquisitions professions, d.h.s. has experienced chronic staffing shortages that in the view of the government accountable office create a persistent challenge for d.h.s. that can negatively affect the ability of d.h.s. to acquire vital

capabilities on time and on budget. h.r. 367 seeks to address this challenge by codifying d.h.s.'s rigorous development program in which participants are provided with acquisition training, mentorship, department wide rotations, and other career development opportunities. enactment of this measure will help d.h.s. maintain a pipeline for its acquisition work force to directly support the department's frontline officers and provide them with the tools that they need. a prior version of this bill passed by the house -- passed the house by a voice vote last summer, september, on a bipartisan basis. with that i urge my colleagues to once again support this legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized. mr. garbarino: i rise today in support of h.r. 367, the homeland security acquisition professional career program act.

this legislation will help create a pipeline for the department of homeland security to better recruit talented acquisition professionals. this critical program is an important step to making d.h.s. more agile and efficient in its role of protecting our nation. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 367. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: madam speaker, i have no more speakers. i'm prepared to close after the gentleman from new york closes. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: i have no further speakers. i urge members to support this bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. i want to thank my colleague from nevada for her leadership on this bill. americans look to d.h.s. to respond after a disaster, prevent terrorism, and protect cyber space and within d.h.s. its leaders at every levels of the organization look to the acquisition work force to ensure that the department has the

tools needed to get the job done. since 2008, d.h.s.'s acquisition professional career program has created a vital pipeline for the department to hire acquisitions professions who develop their knowledge and skills at d.h.s. enactment of h.r. 367 would ensure d.h.s. is able to continue to run this successful program which the department has come to rely on to help address chronic staffing shortages within its acquisition work force. with that, -- again i want to thank the gentlelady -- congresswoman titus from nevada who is presently presiding over the house. we commend you for your leadership on h.r. 367. with that i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 367 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time.

the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 367. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? >> request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. torres: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 408. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 408, a bill to amend the homeland security act of 2002 to establish a mentor

protege program, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. torres, and the gentleman from new york, mr. garbarino, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. torres. mr. torres: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. i rise today in strong support of h.r. 408, the department of homeland security mentor protege program act of 2021. since the earliest days of the department of homeland security, it has operated a mentor protege program to encourage large businesses to help small businesses build their capacity to compete for government contracts. however, this program was never codified in law. h.r. 408 not only authorizes the

existing program, but improves it. small businesses including women, veteran, and minority-owned firms are the backbone of our economy. but far too often complex federal contracting requirements shut them out of the federal marketplace. building and sustaining a reliable flow of small business vendors is critical to ensuring d.h.s. ever evolving contracting needs are met and america's security is enhanced. h.r. 408 seeks to build and sustain this pool by incentivizing large businesses to provide technical, managerial, and financial assistance and subcontracting opportunities to small businesses. the bill requires participating businesses to commit to a mentor protege relationship for three years to help establish long-term relationships between large and small contractors. additionally, to ensure that congress can monitor the effectiveness of the program in

an ongoing way, it requires d.h.s. to annually report on program participation and the benefits conferred upon small businesses. enactment of h.r. 408 will ensure the continued and lasting success of the mentor protege program, a vital small business development program. it should also be noted this bill passed the house unanimously during the 116th congress. with that i urge my colleagues to once again support this legislation and he i reserve the balance of my time -- and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. garbarino: i rise today in support of h.r. 408, the department of homeland security mentor protege program act of 2021. this legislation will help the department better improve its contracting with small and disadvantaged firms. in doing so, the department will become stronger and more diverse. i urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 408.

i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: i have no more speakers. i' prepared to close after the gentleman from new york closes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: madam speaker, i have no further speakers. i urge members to support this bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. formally authorizing the department of homeland security's mentor protege program will ensure the continued success of this important small business program. john crosby, the famous conductor, once said, quote, a mentor is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction. d.h.s. is to be commended for recognizing that there are small businesses with novel technologies that want to help

keep america secure but may lack experience in the federal marketplace. and need a mentor to give them a push in the right direction. i thank the gentleman from virginia, mr. mceachin, for introducing this bill to help grow partnerships between small businesses and d.h.s. with that i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 408, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 408. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. >> madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? mr. biggs: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays

are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. torres: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 397 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the toot ill of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 397, a bill to amend the homeland security act of 2002 to establish chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear intelligence and information sharing functions the office of intelligence and analysis of the department of homeland security and to require dissemination of information analyzed by the department to entities with responsibilities relating to homeland security, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. torres, and the gentleman from new york, mr. garbarino, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. torres. mr. torres: thank you, madam

speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. . mr. torres: i rise in support of h.r. 397, the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear information sharing act. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. torres: this past year we have seen a global pandemic dominate the lyes of the american people and kill over a million people. it brought into stark focus the harsh truth about inequities of our health system, the need for better information sharing between the federal government and state and local and private sector partners. the legislation before us seeks to promote timely sharing of intelligence about chemical,

biolock damage -- chemical, radiological and nuclear threats. it does -- it requires sharing information with state and local parters in. situational awareness at all levels of government is key. better situational awareness is also important to help new york city and other d.h.s. grant recipients more efficiently target their grant dollars to address threats. earlier versions of this bill overwhelmingly passed in the house in the last three congresses an i urk my colleagues to support the measure once again. with that, madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: thank you, madam speaker. i yield cyst such time as i may

consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. garbarino: i rise in support of h.r. 397. we all know terrorist groups have long sought the capability to attack our nation with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear tells. h.r. 397 would address this threat by requiring the office of intelligence and into analysis within the department of homeland security to support the focus analysis of terrorist capabilities related to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials as well as threats to the homeland from global infectious diseases. to improve coordination, h.r. 397 requires the office of intelligence and seasonal sis to share threat information not only with federal entity bus also state lork call, tribal and territorial agencies. i commend my colleague, mr. jimenez of florida, for introducing this important legislation and i urge all members to support it. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized.

mr. torres: i have no more speakers, i am prepared to close after the gentleman from new york closes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: i have no more speakers and urge my colleagues to support this bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: response to terrorism starts with information sharing. at a time when threats are changing at such a rapid pace, h.r. 397 will help facilitate information sharing to better safeguard the homeland from bad actors. with that, i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 397 and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 397 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is

passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? mr. biggs: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. torres: madam speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 396. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 39 6, a bill to amend the implementing of the 9/11 commission act of 2007 to clarify certain allowable uses of fuppeds for public transportation, security assistance grants, and establish periods of performance for such grants and for other purposes. reporter: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. torres, and the gentleman from new york, mr. garbarino, each

will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. torres. mr. torres: thank you, madam speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. torres: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. torres: i rise in strong support of h.r. 396, the transit security grant program flexibility act. this legislation, a introduced by my colleague from new york, mr. garbarino, seeks to make commonsense adjustments to a d.h.s. grant program that helps keep my constituents safe. h.r. 396 requires technical changes to the transit security grant program to allow grant funding to be used for backfill staffing when associated with security training and give transit authorities more time to expend grant funds on security

improvements for public transportation systems or infrastructure. our transit systems are absolutely vital to daily travel and commerce. according to the u.s. census figures, 56% of all new yorkers rely on public transportation. in new york city, over five million people depending on our trains and subways on a normal workday. under the tsgp new york's metropolitan transit authority received about $20 million in fiscal year 2020 to protect riders from acts of terrorism and other targeted violence. h.r. 396 is important by feedback from grantees about challenges with the program over the years and is intended to secure the grant program remains current and the funding reaches maximum impact. enactment of this bill will help improve a key d.h.s. grant program and better secure our nation's transportation infrastructure. with that, i urge my house

colleagues to support this legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: thank you, madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. garbarino: i rise in support of my bill the transit security grant program flexible act. the grant prom provides needed funds to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism. unfortunately we have witnessed multiple attacks across the globe. the 2005 bombing of the tube in london. the 2016 metroation bombing in brussels. the 2017 new york port authority bombing. with billions of riders using surface transportation annually and limited security screening, it should come as no surprise that surface transportation has been a continuous -- has been

and continues to be a terror target. as such we must ensure that first responders and transit agencies have the tools needed to secure our transit system. the transit security grant program flexibility act seeks to address challenges soshed with fluctuating periods of performance by codifying the period of performance and 36 months for the majority of eligible projects and ex-teanding -- extending it to 55 months for vital, large-scale capital security projects. this ensures major projects can be successfully completed in the allotted time. additionally, while transit security grant program awards can be used to provide personnel with essential security training, resip yens of awards are not currently permitted to use the grant program funds to pay for backfillings per spell attending such training. this may in turn inhibit some transit agencies from sending staff to vital security training. h.r. 396 will permit transit

security grant program funds to be used for this purpose, consistent with other homeland security grant programs. given the evolving threat landscape and lone wolf attacks that target crowded areas, it is imperative that the transit security grant program provide flexible sloughs to prevent soft targets and keep everyday commuters safe. i'm proud to continue the great work of dan donovan and peter king in introducing this piece of legislation. i urge all members to join me in support handgun -- supporting h.r. 396 and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. torres: i have no more speakers, i am prepared to close after the gentleman from new york closes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. garbarino: i have no further speakers, i urge members to support this bill. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized.

mr. torres: new york city has the largest public transport system in the company and the greatest as a rule erblet to terrorism. i want to thank mr. garbarino for his support of transit systems across the country. h.r. 396 is a measure this country needs. i believe all of us can agree that securing american transit systems is critical to homeland security and so too we must invest to make and keep it safe. enactment of h.r. 396 would bolster the security of what, in the view of my constituents is about as critical as critical infrastruck cher gets and protect these systems an their riders against terrorist attacks and targeted violent. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 396 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 396.

those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. >> madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? mr. biggs: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3-s of house resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess for a period of less than 15 minutes.

seven districts to look to me to help with the fulfillment of their dreams and aspirations and the congressional black caucus has that same role to play on the national stage. >> find c-span's "the weekly" where you get your podcasts. >> today's white house covid-19 briefing, health officials announced everyone 16 years and older is now eligible for a convenient. they -- vaccine. they also said the health and human services would be making $150 million for community-based health care providers.

andy: good morning, thank you for joining us. i'm joined by dr. walensky from the c.d.c. and dr. fauci from n.i.h. today. i want to tell you today that things are about to get a whole lot easier. when we arrived in january, many americans were understandably frustrated with the pace of the vaccination program and the sea of challenges. not enough vaccines. few places to get vaccinated. shortage of vaccinators. and confusing rules on who qualified in every state, tribe, and territory. we got to work around the clock deploying a whole of government approach from the fema personnel who are getting shots in arms across communities in the country to the women and men of the armed forces who are overseeing the shipment and delivery of the vaccine and the scientists and clinicians and f.d.a., c.d.c., n.i.h. who ensured the safety of these vaccines. as a result, our vaccination program is now humming. and it's even accelerating.

over 80% of seniors have had at least their first shot. up from 8%. and now 50% of adults in the u.s. have had at least one shot. up from 5%. and we now have one thing on our mind. making sure that the other 50% know how easy it is to get a shot. so if you still think it's too difficult to get your vaccine, here's what you need to know. the lack of supply, the shortage of locations, the confusing rules are all in the past. that cannot be said enough. thanks to the aggressive action taken by many, and the collaboration of so many people across the country, there are now thousands of more people ready to help you get vaccinated. there are now millions more vaccine doses available and waiting. and there are now more than