Extensions of Remarks — Congressional Record, April 6, 2022 (E364)
Summary
Congressional Record, Extensions of Remarks, pages E364 and E365, dated April 6, 2022. The page prints speeches in the House of Representatives, dated Tuesday, April 5, 2022, by Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, each in support of a measure. The measures are the REPORT Act, the Department of Homeland Security Illicit Cross-Border Tunnel Defense Act, the Department of Homeland Security Trade and Economic Security Council Act of 2021, the Resilient AMERICA Act and House Resolution 831 on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The speeches describe what each measure requires, including unclassified reports to Congress after incidents of terrorism.
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“Extensions of Remarks — Congressional Record, April 6, 2022 (E364).”
Original at www.govinfo.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/crec-crec-2022-04-06-crec-2022-04-06-pt1-pge364-3-355ecef3bd/
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E364 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks April 6, 2022
It is for that reason Mr. Speaker I strongly ticipants, incited by the former President’s tunnel construction and usage. This bill aims
support H.R. 5633. rhetoric, injured scores of D.C. Police and to ameliorate that problem.
It will hold all decision makers accountable U.S. Capitol Police officers—killing one, while Mr. Speaker, after considering statements
and force their actions to be submitted not four civilians also died. from Customs and Border Patrol, it is clear
only to Congress, but the court of public opin- The escalation in violent domestic attacks that people seeking a better life do not use il-
ion as well. since the January 6 attack has been felt by legal tunnels to achieve such ends. The tun-
This bill prioritizes both transparency and our nation’s law enforcement officers, as well nels are instead used by those seeking to
accountability, so I urge my colleagues to sup- as others which is evidenced by the rise in wreak havoc and bring crime into our commu-
port this critical piece of legislation. murder and assaults across the nation. nities, with no other purpose.
f Today, we find ourselves in a nation where For example, upon discovery of a 183-foot-
the terrorism landscape is more complex, it is long subterranean tunnel in Mexicali, Baja
REPORTING EFFICIENTLY TO imperative that we recognize and commu- California, near the international border,
PROPER OFFICIALS IN RE- nicate the evolving and unorthodox nature of Cardell T. Morant, special agent in charge of
SPONSE TO TERRORISM ACT OF the terrorism threats we face today. HSI San Diego said, ‘‘These types of tunnels
2021 This bill is the most effective way for us to enable drug traffickers to conduct illicit activi-
protect our country through solid reporting and ties virtually undetected across the U.S.–Mex-
SPEECH OF ico border.’’
communicating.
HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE To prevent terrorist attacks and ensure effi- Morant continued, ‘‘Discovering and shutting
ciency and effectiveness in responding to an down these tunnels deals a major blow to
OF TEXAS
attack, agencies need to coordinate with each drug trafficking organizations because it de-
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
other to determine what went wrong so that nies them the ability to smuggle drugs, weap-
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 ons and people across the border.’’
we can strengthen our counterterrorism efforts
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in That tunnel had an entrance measuring 12
moving forward.
strong support of H.R. 1540, the Reporting Ef- feet by 10 feet and extended 3 feet north of
Congress must have all available informa-
ficiently to Proper Officials in Response to Ter- the international border wall but had no exit on
tion to make the most informed policy deci-
rorism Act of 2021 or the REPORT Act. the U.S. side of the border, apparently cre-
sions following a terrorist attack.
The purpose of this bill is to provide reports ating temporary exits on an ad hoc basis.
The REPORT Act ensures that members of
to Congress that are jointly developed by rel- The Drug Trafficking Organization who de-
Congress will receive the full accounting of the signed it equipped the tunnel with electricity,
evant federal agencies regarding incidents of facts, so that they can hold federal agencies
terrorism. ventilation, a rail system with a cart, and an
accountable. electric hoist.
This bill requires the Department of Home- Information sharing with both Congress and Mr. Speaker, these tunnels, even if they are
land Security, in coordination with the Depart- the American people, is a vital element of pre- only open for a short period, can allow traf-
ment of Justice and the Federal Bureau of In- venting, and responding to, terrorism. fickers to move massive amounts of drugs,
vestigation, whenever an incident of terrorism I ask my colleagues to join me in voting for humans, currency, and firearms back-and-forth
occurs in the United States, to submit to Con- H.R. 1540 because our mission has been and between Mexico and the United States.
gress an unclassified report upon completion will continue to be focused on preventing and As Chair of the Crime, Terrorism, and
of the investigation by the primary U.S. gov- preparing for all issues surrounding terrorism. Homeland Security Committee, I am com-
ernment agency conducting the investigation We owe a debt to those who have lost their mitted to ensuring our internal and homeland
concerning the incident. lives and we must do all that we can to pre- security. Fighting these criminals at every turn
The report should contain: vent another attack on United States soil. is critical to achieving of that objective, and
1. A statement of the facts of the incident f this bill provides the CBP additional tools for
that are known at the time of the report. that purpose.
2. Any recommendations for changes in DHS ILLICIT CROSS-BORDER I am therefore proud to support H.R. 4209,
practices or law, consistent with the Constitu- TUNNEL DEFENSE ACT the ‘‘Department of Homeland Security Illicit
tion, with particular attention to changes that Cross-Border Tunnel Defense Act’’ and urge
SPEECH OF
could help prevent future incidents of ter- my colleagues to as well.
rorism. HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE f
The bipartisan bill requires the Department OF TEXAS
of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, DHS TRADE AND ECONOMIC
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
the FBI, and/or the National Counterterrorism SECURITY COUNCIL ACT OF 2021
Center to work together to submit a report to Tuesday, April 5, 2022
SPEECH OF
Congress after a foreign or domestic terrorist Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in
attack, which must include an explanation of strong support of H.R. 4209, the ‘‘Department HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE
what happened, any gaps in national security, of Homeland Security Illicit Cross-Border Tun- OF TEXAS
and recommendations for additional measures nel Defense Act.’’ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
to improve homeland security and prevent fu- This bill authorizes for FY2022 and FY2023 Tuesday, April 5, 2022
ture terrorist attacks. U.S. Customs and Border Protection activities
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in
After a terrorist attack, federal agencies will to identify and close tunnels criminals use to
strong support of H.R. 4476, the ‘‘Department
be required to report to Congress with infor- illegally cross our Southern Border.
of Homeland Security Trade and Economic
mation about exactly what happened and rec- This bill also directs the Customs and Bor-
Security Council Act of 2021.’’
ommendations to prevent future attacks. der Patrol to develop and report to Congress This bill establishes the DHS Trade and
The first priority of government should be a strategic plan to improve tunnel closures. Economic Security Council, which shall pro-
making sure that all Americans are safe, se- According to Customs and Border Patrol, vide trade and economic security advice and
cure, and free. Cross-border tunnels are dug by transnational recommendations to the Department of Home-
The 9/11 attack on American soil on Sep- criminal organizations to smuggle contraband land Security (DHS).
tember 11, 2001 took the lives of nearly 3,000 into the U.S. from neighboring countries. Cur- This includes identifying high priority risks
innocent civilians and since that day, the role rent detection capabilities rely on random tips and setting priorities for protecting the nation’s
of virtually every federal, state, and local law and the laborious collection of human intel- trade and economic security.
enforcement agency changed. ligence (HUMINT). The bill also establishes the position of As-
The 9/11 attack remains a tragedy that de- When tunnels are discovered, U.S. Customs sistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Se-
fines our nation’s history. But the final chapter and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration curity within DHS’s Office of Strategy, Policy,
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REMARKS
will be written by those who are charged with and Customs Enforcement have limited ability and Plans.
keeping our nation and people safe while pre- to access the tunnel to arrest and prosecute Mr. Speaker, the mission of the Department
serving the way of life that terrorists sought to those involved in creating and using the tun- of Homeland Security is to secure the nation
change. nel. from the many threats we face.
On January 6, 2021, during a joint session The reason behind such limited ability is be- Those threats encompass not only threats
of Congress, a mob breached the U.S. Cap- cause Customs and Border Patrol lack the abroad but also at home, and our economic
itol, illegally entering the complex, violent par- needed fiscal resources needed to combat security is integral to national security.
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April 6, 2022 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E365
Securing our economy means we will have The bill permits the redistribution of hazard than on-the-fly response to the impending
safeguards in place to help prevent another mitigation funds that are unclaimed or unobli- challenges to our infrastructure.
economic disaster like the one brought about gated for use in addressing a future major dis- Storms are inevitable, but they don’t need to
by the COVID–19 pandemic, from which aster. become life, threatening disasters.
countless Americans suffered. The legislation also increases from 6 per- I ask my colleagues to join me in voting for
The COVID–19 pandemic and resulting eco- cent to 15 percent the estimated aggregate H.R. 5689 because we all deserve better pro-
nomic fallout caused significant hardship. In amount of grants made for national public in- tection from the things we know are coming.
the early months of the crisis, tens of millions frastructure pre-disaster mitigation assistance f
of people lost their jobs. so that we’re better prepared to respond to
While employment began to rebound within disasters. UPHOLDING THE FOUNDING DEMO-
a few months, unemployment remained high It also makes private nonprofit facilities eligi- CRATIC PRINCIPLES OF THE
throughout 2020. ble for technical and financial assistance in the NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY OR-
Improving employment and substantial relief implementation of cost-effective pre-disaster GANIZATION AND ESTABLISHING
measures helped reduce the very high levels hazard mitigation measures. A CENTER FOR DEMOCRATIC RE-
of hardship seen in the summer of 2020. The overall effect would be to expand the SILIENCE
Nonetheless, considerable unmet needs re- use of hazard mitigation assistance to cover SPEECH OF
mained near the end of 2021, with 20 million certain activities pertaining to wildfires,
households reporting having too little to eat in tsunamis, and ice storms. HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE
the past seven days and 10 million house- Additionally, the Federal Emergency Man- OF TEXAS
holds behind on rent. agement Agency (FEMA) must set aside 10 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
In early 2022, some 3 million fewer people percent of the funds annually to update rel- Tuesday, April 5, 2022
are employed than before the pandemic, evant building codes on which consensus has
though steady progress has been made, in- been reached. Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in
cluding in recent months. FEMA must also carry out a pilot program strong support of House Resolution 831,
Hardship in 2020 and 2021 would have through which states and localities award which reaffirms unequivocal support for the
been far worse without the extraordinary steps grants to individuals for retrofitting their resi- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as
taken by the federal government, states, and dences with appropriate hazard mitigation an alliance founded on democratic principles.
localities to respond to the pandemic and its measures. This resolution also calls on the President to
economic fallout. This legislation will build on the resilience use the voice and vote of the United States to
Key hardship indicators showed strong im- initiatives contained in the recent bipartisan in- adopt a new Strategic Concept for NATO that
provement during early 2021, aided by job frastructure law and provide additional tools to is clear about its support for shared demo-
growth and government benefits. reduce risks posed by the changing climate. cratic values and committed to enhancing
Hardship rates fell especially fast thanks to For every dollar invested in resilience and NATO’s capacity to strengthen democratic in-
the American Rescue Plan enacted on March predisaster mitigation, the taxpayer receives stitutions within NATO member, partner, and
11, 2021, which included $1,400 payments for anywhere from $3.00 to $11.00 in return. aspirant countries.
most Americans as well as other assistance to The Resilient AMERICA Act returns unspent Finally, the resolution calls on the President
struggling households. funds from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Pro- to use the voice and vote of the United States
Food hardship among adults with children gram to the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), which to establish a Center for Democratic Resil-
also fell after the federal government began ensures that these expiring and unspent funds ience within NATO headquarters.
issuing monthly payments of the enhanced will still help our communities prepare for and First, I would like to commend all Ukrainians
and expanded Child Tax Credit, which was respond to disasters. for their outstanding courage, resilience, for-
first distributed on July 15, 2021, along with This bill doubles the funding stream dedi- titude, and bravery. It is truly inspiring for
improvements in food assistance. cated to FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation pro- Americans, and for people around the world.
While those measures taken by the Biden gram and extends eligibility for Pre-Disaster America stands with Ukraine and the Ukrain-
Administration were swift and, I believe, life- Mitigation (PDM) to include private nonprofits ian people.
saving, much of the suffering the American (PNPs), which ultimately will reduce the im- Russia’s launch of a premeditated war
people went through could have been miti- pact and damage from a disaster. against Ukraine is an attack on democracy
gated through extensive planning. It also expands the reach of the post-dis- and a grave violation of international law, glob-
This bill provides those means, which drives aster Hazard Mitigation Grant Program al peace, and security.
my support. No more Americans should suffer (HMGP) to prevent utility outages in the face The fighting has sparked massive displace-
because the federal government refused to of extreme wildfire, wind, tsunami, and ice ment and has forced over two million Ukrain-
plan in the case of a disaster. events. ians to flee their homes to neighboring states
The DHS Trade and Economic Security It additionally funds residential resilience ret- and has put women and girls at heightened
Council Act of 2021 is a legislative embodi- rofit block grants to states, tribes, and terri- risk of violence.
ment of that understanding, so I am proud to tories to strengthen homes for maximum pro- Although the world hopes for peace, Rus-
support it. I urge my colleagues to as well. tection and safety. sia’s invasion of Ukraine shows no signs of
It is clear that climate change is making ex- ending. Russian forces continue their bom-
f
treme weather more intense and severe. bardment of Ukrainian cities, including the
RESILIENT ASSISTANCE FOR MITI- The snow and ice that unleashed a cas- capital, Kyiv, and the southern port city of
GATION FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY cading effect of power and water outages in Mariupol.
RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE Texas and surrounding states was caused by Additionally, as a body we must condemn
AND CONSTRUCTION BY AMERI- a series of rare winter storms in 2021 and the recent execution style killings of Ukrain-
CANS ACT 2022. ians in Bucha.
My constituents were without potable water It is abundantly clear that Russian soldiers
SPEECH OF weeks after the storm, a lot of this damage were out to torture, rape, and kill innocent
HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE was a direct consequence of a decades-long Ukrainian civilians. These actions amount to
OF TEXAS failure to maintain and upgrade our essential war crimes, and we must treat them as such.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES infrastructure. Therefore, along with the President I believe
We cannot leave our constituents living in we must hold Russian authorities and Presi-
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 mold-ridden homes, in the freezing cold, dent Putin accountable before the International
MS. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in awaiting implementation of better, large-scale Criminal Court via a War Crimes trial.
strong support of H.R. 5689, the Resilient As- infrastructure. This will bring the justice so greatly de-
ctelli on DSK11ZRN23PROD with REMARKS
sistance for Mitigation for Environmentally Re- We need our federal agencies and state served to those families who lost their moth-
silient Infrastructure and Construction by governments to be proactive, anticipating po- ers, fathers, sons, and daughters to savagery.
Americans Act or the Resilient AMERICA Act. tential infrastructure failures and working I additionally believe that this is a good first
This bill bolsters U.S. disaster resilience and quickly to resolve them before Americans pay action under NATO’s new Strategic Concept,
expands resources and strategies for hazard the price of our aged infrastructure. which this bill seeks to redefine.
mitigation by state, local, tribal, territorial gov- This will reduce risk, save costs and encour- Considering the direness of the situation in
ernments, and some nonprofit organizations. age long-term planning and proactivity, rather Ukraine, it is absolutely critical that NATO
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