Providing for Consideration of HR 1401, Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007
Floor Speech
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1401, RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ACT OF 2007
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 270 provides for consideration of H.R. 1401, the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007 under a structured rule. The rule provides 1 hour 20 minutes of general debate. One hour is to be equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Homeland Security and 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill, except those arising under clauses 9 and 10 of rule XXI.
The rule provides that the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Homeland Security shall be considered as an original bill for purposes of amendment and shall be considered as read.
The rule waives all points of order against the bill.
Importantly, the rule makes in order the eight amendments printed in the report accompanying this rule and waives all points of order against such amendments. The amendments may be offered only in the order printed in the report and by the Member designated in the report or his or her designee.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to commence debate on this very essential piece of legislation. Five years have passed since the terrorist attacks of September 11. While we in this body have done a great deal of talking about Homeland Security, our record on the issue suggests otherwise.
Under Republican control, the majority maintained that mandating certain security enhancements was not necessary at the time. Democrats, on the contrary, believe that they are and will not allow this need to go unmet any longer.
The fact that this bill was reported favorably out of the Homeland Security and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees with near unanimity and the cosponsorship of the ranking Republican member of the Homeland Security Committee suggests that our concerns are almost universal in this body.
Moreover, this rule makes in order a total of eight amendments, half of which will be offered by the Members of the minority party. The rule and the process further prove that Democrats refuse to allow partisanship to supersede our responsibility to protect the American people.
Congress's prior reluctance to mandate certain security enhancements out of fear that it might rock the administration's boat has left us woefully behind the curve when it comes to rail and mass transit security. That is why I am very pleased that the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act makes the necessary investment in these absolutely critical enhancements.
The bill requires that the administration develop a security plan for all forms of covered transportation. The bill also creates a system and methods under which all agencies tasked with the responsibility of protecting our country can work together.
We don't stop there. The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to expand its coordination network through enhanced communication and cooperation at all levels of government.
It requires DHS to develop security training programs for railroad and public transportation employees and extends whistleblower protections to all providers, public or private, who provide covered transportation services.
Under this bill, the number of surface transportation security inspectors will increase by six times by the year 2010, and the bill mandates that the administration issue regulations requiring enhanced security measures for the shipment of security sensitive materials and requires that these shipments not go through highly populated areas.
Perhaps most importantly, this bill pays for these improvements and authorizes $7.3 billion in security enhancements to make America safer.
Mr. Speaker, the Government Accountability Office has determined that the United States must provide much more leadership and guidance in constructing a rail and security transit plan. This bill answers that challenge and fills the void left by the administration's failure to secure all modes of transportation in this country.
It, just like the rule, is worthy of the support of this body. I urge my colleagues to support both.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. And I would say to my friend from Florida that, in his concerns about the motion to recommit and the time to see it, I am sure my friend is mindful that when a motion to recommit comes to the House floor that it comes without the Members of the House having had an opportunity to know the substance of the motion to recommit.
I might add, that period of time, particularly in the last 2 months, we have seen that when the minority has presented the motion to recommit, that what winds up happening is even Members of the minority don't know what is in the motion to recommit. Therefore, it seems more than reasonable that a sufficient amount of time be given for that purpose. And I also think in the interest of fairness that we have been considerably fair in accepting more motions to recommit than have our friends in the minority.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I listened with great intensity to my friend from Florida regarding the resources that the American public provides to the United States Government for its distribution. He seems to decry the fact that this year we are going to spend $7 billion on rail security. My ultimate question would be, What did you spend on rail security last year, the year before, the year before and the year before that?
Somewhere along the line, I believe that the American people want us to make sure that our rail system and our bus system are as secure as we can make them. This is a start in that direction.
I also heard my friend from Orlando say that the rule itself is the most egregious that he has seen in 15 years. Well, I have been here every one of those 15 years that he has been here, and if he wants to see egregious, then travel with me back to the 4 years in the minority that I was on the Rules Committee, and I will show you egregiousness.
Mr. Speaker, the 9/11 Commission gave the Transportation Security Administration a C-minus for its efforts to develop a security strategy for all modes of transportation. GAO, as I previously mentioned, has said that the U.S. has failed to provide the appropriate leadership in enhancing all forms of covered transportation.
Something needs to change. This bill provides the necessary leadership and funding to move us forward.
For too long, Congress has neglected its responsibility to do whatever is necessary to protect the well-being of the American people. This is a fair rule. It gives four amendments to the minority and four amendments to the majority; hardly as egregious as the many times no amendments were granted to the minority when Democrats were in the minority.
I urge my colleagues to support both the substantive legislation and this rule.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source