Authority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Consolidate, Modify, or Reorganize Customs Revenue Functions

Floor Speech

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Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5862) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 relating to authority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to consolidate, modify, or reorganize Customs revenue functions, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 5862

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. AUTHORITY OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TO CONSOLIDATE, MODIFY, OR REORGANIZE CUSTOMS REVENUE FUNCTIONS.

(a) In General.--Section 412 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 212(b)) is amended--

(1) in subsection (b)--

(A) in paragraph (1)--

(i) by striking ``consolidate, discontinue,'' and inserting ``discontinue''; and

(ii) by inserting after ``reduce the staffing level'' the following: ``below the optimal staffing level determined in the most recent Resource Allocation Model required by section 301(h) of the Customs Procedural Reform and Simplification Act of 1978 (19 U.S.C. 2075(h))''; and

(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, National Account Managers, International Trade Analysts'' after ``Financial Systems Specialists''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

``(d) Authority to Consolidate, Modify, or Reorganize Customs Revenue Functions.--

``(1) In general.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection may, subject to subsection (b), consolidate, modify, or reorganize customs revenue functions delegated to the Commissioner under subsection (a), including by adding such functions to existing positions or establishing new or modifying existing job series, grades, titles, or classifications for personnel, and associated support staff, performing such functions, in consultation with the Office of Personnel Management.

``(2) Position classification standards.--At the request of the Commissioner, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall establish new position classification standards for any new positions established by the Commissioner under paragraph (1).''.

(b) Technical Correction.--Section 412(a)(1) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 212(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``403(a)(1)'' and inserting ``403(1)''.

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Mr. SMITH of Nebraska.

Mr. Speaker, America's trading relationships, as well as the challenges we face in trade around the world, are evolving every day. We must respond to those challenges now, not years in the future.

Families, farmers, workers, and small businesses rely on us to look out for them in an increasingly complex world.

Last year, the Committee on Ways and Means traveled to the port of Staten Island in New York and a cattle auction barn in Minnesota to listen to the American people whose livelihoods depend on international trade. They all asked Congress to do more to insist on strong enforcement of our trade laws.

The bill before us, H.R. 5862, will help address the challenges of ever-changing threats around the world through more effective enforcement of U.S. trade laws. It takes six narrowly defined jobs at Customs and Border Protection and replaces them with a single position of trade specialist in the agency's Office of International Trade.

This streamlining will make CBP respond faster and more effectively to our Nation's trade challenges and protect and defend America's economic interests.

I thank the bill's sponsor and author, certainly, Representative Steel, as well as Representative Panetta, for taking the lead on this critical issue for American workers and the security of our supply chains. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure that American workers, families, farmers, and small businesses are not left behind.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for very sufficiently described the bill, why we need to do it, and the details contained in the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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