On the recordJuly 19, 2017
I am privileged to be recognized by the gentlewoman from Wyoming, and I rise in support of this combined rule that we have here. I thought it was important that I speak to some of the provisions that are in the underlying bill and also the provisions that are not in the underlying bill. {time} 1315 I would characterize this rule, that is the rule for the reauthorization of the Department of Homeland Security--it is actually the authorization. It has never been authorized in that fashion before--the authorization of Homeland Security after 15 years. I think that it does a lot of good things in that it lays out a definition and frames the duties of the Department of Homeland Security broadly and pretty closely in their entirety. There are some things that are missing from this that I would like to have plugged into this reauthorization language. However, I believe the goal was, all along, to draft a piece of reauthorization language that would be, I will say, compatible to both sides of the aisle and without particular dissent. Therefore, we have a piece of legislation that isn't as impactful as I would like, and yet it is here on the floor under suspension with the idea that we can move this along and frame the Department of Homeland Security's duties in the fashion that is here.…





