Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4780, the Department of Homeland Security Strategy for International Programs Act, offered by the ranking member of the committee, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson). This bill would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress on the Department of Homeland Security's international programs, including the vetting and screening of persons seeking to enter the United States. {time} 1745 The legislation builds off of recommendations made by the Committee on Homeland Security's bipartisan Task Force on Combating Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel that identified security gaps which allow jihadists to get to and from Iraq and Syria undetected. Specifically, the task force recommended that U.S. authorities continue to push the border outward by deploying homeland security initiatives overseas. The DHS has established several international programs that are designed to thoroughly vet and screen such individuals before their travel to the United States. Through its many international programs, the DHS personnel overseas effectively extends our Nation's borders to increase the security of the United States. Expanding initiatives like the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Preclearance program or Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Visa Security Program could help detect and interdict threats before they are bound for the homeland.…”