Speech #CREC-2018-01-09-pt1-PgH40_t12

Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4578, the Counter Terrorist Network Act. The fine men and women in uniform at U.S. Customs and Border Protection are tasked with an incredibly important mission. Every day, they protect our Nation from transnational criminal organizations, human traffickers, and terrorists who wish to exploit vulnerabilities at our Nation's borders. To execute this critical mission, the CBP has developed a cadre of subject matter experts that are well versed in counternetwork operations. These experts work tirelessly at our Nation's seaports, airports, and land border crossings, honing their skills, stopping the flow of illicit goods and people, and creating actionable intelligence. Given the fact that the CBP is uniquely positioned on our Nation's front line, it would seem expected that members of the CBP would have the authority to participate in counternetwork activities that target terrorists and transnational threats, both domestically and internationally. However, this is not the case. Currently, the CBP lacks the statutory authority to assign CBP personnel to specialized counternetwork details and liaison assignments with a national security focus. H.R. 4578 seeks to mitigate this deficiency by giving the Commissioner of the CBP the statutory authority to assign personnel to these specialized task forces and collaborate with appropriate Federal, State, local, and Tribal entities to enhance border security operations that focus on disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations and foreign terrorist networks. By granting this authority to the Commissioner, the CBP's collaborative efforts will result in enhanced information sharing and an increase in intelligence-driven enforcement operations. Lastly, H.R. 4578 requires the Commissioner to provide a report to Congress within 6 months of enactment, substantially describing the ongoing efforts to defeat threats posed by transnational criminal and foreign terrorist groups.