Date: 2014-07-28
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee. the Ranking Member of the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee. and the author of the legislation. I rise in strong and enthusiastic support of H.R. 3202. the "Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act." The Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit to Congress and the Comptroller General (GAO) a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of the transportation security card program at enhancing security or reducing security risks for maritime facilities and vessels. I introduced. H.R. 3202. in response to this GAO TWIC Report on the Weaknesses in the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Reader Pilot program that impacted the accuracy. and reliability of the system. The GAO report stated that data collection and retention was done in an incomplete and inconsistent manner during the pilot. further undermining the completeness. accuracy. and reliability of the data collected at pilot sites. Problems identified included by the GAO report included: Installed TWIC readers and access control systems could not collect required data on TWIC reader use. and TSA and the independent test agent did not employ effective compensating data collection measures. Reported transaction data did not match underlying documentation. Pilot documentation did not contain complete TWIC reader and access control system characteristics. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the independent test agent did not record clear baseline data for comparing operational performance at access points with TWIC readers. TSA and the independent test agent did not collect complete data on malfunctioning TWIC cards. Pilot participants did not document instances of denied access. TSA and the independent test agent did not collect consistent data on the operational impact of using TWIC cards with readers. Pilot site reports did not contain complete information about installed TWIC readers and access control systems design. The seeks to address the problems outlined in the GAO report by directing the Secretary to issue a corrective action plan based on the assessment that responds to the findings of a costbenefit analysis of the program and enhances security or reduces security risk for such facilities and vessels. Following the assessment the Comptroller General. within 120 days must: review the extent to which the submissions implement certain recommendations issued by the Comptroller General. and inform Congress as to the responsiveness of the submission. Prohibits the Secretary from issuing a final rule requiring the use of transportation security card readers until: the Comptroller General informs Congress that the submission is substantially responsive to the GAO recommendations. and the Secretary issues an updated list of transportation security card readers that are compatible with active transportation security cards. My Congressional District is located in Houston Texas. which is home to one of the worlds busiest ports. The Port of Houston is critical infrastructure: According to the Department of Commerce in 2012. Texas exports totaled $265 billion. The Port of Houston is a 25milelong complex of diversified public and private facilities located just a few hours sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico. In 2012 ship channelrelated businesses contribute 1.026.820 jobs and generate more than $178.5 billion in statewide economic impact. For the past 11 consecutive years. Texas has outpaced the rest of the country in exports. 1st ranked US port in foreign tonnage 2nd ranked US port in total tonnage 7th ranked US container port by total TEUs in 2012 Largest Texas port with 46% of market share by tonnage Largest Texas container port with 96% market share in containers by total TEUs in 2012 Largest Gulf Coast container port. handling 67% of US Gulf Coast container traffic in 2012 2nd ranked US port in terms of cargo value (based on CBP Customs port definitions) The Government Accountability Office (GAO). reports that this port. and its waterways. and vessels are part of an economic engine handling more than $700 billion in merchandise annually. The Port of Houston houses approximately 100 steamship lines offering services that link Houston with 1.053 ports in 203 countries. The Port of Houston has $15 billion petrochemical complex. the largest in the nation and second largest worldwide. The bill will address the underlying concerns regarding Transportation Worker Identification Credentials documented by the Government Accountability Office report published in May When Congress enacted the SAFE Ports Act in 2006. we directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to implement a biometric credential program to ensure that individuals with unescorted access to sensitive areas in ports and vessels were vetted and known. However. under the Homeland Security Committees oversight responsibilities we learned that. as implemented by TSA and the Coast Guard. there are weaknesses in the program. One of the greatest engines our economy has is the Port of Houston. which hosts a $15 billion petrochemical complex. the largest in the nation and second largest worldwide? The Port of Houston petrochemical complex supplies over 40 percent of the nations base petrochemical manufacturing capacity. What happens at the Port of Houston affects the entire nation. For this reason. I introduced H.R. 3202. with the support of Subcommittee Chairman MILLER as an original cosponsor. to ensure that Congress receives an independent scientific assessment of the program and to require the Secretary to issue a corrective action plan in response to the assessment. Indeed. the Government Accountability Office has identified serious shortcomings with the TWIC program. as implemented. that may undermine the programs intended purpose and make it difficult to justify program costs. particularly the costs to workers. Other considerations for security are in the infrastructure necessary to make sure that there is an ability to electronically check the credential of workers as they enter ports. The required assessment should give Congress the information it needs to determine how best to proceed with the program. I want to point out that in Committee. language was integrated to ensure that clarified that pending rulemaking would not be impacted by the bill and refined the scope of the assessment we are seeking. The Department has said that the final rule for biometric readers will be published in January 2015. There is great interest in that final rule. particularly there is interest in how many ports and vessels will be required to install readers for biometric cards. If the final rule requires only a limited number of vessels and ports to have biometric readers. as has been previously proposed by the Department. we will certainly need to have a discussion about what this means for the approximately 2 million truckers. longshoremen and port workers who today are required to carry biometric cards to do their jobs.