House Homeland Advances Twenty Bills Out of Committee to Bolster the Cyber Workforce, Require DHS Transparency, Defund Partisan ‘Experts’ Group

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) released the following statement after the Committee advanced 20 pieces of legislation spanning the Committee's jurisdiction:

"I am proud to lead a Committee that consistently passes effective legislation to secure the American people from ever-growing, persistent threats to the homeland. Today, we advanced my Cyber PIVOTT Act to ensure our cyber workforce is robust and prepared to face evolving threats to our critical infrastructure and networks from adversaries. In the same vein, we passed Rep. Lee's bill to establish a task force to combat the cyber threat actors affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party-including the notorious 'Volt Typhoon.'

"Additionally, Committee Republicans voted to advance Rep. Greene's legislation demanding transparency from a continually evasive DHS on the number of Special Interest Aliens illegally crossing our borders-individuals who potentially pose a national security threat to our communities. Unfortunately, Committee Democrats opposed this commonsense legislation. As threats against Americans from the violent Venezuela-based gang Tren de Aragua grow, we advanced Rep. LaLota's bill to ensure DHS works to mitigate the threats from this dangerous gang that has expanded its presence in our communities under the Biden-Harris administration.

"Finally, the Committee advanced Subcommittee Chairman Pfluger's bill to ban DHS funds from being used to establish the partisan 'Homeland Intelligence Experts Group,' or any other group of the sort. DHS must remain focused on securing the homeland, not politics, and this legislation helps ensures this important objective. On top of these crucial bills, the Committee advanced 15 more pieces of legislation to further the homeland security mission."

Legislation reported out by Committee includes:

• H.R. 3169, the "Port Crane Security and Inspection Act of 2023," an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Chairman Carlos Gimenez (R-FL)
• H.R. 5729, a bill to prohibit the use of federal funds to establish a Homeland Intelligence Experts Group, and for other purposes; an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX)
• H.R. 5840, the "Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act," introduced by Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves (R-LA); an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Chairman Green
• H.R. 7311, the "Combatting International Drug Trafficking and Human Smuggling Partnership Act of 2024," an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Vice Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS)
• H.R. 7365, the "VETS Safe Travel Act," introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ); an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Chairman Green
• H.R. 8119, the "PEARL Act," an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX)
• H.R. 9668, the "SHIELD Against CCP Act," introduced by Rep. Dale Strong (R-AL)
• H.R. 9722, the "CATCH Fentanyl Act," introduced by Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Clay Higgins (R-LA)
• H.R. 9752, the "Tren de Aragua Southwest Border Security Threat Assessment Act," introduced by Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY)
• H.R. 9731, the "Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2024," an Amendment in the Nature of a offered by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)
• H.R. 9749, a bill to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to abolish the reorganization authority of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes; an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Chairman Dan Bishop (R-NC)
• H.R. 9770, the "Cyber PIVOTT Act," an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Chairman Green
• H.R. 9769, the "Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act," introduced by Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL)
• H.R. 9748, the "Research Security and Accountability in DHS Act," introduced by Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY)
• H.R. 3386, the "Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act," introduced by Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA)
• H.R. 4406, the "DHS Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act of 2023," introduced by Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA)
• H.R. 9469, the "Pipeline Security Act," an Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA)
• H.R. 9689, the "DHS Cybersecurity Internship Program Act," introduced by Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
• H.R. 9768, the "Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative Act," introduced by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
• H.R. 9762, the "DHS International Cyber Partner Act of 2024," introduced by Rep. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

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