[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 16, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H141-H143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AUTHORITY OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TO CONSOLIDATE, MODIFY,
OR REORGANIZE CUSTOMS REVENUE FUNCTIONS
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 5862) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002
relating to authority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to
consolidate, modify, or reorganize Customs revenue functions, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 5862
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORITY OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TO
CONSOLIDATE, MODIFY, OR REORGANIZE CUSTOMS
REVENUE FUNCTIONS.
(a) In General.--Section 412 of the Homeland Security Act
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 212(b)) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) by striking ``consolidate, discontinue,'' and inserting
``discontinue''; and
(ii) by inserting after ``reduce the staffing level'' the
following: ``below the optimal staffing level determined in
the most recent Resource Allocation Model required by section
301(h) of the Customs Procedural Reform and Simplification
Act of 1978 (19 U.S.C. 2075(h))''; and
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, National Account
Managers, International Trade Analysts'' after ``Financial
Systems Specialists''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Authority to Consolidate, Modify, or Reorganize
Customs Revenue Functions.--
``(1) In general.--The Commissioner of U.S. Customs and
Border Protection may, subject to subsection (b),
consolidate, modify, or reorganize customs revenue functions
delegated to the Commissioner under subsection (a), including
by adding such functions to existing positions or
establishing new or modifying existing job series, grades,
titles, or classifications for personnel, and associated
support staff, performing such functions, in consultation
with the Office of Personnel Management.
``(2) Position classification standards.--At the request of
the Commissioner, the Director of the Office of Personnel
Management shall establish new position classification
standards for any new positions established by the
Commissioner under paragraph (1).''.
(b) Technical Correction.--Section 412(a)(1) of the
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 212(a)(1)) is amended
by striking ``403(a)(1)'' and inserting ``403(1)''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Valadao). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California
(Mr. Panetta) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska.
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
submit extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
[[Page H142]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Nebraska?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, America's trading relationships, as well as the
challenges we face in trade around the world, are evolving every day.
We must respond to those challenges now, not years in the future.
Families, farmers, workers, and small businesses rely on us to look
out for them in an increasingly complex world.
Last year, the Committee on Ways and Means traveled to the port of
Staten Island in New York and a cattle auction barn in Minnesota to
listen to the American people whose livelihoods depend on international
trade. They all asked Congress to do more to insist on strong
enforcement of our trade laws.
The bill before us, H.R. 5862, will help address the challenges of
ever-changing threats around the world through more effective
enforcement of U.S. trade laws. It takes six narrowly defined jobs at
Customs and Border Protection and replaces them with a single position
of trade specialist in the agency's Office of International Trade.
This streamlining will make CBP respond faster and more effectively
to our Nation's trade challenges and protect and defend America's
economic interests.
I thank the bill's sponsor and author, certainly, Representative
Steel, as well as Representative Panetta, for taking the lead on this
critical issue for American workers and the security of our supply
chains. This bipartisan legislation will help ensure that American
workers, families, farmers, and small businesses are not left behind.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5862, the Global Trade
Specialist Act. It is legislation that I am proud to have co-led with
my friend and fellow Californian, Representative Steel.
It is a bill that would allow Customs and Border Protection to
fulfill the position of global trade specialist, which would help
facilitate and further our Nation's trade by giving CBP the flexibility
to flow with the future of international trade.
As we know well, Customs and Border Protection has an important role
to play when it comes to supporting trade. That is why CBP should also
have the proper authority to modernize their staffing as the trade
environment evolves.
Currently, CBP's Office of International Trade has several distinct
but separate trade positions. This includes jobs such as import
specialists, international trade analysts, management and program
analysts, trade economists, auditors, attorneys, and so forth. These
jobs do help CBP execute and enforce U.S. trade laws and ultimately
protect our American economy, but there is a position missing, and that
is a global trade specialist.
CBP has created such a position, but it doesn't have the flexibility,
nor does it have the legal authority to hire for this position. Our
legislation would give CBP that needed authority and so much more.
The global trade specialist position would allow CBP to realign and
reshape the workforce in response to the evolving trade environment. It
would be able to do this because the position also would better utilize
and focus existing resources and Customs' revenue functions. It would
give CBP more flexibility to modernize its trade workforce, to retain
its employees, and to build its institutional knowledge. It would equip
trade employees to more effectively execute trade enforcement and
compliance operations. It would increase professional development
opportunities.
Ultimately, by making trade facilitation jobs more attractive and
rewarding rather than bureaucratic and boring, this legislation would
enhance CBP's responsibility to recruit and retain staff and meet the
mandated staffing levels as set forth in the Homeland Security Act of
2002.
In the formulation of this bipartisan legislation, I am not only
proud to have worked with my fellow Ways and Means and California
colleague, Mrs. Steel, but it was built from provisions that were
included in both the House's America COMPETES Act and the Senate's
United States Innovation and Competition Act.
We also have incorporated feedback from CBP to ensure that this
provision would work as intended and made additional changes at the
request of Office and Personnel Management.
Lastly, this legislation is supported by the National Treasury
Employees Union, which represents CBP workers.
Due to its broad support, this legislation passed unanimously at that
Ways and Means Committee markup last November. I thank Chairman Adrian
Smith and, of course, Ranking Member Neal for supporting this
bipartisan bill that is the product of good-faith collaboration.
It is a bill, Mr. Speaker, that will allow CBP employees to go beyond
a bureaucratic role and actually allow CBP to be creative, to be
flexible, and to be forward-thinking when it comes to the ebbs and
flows and the future of trade.
That is why I worked on this legislation, that is why I fully support
its passage, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on
the Global Trade Specialist Act.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1715
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Steel), an author of the bill.
Mrs. STEEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to
support H.R. 5862, the Global Trade Specialist Act.
I am proud to have introduced this bipartisan legislation with fellow
Californian, Congressman Jimmy Panetta.
In the 20-plus years since Congress created the Department of
Homeland Security, the world has changed drastically. That means
reforms are needed to improve U.S. Customs and Border Protection's
global trade operations.
For over 5 years, CBP has requested authorization to create a global
trade specialist position within its International Trade Office. This
position would improve trade law enforcement and facilitate legitimate
trade.
My bill will make narrowly tailored updates to help CBP respond to
ever-evolving trade challenges by better utilizing existing personnel
within CBP.
Both the House and Senate already passed bills that would grant CBP
the authority to create a global trade specialist position, but neither
bill has yet been enacted into law.
The Ways and Means Committee has repeatedly heard hearing testimony
about how a global trade specialist position within CBP will better
serve the needs of American workers and safeguard supply chains. That
is why the Ways and Means Committee passed the bill unanimously by a
margin of 42-0 in November of last year.
As geopolitical relationships change more rapidly and drastically in
the modern world, it is critical that we empower CBP to operate as
efficiently as possible. This legislation will empower CBP to address
the dynamic and urgent nature of U.S. trade enforcement and help
maintain American dominance in the global economy.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote to finally get this commonsense
solution across the finish line for the American people.
Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
In closing, as you have heard, Mr. Speaker, this legislation has
broad bipartisan support and support from the CBP. It really is
critical that we modernize our trade administration as our trade
environment is changing faster than ever. CBP's staffing model must
evolve, and Congress must do its part to facilitate that evolution.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation,
to send this to the Senate and ultimately to the President's desk for
signature into law.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for very
sufficiently described the bill, why we need to do it, and the details
contained in the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly urge my colleagues to support the bill, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
[[Page H143]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 5862, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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