February 21, 2020 - Issue: Vol. 166, No. 35 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 2nd Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E196]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 4432--PROTECTING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AGAINST 
                    DRONES AND EMERGING THREATS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 21, 2020

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of Congress, I 
rise in support of H.R. 4432, the Protecting Critical Infrastructure 
Against Drones and Emerging Threats Act, which requires a full 
assessment of threats relating to unmanned aircrafts, development and 
dissemination of a security threat assessment regarding unmanned 
aircrafts and similar technologies, and the establishment of secure 
communications and critical information technology infrastructure to 
properly utilize analytical tools.
  By requiring the Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis of the 
Department of Homeland Security to prepare a threat assessment within 
one year of the bill's enactment to share with the House and Senate 
Homeland Security committees, Congress and the President can act 
swiftly to prevent any potential risks.
  With national security as one of our nation's top priorities, we must 
begin to fully determine the risks posed by this advanced and 
increasingly popular technology.
  The data will be collected from agencies through data-mining and 
other advanced diagnostic tools at the Federal, state and local levels, 
as well as various infrastructure owners and operators.
  Assessment of the data will include a report and classified plan to 
alleviate any potential threats through the use of unmanned aircrafts.
  The Federal Aviation Administration reported a total of 1.1 million 
small hobbyist drones and about 412,000 commercial drone registrations 
for the year 2019.
  The use of unmanned aircrafts is growing rapidly, both as a hobby and 
for commercial purposes, including in the oil and gas industry.
  I ask my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to vote in support 
of H.R. 4432.

                          ____________________