Andrew R. Garbarino

“I support this bill. Cities can lose federal anti-terrorism grants when risk levels change each year. This bill requires regular reports to Congress on whether those cities can still protect themselves after losing that money.”

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8874, the Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Reporting Act of 2026. This legislation requires DHS to provide a report to Congress every 3 years on the Homeland Security capabilities of urban areas that have previously received funding through the Urban Area Security Initiative, or UASI. The FEMA Grant Programs Directorate provides preparedness funding to assist States, localities, urban areas, and Tribal and territorial governments and strengthen the Nation’s ability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. Every year, FEMA determines eligible high-risk urban areas for UASI funding through analysis of relative risk of terrorism experienced by urban areas in the United States. As relative terrorism risk undertaken by urban area jurisdictions changes every year, this can sometimes lead to urban areas that were once eligible for UASI funding in one year no longer being eligible in future years. This legislation will provide consistent information to Congress on the ability of urban areas at risk of terrorism threats to maintain their Homeland Security capabilities. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. It lets airport security speed up screening for active-duty military members and their families.”

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 9328, the Improving Travel for Military Members Act. The Improving Travel for Military Members Act will allow the TSA Administrator to establish a 3-year pilot program to expedite access to security screening for traveling Active-Duty military personnel and their accompanying family members. If established, this pilot program will focus on airports closest to military installations with large Active-Duty populations, which will help to ease travel for the men and women bravely serving our Nation. I want to thank Representative Biggs for her leadership and encourage my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”

“I want the House to pass this bill. The government takes fees from airline passengers, but much of that money is not spent on airport security. This bill makes sure that money goes directly to airport security equipment and the TSA to keep travelers safe.”

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. As you heard from my colleague from Colorado, $4.5 billion was brought in last year under the 9/11 Passenger Security Fee. What passengers don’t know is that the first $1.6 billion last year was diverted to something else other than passenger security. This bill would say the first $750 million of that passenger security fee would go directly to equipment, and then the balance of that money would go to the TSA discretionary fund, which actually would allow the TSA to get access to this money. Last year, the TSA discretionary fund didn’t have access to this money until the first $1.85 billion was spent. Now, they are going to get access, if this bill becomes law, after the first $750 million is spent on security equipment to make our traveling public safe. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8770, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Babin). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 8770, as amended. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.”