[House Hearing, 112 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
BEYOND BORDERS: ARE THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S INTERNATIONAL
AGREEMENTS ENSURING ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE TO COMBAT THREATS TO THE
U.S. HOMELAND?
=======================================================================
FIELD HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON COUNTERTERRORISM
AND INTELLIGENCE
of the
COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
JULY 30, 2012
__________
Serial No. 112-111
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED]
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/
__________
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COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
Peter T. King, New York, Chairman
Lamar Smith, Texas Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi
Daniel E. Lungren, California Loretta Sanchez, California
Mike Rogers, Alabama Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas
Michael T. McCaul, Texas Henry Cuellar, Texas
Gus M. Bilirakis, Florida Yvette D. Clarke, New York
Paul C. Broun, Georgia Laura Richardson, California
Candice S. Miller, Michigan Danny K. Davis, Illinois
Tim Walberg, Michigan Brian Higgins, New York
Chip Cravaack, Minnesota Cedric L. Richmond, Louisiana
Joe Walsh, Illinois Hansen Clarke, Michigan
Patrick Meehan, Pennsylvania William R. Keating, Massachusetts
Ben Quayle, Arizona Kathleen C. Hochul, New York
Scott Rigell, Virginia Janice Hahn, California
Billy Long, Missouri Ron Barber, Arizona
Jeff Duncan, South Carolina
Tom Marino, Pennsylvania
Blake Farenthold, Texas
Robert L. Turner, New York
Michael J. Russell, Staff Director/Chief Counsel
Kerry Ann Watkins, Senior Policy Director
Michael S. Twinchek, Chief Clerk
I. Lanier Avant, Minority Staff Director
------
SUBCOMMITTEE ON COUNTERTERRORISM AND INTELLIGENCE
Patrick Meehan, Pennsylvania, Chairman
Paul C. Broun, Georgia, Vice Chair Brian Higgins, New York
Chip Cravaack, Minnesota Loretta Sanchez, California
Joe Walsh, Illinois Kathleen C. Hochul, New York
Ben Quayle, Arizona Janice Hahn, California
Scott Rigell, Virginia Ron Barber, Arizona
Billy Long, Missouri Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi
Peter T. King, New York (Ex (Ex Officio)
Officio)
Kevin Gundersen, Staff Director
Zachary Harris, Subcommittee Clerk
Hope Goins, Minority Subcommittee Director
C O N T E N T S
----------
Page
Statements
The Honorable Patrick Meehan, a Representative in Congress From
the State of Pennsylvania, and Chairman, Subcommittee on
Counterterrorism and Intelligence:
Oral Statement................................................. 1
Prepared Statement............................................. 3
The Honorable Brian Higgins, a Representative in Congress From
the State of New York, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on
Counterterrorism and Intelligence.............................. 5
The Honorable Kathleen C. Hochul, a Representative in Congress
From the State of New York..................................... 6
Witnesses
Ms. Deborah W. Meyers, Director, Canadian Affairs, Office of
International Affairs, U.S. Department of Homeland Security:
Oral Statement................................................. 8
Prepared Statement............................................. 10
Mr. Daniel J. Neaverth, Jr., Commissioner, Department of
Emergency Services, Erie County, New York:
Oral Statement................................................. 15
Prepared Statement............................................. 17
Mr. James R. Voutour, Sheriff, Niagara County, New York:
Oral Statement................................................. 19
Prepared Statement............................................. 21
For the Record
The Honorable Brian Higgins, a Representative in Congress From
the State of New York, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on
Counterterrorism and Intelligence:
Letters........................................................ 25
BEYOND BORDERS: ARE THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S INTERNATIONAL
AGREEMENTS ENSURING ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE TO COMBAT THREATS TO THE
U.S. HOMELAND?
----------
Monday, July 30, 2012
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security,
Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence,
Buffalo, NY.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:00 a.m., at
the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York,
9th Floor, 2 Niagara Square, Buffalo, New York, Hon. Patrick
Meehan [Chairman of the subcommittee] presiding.
Present: Representatives Meehan, Higgins, and Hochul.
Mr. Meehan. The Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee
on Counterterrorism and Intelligence will come to order.
The subcommittee is meeting today to hear testimony about
whether the Department of Homeland Security international
agreements are yielding actionable intelligence to help combat
threats in the United States homeland.
Before I begin, let me take a moment. My name is
Congressman Patrick Meehan from the Pennsylvania suburbs of
Philadelphia. It is just a real delight to be here today with
two of my colleagues from our committee, Congressman Higgins
and Congresswoman Hochul. We have had the good chance to work
together on issues of homeland security, and I believe that I
am not going out on a limb to say we have enjoyed each other's
professional relationship and a personal relationship as well
as we work together to deal with the issues of security, both
within the United States and relations with our neighbors.
I am particularly appreciative of Judge Arcara for allowing
us to use the courtroom today, and I see how Judge Arcara
maintains order in the courtroom taking notice of that gavel.
So I appreciate the ability to keep control, and we will use it
if our witnesses get a little too out of hand.
But I want to thank everybody, including the witnesses, for
attending. I appreciate the effort taken on behalf of all those
involved to have this important field hearing. This is an
official Congressional hearing, and we will certainly abide by
the rules of the Committee on Homeland Security and the House
of Representatives, which I have every suspicion are going to
be appropriately ordered.
Maintaining the security of the borders of the United
States is a fundamental responsibility of the Federal
Government. Various components of the Department of Homeland
Security--Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and
Customs Enforcement, and the United States Coast Guard, among
others--work tirelessly with numerous State, local, and Tribal
authorities in an effort to secure our borders and to keep
American safe.
However, a February 2011 report prepared by the Government
Accountability Office stated that only 32 of the 4,000-mile-
long border between Canada and the United States has an
acceptable level of security. The report also indicated the
high risk of terrorism along the Northern Border as significant
and highlighted the Border Patrol's lack of operational
controls and existing vulnerabilities along the United States-
Canada border.
Western New York is home to 3 border crossings with
Canada--the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, the Rainbow Bridge, and
the bridge we can see from here, the Peace Bridge. Located in
downtown Buffalo, it is the busiest passenger crossing point
between the United States and Canada.
With more than $1 million in goods and services crossing
the U.S.-Canada border every minute, and more than 300,000
people every day, the United States and Canada maintain the
world's largest bilateral trading relationship. The Peace
Bridge and the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge are the third- and
fourth-busiest commercial crossings in the United States,
handling $30 billion in commerce each year.
To better deal with border issues, the United States and
Canada's recent bilateral agreement called ``Beyond the Border:
A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic
Competitiveness,'' has been viewed as a major milestone for
cross-border security cooperation. Announced jointly by
President Obama and Prime Minister Harper, and as well
supported and trumpeted by both of my colleagues who are with
me here today, the plan articulates a shared approach to
security in which both countries work together to enhance
information and intelligence sharing about potential threats,
to better align trusted traveler programs, to reduce wait times
for both goods and people at border crossings, and to bring
Canada's air passenger screening, particularly for flights
coming from Europe, or non-visa nations, in line with U.S.
procedures.
In addition to U.S.-Canadian cross-border cooperation,
information intelligence sharing between the United States and
Canada is robust, and both intelligence and law enforcement
agencies maintain strong relationships with their Canadian
partners.
Here on our side of the border, Buffalo's Joint Terrorism
Task Force maintains the primary law enforcement relationship
with the Ontario provincial police and the Royal Canada Mounted
Police on counterterrorism investigations. Led by the FBI, the
Buffalo JTTF was most notably responsible for investigating the
Lackawanna Six case, which dismantled an al-Qaeda cell of
United States citizens living in the Buffalo area in 2002.
This subcommittee has received extensive briefings that
indicate that Hezbollah maintains a presence in Toronto in
their metropolitan area, and Interstate 90, which runs through
Buffalo, is known as a corridor for illicit trafficking of many
types, including human smuggling.
In addition to the obvious threat in human smuggling
terrorist organization poses to United States-Canada border
security, the
9/11 Commission identified serious gaps in the U.S. visa
system. Several of the hijackers entered the United States by
obtaining student or other non-immigrant visas, and then
overstay their visas in order to carry out the attacks.
Currently, biometric entry systems have been deployed in
the 119 airports, 19 seaports, and 154 land ports of entry.
However, no such biometrics exit system currently exists to
capture information in real time to understand when an
individual exits a country.
By September 30, 2012, Canada and the United States should
begin implementation of a pilot project exchanging entry data
for third-country nationals, permanent residents of Canada, and
U.S. lawful permanent residents with each country through two
to four common land ports of entry. If implemented, the plan
will have a fully functional land border exit system on the
Northern Border using biographic data in 2014.
To get a better understanding of these and other issues, we
will hear from 3 government witnesses representing both the DHS
and Erie County about the level and quality of information
sharing on the Northern Border, and how a Beyond the Borders
Action Plan is expected to enhance the intelligence sharing
issues that remain to be resolved in order to make our border
efficient and safe for trade and travelers alike. I look
forward to hearing from today's witnesses on this very
important topic.
[The statement of Chairman Meehan follows:]
Statement of Chairman Patrick Meehan
July 30, 2012
the importance of border security
Maintaining the security of the borders of the United States is a
fundamental responsibility of the Federal Government. Various
components of the Department of Homeland Security--Customs and Border
Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the
U.S. Coast Guard--work tirelessly with numerous State, local, and
Tribal authorities in an effort to secure our borders and keep
Americans safe.
However, a February 2011 report prepared by the Government
Accountability Office (GAO) stated that only 32 of the 4,000-mile-long
border between Canada and the United States had an ``acceptable level
of security.''
The report also indicated that the risk of terrorism along the
Northern Border is significant, and highlighted the Border Patrol's
lack of operational control as well as other existing vulnerabilities
along the U.S.-Canada border.
northern border: western new york
Western New York is home to three border crossings with Canada: The
Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, the Rainbow Bridge, and the Peace Bridge.
The Peace Bridge, located in downtown Buffalo, is the busiest passenger
crossing point between the United States and Canada.
With more than $1 million in goods and services crossing the U.S.-
Canada border every minute and more than 300,000 people every day, the
United States and Canada maintain the world's largest bilateral trading
relationship. The Peace Bridge and the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, are
the third- and fourth-busiest commercial crossings in the United
States, handling $30 billion in commerce each year.
To better deal with border issues between the United States and
Canada, the recent bilateral agreement ``Beyond the Border: A Shared
Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness'' has been
viewed as a major milestone for cross-border security cooperation.
Announced jointly by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper
February 4, 2011, the plan articulates a shared approach to security in
which both countries work together to enhance information and
intelligence sharing about potential threats, to better align trusted
traveler programs to reduce wait times for both goods and people at
border crossings, and to bring Canada's air passenger screening--
particularly for flights coming from Europe or ``non-visa'' nations--in
line with U.S. procedures.
u.s.-canadian intelligence and information sharing
In addition to U.S.-Canadian cross-border cooperation, information
and intelligence sharing between the United States and Canada is robust
and both intelligence and law enforcement agencies maintain strong
relationships with their Canadian partners.
counterterrorism (ct) cooperation in western new york
Here on our side of the border, Buffalo's Joint Terrorism Task
Force (JTTF), maintains the primary law enforcement relationship the
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) on counterterrorism investigations. Led by the FBI, the Buffalo
JTTF was most notably responsible for investigating the Lackawanna Six
case, which dismantled an al-Qaeda cell of U.S. citizens living in the
Buffalo area in 2002.
This subcommittee has received extensive briefings that indicate
that Hezbollah maintains a presence in the Toronto Metropolitan area
and that Interstate 90, which runs through Buffalo, is a known corridor
for illicit trafficking of all types--including human smuggling.
international intelligence agreements with canadian partners
In addition to the obvious threat human smuggling by terrorist
organizations poses to U.S.-Canadian border security, the 9/11
Commission identified serious gaps in the U.S. visa system. Several of
the hijackers entered the United States by obtaining student or other
non-immigrant visas and then overstayed their visas in order to carry
out the attacks.
One of the key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission was the
implementation of a biometric entry and exit system. Congress
subsequently mandated the creation of a fully functioning biometric
entry and exit system in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2004. Yet 8 years after this legislation was passed,
United States Government still does not have the ability to collect
data on individuals exiting the country.
Currently, biometric entry systems have been deployed to 119
airports, 19 seaports, and 154 Land Ports of Entry (LPOEs). However, no
such biometric exit system currently exists to capture information in
real time to understand when an individual exits the country.
One of the more significant aspect of the Beyond the Border Action
Plan involves the land entry/exit program in collaboration with
Canadian authorities. The Beyond the Border Action Plan states that the
United States and Canada will serve as the exit function for the other
country by exchanging entry records. Entries into one country will
simultaneously serve as exit records from the other.
By September 30, 2012, Canada and the United States are to begin
implementation of a pilot project exchanging entry data for third-
country nationals, permanent residents of Canada, and U.S. lawful
permanent residents, who enter each country through two to four common
land ports of entry.
If implemented as planned, the United States will have a fully-
functioning land border exit system on its Northern Border using
biographic data in 2014.
A more challenging proposal that is still being negotiated would
place U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers on Canadian
soil to pre-screen freight trucks at the Peace Bridge and other major
crossings. Though many believe this would significantly decrease
inspection delays upon entering the United States, the issue of CBP
officers carrying--and possibly using--firearms on Canadian soil
remains to be worked out between the countries. But, I am hopeful the
two sides will eventually be able to come to an agreement on this
important program.
today's witnesses
To get a better understanding of these and other issues, we will
hear from two government witnesses representing both DHS and Erie
County about the level and quality of information sharing on the
Northern Border, and how the Beyond the Border Action Plan is expected
to enhance the intelligence sharing issues that remain to be resolved
in order make our border efficient and safe for trade and travelers
alike.
I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses on this important
topic.
Mr. Meehan. Now I recognize the gentleman from New York,
the Ranking Member of the subcommittee, Mr. Higgins, for any
opening statement he may have.
Mr. Higgins. Thank you, Chairman Patrick Meehan, for your
friendship and your leadership. Pat and I have the unique
distinction of playing ice hockey on the Congressional hockey
team. We play a game every year for charity, and is one of
about 5 Members of Congress to play ice hockey still. So we
welcome you, Mr. Chairman, here today, and we thank you for
holding this hearing.
I would like to extend a thank you to the clerk of the
district court, Michael Roemer, and his staff at the soon-to-
be-named Jackson Courthouse for their hospitality today. I
would also like to thank the witnesses for appearing before us.
I am looking forward to their testimony.
The Department of Homeland Security has several
international agreements designed to continue to keep our
Nation secure while working with foreign governments. These
agreements enhance security and promote safe travel and trade.
Western Europe knows all too well the necessity of having
strong international agreements. We neighbor Canada, and there
is an impressive amount of travel and trade that occurs between
this area and our neighboring country. As the Chairman
indicated, we are the busiest Northern Border crossing for
passenger vehicles and third for commercial vehicles.
In February 2011, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
and President Barack Obama signed the Beyond the Borders
Declaration. This declaration is to be a long-term partnership
built upon the perimeter approach to security and economic
competitiveness. The White House released its Beyond the Border
Action Plan, and the Department of Homeland Security plays an
integral role in this process.
The Action Plan addresses a wide range of areas of
cooperation between our 2 countries, many of which this
subcommittee will and has examined. The Action Plan includes
the United States and Canada collaborating to address threats
early through information sharing and by improving
intelligence. It also includes sharing information intelligence
in support of law enforcement.
This is extremely important because in previous
subcommittee hearings, we were told about a Hezbollah presence
in North America. Hezbollah is Arabic for party of God. It is
an Islamic Shia group that is committed to violent Jihad. They
act as a proxy for Syria, for Venezuela, and for Iran. We were
told in our committee that we should not be too concerned
because Hezbollah's activities in 15 North America cities,
including Toronto, is limited to fundraising activity. Well, if
you are a terrorist organization or recognized as such and you
are engaged in fundraising, that to me is terrorist activity.
So we are looking for an action plan that includes an
approach to screening inbound cargo arriving from offshore and
establishing robust entry and exit systems at our border. This
Action Plan seems like a much-needed step in the right
direction. However, we have lingering questions as to how the
elements will be actually implemented.
For instance, how can such a robust plan exist for the
Northern Border areas, yet this area is not considered high-
risk enough for State and local officials in this area to
receive funding under the Urban Area Security Initiative?
Without this program and without its funding, the local law
enforcement and emergency personnel will, to sustain some of
the advancements it made in 9/11, how can they be expected to
work with the Federal partners without this necessary funding?
How will inoperability capacity be increased under the Action
Plan? The lack of inoperable communications has been an issue
since September 11, and we have to fix it. What under this plan
will be done to assist in this gap?
With regard to cargo screening, the Action Plan raised the
possibility of pre-inspection of U.S.-bound cargo traffic on
the Canadian side of the border crossing. The Peace Bridge, as
I mentioned, is the second-busiest crossing between the United
States and Canada. Expediting traffic at the bridge is
essential to the economic future of Buffalo and western New
York.
A pre-inspection pilot should be held at the Peace Bridge
and would go a long way toward improving the congestion problem
at the bridge as a short-term measure. We are looking at other
issues, building capacity at both the plaza and the bridge
span. But pre-inspection would--make this pilot project would
be very, very helpful.
I am enthused about having a plan that assists in our
keeping the Northern Border secure and accessible, but it is
important that this Action Plan works for the personnel that
work tirelessly in the border areas to mitigate threats and
ensure lawful trade.
The success of the western New York economy and the safety
is undoubtedly tied to Canada. I look forward to hearing
testimony on how this Action Plan and other international
agreements will be used to strengthen security and
competitiveness.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
Mr. Meehan. Thank you, Ranking Member Higgins. I would also
like to recognize my good friend, the gentlelady from New
York's 26th Congressional District, the neighboring district,
for any opening comments she may have. Ms. Hochul.
Ms. Hochul. Thank you, Chairman Meehan. Thank you so much
for hosting this in our lovely city today. We delivered some
good weather for you today. You leave with good feelings about
western New York.
I thank my Ranking Member, Brian Higgins, for your
leadership on this committee as one of the newest Members of
the Homeland Security Committee. I have enjoyed the
nonpartisanship relationship that we have enjoyed very much,
and I think that is a hallmark of that committee as we work
together collaboratively to keep our country safe.
I also wanted to thank the witnesses for coming here today.
We appreciate those. Certainly as a former staffer on Capitol
Hill, I want to thank the staff that was involved in putting
this together, traveling here today. Also our personal staffs
for all you to do keep us in line. So thank you.
I think we have laid out very well how important our
relationship with Canada is as a large trading partner, but
also through our vulnerabilities that come with such a large
border. One of my efforts on the committee was to ensure that
there is language in our Secure Border Act that would make sure
that we give the same amount of attention that we give to the
Southern Border when we are making our priorities, the Northern
Border, because of its large exposure. That is something that
was pointed out by the GAO and something that we are very
cognizant of here in western New York.
My top priorities in Congress are to make sure that we
continue to have a better business climate for western New York
businesses, United States business, and a lot of that hinges on
free trade with Canada, open borders that allow us to do what
we used to do before the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative
was enacted in 2004, creating additional barriers.
I am also concerned about the need to reduce over-
burdensome regulations that affect that flow of commerce. But
also underlying all this, and perhaps paramount, is the need to
keep us safe. That is something, and you mentioned some of the
threats we have experienced already, we are very cognizant of.
So that is the framework from which we work to make sure we
have the flow of commerce, help our businesses, help our local
economy. But safety, protecting American citizens, is always at
the top.
So I appreciate this opportunity and look forward to
hearing from the witnesses and having the opportunity to
question them as well. Thank you.
Mr. Meehan. Thank you, Ms. Hochul.
Let me take a moment to say thank you again for our
witnesses who are here today. We are pleased to have 3
distinguished witnesses to testify on the important topics that
have been raised in the opening statements.
I have the pleasure of introducing one of those, Deborah
Meyers, who is the director of Canadian affairs in the Office
of Policy at the Department of Homeland Security. Ms. Meyers
coordinates the Department's engagement with Canada in support
of the Department's goals and collaboration with its
components, other U.S. Government agencies, and Canadian
officials.
Her portfolio includes counterterrorism and law enforcement
issues, border management, immigration, critical infrastructure
protection, and cybersecurity, and emergency preparedness. She
played a key role in the development declaration between
President Obama and Prime Minister Harper in 2011 called
``Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and
Economic Competitiveness,'' which articulates a shared approach
to security in which both countries work together to address
threats within, at, and away from our borders, while expediting
lawful trade and travel.
Ms. Meyers also helped formulate the Department's Northern
Border strategy.
Thank you for being here, Ms. Meyers.
I now recognize Ranking Member Higgins to introduce our
other 2 witnesses.
Mr. Higgins. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to introduce Mr.
Dan Neaverth, commissioner of the Erie County Emergency
Services. Mr. Neaverth has over 22 years of public safety
experience in service, with deployments to New York City
following the tragic events of 9/11, the Binghamton floods, the
crash of 3407, the 2006 October storm, and Hurricane Irene. Mr.
Neaverth has first-hand experience with communication needs in
disaster organization and recovery.
A volunteer firefighter for 22 years, Mr. Neaverth also
serves as the Orchard Park fire district chief, an adjunct
instructor for the New York State Department of Homeland
Security and Emergency Management, and the Buffalo Bills game
day emergency management coordinator.
We also are pleased to introduce Sheriff James Voutour,
sheriff of Niagara County. Mr. Voutour has been sheriff for the
past 3\1/2\ years, and he has been a law enforcement
professional for over 20 years.
Mr. Meehan. Thank you, Ranking Member Higgins.
At this point in time, I am pleased to recognize in order
the witnesses, who will testify before us today. I thank you
for your extensive written testimony that was delivered to us.
I will ask if you can do your best to try to maintain your oral
testimony, the best you can, within the 5-minute period that we
have. At the conclusion of each of your collective testimonies,
we will begin the process of asking questions.
So, Ms. Meyers, at this point in time, the Chairman
recognizes you for your testimony.
STATEMENT OF DEBORAH W. MEYERS, DIRECTOR, CANADIAN AFFAIRS,
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND
SECURITY
Ms. Meyers. Chairman Meehan, Ranking Member Higgins, and
Congressman Hochul, thank you very much for the opportunity to
provide testimony on this important and exciting subject.
As the director of Canadian affairs at the Department of
Homeland Security, I am pleased to discuss the Department's
partnership with Canada to enhance security while facilitating
lawful trade and travel.
As you have noted, our partnership with Canada is critical
to both our National and economic security. With over 5,500
miles of land, the U.S.-Canada border is the longest shared
border in the world. Over 300,000 people and $1.5 billion in
trade cross the U.S.-Canada border every day, and each country
is the other's largest trading partner.
The importance of a security and economic partnership with
Canada is particularly evident here in western New York. In
2011, over 13 million cars, buses, and trucks crossed between
the United States and Canada at the region's 4 crossings--the
Peace Bridge, the Rainbow Bridge, the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge,
and the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge.
In 2011, New York's exports to Canada topped $16 billion,
supporting thousands of U.S. jobs. Canada is also the largest
source of foreign investment in New York. Mr. Chairman, you may
find of particular interest to know that 30 percent of the
Keystone States' exports go to Canada. Pennsylvania's exports
to Canada are 3 times greater than the exports to China.
To preserve and extend the benefits of the U.S.-Canada
partnership, on February 2011, President Obama and Prime
Minister Harper released the joint declaration ``Beyond the
Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic
Competitiveness.'' This declaration was followed by a joint
Action Plan released last December, as we noted, outlining
specific initiatives to help turn the outer border vision into
a reality. The outer border commits to the United States and
Canada to pursue a perimeter approach to security working
together, within, at, and away from the borders of our 2
countries to enhance our security and to accelerate the
legitimate flow of people, goods, and services between our 2
countries.
The declaration outlines 4 key areas of cooperation--first,
addressing threats early; second, trade facilitation, economic
growth, and jobs; third, integrate cross border law
enforcement; and fourth, critical infrastructure and
cybersecurity. The Action Plan describes the specific
initiatives to advance each of these areas of cooperation.
Information and intelligence sharing support a number of
initiatives beyond the border. Specific examples include
commitments to share risk assessment targeting scenarios and
real-time notifications regarding individuals on the U.S. Watch
List; provide access to information on those who have removed
or have been refused admission or a visa from either country;
and implement a systematic and automated biometric information-
sharing capability by 2014 to reduce identify fraud and enhance
screening decisions.
Importantly, all of our information sharing under Beyond
the Border is conducted with respect for our separate
constitutional and legal frameworks. Toward this end, our
countries released the joint U.S.-Canada privacy principles in
June 2012 to guide and inform all information-sharing
activities under Beyond the Border.
The Beyond the Border Action Plan provides implementation
time frames, describes how we will measure progress, and names
the responsible agency or department for each initiative. The
White House's National security staff coordinates these efforts
within the U.S. Government, while bilateral coordination is
conducted through the Beyond the Border Executive Steering
Committee.
The U.S. and Canadian governments are committed to public
engagement and transparency and have participated in numerous
stakeholder outreach events, including one here in the Niagara
region. DHS has also solicited comments on the action for
Federal Register Notice, and continues to accept input on-line.
To ensure continued transparency, Canada and the United States
will generate a joint public annual Beyond the Border
implementation report.
The United States and Canada already have made significant
progress implementing the Beyond the Border Action Plan. For
example, in May 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and
the Canada Border Services Agency announced joint efforts to
expand and enhance the trusted traveler program NEXUS,
including opening the southbound NEXUS lane the Queenston-
Lewiston Bridge. In addition, Secretary Napolitano herself held
a consultation with business traveler stakeholders, and the
Canadian immigration ministry did the same in Toronto.
Just this month, CBD and CBSA announced the installation of
new and advanced sensor technology for the Peace Bridge and the
Queenston-Lewiston Bridge that will help measure and report
delays and relay this information to travelers. As a result,
people will be able to plan their routes better, time their
crossings, and select the bridge with the best wait times.
In conclusion, the Beyond the Border Declaration and
accompanying Action Plan provide the overarching vision to
guide U.S.-Canada bilateral cooperation.
Chairman Meehan, Ranking Member Higgins, and Congressman
Hochul, thank you again for the opportunity to provide
testimony today. I have submitted the written testimony and
respectfully ask it be made part of this hearing's official
record. I look forward to answering any questions.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Meyers follows:]
Prepared Statement of Deborah W. Meyers
July 30, 2012
Chairman Meehan, Ranking Member Higgins, and Members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony before
you today. International partnerships and agreements are an integral
part of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) efforts to combat
threats to the U.S. homeland. As the Director of Canadian Affairs at
the DHS's Office of International Affairs, I am pleased to discuss the
Department's partnership with Canada to enhance security while
facilitating lawful trade and travel.
the department of homeland security's international priorities
We live in a globalized world, connected by myriad complex
networks; a world in which the movement of people, goods, and ideas
never stops. This openness and movement fuel the tremendous
opportunities of our networked age. But, they also bring additional
security challenges. These challenges--from terrorism and violent
crime, to trafficking of humans and the smuggling of illicit goods, to
cyber threats, violent extremism, and new pandemic diseases--are
evolving rapidly and require increased collaboration among
international partners to achieve a rapid response. While the core
mission of DHS may be domestic security, its achievement depends on
efforts that extend beyond our borders.
In order to prevent threats from reaching the homeland from abroad,
we work with our international partners to try to identify, detect,
prevent, and respond to threats. Many of them threaten not only the
United States but also our allies. To this end, we work with foreign
partners to respond operationally to security threats and to share
knowledge and expertise that will ultimately improve our respective
capabilities. Assisting in this effort, DHS has personnel stationed in
over 75 different countries, and these personnel are key to
identifying, detecting, and preventing threats before they reach our
shores.
partnership with canada
Our partnership with Canada is critical to both our National and
economic security. At over 5,500 miles in length, the U.S.-Canada
border is the longest shared common border in the world and includes
both land and maritime domains. Additionally, the United States and
Canada are connected by over 120 land ports of entry. There are more
than 3,000 last points of departure flights from Canada into the United
States each week. Roughly 300,000 people and $1.5 billion in trade
cross the U.S.-Canada border every day, and each country is the other's
largest trading partner. The United States and Canada also share
critical infrastructure which includes essential border and other bi-
national economic infrastructure such as ports of entry, bridges,
pipelines, rail lines, power grids, communications networks, and water
supplies. Some communities straddle the border, with commuters who
cross the border every day to go to and from work, schools, hospitals,
and sporting events.
Of course, the importance of security and economic partnership with
Canada is particularly evident in Buffalo, New York. In 2011, over 13
million cars, busses, and trucks crossed between the United States and
Canada at the region's four crossings: Peace Bridge, Rainbow Bridge,
Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, and Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. Like the United
States more broadly, New York State's top export destination is Canada.
In 2011, New York's exports to Canada topped $16 billion, supporting
thousands of jobs. Canada is also the largest source of foreign
investment in New York.
Trade with Canada is not just important for Northern Border States.
In fact, Canada is the top export destination for 36 of the 50 States.
For example, nearly 30% of exports from Pennsylvania are destined for
Canada. Pennsylvania's exports to Canada are over three times as large
as the State's next most frequent foreign export destination, China.
Over time, both the United States and Canada have recognized our
interdependencies and shared responsibilities and have worked closely
together to expedite the secure movement of legitimate travel, while
protecting our people from common threats such as terrorism,
trafficking, and crime. For example, both the 2001 U.S.-Canada Smart
Border Accords and the 2005 Security and Prosperity Partnership of
North America demonstrated the United States' recognition that we can
achieve our security goals only through collaboration with our
neighbors and partners, and resulted in some important achievements
such as the trusted traveler program NEXUS and enhanced law enforcement
cooperation through Integrated Border Enforcement Teams. The successful
bilateral collaboration supporting the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics
thrived in areas ranging from maritime and aviation security to
infrastructure improvements and emergency preparedness provides a more
recent example.
the united states-canada beyond the border declaration and action plan
Recognizing the continued importance of the U.S.-Canada
partnership, President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper released the joint declaration, Beyond the Border: A Shared
Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, on February
4, 2011. This declaration committed the United States and Canada to
pursue a perimeter approach to security, working together within, at,
and away from the borders of our two countries to enhance our security
and accelerate the legitimate flow of people, goods, and services
between our two countries. Beyond the Border includes multiple Cabinet-
level departments, reflecting a true interagency effort within each
government and binationally.
The Beyond the Border declaration outlines four key areas of
cooperation:
Addressing Threats Early;
Trade Facilitation, Economic Growth, and Jobs;
Integrated Cross-Border Law Enforcement; and
Critical Infrastructure and Cybersecurity.
Importantly, the Beyond the Border declaration also committed our
governments to develop a joint Action Plan outlining the specific
initiatives we will undertake to realize the goals of this declaration.
Following months of deliberate and constructive work with our Canadian
partners, President Obama and Prime Minister Harper released the Beyond
the Border Action Plan on December 7, 2011. The Action Plan specifies
several initiatives in support of each of the four Key Areas of
Cooperation.
To Address Threats Early, the United States and Canada are
improving our intelligence and information sharing, and developing
joint and parallel threat assessments in order to support informed risk
management decisions. We are working together to uncover and disrupt
threats and counter violent extremism and to enhance domain awareness.
We also are enhancing our efforts to identify and screen travelers at
the earliest point possible, with a common approach, including
biometrics. This fall, we will pilot an integrated U.S.-Canada Entry-
Exit system at the land border in which documented entry into one
country serves to verify exit from the other country.
To support Trade Facilitation, Economic Growth, and Jobs, the
United States and Canada are pursuing creative and effective solutions
to manage the flow of information, goods, and people across our shared
border. We are implementing common practices and streamlined procedures
for customs processing and regulatory compliance, and expanding,
harmonizing, and automating trusted traveler and trader programs. We
are investing in modern infrastructure and technology, making our
shared border more efficient and secure, and facilitating cross-border
business travel. We are finalizing an integrated cargo security
strategy that, among other things, ensures compatible screening methods
for goods and cargo before they depart foreign ports for the United
States or Canada, and consequently, accelerate subsequent border
crossings between our two countries. Through U.S.-Canada port of entry
committees, we are promoting collaboration between our Government
officials on overall port management. We also intend to negotiate an
agreement to allow for preclearance operations in the land, rail, and
sea modes as well as update the existing air preclearance agreement.
To advance Integrated Cross-Border Law Enforcement, we will deploy
regularized Shiprider operations in which U.S. and Canadian officials
jointly patrol our shared waterways. Building on the successes of
Shiprider as well as Integrated Border Enforcement Teams and Border
Enforcement Security Taskforces, we intend to develop the next
generation of integrated cross-border law enforcement operations, and
pursue National security and transnational crime investigations
together. To support these bilateral law enforcement efforts, we are
advancing greater law enforcement interoperability and information
sharing between our countries.
In order to jointly safeguard our Critical Infrastructure and
Cybersecurity, we are working together to prevent, respond to, and
recover from physical and cyber disruptions of critical infrastructure,
including creating U.S.-Canada opportunities for joint risk analysis
and conducting joint outreach with stakeholders. We are also
strengthening our resilience to threats and hazards that both our
nations face, including further enhancing our collective preparedness
and response capacity to a range of health security threats and natural
and man-made disasters.
Information and Intelligence Sharing Under the Beyond the Border Action
Plan
Information and intelligence sharing support a number of
initiatives in the Beyond the Border Action Plan. Importantly, all of
our information-sharing work under the Beyond the Border Action Plan is
being conducted with respect for our separate constitutional and legal
frameworks that protect privacy, civil liberties, and human rights and
provide for appropriate recourse and redress. The Beyond the Border
Action Plan committed our countries to developing joint United States-
Canada Privacy Principles, which were released in June 2012. The United
States-Canada Privacy Principles inform and guide information and
intelligence sharing under the Beyond the Border Action Plan. These
joint principles reflect the shared commitment of the United States and
Canada to protecting privacy consistent with each country's domestic
laws. Responsible sharing not only demonstrates respect for citizens'
privacy and civil liberties but also facilitates and promotes the flow
of accurate, relevant, and necessary information to address threats to
national security and conduct law enforcement.
Areas of work include:
Addressing agency policies that may improve information
sharing by developing clear channels or mechanisms for cross-
border sharing of intelligence and information;
Promoting increased informal sharing of law enforcement
intelligence, information, and evidence through police and
prosecutorial channels, consistent with the respective domestic
laws of each country; and
Examining whether current frameworks should be changed to
address impediments to cooperation, and to ensure that the
terms of applicable laws, agreements and treaties provide the
widest measure of cooperation possible.
Specific examples of information-sharing initiatives under the
Beyond the Border Action Plan include commitments to:
Share risk assessment/targeting scenarios, and enhance real-
time notifications regarding the arrival of individuals on U.S.
security watch lists;
Provide access to information on those who have been removed
or who have been refused admission or a visa from either
country, including those with criminal convictions; and
Implement a systematic and automated biographic information
sharing capability by 2013 and biometric information-sharing
capability by 2014 to reduce identity fraud and enhance
screening decisions, and support other administrative and
enforcement actions.
Together, these initiatives will help improve immigration and
border determinations, establish and verify the identities of
travelers, and conduct screening at the earliest point possible.
Oversight and Implementation of the Beyond the Border Action Plan
The Beyond the Border Action Plan provides implementation time
frames, describes how we will measure progress, and names a responsible
agency or Department for each initiative. Numerous U.S. agencies and
Departments are involved in implementing the Beyond the Border Action
Plan, including the Departments of State, Justice, Agriculture, and
Transportation. However, DHS and its component agencies are the U.S.
lead for a majority of the Beyond the Border initiatives. The National
Security Staff coordinates these efforts within the U.S. Government
while bilateral management and oversight of the Action Plan's
implementation is conducted through the Beyond the Border Executive
Steering Committee, which includes senior-level representation from
multiple U.S. agencies and their Canadian counterparts.
The U.S. and Canadian governments are also committed to public
engagement and transparency. The input and cooperation of public and
private-sector stakeholders are key as the U.S. Government moves
forward with this ambitious Action Plan. Since the December 2011
announcement of the Beyond the Border Action Plan, the United States
and Canada have participated in numerous stakeholder outreach events,
including in Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York; Detroit, Michigan;
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Helena and Missoula, Montana; Cleveland, Ohio;
Bellingham and Seattle, Washington; Washington, DC; Calgary, Alberta;
Ottawa, Ontario; Toronto, Ontario; Montreal, Quebec; and Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan. DHS also has solicited comments on the Beyond the Border
Action Plan through a Federal Register Notice posted in December 2011,
and the Department continues to accept input on-line at
[email protected]. The feedback and comments received, both
in-person at outreach events, through correspondence, and on-line, are
helping to inform the implementation efforts. All of the Beyond the
Border-related documents and announcements are available on-line at
www.dhs.gov/beyond-the-border.
Finally, to ensure continued transparency, Canada and the United
States will generate a joint, public annual Beyond the Border
Implementation Report, which will be issued yearly during the 3-year
period set out in the Leaders' February 4, 2011 Declaration, with the
expectation of continuation. The first such annual report will be
released by December 31, 2012.
Early Accomplishments Under the Beyond the Border Action Plan
The United States and Canada already have made significant progress
in implementing the Beyond the Border Action Plan since December 2011.
For example, as previously mentioned, the United States-Canada Joint
Privacy Principles were publicly released in June 2012.
In February 2012, Canada began recognizing NEXUS members for
trusted traveler lanes at passenger pre-board screening points for
flights from Canada to the United States. This initiative decreases
screening time for trusted travelers departing Canada for the United
States by as much as 70%. The U.S. Transportation Security
Administration's (TSA) intends to provide a similar benefit to trusted
travelers departing the United States to Canada following the full
implementation of the PreCheckTM program.
In May 2012, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Canada
Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced joint efforts to expand and
enhance the trusted traveler program NEXUS, including conducting
enrollment blitzes, implementing an expedited renewal process, and
creating a plan to expand NEXUS lanes and booths at key ports of entry.
Initial steps include reducing the backlog of NEXUS applicants in
Ottawa, deploying a new trusted traveler kiosk at Billy Bishop Toronto
City Airport, and opening a NEXUS lane at the Queenston/Lewiston
Bridge. In May and June of this year, CBSA and CBP enrolled more than
1,000 new members into the NEXUS program.
Also, CBSA has announced it will extend NEXUS membership
eligibility to citizens of Canada currently residing abroad, or who
have recently returned to Canada. The United States amended this
requirement in 2009. CBP and CBSA also announced the installation of
new and advanced sensor technology at the Peace Bridge and Queenston-
Lewiston Bridge that will help measure and report delays, and relay
this information to travelers. As a result, people will be able to plan
their routes better, time their crossing, and select the bridge with
the best wait times.
Furthermore, in May, TSA and Transport Canada also announced mutual
recognition of our respective air cargo security programs, eliminating
rescreening except for cause. Cargo shipped on passenger aircraft will
be screened at the point of origin and will not need to be rescreened
at the border or prior to upload in the other country, thereby
increasing the efficiency of screening and reducing the burden on
industry.
Also in May, DHS released the Considerations for United States-
Canada Border Traffic Disruption Management guide. This guide outlines
best practices and identifies critical issues to consider when
developing or updating traffic management plans to ensure they are
tailored to address regional requirements and individual border
crossings. Following this, in June DHS released the Compendium of U.S.-
Canada Emergency Management Assistance Mechanisms, which summarizes
National-level acts, agreements, frameworks, guidance, plans, and
procedures for emergency response operations, communication and
coordination, preparedness, and recovery.
By the end of 2011, CBP and CBSA established joint Port of Entry
Committees at the 20 largest land border ports of entry, and in June
2012, they announced the establishment of similar committees at the
eight Canadian airports at which CBP conducts preclearance. The
committees help facilitate legitimate cross-border trade and travel and
promote collaboration on overall port management, by, for example,
identifying specific initiatives to improve border management and
efficiency.
In June 2012, the Canadian Parliament passed legislation
permanently authorizing the Shiprider program. Under Shiprider, U.S.
and Canadian authorities jointly patrol shared waterways such as the
Great Lakes, thereby removing the maritime border as an impediment to
law enforcement.
In July, the Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection
Service and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced the
completion of plans to initiate a pilot project in September on import
re-inspection activities for fresh meat. This project will consider
alternative methods for reviewing import documents prior to the
shipment's arrival at the U.S. border and alternative methods for
release of shipments that are destined for further processing at a Food
Safety and Inspection Service official establishment.
Other key initiatives are scheduled to be implemented by the end of
2012, including:
Implementing an entry-exit pilot project at two to four
automated common land border ports of entry, such that a record
of entry into one country could be considered as a record of an
exit from the other;
Completing the first-ever Joint Border Infrastructure
Investment Plan, which will help ensure mutual understanding of
available funding for targeted projects and the schedule,
scope, and responsibilities for those projects;
Launching pilot programs to validate and shape the
implementation of the Integrated Cargo Security Strategy, with
an aim toward resolving security and contraband concerns as
early as possible in the supply chain or at the perimeter.
Updating the existing air preclearance agreement and
negotiating a preclearance agreement in the land, rail, and
marine modes to provide the legal framework and reciprocal
authorities necessary for CBP and CBSA to effectively carry out
their security, facilitation, and inspection processes in the
other country.
dhs northern border strategy
Finally, I want to briefly discuss the DHS Northern Border
Strategy, released in June 2012. The DHS Northern Border Strategy is
the first unified DHS strategy to guide the Department's polices and
operations at the U.S.-Canada border. It takes a Department-wide look
at the Northern Border and considers all of DHS's authorities,
responsibilities, and capabilities to describe a cross-cutting, all-
missions approach. It is consistent with and will help advance the
bilateral initiatives outlined in the Beyond the Border Action Plan.
The DHS Northern Border Strategy identifies three key goals:
Deterring and preventing terrorism and smuggling,
trafficking, and illegal immigration;
Safeguarding and encouraging the efficient flow of lawful
trade, travel, and immigration; and
Ensuring community resiliency before, during, and after
terrorist attacks and other disasters.
To accomplish these goals, DHS will utilize five means and methods:
Partnerships;
Information, intelligence, interdictions, and
investigations;
Technology;
Infrastructure; and
Personnel.
The DHS Northern Border Strategy recognizes that partnerships with
Canada are particularly critical for enhancing Northern Border
security. By articulating key goals and the means and methods to be
used to achieve those goals, the DHS Northern Border Strategy enables
the Department to be a better partner in implementing the Beyond the
Border Action Plan.
conclusion
The proximity of Canada to the United States, the large flows of
goods and people between our two countries, and the intertwined nature
of our economies, communities, and the security of our citizens require
that bilateral security cooperation remain a U.S. priority. The Beyond
the Border Declaration and accompanying Action Plan provide the
overarching vision to guide U.S.-Canada bilateral cooperation. This
initiative has already and will continue to yield important security
and trade and travel benefits for the American public. DHS is committed
to working with partners in and outside of government on both sides of
the border to see through its implementation.
Chairman Meehan, Ranking Member Higgins, and Members of the
subcommittee, let me conclude by reiterating my appreciation for the
opportunity to provide testimony today. I look forward to answering any
questions.
Mr. Meehan. Thank you, Ms. Meyers.
At this point in time, Commissioner Neaverth, we would look
forward to your testimony.
STATEMENT OF DANIEL J. NEAVERTH, JR., COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT
OF EMERGENCY SERVICES, ERIE COUNTY, NEW YORK
Mr. Neaverth. Chairman Meehan, Ranking Member Higgins, and,
of course, Committee Member Hochul. I am Daniel J. Neaverth
Jr., Commissioner of the Erie County Department of Emergency
Services, and I want to thank you for the opportunity to
testify and submit for the record regarding cross-border
initiatives, collaborative homeland security efforts, and
intelligence sharing.
The Buffalo, Erie, and Niagara Urban Area Security
Initiative, under the leadership of its three co-chairs,
facilitate the direction of our homeland security efforts
consistent with Presidential directives.
Homeland security efforts in our community feature numerous
partners and key stakeholders. Local, county, State, and
Federal agencies gather routinely to discuss best practices,
intelligence updates, and training initiatives.
Even before the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the
first response agencies of western New York worked in a
collaborative effort to train, equip, and respond as a region.
We count among these partners the Niagara Region of Canada. Our
International Joint Commission has resulted in the cross-border
contingency plan. Now this cross-border contingency plan is
very historic. As a matter of fact, the joint tradition has
resulted in the plan itself and its agreement in North America
is the first of its kind. The signatures on this document
represent a common goal between the Niagara Region of Canada,
including all of its municipal entities, the City of Buffalo,
and the Counties of Erie as well as Niagara.
Now the primary focus of the agreement is to expedite
appropriate resources in times, and even before times, of
crisis, and to focus those energies where they are needed. A
secondary benefit is a regularly-scheduled grass-roots dialogue
between international partners often missed on the Federal
level. I am happy to announce that Sean Herbert, who is the
associate director of regional emergency planning, was part of
that as co-chair, is in the room with us here today, and he is
happy to be a part of this effort.
Well, these efforts have resulted in maximizing collective
talents regardless of jurisdiction. The project has led to
cross-border exercises, planning events, and facilitation of
our Canadian counterparts in Homeland Security trainings that
were previously limited to U.S. citizens.
One particular effort that I take great pride in has been
the cross-training of personnel in the incident command system,
as well as hazardous materials. This partnership has resulted
in a timely notification during incidents and, more recently,
investment in a common emergency management platform known as
Disaster LAN or DLAN.
As for intelligence gathering, I requested that one of our
partner agencies update me on the current cross-border
initiatives. I hope you fully appreciate the fact that my
department does not have as a key mission an intelligence
component, but that we are kept in the loop and updated on key
issues and concerns several times per week. My inquiry was with
New York State Investigator Fred Andriaccio. He is with Troop
A's counterterrorism unit.
Investigator Andriaccio commented that his group, and I
quote, ``They're actively involved in several cross-border
intelligence and information-sharing initiatives, including
Canadian and American law enforcement organizations, CALEO, a
monthly meeting that brings together numerous law enforcement
agencies from both sides of the border, meeting 1 month in
Canada, and the next month they come back to the United States.
We also sponsor a very well-attended educational training
summit each year. The New York State Police counterterrorism
unit, they hold counterterrorism meetings, and law enforcement
and emergency response agencies are all invited.'' There are
more details in my statement.
Now I attended their 2012 counterterrorism conference held
at the First Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo. There was
excellence in attendance. It was attended by not only our
Canadian partners from law enforcement, but other emergency
management branches as well.
Now some of our key homeland security-funded initiatives
include a 400-MHz interoperable platform. This allows our fire
agencies in Erie County to communicate with each other on a
common spectrum. Our mobile operations command vehicles serve
as a regional resource allowing numerous agencies in and out of
Erie County the tools for a more effective management of
command and control during prolonged incidents and planned
events.
Currently our 9-1-1 system is being updated. Thank you for
the homeland security funding for that. The critical upgrade
will enhance all public safety answering points in the county
with more accurate dispatch.
One of Erie's that is a Homeland Security funding that I
think has been absolutely tremendous has been in the area of
the western district incident management team. The team
consists of Federal Emergency Management Agency-trained
personnel from a 10-county region of the western New York area.
This, when requested, responds to disasters within the State,
assisting local, county, and State agencies with emergency
management, incident command solutions, and incident action
plan development. The team has already deployed to several
disasters, including last year's devastating floods following
Hurricane Irene, the 2010 Gowanda floods, and of course the
crash of flight 3407.
The list of accomplishments is incredible. The partnerships
are priceless. Of course, concerns about the reduction funding
to urban area security groups--many of these projects have
reoccurring maintenance costs, calibration issues, and
personnel budget lines tied directly to the life of that grant.
The co-chairs of the BEN region fully appreciate the
current economic environment, and we realize that everybody
must feel the pain. But we question the decisions to depart
from the established threats and critical infrastructure-based
criteria. A short drive from this facility, as you noted, you
will find our international crossings, the economic arteries of
North America. You will also find the engine that powers the
Northeast.
I will wrap things up now and conclude my comments here.
With millions of homeland security dollars being dedicated to
interoperable projects and tighter and tighter spend-down time
tables, one area we would like to focus on is the FCC. They are
extremely accommodating, and the Federal agencies on both sides
of the border are aware of this. However, we have some major
needs and major concerns with the licensing of these
frequencies as it relates to cross-border. I can get more into
that with my testimony if you would like.
Chairman Meehan, Ranking Member Higgins, and Subcommittee
Member Hochul, let me conclude by reiterating my appreciation
for the opportunity to provide testimony today. The first
responders of western New York have repeatedly answered the
call. They have faced man-made horrors of Ground Zero with our
brothers and sisters in New York City and the wrath of Mother
Nature. Sustained funding for equipping and training these
individuals is critical to that mission. I thank you for your
time and look forward to answering any of your questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Neaverth follows:]
Prepared Statement of Daniel J. Neaverth, Jr.
July 30, 2012
Chairman Meehan, Ranking Member Higgins, and Members of the
committee: I am Daniel J. Neaverth, Jr., Commissioner of the Erie
County Department of Emergency Services. Thank you for the opportunity
to testify and submit testimony for the record regarding cross-border
initiatives, collaborative homeland security efforts, and intelligence
sharing.
The Buffalo, Erie, and Niagara Urban Area Security Initiative
(UASI) under the leadership of its three co-chairs, facilitate the
direction of our Homeland Security efforts consistent with Presidential
Directives. Homeland Security efforts in our community feature numerous
partners and key stakeholders. Local, county, State, and Federal
agencies routinely gather for discussions on best practices,
intelligence updates, and training initiatives.
Even before the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the first
response agencies of Western New York have worked in a collaborative
environment to train, equip, and respond as a region. We count among
these partners the Niagara Region of Canada. Our International Joint
Commission (IJC) has resulted in the Cross-Border Contingency Plan, a
historic first-of-its-kind agreement in North America. The signatures
on this document represent a common goal between the Niagara Region of
Canada including all of their municipal entities, the City of Buffalo,
and the Counties of Niagara and Erie. The primary focus of the
agreement, expedite appropriate resources in times of crisis regardless
of the imaginary lines we define as borders. A secondary benefit is a
regularly-scheduled grass-roots dialogue between international partners
often missed at the Federal level.
These efforts have resulted in maximizing collective talents
regardless of jurisdiction. This project has lead to cross-border
exercises, planning events, and facilitation of our Canadian
counterparts in Homeland Security trainings previously limited to U.S.
citizens. One particular effort that I take great pride in has been the
cross-training of personnel in the Incident Command System and
hazardous materials. This partnership has resulted in timely
notifications during incidents and more recently, investment in a
common emergency management platform known as Disaster Lan or DLAN.
As for intelligence gathering I requested that one of our partner
agencies update me on the current cross-border initiatives. I hope you
appreciate the fact that my department doesn't have as our key mission
an intelligence component but that we are kept in the loop and updated
on key issues and concerns several times per week. My inquiry was
directed to investigator, Fred Andriaccio, Troop A Counter-Terrorism
Unit.
Investigator Andriaccio commented that his group is:
`` . . . actively involved in several cross-border intelligence and
information-sharing initiatives including the Canadian American Law
Enforcement Organization (CALEO), a monthly meeting that brings
together numerous LE agencies from both sides of the border, meeting 1
month in Canada, the next in the United States. We also sponsor a very
well-attended educational training summit each year; this year it was
in Buffalo, NY. The purpose is to network with agencies from across the
border, as well as our own Law Enforcement partners, sharing
intelligence information and educational training initiatives.
``Another group is the Integrated Border Enforcement Teams (IBET) of
which our Partnership Purpose and Goal is increasing the effectiveness
of the Smart Border Action Plan signed by the U.S. Attorney General and
the Canadian Solicitor General in December 2001. The IBET GIS Work
Group was formed to support IBET's mission of securing the U.S./
Canadian border by facilitating partnerships such as the Land Use/Land
Cover (LULC) The LULC data and the partnerships developed through this
project will support a joint Common Operational Picture (COP) that
involves multiple law enforcement agencies.
``In our New York State Police Counterterrorism Unit, we hold
Counterterrorism Zone meetings, and the Canadian Law Enforcement and
Emergency Response agencies are always invited.''
I attended the 2012 Counterterrorism Conference, held at the First
Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo. There was excellent attendance by
our Canadian brothers and sisters in law enforcement and emergency
responders. I would like to thank Investigator Andriaccio and note that
my request for updates on his cross-border projects and his prompt
reply, should serve to reinforce the cooperation that exists among all
of our agencies.
Some of our key Homeland Security-funded initiatives include, a
400-MHz interoperable platform allowing all fire agencies in Erie
County to communicate with each other on a common spectrum. Our mobile
operations command vehicles serve as a regional resource allowing
numerous agencies in and out of Erie County the tools to more
efficiently manage command and control during prolonged incidents and
planned events. Currently our 9-1-1 system is being updated. This
critical upgrade will enhance all public safety answering points in the
county with more accurate dispatch information. Funds have been
dedicated to improve surveillance, detection update all hazard plans,
plus equipment and train our first responder on the latest tactics.
Your Homeland Security funding efforts have allowed us to create
the Western District Incident Management Team (IMT). This team consists
of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-trained personnel from a
10-county region of Western New York. The team when requested responds
to disasters within the State, assisting local, county, and State
agencies with emergency management, incident command solutions and
incident action plan development. The team has already deployed to
several disasters, including last year's devastating floods following
Hurricane Irene; the 2010 Gowanda, New York floods; and closer to home,
the crash of Flight 3407.
The list of accomplishments is impressive; the partnerships,
priceless. Of concern however is the reduction of funded Urban Area
Security groups. Many of these projects have reoccurring maintenance
costs, calibration issues and personnel budget lines tied directly to
the life of the grant. The co-chairs of the BEN region fully appreciate
the current economic environment and the realization that everyone
needs to share in reductions. We question the decision to depart from
the established threat and critical infrastructure-based criteria. A
short drive from this facility you will find our international
crossings, the economic arteries of North America. You will also find
the engine that powers the Northeast.
An area in need of better collaboration on the Federal level
involves the approval of Federal Communication Commission (FCC)
licenses for first response agencies bordering Canada. Currently an
agency, in addition to the traditional FCC application, must wait for
cross-border approval so as to avoid potential interference. Whereas I
fully appreciate the need for communication channels to be vetted, the
time frame for acceptance is excessive. Oftentimes, despite a clear
demonstration of negative interference, licenses are denied. Erie
County applied for 400-MHz approval to activate our MED channels early
in 2011. We have yet to receive approval. The end result, a key
component of our county-wide system designed to assist in ambulance
tracking, mass casualty tactical operations and hospital status,
remains silent.
With millions of homeland security dollars being dedicated to
interoperable projects and tighter and tighter spend-down time tables,
it's imperative that constructive dialogue begin on rectifying this
cross-border public safety issue.
The FCC has been extremely accommodating and Federal agencies on
both sides of the border are aware, however this needs to be front and
center on everyone's radar. It's a large border with thousands of
agencies seeking a more efficient means of approval. Improvements in
our ability to detect, deter, and respond shouldn't be negatively
impacted by a lack of dialogue.
Chairman Meehan, Ranking Member Higgins, and Members of the
subcommittee, let me conclude by reiterating my appreciation for the
opportunity to provide testimony today. The first responders of Western
New York have repeatedly answered the call. They faced the man-made
horrors of Ground Zero with our brothers and sisters in New York and
the wrath of Mother Nature. Sustained funding for equipping and
training of these individuals is critical to that mission. I thank you
for your time and look forward to answering any questions.
Mr. Meehan. Thank you, Commissioner. I am grateful for your
testimony.
Sheriff Voutour--is that how it----
Sheriff Voutour. That is correct, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Meehan. Voutour, thank you. I appreciate your being
here today, and look forward to your testimony. Sheriff
Voutour.
STATEMENT OF JAMES R. VOUTOUR, SHERIFF, NIAGARA COUNTY, NEW
YORK
Sheriff Voutour. Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of
the subcommittee, my name is James Voutour. I am the elected
sheriff of Niagara County, New York. I have been a law
enforcement professional for the past 20 years and sheriff for
the past 3\1/2\ years.
As the chief law enforcement official of Niagara County, I
am responsible for keeping the peace and protecting the
citizens of Niagara County. It is my honor to be asked to
testify here today, and I thank you for that privilege. I will
try to make my testimony a little bit more specific to Niagara
County, although we are a response partner with Erie County and
the Buffalo region.
As you know, Niagara County is located in the northwest
corner of New York State. The combined population for the
Buffalo-Niagara region is 1.35 million, and that is before a
single tourist sets foot in our area. What is unique about our
county is that we share an international border with Canada to
our west, to our north, and a small portion to our south. In
total, there are approximately 40 miles of international border
we are charged with protecting in Niagara County.
We are host to one of the wonders of the world with Niagara
Falls, which attracts millions of tourists from around the
world yearly. We have 3 international ports of entry in Niagara
County as we have heard today--the Rainbow Bridge, the
Whirlpool Bridge, and the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. These
bridges account for a large portion of the traffic into the
United States and are among the most active bridges in the
entire country.
More than 13 million people cross these bridges into the
Buffalo-Niagara area on an annual basis. There are 7,000
commercial vehicles crossing the international bridges on a
daily basis. A single, significant incident occurring on any of
these bridges could result in a Nation-wide hardening of all
international traffic, resulting in an immediate economic
impact throughout North America.
I mention our international bridges first for good reason.
Niagara County sits just 30 miles south of the Greater Toronto
area. The Greater Toronto area is home to nearly 6 million
people, of which nearly half are immigrants. The population in
and around Toronto continues to grow at a rapid pace, making
Toronto one of the most multicultural cities on face of the
earth.
Toronto has become a destination for refugees from strife-
torn countries in the Middle East. Many of these citizens
travel across our international bridges on a regular basis to
take advantage of comparatively lower prices with less tax at
our shopping malls, and they continue on to northeast cities
such as New York and Washington, DC.
Local law enforcement is the second line of defense in
supporting Federal agencies, such as Customs and Border
Protection and the Border Patrol, in their mission of ensuring
that all those desiring entry into the United States are both
properly screened and vetted at our established ports of
entries.
Niagara County is also home to the Niagara Power Project,
the largest producer of electricity in New York State,
generating 2.4 million kilowatts of power. The economic impact
of a terrorist attack at the Niagara Power Plant would be
catastrophic not only for New York, but also for the entire
northeast and Canada.
The Buffalo-Niagara region has long been home to a number
of plants in the electro, petro, and chemical industry. There
are more than 50 facilities that produce, store, and ship
extremely hazardous materials in the Niagara region alone.
These materials are transported daily and throughout the region
by truck and train, making the area vulnerable to a
catastrophic event.
The mission of the Buffalo/Erie, Niagara Urban Area Work
Group is to maximize the efforts of jurisdictions located in
the Buffalo, Erie, and Niagara areas to prevent, prepare,
respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism, including
weapons of mass destruction and naturally occurring
catastrophic events.
UASI funding has allowed us to train, equip, practice, and
prepare for such events described in our mission statement. Our
expertise was put to the test with the crash of flight 3407,
the Gowanda floods of 2009, and the October storm of 2006. The
funding has allowed Niagara County to participate in regional
and Federal task forces throughout our region.
Our sheriff's office currently assigns full-time
investigators to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. The FBI
regional computer forensics lab, the Buffalo Office of the
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Army Counterintelligence
Unit, and Customs and Border Protection, also assign members to
our Niagara County Drug Task Force.
I cannot stress enough the importance I place on having the
ability to assign my staff to these task forces to protect our
region. You may remember the arrests and convictions of the
Lackawanna Six in the spring of 2002. This discovery and arrest
was a direct result of the JTTF here in Buffalo, and a Niagara
County sheriff's investigator played an important key role in
that investigation.
Mr. Chairman, the continuing success of the task force
needs three key pieces. First, we must have a dedicated pool of
experienced law enforcement officials. Second, we need highly-
trained law enforcement leadership. Third, the financial
resources that the Federal Government can provide.
Niagara County is facing a shrinking budget once again in
2013. The recent elimination of the Buffalo-Niagara UASI group
greatly diminishes the ability to protect our borders. We need
to continue to plan, equip, and practice to protect our
citizens. We also need to continue to improve our interoperable
communications for our first responders and build fusion
centers with our Canadian partners to share not only
intelligence, but real-time intelligence. I fear that these
financial cuts will quickly bring the Buffalo-Niagara region
back into pre-9/11 times.
Mr. Chairman, I applaud your committee for the work you
have embarked on to protect our borders. Your support in
Washington is greatly needed and greatly appreciated by the
Buffalo/Niagara region. I believe that if we work together, we
will be able to uphold our oath to serve and protect, and the
Buffalo-Niagara group will be able to fulfill our mission
statement. Thank you for the opportunity to address this
committee.
I would like to close with a quote from our President: ``We
cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the
National security objectives that we've set. We've got have a
civilian National security force that's just as powerful, just
as strong, just as well-funded.''
Mr. Chairman, my partners here are your civilian National
security force. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Sheriff Voutour follows:]
Prepared Statement of Sheriff James R. Voutour
July 30, 2012
Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of the subcommittee, I am
James R. Voutour, the elected sheriff of Niagara County, New York. I
have been a law enforcement professional for the past 20 years and
sheriff for the past 3\1/2\ years. As the chief law enforcement
official in Niagara County, I am responsible for keeping the peace and
protecting the citizens of Niagara County. It is my honor to be asked
to testify here today, and I thank you for the privilege.
As you know, Niagara County is located in the northwest corner of
New York State. The combined population for the Buffalo-Niagara region
is 1.35 million before a single tourist enters the region. What is
unique about our county is that we share an international border with
Canada to our west, to our north, and a small portion to our south. In
total, there are approximately 40 miles of international border we are
charged with protecting. We are host to one of the wonders of the world
with Niagara Falls, attracting millions of tourists from around the
world yearly. We have 3 international ports of entry in Niagara County:
the Rainbow Bridge, the Whirlpool Bridge, and the Lewiston-Queenston
Bridge. These bridges account for a large portion of traffic into the
United States and are among the most active bridges in the country.
More than 14 million people cross the bridges into the Buffalo-Niagara
area on an annual basis. There are 7,000 commercial vehicles crossing
the international bridges on a daily basis. A single, significant
incident occurring on any of these bridges would result in a Nation-
wide ``hardening'' of all international traffic, resulting in an
immediate economic impact throughout North America.
I mention our international bridges first for good reason. Niagara
County sits just 30 miles south of the Greater Toronto area. The
Greater Toronto area is home to nearly 6 million people, of which
nearly half are recent immigrants. The population in and around Toronto
continues to grow at a rapid pace making Toronto one of the most multi-
cultural cities on Earth. Toronto has also become the destination for
refugees from strife-torn countries in the Middle East. Many of these
citizens travel across our international bridges on a regular basis to
take advantage of comparatively lower prices and less tax at our
shopping malls and to continue on to northeast cities such as New York
and Washington, DC. Local law enforcement is the second line of defense
in supporting Federal agencies such as Custom and Border Protection and
Border Patrol in their mission of insuring that all those desiring
entry to the United States are properly screened at our established
ports of entry. The loss of UASI funding will greatly diminish our
ability to maintain this working relation, particularly with our
Canadian partners.
Niagara County is also home to the Niagara Power Project, the
largest producer of electricity in New York State, generating 2.4
million kilowatts of power. The economic impact of a terrorist attack
at the Niagara Power Plant would be catastrophic for not only New York,
but also the entire Northeast and Canada. The Buffalo-Niagara region
has long been home to a large number of plants in the electro-petro-
chemical industry. There are more than 50 facilities that produce,
store, and ship extremely hazardous materials in our region alone.
These materials are transported daily throughout the region by truck
and train making the area vulnerable to a catastrophic event.
The mission of the Buffalo/Erie/Niagara Urban Area Work Group is to
maximize the efforts of jurisdictions located in the Buffalo, Erie, and
Niagara areas to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from
acts of terrorism and events involving weapons of mass destruction and
naturally occurring catastrophic events.
UASI funding has allowed our region to train, equip, practice, and
prepare for such events described in our mission statement. Our
expertise was put to the test with the crash of flight 3407, the
Gowanda floods of 2009, and the October storm of 2006. The funding also
allows Niagara County to participate in regional, Federal tasks forces
throughout the region. Our sheriff's office currently assigns full-time
investigators to the Buffalo FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the
FBI's regional computer forensics lab, the Buffalo Office of the Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the FBI's cyber task force. Conversely,
the Buffalo Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), the Army
Counter-Intelligence Unit and Customs and Border Protection all assign
an agent to the Niagara County Drug Task Force. I cannot stress enough
the importance I place on having the ability to assign my staff to
these task forces to protect our region. You may remember the arrest
and conviction of the Lackawanna Six in the spring of 2002. This
discovery and arrest was a direct result of the JTTF task force and a
Niagara County Sheriff's Investigator played a key role in the
investigation.
Mr. Chairman, the continuing success of this task force needs three
key pieces. First, we must have a dedicated pool of highly experienced
local law enforcement officials; second, we need highly skilled
leadership, and third, the financial resources that the Federal
Government can provide. Niagara County is facing a shrinking budget
once again in 2013. The recent elimination of the Buffalo-Niagara UASI
group greatly diminishes the ability to protect our borders. We need to
continue to plan, equip, and practice to protect our citizens. We also
need to continue to improve inter-operable communications for our first
responders and build fusion centers with our Canadian partners to share
real-time intelligence. I fear that these financial cuts will quickly
bring the Buffalo-Niagara region back into pre-9/11 times.
Mr. Chairman, I applaud the committee for the work you have
embarked on to protect our borders. Your support in Washington is
greatly needed and appreciated by the Buffalo/Niagara region. I believe
that if we work together, we will be able to uphold our oath to serve
and protect and the Buffalo-Niagara group will be able to fulfill its
mission statement. Thank you for the opportunity to address this
committee. I will close with a quote from President Obama.
``We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to
achieve the National security objectives that we've set. We've got to
have a civilian National security force that's just as powerful, just
as strong, just as well-funded.'' Mr. Chairman and Members of Congress,
we are your civilian National security force. Thank you.
Mr. Meehan. Thank you, Sheriff, for your testimony. Thanks
to each of our witnesses not only for your testimony, but for
your service. We must be getting ready for a new form of
testimony. Nobody knows what is going to come on that screen,
huh? There is not something we are waiting for, is there, on
the screen? Okay.
Ms. Hochul. Live Olympics.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Meehan. Yeah, this is a swimming--yeah. Well, thank you
for your testimony, and thank you again, as I said, for your
service to our country.
I will now recognize myself for 5 minutes of questioning.
Ms. Meyers, I appreciate the work that you have done, a lot
of the work that has been trend-setting in Beyond the Borders.
We enjoy a special relationship with our neighbors from Canada,
and one which has been steeped in a long tradition of
friendship and cooperation. But, of course, we have both
realized the threats to our homelands and the unique
relationship that Canada shares in the form of its ties back to
Europe and other places. As was testified by the sheriff, it
has become, Toronto in particular, a location of which there
has been a significant amount of people from around the world
who have traveled to Canada for a variety of reasons, but not
the least of which is, you know, hoping for a better life.
In the work that you have done in Beyond the Borders, can
you tell me what has happened in the form of increasing the
ability for us to share intelligence information about threats
that could emanate from either side, but more often we believe
it is likely to emanate from somebody who is using Canada as a
method to try to gain entrance into the United States?
So what has been done to enhance that? What are the
barriers to continuing or increased communication or
information sharing, intelligence sharing in our relationship?
Ms. Meyers. Chairman Meehan, thank you for that question.
As you noted in your opening remarks, one of the elements of
the Beyond the Border initiative is working together within,
at, and away from our borders to address threats in the
earliest way possible. This is where information sharing is
absolutely critical. As Prime Minister Harper noted, a threat
to one country is a threat to both countries.
So there are a number of specific items in the Beyond the
Border Action Plan that address this, including working
together to develop a shared understanding of the threat,
working together on joint threat and risk assessments,
collaborating to enhance awareness, and working together to
understand each other's legal systems so that we can be sure
that we can share the information that is necessary, that is
accurate and timely. Thank you.
Mr. Meehan. Could you talk a little bit about that, because
that is one of the issues. Is there any unique concerns with
regard to privacy or access to information that serves as a
barrier to effective intelligence sharing with our friends and
colleagues in Canada?
Ms. Meyers. There is actually, sir, a very robust
relationship between intelligence communities in both countries
and the law enforcement officials in both countries as we have
heard today. So that collaboration is on-going.
It is not an accident that one of the earliest deliverables
in the Beyond the Border Action Plan was the joint statement on
privacy principles to ensure that everyone understood that we
take seriously the commitment to privacy that each country has,
and to be very explicit about our commitment to ensure that
there is a specific purpose for the information sharing, that
that information is accurate, that it is timely, that it is
used only by those who have a need to know, and that there is
transparency and oversight of that process, and that there is
redress during the process. So that is absolutely critical, and
it will inform all the information-sharing networks.
Mr. Meehan. Thank you. Let me ask both the commissioner and
the sheriff, from your experience from a local perspective. I
had the good fortune prior to this point in time in service to
have been appointed as a United States attorney and served with
my good friends, Mike Battle and Terry Flynn. I know that the
same position is in good hands here now in Buffalo, New York.
But it was during a period of time in which we were dealing
with the threat of terrorism.
One of the big inroads that was made was the creation of
the Joint Terrorist Task Forces. So now you are in a unique
circumstance. We often have enough difficulty where I am from
just making sure New York, and New Jersey, and Pennsylvania,
and Delaware are communicating effectively enough across State
borders.
Are you able to include within your network sufficiently
your partners from Canada? I know that there has been some
cooperation with the Coast Guard and the Canadian folks with
controlling some of those. But are there impediments or
opportunities with regard to real participation on both sides
of the borders, either our folks in Canada or Canadian
colleagues working with us here in the United States?
Commissioner or Sheriff, if you would like to answer that
first? Commissioner Neaverth.
Mr. Neaverth. I can tell you that the collaborative
efforts, and I tried to address it in my opening comments, that
the collaborative efforts on the grass roots are just really
with the sheriff and myself as well as our partners over on the
Canadian side. We collaborate with them. We have tremendous
collaborative efforts with our Federal partners here in the BEN
region. We continue to have discussions, local discussions in
several different subcommittees. We work very closely with the
port security. So it is a matter of reaching out and having
those ties.
I cannot stress enough how important it is when something
major happens or is about to happen, that information sharing.
There is the technical aspect of that, but there is the human
aspect, too. To me, as an emergency manager, the most valuable
aspect are the relationships that have been formed, at least at
the grass-roots level, in our Federal delegation.
I use as an example, when the sheriff came in this morning,
I am not meeting the sheriff of Niagara County for the first
time. We have been deployed to many things, and we have been to
many conferences together. We have worked collaboratively
through the BEN region. There are some of our Federal partners
that are sitting here in the audience today, as well as our
Canadian partners.
So I think when you talk about intelligence and information
sharing, what we have managed to do here is to pull together,
not only Erie County and Niagara County, and the Canadian
region as far as these collaborative efforts, but we have also
pulled in all of our Federal partners. We include the 10-county
region of the western district. So you could pull in an
emergency manager from any one of the 10 counties, or even
first responders, or sheriffs deputies from those counties, and
people are on a first-name basis with one another.
I think that is the critical aspect when it comes to
intelligence and information sharing is those one-on-one
relationships.
Mr. Meehan. Thank you. Sheriff, do you have some thoughts?
Sheriff Voutour. Mr. Chairman, what I have seen in the past
20 years, and the problem is, probably within the last 5 or 6
years with our assignment to the Joint Task Force here in
Buffalo is the cooperation between local and Federal. Just here
at the FBI office just a couple of blocks from here, they have
made just tremendous strides to bring all of us as partners
that the commissioner talked about into one room on at least a
quarterly basis. They have vetted all those partners.
Most of us all have received our top secret clearance,
which allows us to really get a good handle on the western area
of Canada. I think that has probably been the most promising
thing that we have had in the past couple of months is the
ability to get those people vetted, bring them all to the
table, and share that information. Canadian partners are at the
table with us.
Mr. Meehan. Sheriff, my time has expired, but I do have one
question with regard to that. Do you have full, active members
on the Joint Terrorism Task Force from Canada?
Sheriff Voutour. I am not sure if we do from Canada.
Mr. Meehan. Okay.
Sheriff Voutour. I know that most of it is the American
side.
Mr. Meehan. Okay.
Sheriff Voutour. I am not sure. Commissioner, do you know
for sure?
Mr. Neaverth. No. That was not included in the comments
from the investigator from the State police.
Mr. Meehan. Right.
Mr. Neaverth. I could not answer that.
Mr. Meehan. I do not know that we do, and that was one of
the questions I would have whether there is some particular way
for us to enhance the activity by finding a way to include
that, because I think it would only enhance the ability to be
better prepared. But I am sure there are issues, and we may
revisit that with some subsequent questions.
But at this point in time, my time has expired. I turn the
questions over to my colleague from New York, Mr. Higgins.
Mr. Higgins. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I question the
witnesses, I would ask for unanimous consent to submit comments
from the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority for the
record.
Mr. Meehan. So ordered.
[The information follows:]
Letters Submitted For the Record by Hon. Brian Higgins
Border Trade Alliance Supports Pre-processing Pilot at Buffalo Peace
Bridge
Issue.--The Peace Bridge spans the Niagara River and links Buffalo,
NY and Ft. Erie, Ontario. The bridge is one of four toll crossings
linking western New York with southern Ontario, one of the fastest-
growing metropolitan areas in North America.
The Peace Bridge is the busiest automobile crossing between Canada
and the United States and the third-busiest commercial crossing, with
approximately 1.3 million trucks traversing the bridge annually. While
Canada has made significant infrastructure improvements to facilitate
the movement of people and commerce into Canada, the U.S. customs plaza
remains a 60-year-old antiquated, constrained facility with not enough
primary inspection booths to efficiently service the current traffic
volumes. The plaza resides adjacent to an urban neighborhood and
Olmsted-designed park. The Environmental Impact Statement process to
expand the plaza is now in year 10 with no end in sight.
Pre-clearance not an option.--To address the geographic constraints
in Buffalo, in the mid-2000s the concept of Customs pre-clearance was
explored as an option to relieve the congestion at the bridge as well
as to increase the security of this valuable element of bi-national
infrastructure.
The concept centered on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
officers located on Canadian soil performing all their inspection and
enforcement activities of U.S.-bound traffic in Canada before the
conveyance or auto reached the Peace Bridge. In 2007, confirmed in
2009, this concept was rejected as it would have resulted in a lower
level of security than at other U.S. ports of entry or required Canada
to accept actions contrary to its Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
As recently as a February 2011 Capitol Hill hearing, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said:
``We have looked into preclearance on the Canadian side. We cannot do
it: The position has not changed . . . We understand the importance of
the span for trade and tourism and so forth. But we are not going to be
able to resolve the preclearance issues in Canada.''
Pre-processing: A simple, elegant solution.--In early February 2011
President Obama and Minister Harper signed a joint declaration entitled
``Beyond the Border--A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and
Economic Competitiveness'' which included the following statements:
``We intend to pursue creative and effective solutions to manage the
flow of traffic between the United States and Canada. We will focus
investment in modern infrastructure and technology at our busiest land
ports of entry, which are essential to our economic well-being.
``We will strive to ensure that our border crossings have the capacity
to support the volume of commercial and passenger traffic inherent to
economic growth and job creation on both sides of the border.''
The Border Trade Alliance (BTA) supports the statements by Canada
and the United States that preclearance is not possible. However, both
countries should implement a creative, innovative model that respects
Canadian sovereignty and provides for U.S. security needs by
establishing a commercial-only pre-processing facility in Canada.
Under this model, the Peace Bridge Authority would build a CBP
commercial facility in Canada that would consist of primary inspection
booths, offices, and parking. Primary processing would be conducted in
Canada, with a ``go'' or ``no-go'' message sent ahead to the
enforcement/release booth in the United States based on the outcome of
the preliminary inspection. More than 90% of commercial shipments are
released based on the primary inspection. If the CBP officer determines
more intensive inspection is required, that inspection and any
associated enforcement would be carried out in the United States. The
driver would not know whether a ``go'' or ``no-go'' determination was
made at the time of the initial inspection.
Benefits:
Facility would be paid for by the Peace Bridge Authority.
Would result in a 72% increase in throughput capacity.
CBP officers in the United States would know what was
coming.
Smaller, less expensive plaza in the United States and
better integration with neighborhood.
Greater security as space created for additional non-
intrusive inspection facilities.
BTA position.--The Border Trade Alliance supports the Peace Bridge
Authority's pre-processing concept and urges DHS/CBP and CBSA to carry
out a demonstration project at the bridge.
The BTA has consistently called for pushing enforcement away from
the border when possible and for seeking opportunities to leverage
creative thinking to relieve congestion and speed the flow of
legitimate trade and travel.
The pre-processing pilot could serve as a model for other Northern
Border ports of entry where appropriate to meet the demands of
increasing cross-border trade and travel.
______
July 30, 2012.
U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and
Intelligence, H2-176 Ford House Office Building, Washington, DC
20515.
RE: Field Hearing--Beyond Borders--Are the Department of Homeland
Security's International Agreements Ensuring Actionable Intelligence to
Combat Threats to the U.S. Homeland?
Dear Chairman Meehan and Ranking Member Higgins: These comments are
filed on behalf of the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority
(PBA), an international compact entity operating between the U.S. and
Canada, which has owned and managed the Peace Bridge since 1933. First
opening to traffic in 1927, the bridge traverses the Niagara River
between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York, and is a key
international border crossing. The span also serves as the busiest
Northern Border crossing for automobiles and third-busiest for
commercial carriers, with 6,056,998 total vehicles utilizing the
corridor in 2011.
The subcommittee's July 30, 2012, field hearing provides the
perfect opportunity to address progress with many of the key
deliverables of the U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border Accord--A Shared
Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness, which was
signed this past year between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister
Stephen Harper.
Several specific components of the accord are of great interest to
Western New York and the PBA, including:
Increased promotion and implementation of the NEXUS and FAST
trusted traveler programs to ensure continued growth and
greater reliability in border movements for individuals and
commercial shipments.
Potential pilot projects regarding the pre-inspection of
U.S.-bound commercial vehicles at certain border crossings,
including the Peace Bridge corridor.
Trusted Travel Promotion
With over 88,000 NEXUS cardholders residing in the Western New York
and Niagara regions, the use and popularity of this trusted traveler
program is paramount to local security and economic prosperity. Roughly
16% of total traffic at the Peace Bridge utilizes NEXUS lanes. As part
of the Beyond the Border Accord, a commitment was made by the U.S. and
Canadian governments to better market and promote the program, in order
to increase these NEXUS usage and enrollment figures even further.
While a strong ``sweat equity'' push (entitled NEXUS Niagara) has
been put on this year between the PBA, the Niagara Falls Bridge
Commission, Canada Border Services Agency, and CBP (to help grow and
publicize the program), no Federal funding commitments have yet been
made to buttress such efforts. Therefore to fully harness the true
time-savings and congestion reduction features of NEXUS and other
trusted travel programs, it is critical that the U.S. and Canadian
governments allocate actual dollars--in the near-term--to market the
programs to new potential members in Buffalo Niagara and across both
countries.
For more information on the NEXUS Niagara trusted traveler campaign
visit http://www.n6xusnlagara.com.
Pre-Inspection U.S.-Bound Commercial Vehicles
Beginning in late 2009, the PBA began working with local Members of
Congress and their counterparts in government at the Department of
Homeland Security to examine creative ways to ease chronic vehicle
processing delays at the Peace Bridge, which are caused by a number of
factors such as limited U.S. Customs plaza geography and antiquated
facilities.
The Peace Bridge connects the densely populated city of Buffalo's
west side with the more sparsely-populated town of Fort Erie. As a
result, substantial property is available adjacent to the Canadian
port-of-entry, as opposed to its American counterpart. Such property
could feasibly accommodate new booth infrastructure and innovative
techniques to pre-inspect or pre-process U.S.-bound commercial
shipments. This approach would potentially free up much-needed space
within the U.S. plaza area, and allow for increased automobile and
commercial vehicle throughput, streamlined traffic patterns, and a more
secure port parameter.
According to Nelson Balido, President of the Border Trade Alliance
(BTA), pre-inspection at the Peace Bridge is worthy of immediate
consideration through the Beyond the Border Accord because available
land is already owned by the PBA, the concept offers serious congestion
relief, and the sovereignty of both nations would be protected by
retaining U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) ability to conduct
actual ``enforcement'' activities on U.S. soil. A copy of the BTA's
endorsement letter is attached for reference.
The Department of Homeland Security is slated to announce the
selection of one or several pre-inspection pilot port locations later
this year. In doing so, it is critical that DHS focus on those
crossings that are most important to the U.S.-Canadian trade and
security relationship, from both a vehicle volume and port
applicability perspective. This decision should not be postponed, as
rampant delays and infrastructure inefficiencies continue to cost the
North American economy millions of dollars each and every year.
The PBA appreciates this opportunity to offer written comments to
the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and
Intelligence regarding the Beyond the Border Accord, trusted travel
promotional needs, and the implementation of innovative border
management techniques--such as the pre-inspection of commercial
vehicles at the Peace Bridge--as means to improve the safety and
efficiency of one North America's busiest border crossings.
Sincerely,
Sam Hoyt,
Chairman, Board of Directors, Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge
Authority.
Mr. Higgins. Mrs. Meyers, you stated in your testimony that
earlier this month, Customs and Border Protection and the
Canada Border Service Agency announced the installation of new
and advanced sense technology, both for the Peace Bridge and
the Queenston-Lewiston Bridges.
You also stated that later this year, the Department of
Homeland Security will be implementing an entry-exit pilot
project at 2 to 4 land ports of entry, such that a record of
entry in one country could be considered a record of exit from
another.
As you know, the Peace Bridge is the second-busiest land
border crossing in the United States. How feasible would it be
for the entry-exit pilot program to be implemented at the Peace
Bridge?
Ms. Meyers. Thank you for the question, Congressman
Higgins. I know that the officials at CBD and CBSA are
evaluating where to begin the pilot for the entry-exit. I know
that no decisions have been made at this time. They are looking
at all sorts of border crossing data and operational issues,
technological issues. But certainly there are a number of
locations that are under consideration for all the pilot
programs.
Mr. Higgins. Thank you. For the sheriff and the
commissioner, you mentioned in your testimony the importance of
the Urban Area Security Initiative Program. The hard thing
about this is that, you know, we did not ask to be put on this
list. We were put on the list, as the commissioner had stated
previously, because of critical infrastructure and because of
risk and threat.
The sheriff also mentioned the Niagara Power Project, a
high-impact target for terrorists. Toronto, an international
city, a high-impact target for terrorists. Niagara Falls, a
destination for visitors from all over the world, some 7
million each year, a high-impact target for terrorists.
Obviously the second-busiest Northern Border crossing between
the United States and Canada, a high target for terrorist
activity.
We also have a history, as has been mentioned here
previously, with the Lackawanna Six, a terrorist cell, not far
from here in Buffalo in the city of Lackawanna.
So I would like for both of you to talk about the
importance of the program again, but also the consequence of
not having it.
Mr. Neaverth. I will start with the consequence of the de-
funding of UASI. We are still receiving and still have the
opportunity to submit for other forms of grants to sustain. We
are currently non-sustaining.
I think the big issue with regards to the application and
being de-funded as to UASI is the broad stroke removal versus
the broad stroke of funding, a lump sum. When we prepare our
budgets for any of the grants, you have to be very specific as
to what you are spending your money, what the initiatives are,
and whether or not they are meeting the justifications. You are
funded based on that.
So each year, your investment justification should be
flexible. It should be based on this year you are purchasing
equipment for training, and we are doing calibrating, that that
should be the particular set of funding. But for some of the
UASIs to have a consistent level of funding that does not
fluctuate and does not appear to really have any investment
justification other than here is your funding, I think that is
where we run into an issue.
So if it was a level playing field that was addressing what
the true threats are, we do not need to purchase a million
dollars' worth of response vehicles every year, but we do need
to maintain those vehicles. We do need to maintain calibration.
We do need to maintain the personnel to be able to do that
response. That is from a law enforcement, fire, as well as the
EMS side of things.
So I guess if you take a blanket budget and you write a
blank check and there would appear from the smaller UASIs to be
no real--if I did the $50 million this year and I the $50
million last year, where was the substance of your grant
application that said you should be at that level?
You may very well be at $60 million, but with today's
economic situation, people might just be happy to remain on
that list and not make any waves about that.
So I think what does not change is the personnel. What does
not change is the need to calibrate and maintain all of the
equipment and operate the training. But there should be some
type of justification.
So if you take next year $5 million, $6 million away those
areas and you reinvest that into some of the unfunded UASIs for
subsequent years based on those investment justifications, we
can all feel the pain, but we can all maintain that high level
that we currently are at, but risk losing by not maintaining
our equipment and our personnel.
Sheriff Voutour. Commissioner, you hit it right on the head
about the accountability of the UASI funding. We are known
Nation-wide for accountability and the IJs that we have in the
Buffalo-Niagara region. We are called sort of the model child
to really come up with plans, spend appropriately, and only
spending what we absolutely need.
It would certainly be devastating to us, as the
commissioner said, if we went from several million dollars down
to zero. With the investments that we have made and
infrastructure protection, it would really be difficult for us
to maintain that further.
Mr. Chairman, if I may, something I thought of prior to
your last question is, the FBI assigns a lead in Ottawa Canada,
and that is a primary contact for the JTTF here in the Buffalo
region to reach out to them pertaining to communications.
Mr. Higgins. Thank you. No further questions.
Mr. Meehan. Okay. The Chairman now recognizes the gentle
lady from New York, Ms. Hochul, for her questioning.
Ms. Hochul. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Meyers, I wanted
to ask you, what are the primary regulatory or logistical
hurdles to cross-border trade that you see right now, and what
more can Congress be doing to obliterate those? Because as
everyone has testified today and spoken about, we have to
eliminate those barriers so we can help our local economy
prosper. What can Congress be doing to help?
Ms. Meyers. Absolutely. Thank you, ma'am, for your
question. Expediting the trade and travel is a significant
priority obviously for the administration at large. I would
note to you that one initiative that was announced at the same
time as the Beyond the Border effort was the U.S.-Canada
Regulatory Cooperation Council. That is specifically focused on
eliminating those regulatory barriers.
Also they are developing an action plan and seeking
stakeholder input. I think that we all understand that reducing
barriers so that we can expedite trade between the large export
market that we have and ensuring that we protect our trade and
travel from economic disruptions is absolutely critical.
So the combined elements of Beyond the Borders, such as
improving infrastructure and getting more people into trade
programs, combined with the efforts of the Regulatory
Cooperation Council to raise barriers, such as health, safety,
transportation, and the environment, combined I think can make
a significant difference.
Ms. Hochul. Thank you. Do you believe that the closure of
the Canadian consulate here in Buffalo will have any impact on
the implementation of the Beyond the Border initiative?
Ms. Meyers. I certainly would hope not. I think it is
unfortunate both our governments, both the Canadian government
and the United States, are facing difficult financial times and
a more austere budget environment. I did notice that the
consulate, I know that it over the years has been a significant
contributor in this area. But I think that the decision of the
Canadian government, and we know that the Canadian government
overall is extremely committed, highly committed, to the
implementation of the Beyond the Border initiative by its
operating agencies.
Ms. Hochul. Thank you very much. Sheriff Voutour, there is
talk of plans to consolidate Customs and Border Protection on
the campus of the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station. Are you
familiar with that, and what are your thoughts on how that
would work to help coordinate our local law enforcement and our
partnerships with the Federal Government?
Sheriff Voutour. I think it would be a tremendous asset,
and that goes two ways. Not only to get that headquarters there
so that we could possibly be a part of it as well, and have
that collaborative effort, but it also, as you know quite well,
Congresswoman, it is going to help keep that base which is
critical to the economic impact here in Niagara County and
western New York region as our largest employer.
I think it is a fantastic idea. I certainly support it, and
I hope we can see that happen very soon.
Ms. Hochul. Thank you. You mentioned the Niagara Power
Authority, a great concern to many of us. How prepared are we
to handle any threat that came to that facility?
Sheriff Voutour. We train on an annual basis with the Power
Authority. We have action plans in place. Much of our action
plan is confidential material. I feel that we are very
prepared.
But we also are very cognizant of what can happen in the
event of a threat there, particularly at the reservoir, and the
damage that can be done not only to the Niagara area, but also
from west and north area.
Ms. Hochul. Thank you. I just wanted to also reiterate my
support for having the pre-clearance opportunity, the pre-
screening opportunity occur here in western New York. I cannot
think of any more compelling argument that can be made that
with the four border crossings to at least initiate this here
in western New York at the Peace Bridge initially, and
hopefully to Lewiston-Queenston shortly thereafter. I hope we
can convey that message very strongly to the Department of
Homeland Security.
There is united support for that here. It has got to
happen. As a former county clerk who was in my position when
the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative came into being, I saw
what happened when people just stopped crossing the border. The
casual visitors stopped going until we were able to get the
enhanced licenses, the passport cards out there. So much more
needs to be done because there has been an impact ever since
that law went into effect.
Well-intended, but we are the ones who are collateral
damage in a sense, and we want to make sure that we keep that
flow of commerce going, not just for the commercial activity,
but the individuals. So we look forward to the Department's
full cooperation on that as well.
I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Meehan. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Hochul, for your
questioning. I know that I just have a couple of follow-up
questions that I wanted to ask, and I know the Ranking Member
has a question that he wanted to ask. You may have a follow-up
if you do.
But, Ms. Meyers, one of the issues that we have been
struggling with in the United States are people who enter our
borders and do so legally under some kind of a visa. They
maintain a period of time where they are here for educational
or some kind of specific work-related. But then they overstay
their visas. We have very little accountability with regards to
not only where they are in the country, but we do very little
to identify whether or not they have actually left the country
in some capacity.
Can you speak to what is being discussed here? I think that
there are some proposals that may look at the idea of sharing
information across borders so that at least when there is entry
into Canada from somebody who is here on a visa overstay, it
begins to be communicated back to us to help us close some of
that information gap.
Ms. Meyers. Absolutely, Chairman Meehan. This is a terrific
example of a way in which the Department can best achieve its
goals and our mandate through collaboration with our community
partners.
As you noted, there is a mandate to do exit, and no one had
built a significant infrastructure to capture outbound exit the
same that they have to screen individuals that come into the
United States. So by collaborating with Canada, what we hope
through this pilot project to be able to do is that a departure
from the United States will be reported by receiving the entry
data from Canada once the individual has entered Canada. That
way we will then be able to close out that record and have a
much better understanding of who, in fact, is in the country
and who has left, and can then track overstays as security
threats as appropriate.
Mr. Meehan. Thank you. Just one other question to the
extent that you are able or comfortable speaking about this. We
have spent a great deal of time on the committee looking at a
couple of issues. One has been the growing presence of
Hezbollah, not just in the Middle East, but as we have tracked
it throughout South America and other kinds of places. We as a
Nation for the first time saw activity carried out on the
Mexican border in which there were attempts for the Quds forces
to utilize in collaboration with some other, you know, the drug
gangs to carry out an act of terrorism here in the United
States. So we have seen activity in border countries that has
then led to potential terrorism.
I also noted that we are tracking a group within Nigeria
called Boko Haram. The question as to whether or not they will
be identified as a foreign terrorist organization is one that
is before the Department of State, but they have significantly
increased their terrorist-related activity within Nigeria.
About half of the Nigerians in Canada that are here are in
Toronto, and there is a concern about whether there would be
any relationship back to Boko Haram.
Are you aware of or comfortable with any information
sharing that is done to allow us to be aware of any potential
threats from either Boko Haram or Hezbollah that may be
situated in Canada, but looking towards the United States?
Ms. Meyers. Sir, that is a subject outside of the scope of
my position. I would be very happy to arrange a briefing for
you or your staff with the principle deputy terrorism
coordinator for Homeland Security.
What I can tell you is that the enhanced information
sharing that has already been undertaken by the Beyond the
Border initiative will help us to make strides in this and help
secure our country. We share a responsibility. United States
and Canada share a responsibility for the safety, and security,
and resilience of our 2 countries in a world in which we are
increasingly integrated under evolving threats.
So certainly we will support that effort, and I would be
happy to follow up after.
Mr. Meehan. Well, thank you so much. I just wanted to get
your perspective here from the local. Let me turn it to my
colleague, Mr. Higgins, for any concluding questions he may
have.
Mr. Higgins. Yeah, just one. Ms. Meyers, on the Department
of Homeland Security pre-inspection pilot project, I do not
mean to push this. Well, actually I do.
[Laughter.]
Mr. Higgins. But it seems to me that, you know, you had
indicated that Customs and Border Protection and the Canadian
Border Service Agency installed new information technology
equipment. How many Northern Border crossings? Do you have the
number?
Ms. Meyers. There are 120 northern borders. In terms of the
technology that was just recently announced in July, it was
installed at 2, Peace Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston, to measure
border wait times.
Mr. Higgins. That is it?
Ms. Meyers. Initially.
Mr. Higgins. Just the 2? Okay. Is that technology necessary
to facilitate a pre-inspection program, or is that something
separate?
Ms. Meyers. This is a different initiative, Congressman
Higgins.
Mr. Higgins. Right.
Ms. Meyers. To start to pilot technology that would allow
us to better measure wait times, and then relay that
information to the travelers. So that is one initiative that is
being worked with the Department of Transportation.
In fact, one of the elements of the Beyond the Border
initiative that is very unique is that it is very much an
interagency effort with the Department of Homeland Security
partnering with the Department of Transportation, the
Department of Agriculture, the Department of Justice,
Department of State, to advance these initiatives.
Mr. Higgins. Why was the Peace Bridge selected 1 of 2 out
of over 100?
Ms. Meyers. I would have to get back to you on that, sir.
Mr. Higgins. Okay, all right. Thank you.
Mr. Meehan. Well, thank you, Ranking Member Higgins. I
would like to thank the witnesses today for their testimony,
which has been helpful to us in both understanding the unique
relationship or the unique challenges that exist in this border
that we share with our good friends from Canada, but also an
example of a challenge that exists across the extensive border
that we share from ocean to ocean.
Is there any concluding comment that any of you would like
to make with regards to the issues that we raised today for the
record?
You do not have to. I am just giving you that opportunity.
It is a unique opportunity. We do not generally do that, but I
wanted to give you the chance to do it.
I want to thank the witnesses for their valuable testimony
and Members for their questions.
The Members of the committee may have some additional
questions for the witnesses, and if, in fact, that happens, we
would ask that you would try to be responsive to them
generally. That would be done within writing within about 10
days.
I thank you for your service. I thank you for your
attention to the security of our Nation. I know that all of us
feel safer with people like yourselves who have devoted
themselves to the safety and security of our citizens.
So without objection, the committee stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:05 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]