[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 53 (Wednesday, April 2, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H2681-H2682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       FUNDING HOMELAND SECURITY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues in 
urging the House to increase the amounts we will include in the 
supplemental appropriations bill later this week for homeland security. 
Last Friday I held a meeting in Honolulu of first responders to discuss 
preparedness, planning and coordination among agencies and funding 
needs. It became very apparent during the meeting that funding being 
received is clearly inadequate to undertake the job we are asking of 
our emergency law enforcement agencies and personnel.
  For example, the Honolulu Police Department has apprised me of the 
need for some $65.5 million for several projects that are necessary if 
the Island of Oahu is to be protected to the extent necessary. There 
are several important military installations for which Honolulu police 
have major responsibilities, such as Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hickam 
Air Force Base, and Schofield Barracks. The Department has the 
responsibility for the safety of military personnel and their family 
who live off base, and to some extent on base. Specifically, 
communication and operability between civilian law enforcement and the 
military is essential. Additional personnel protective equipment has 
been identified as a need as well as emergency vehicles in a 
centralized equipment and maintenance facility.
  The cost for effective homeland security management is a huge, 
unfunded mandate the Federal Government has imposed on State and local 
governments. The Honolulu Police Department is establishing an 
Emergency Management Command and an antiterrorism unit. It is 
undertaking extensive specialized training in areas such as chemical, 
biological, and explosive handling. Joint exercises with the military 
have been conducted so that in the event of an emergency, roles are 
recognized and responsibilities are familiar.
  Our state of affairs and level of protection afforded to our citizens 
changed greatly after September 11, and has been heightened by our 
military engagement in Iraq. Our citizens expect and deserve such 
elevated security. But it also serves to remind us that protection is 
not cheap, and we in Congress should stand up to our responsibilities 
to properly fund the protections our citizens need.
  I would like to join my colleagues in urging the House to increase 
the amounts we will include in the supplemental appropriation bill 
later in this week for homeland security.
  Last Friday, I held a meeting in Honolulu of first responders, to 
discuss preparedness, planning and coordination among agencies, and 
funding needs. It became very apparent during the meeting that funding 
being received is clearly inadequate to undertake the job we are asking 
of our emergency and law enforcement agencies and personnel.
  For example, the Honolulu Police Department has apprised me of the 
need for $65.5 million for several projects that are necessary if the 
island of Oahu is to be protected to the extent necessary. There are 
several important military installations for which the Honolulu police 
have major responsibilities, such as Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hickam 
Air Force Base and Schofield Barracks. The Department has 
responsibility for the safety of military personnel and their families 
who live off base, and to some extent, on base. Specifically, 
communication interoperability between civilian law enforcement and the 
military is essential. Additional personal protective equipment has 
been identified as a need as well as emergency vehicles and a 
centralized vehicle and equipment maintenance facility.
  The cost for effective homeland security management is a huge, 
unfunded mandate the Federal government has imposed on state and local 
governments. The Honolulu Police Department is establishing an 
Emergency Management Command and an anti-terrorism unit. It is 
undertaking extensive specialized training in areas such as chemical, 
biological and explosives handling. Joint exercises with the military 
have been conducted so that in the event of an emergency, roles are 
recognized and responsibilities are familiar.
  There are other imbedded homeland security costs with which state and 
local officials are struggling. When the Nation moves to a Code Red 
Alert posture, the Honolulu police incur costs of over $1.5 million a 
day, about two-thirds of it for the protection of critical 
infrastructure for military installations.
  The Oahu Civil Defense Agency has identified numerous critical 
projects which total $18.1 million. Essential projects include warning 
siren upgrades, security cameras, computer software, as well as 
equipment and personnel training.
  These statistics are for but two of numerous first responder 
agencies. This does not include the fire department, nor the burdens 
placed on hospitals and emergency rooms. And the Hawaii State 
Government has separate and additional mandates and responsibilities.
  I'm not speaking today to point fingers of blame at anyone for the 
situation we face, but to articulate the need to provide adequate 
funding in the supplemental appropriations bill.
  Our state of affairs and level of protection afforded to our citizens 
changed greatly after September 11 and has been heightened by our 
military engagement in Iraq. Our citizens expect and deserve such 
elevated security. But it also serves to remind us that protection is 
not cheap, and we in Congress should stand up to our responsibility to 
properly fund the protection our citizens need.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Loretta Sanchez).
  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Madam Speaker, while our brave 
soldiers continue their work abroad, our citizens back home must live 
under a constant state of Orange Alert. The administration has 
implemented Operation Liberty Shield.

[[Page H2682]]

Therefore, it is no secret that a threat still looms on our home front, 
so we must not forget that this war is not just being fought abroad.
  Therefore, it is essential that the supplemental spending bill 
include necessary funding to meet the needs of the Nation's homeland 
security. In my district the Anaheim Police Department is presently 
spending an extra $21,000 per day to maintain Level Orange threat. If 
our Nation goes to Level Red, this number will double to $40,000 per 
day.
  Also, joint terrorism task forces have been set up in a number of 
cities to coordinate the dissemination of information and strategies 
dealing with potential terrorism. These task forces give local law 
enforcement the unique opportunity to train, coordinate, and work 
closely with Federal agencies like the FBI, the INS, the marshals, 
Customs, and the Secret Service to share information and develop a 
coordinated process for combating terror threats, but there is no 
funding, no resources to adequately implement this.
  While we continue to fight for additional resources for our first 
responders, we must not forget that the main thing we need to do is 
prevent any future terrorist attacks.
  This week the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the 
United States received testimony from experts on the state of our 
Nation's homeland security. The testimony was not pretty. Our Nation's 
ports were referred to as porous, our civil aviation facilities called 
unprepared, and our immigration check points deficient. Our ports of 
entry are some of the most vulnerable threat risks to this Nation, and 
we need to provide the means and the resources for adequate security.
  Every year more than 6 million cargo containers pass through our 
ports; 4 million of those, accounting for 35 percent of all 
international trade to the U.S. pass just 20 miles away from my home 
through Long Beach and L.A. ports, yet only 4 percent of these are 
screened. But the President responded to these requests with only $22 
million, just a third of what we need.
  But the President responded to these requests with only $22 million, 
a third of what the Customs Service deemed necessary.
  Additionally, the U.S. Coast Guard requested nearly $1 billion in 
Port Security Grant money to address gaps in the physical security of 
the ports it patrols. To date, only 40 percent of that needed funding 
has been granted.
  While the President says in speech after speech that he is taking 
port security seriously, neither his FY04 budget request nor his 
supplemental funding request contained money for Port Security. Our 
ports are still extremely vulnerable, and full funding of Port Security 
Grants and the Container Security Initiative are imperative.


                              immigration

  Of course, our Nation's security risks do not lie exclusively at our 
ports. We need funding to make sure that border and airport security 
are adequately staffed to screen entry into our country.
  Presently, the government watch list used to screen for suspected 
terrorists entering the U.S. has 13 million names, including 40 percent 
more records of suspected terrorists than last year. These numbers are 
unrealistic, and we need to hire the personnel and develop the 
accounting systems to make us smarter about keeping track of threats 
while still allowing legitimate visitors in.
  Right now, our universities are facing a crisis because visa backlogs 
and the government's new foreign student tracking system are slowing 
the ability for good, qualified students to participate in our 
university system.
  We cannot develop new immigration systems at the expense of 
undermining the diversity that makes our nation great.


                               conclusion

  As the war goes on in Iraq, we face a great challenge here at home. 
Our homeland security needs are great, and many of them are not met. We 
need to work hard, we need to work efficiently, and we need to work 
intelligently to ensure we are doing everything possible to protect our 
communities.

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