[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 22 (Thursday, February 26, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HOMELAND SECURITY: FIRST PRIORITY FOR AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bishop of Utah). Under a previous order 
of the House, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Turner) for hosting his important Special Order today. As we mark 
the 1-year anniversary of the creation of the Department of Homeland 
Security, it is a time to both recognize successes and acknowledge 
failures. There is no more important issue facing Congress today and 
the administration than protecting the freedom and security of the 
American people. In fact, the preamble to our Constitution makes 
providing for the common defense the first responsibility of Congress.
  Improving the safety of our citizens at home must be undertaken just 
as aggressively as pursuing terrorists abroad. I want to express my 
deepest appreciation to all those who have taken on this task, from the 
nearly 200,000 employees of DHS working in every sector in every State, 
to the dedicated and courageous first responders in all of our 
communities. We owe you a great debt of thanks and gratitude for your 
hard work. While it is true there is much still to be done, I know that 
these great Americans are up to the challenge.
  Every day we ask our firefighters, police, and other emergency 
personnel to put their lives on the line; and since September 11, the 
burdens on these men and women have only grown. They need our support 
to keep America safe. With dozens of States experiencing their worst 
fiscal crisis since World War II, combined with the activation of 
thousands of Guard and Reserve members, first responders are more 
desperate than ever for Federal assistance. They are short on the most 
basic needs, including personnel, overtime, and equipment.
  The Department of Homeland Security needs significantly more 
resources in order to get state-of-the-art training and equipment to 
our front line of first responders, along with national standards of 
future purchases and practices, so that all of our personnel are 
operating capably and consistently. In addition, we must ensure our law 
enforcement agencies are properly equipped to share information and 
coordinate activities so threats that cross jurisdictional lines can be 
adequately addressed.
  One critical component of this goal is providing the communications 
equipment and infrastructure necessary for first responders to take 
effective and coordinated action.

                              {time}  1515

  Interoperable telecommunications technology exists today at an 
affordable price, but we must provide the funding and leadership to 
ensure it is deployed without delay.
  Information must also flow more smoothly between Federal agencies and 
the State and local personnel who are the first to respond to an 
emergency. Unfortunately, at present, resources are being allocated and 
priorities are being set in the absence of a reliable threat assessment 
that can be mapped against existing vulnerabilities. State and local 
responders are operating without the benefit of current, specific 
intelligence and most lack the clearance or physical means to receive 
classified information even when it is available. We need to clarify 
the information-sharing responsibilities within our Intelligence 
Community and ensure that those who need this information receive it in 
a timely and beneficial manner.
  Furthermore, we continue to face serious vulnerabilities at our 
ports, borders, and nuclear and chemical facilities and other critical 
infrastructure. While our airports are significantly safer due to 
increased passenger and baggage screening, passengers and crew are 
still at risk from the cargo traveling on these planes.
  DHS should also deploy technology like remote sensors and unmanned 
aerial vehicles to secure every mile of our land border. We need to 
station Customs inspectors at high-risk ports abroad, increase 
accountability for companies shipping goods to this country, and deploy 
systems to track every ship and container entering a U.S. port.
  DHS must ensure the highest levels of security at nuclear and 
chemical facilities, which means requiring the private sector to act as 
an equal partner in critical infrastructure security.
  Finally, as we endeavor to identify threats before they become real 
dangers, we must be ever vigilant of defending the civil liberties of 
our citizens. Protecting the homeland does not need to run counter to 
protecting privacy and freedom. We should make sure that intelligence 
tools are used judiciously, and we must work always toward a balance 
that ensures both security and liberty.
  The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner), the ranking member, this week 
led Democrats on the Select Committee on Homeland Security in unveiling 
a report entitled America at Risk: Closing the Security Gap, and I was 
proud to join him in that effort. This important and comprehensive 
report details many of the remaining shortfalls in our homeland 
security defense efforts and, more importantly, offers substantive 
proposals for addressing them. I want to commend the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Turner), the ranking member, for his leadership on this 
report. I hope this report will serve as a catalyst for bipartisan 
action, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to address 
this most important issue.
  Mr. Speaker, our Nation has come a great distance since September 11, 
but we stop now at our own peril. We must act quickly to address the 
problems that remain and provide safe and secure communities for all of 
our citizens.

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