[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 31 (Thursday, March 11, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H1051]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONDOLENCES TO TERRORIST VICTIMS IN SPAIN; AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION 
            SYSTEMS VULNERABILITY AND REDUCTION ACT OF 2003

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Boozman). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my 
condolences to the families of the terrorist victims in Madrid, Spain.
  This heinous act of violence is becoming all too common an 
occurrence. This morning, as we are all painfully aware, a series of 
explosions ripped through several packed commuter trains in Madrid 
during the morning rush hour. The blast killed at least 173 people and 
wounded 600.
  Last month, in an all too familiar circumstance in Moscow, a bomb 
exploded inside a crowded subway train during the morning rush hour, 
killing at least 39 people and wounding more than 130.
  Securing our Nation's public transportation system has been a top 
priority of mine. At the outset of the 108th Congress, I introduced the 
Public Transportation Systems Vulnerability and Reduction Act of 2003, 
which is H.R. 1148. For years, Mr. Speaker, governments around the 
world have recognized that public transportation is a major terrorist 
target. Until 9-11, the United States had been largely spared the kinds 
of terrorist campaigns waged against public service transportation. 
However, we cannot wait for a tragedy to happen to prompt us to address 
our vulnerabilities.
  In October 2001, a study released by the Mineta Institute, Protecting 
Public Surface Transportation Against Terrorism and Serious Crime: An 
Executive Overview, cites that between 1920 and 2000, there have been 
approximately 900 terrorist attacks and other significant criminal 
incidents involving public surface transportation systems. However, all 
but 14 of these attacks occurred after 1970, the year that marks the 
beginning of modern terrorism.
  Attacks against transportation and transportation infrastructures 
accounted for about 42 percent of all international terrorist attacks 
according to the most recent statistics provided by the U.S. DOT Office 
of Intelligence and Security in 1998. We are seeing these statistics 
play out before our eyes on CNN.
  My legislation, the Public Transportation Systems Vulnerability and 
Reduction Act of 2003, will provide our Nation's transportation systems 
and workers with the training and funding to help protect our homeland. 
This legislation will provide funding for ongoing vulnerability 
assessments which would build continuously on information collected, 
allowing for easier implementation of new technology that will assist 
in averting terrorist attacks on all modes of public transportation. It 
will have training programs for front-line transit employees, ensuring 
that these employees, who are the eyes and ears of transportation 
systems, are prepared to respond to emergency situations. And it will 
develop and have implementation of local and regional emergency 
preparedness plans that fully utilize a community's transportation 
resources.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in continuing to work 
to give our Nation's transportation systems and employees the resources 
to protect our communities. I urge my colleagues to support the Public 
Transportation Systems Vulnerability and Reduction Act of 2003.
  Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.
  Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman for 
yielding, because I want to identify with the remarks she made starting 
off her 5-minute speech. I was going to start my special order in the 
same way, recognizing and extending our sympathy to the families of the 
victims in Spain.
  It was only a short period ago that the prime minister from Spain was 
here, and last summer I had the opportunity to visit in Spain with the 
prime minister, along with the Speaker of our House, to express our 
appreciation to our colleagues in Spain who have been very involved in 
the war on terrorism. And so I thank the gentlewoman for bringing that 
to the attention of our colleagues here in the House.
  I will also take a look at the legislation that the gentlewoman has 
authored, recognizing that the war on terrorism is a real war.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, I thank the 
distinguished gentleman for his interest.

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