[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 104 (Tuesday, September 7, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H6738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       WHY THE CAPITAL LOOKS LIKE A BEWILDERED CITY UNDER ATTACK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thought I ought to come to the House floor 
this evening to explain my understanding of why the capital looks like 
a bewildered city under attack. The Members have not seen the worst of 
it yet because we have not all come to the House during rush hour or 
left the House during rush hour.
  The District was put under an orange alert while Members were away. I 
am fully appreciative of the reasons for the orange alert after the IMF 
and World Bank were seen as targeted places. I am a member of the 
Select Committee on Homeland Security. I believe strong action was 
necessary. What we see around the House and the Senate are the 
primitive protections, if we can call them that.
  Checkpoints, a street closure of the only street for all intents and 
purposes leaving from this part of the city to the transportation hub 
of the region, Union Station, rail, light rail, buses, Metro, this is 
what you would expect if we were under attack. If you get a red alert, 
there is nothing more to do. So we have to ask ourselves, was this 
necessary, was there an alternative?
  Let me be clear, New York has been under an orange alert since 9/11. 
While very special precautions were taken during the Republican 
convention, and I would hope so, no major street in New York City has 
been closed to traffic.
  During the recess I had meetings with all the security officials, Mr. 
Livingood, Mr. Pickle, Chief Gainer, to ask what was going on and to 
see whether or not we could offer some alternatives. With me also was 
the administrator of the District of Columbia representing the Mayor of 
the District of Columbia.
  The first thing I asked was, do we have a citywide plan, a 
coordinated, citywide security plan to protect the Nation's Capital. 
Astonishingly, we do not. Each sector operates on its own. The Capitol 
Police here in the House and the Senate, that is one sector. The White 
House sector, through the Secret Service, the Federal agencies, that is 
another sector. Finally, the Metropolitan Police Department, on whom 
all are dependent, no coordinated plan. So on 15th Street, right by 
Treasury and the White House, no security checkpoints, no street 
closures, because the Secret Service made a calculated, analytical 
decision that you did not need it, that the risk was not such that you 
needed to close whole streets or even use checkpoints. Why are we 
having checkpoints here?
  I believe that Mr. Livingood and the Capitol Police will shortly be 
forced to do the sensible thing, not to abolish the necessary 
checkpoints, but to look at what they say are the vehicles that concern 
them, larger vehicles like limousines, like SUVs, but they are peering 
into each and every car so that there is going to be traffic, as the 
Mayor says, all the way to Delaware. It is all the way, all the way to 
Maryland.
  Mind you, the entire region is going to be affected. Many people are 
avoiding the area so they are clogging up 395 and downtown.
  The gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Ney) and I have spoken. He believed 
on his own motion that there needed to be a citywide coordinated plan. 
He has said he wishes to have a task force with all of the players at 
the table. That is the only way we are really going to be secure.
  We have submitted alternatives that came out of these meetings, 
checkpoints of the kind I just described where you, in fact, let most 
cars go by, but you do, in fact, stop those of a particular size. Open 
First Street. We have an alternative. Use checkpoints on First Street. 
Then narrow First Street with barricades so that cars can only go to 
and fro after being checkpointed. There is no way in which that does 
not provide the kind of protection that is needed for Dirksen and 
Russell, which are on each side.
  Above all, let us get down to technology. They used some low 
technology for the first time, tested some low technology for the first 
time after the orange alert that had to do with manipulation of traffic 
lights.
  I am asking Members to call my office, to let me know what their 
experience has been with the checkpoints and with the closure of First 
Street. Some of you are going to be absolutely exasperated. There are 
over 20,000 employees, 440 Members of the House, 100 Members of the 
Senate, but I need your feedback as we try to find new ways.
  At the moment we are dealing with 19th century ways to protect the 
Nation's Capital. They would have used checkpoints and barricades 100 
years ago. I think we can do better than that. We do not want the 
people's House and the Senate to look like an armed camp. We must 
protect this place not only symbolically, but because this is where the 
greatest government in the world is, and this is where 600,000 people 
live.
  We have all of the resources that come with innovation because we are 
Americans. That spirit of innovation is not being shown around this 
Capitol. I need Members to come forward. Let me know what is happening 
so that we can compel improvements and make this House and the Senate 
look like the people's Congress again.

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