[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 90 (Wednesday, July 12, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5104-H5105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING FOR NEW YORK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for his 
remarks.
  I rise today to express my continuing frustration with the Department 
of Homeland Security and its inability or unwillingness to focus our 
limited resources of time, money, and attention on the real risks that 
we face as a Nation. Yesterday, the bombing of railways in India 
reminded us not only that terrorists remain committed to senseless and 
horrific violence, but that they remain attracted to certain types of 
targets.
  Mr. Speaker, in 2001, terrorists attacked New York and Washington. 
Two years ago, terrorists attacked commuter trains in Madrid. Last 
year, terrorists attacked subways in the heart of London. Two days ago, 
rail systems in Mumbai were bombed. There have also been rail and 
transit attacks in Japan, South Africa, and Israel, and so far 
unsuccessful plans for attacks on New York's transportation system.
  On the streets of Iraq, insurgents are perfecting the use of IEDs 
against our troops. When those terrorists look to transfer their skills 
to the United States, where will they look to use them? The pattern is 
clear, the message is deafening: High density, high profile targets are 
the most attractive targets for terrorists, and rail and transit 
systems remain dangerously vulnerable.
  Like many of the Members of this House, I was pleased when Secretary 
Chertoff took office and stressed in his

[[Page H5105]]

first public speech that DHS must base its actions on threat, 
vulnerability, and consequence. Unfortunately, action has not measured 
up to that rhetoric. Last month, the Department cut by 40 percent for 
New York and Washington, D.C., cut funding by 40 percent, two cities 
that have been attacked and the two cities that remain the most likely 
targets for future attacks.
  We are all looking for the best way to spend the limited money that 
has thus far been allocated to homeland security. The Department 
perfected the art of allocating funds the wrong way.
  In addition to ignoring the plain facts about risk and vulnerability, 
DHS has sat on the sidelines in developing standards for safety and 
security. This void is being met in some areas such as New York where 
the Metropolitan Transit Agency has added 200 officers and 25 K-9 bomb 
detection units since September 11. New York City has 1,000 
counterterrorism officers. The city and the MTA are working to develop 
and install state-of-the-art air monitoring devices in the transit 
system.
  We knew that communications interoperability presented a problem for 
first responders in Oklahoma City. Those problems turned deadly on 
September 11. Nearly 5 years after September 11, first responders are 
still waiting for the administration to issue an actual 
interoperability plan. This abdication of responsibility has forced 
many cities and States to dig their own deficits deeper to put national 
security measures in place. That is not a plan, it is not a strategy, 
it is a failure of leadership that we are seeing again and again.
  Mr. Speaker, our homeland security efforts are a race against the 
clock. We have received several wakeup calls. We don't need another 
study or another office or another Under Secretary; we need action. And 
next week I hope the House Committee on Homeland Security markup of the 
Department of Homeland Security authorization bill will provide us a 
real opportunity to strengthen our homeland security and spur DHS to 
act more quickly to protect the American people.

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