[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 134 (Thursday, December 7, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2123-E2124]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  H.R. 5441, FY2007 HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE REPORT

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 6, 2006

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5441, the 
Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report.
  As a member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, it has been an 
honor to work with Chairman Hal Rogers and with our Ranking Member 
Martin Sabo who is retiring from Congress at the end of this session.
  Congressman Sabo has served our country with honor and distinction 
throughout his distinguished career in the House of Representatives.
  I have had the privilege to serve with him on the Budget Committee 
and for the past 4 years on the Appropriations Homeland Security 
Subcommittee.
  As the ranking member on the Budget Committee, Martin fought hard for 
fiscally responsible budgets and funding priorities that would enhance 
the quality of life of all Americans.
  As the ranking member on the Homeland Security Subcommittee, he has 
been a true champion and advocate for real and effective security for 
our Nation.
  He has led the fight, for example, to protect our ports, our aviation 
system, and our chemical plants.
  Mr. Speaker, Congressman Martin Sabo is a gentleman Congressman and a 
respected Member of the House. He has been the voice of calm and reason 
in a process that has had the potential to be partisan and acrimonious.
  It has been a genuine privilege to serve with him in the U.S. House 
of Representatives and particularly on the Homeland Security 
Appropriations Subcommittee.
  I will miss him, and this House will miss him. Martin, I wish you the 
best in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, the conference report before us makes several 
improvements to the House-passed bill and is a testament to Congressman 
Sabo's leadership. The increased funding for Urban Area Security 
Initiative (UASI) grant funds is essential to cities like Los Angeles 
that continue to be potential terrorist targets. UASI grants are badly 
needed by our local law enforcement officers who are the first line of 
defense in a disaster or terrorist attack. These funds are critical to 
local efforts to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from acts of 
terrorism or mass disaster. I am happy that the UASI grants are funded 
in the conference at the House level of $770 million, $13 million or 2 
percent above 2006.

  I am pleased that this conference report has increased funding for 
fire grants to $662 million; this is above the House-passed level and 
$14 million (2 percent) above 2006. Included in the grant money is $115 
million for hiring additional personnel under the Staffing for Adequate 
Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters Act (SAFER Act). These funds 
are critical to firefighters such as those in my state of California. 
The funds will help fire services obtain additional personnel, 
equipment and training to better protect the American public.
  The conference report also increases port security grants to $210 
million. This is $173.25 million above last year's level. While this is 
an improvement over previous years' funding, it still is insufficient 
to meet the needs identified by the Coast Guard to adequately secure 
our ports. With only 6 percent of containers entering our seaports and 
fewer than half of our ports having radiation portal monitors, much 
work remains to be done.
  I am pleased also that the conference report includes my report 
language on unaccompanied alien children, detention standards, 
alternatives to detention, increasing Customs and Border Protection 
operations at Ontario International Airport, and bill language that 
prevents the Department of Homeland Security from moving forward with 
its potentially dangerous plan to privatize key immigration officer 
positions at the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. I am 
thankful that this inherently governmental work will continue to remain 
the responsibility of trained and experienced Federal employees 
directly accountable to the Department and not to the bottom line of a 
private company. I am also pleased that Senate language limiting the 
tenure of the university centers of excellence was not included in the 
conference report.
  Nevertheless, Mr. Speaker, I also have a few concerns about this 
conference report. First, I am disappointed and greatly concerned that 
this bill's report expresses support for the expansion of the 287(g) 
program which allows State and local law enforcement officers to 
perform immigration enforcement functions. Many local law enforcement 
officers have stated that if they are required to enforce Federal 
immigration policies it would hamper their ability to successfully 
fight crime in their respective communities.
  Secondly, I am concerned about certain provisos regarding chemical 
plant security. Preventing the Secretary of Homeland Security to 
disapprove a security plan based on the presence or absence of a 
particular security measure, undermines the Secretary's authority to 
require meaningful and comprehensive security measures.
  Furthermore, shielding from public discourse information submitted on 
security plans, treating the information during court proceedings as if 
it were classified material, and making scrutiny of the implementation 
and enforcement of the security requirements the sole purview of the 
Secretary, prohibits the needed transparency and oversight of a system 
intended to provide security for all Americans. Finally, I am concerned 
that allowing the Secretary to approve alternative security programs

[[Page E2124]]

established by private sector entities, Federal, State, or local 
authorities may allow the Secretary to pre-empt State laws that impose 
more stringent requirements.
  Mr. Speaker, in spite of these concerns, I believe the passage of 
this conference report is important to our efforts to improve the 
safety of our Nation and the American people. As Chairman Rogers has 
said on numerous occasions, those who seek to do us harm only have to 
do their job right occasionally. We have to do our jobs to protect 
America 100% of the time. This is a step toward that important goal. I 
urge my colleagues to support this conference report, and fund these 
efforts to protect our Nation.

                          ____________________