[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 156 (Tuesday, October 16, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H11607-H11609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1815
RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF AMERICA'S WATERWAY WATCH PROGRAM
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 549) recognizing the importance of America's
Waterway Watch program, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 549
Whereas the United States has a maritime border that
exceeds 95,000 miles;
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security has begun to
focus greater attention on potential security threats from
small vessels and the importance of increasing maritime
domain awareness;
Whereas the Coast Guard currently conducts a maritime
homeland security public awareness program called America's
Waterway Watch program;
Whereas America's Waterway Watch is a public outreach
program to encourage America's 70,000,000 boaters and others
who live, work, or engage in recreational activities around
America's waterways to maintain a heightened sense of
awareness in the maritime domain and report suspicious and
unusual activities to the Coast Guard National Response
Center and other appropriate law enforcement agencies;
Whereas America's Waterway Watch program educates the
public on what suspicious activity is and provides a toll-
free telephone number, (877) 24-WATCH, for the public to
report such activity to prevent terrorism and other criminal
acts;
Whereas the Coast Guard promotes this program by
distributing educational materials, boat decals, posters, and
reporting forms to recreational boaters, marine dealers,
marinas, and other businesses located near waterways;
Whereas America's Waterway Watch program acts as a force
multiplier for the Coast Guard and local law enforcement and
builds on local and regional security programs;
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security conducted a
National Small Vessel Security Summit on June 19 and June 20,
2007, to educate small vessel operators and other
stakeholders on current security risks and initiate dialogue
on possible solutions to mitigate gaps in United States
maritime domain awareness; and
Whereas, during the National Small Vessel Security Summit,
participants highlighted America's Waterway Watch program and
recognized its importance to increasing maritime domain
awareness: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the importance of increasing maritime domain
awareness;
(2) encourages those who live, work, or engage in
recreational activities around America's waterways to
maintain a heightened sense of awareness in the maritime
domain and report suspicious and unusual activities to
appropriate authorities; and
(3) supports the goals of America's Waterway Watch program.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Cummings) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.
General Leave
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
on H. Res. 549.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
House Resolution 549, introduced by Congressman Gus Bilirakis,
recognizes the contributions made to our Nation's security by the Coast
Guard's Waterway Watch program. As chairman of the Subcommittee on
Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I strongly support the
Waterway Watch program, and I support the resolution offered by the
gentleman from Florida.
Put simply, America's Waterway Watch program enlists the 70 million
Americans who work, play or live around our Nation's waterfronts,
rivers, lakes, and coastal regions to become part of our Nation's first
line of defense by observing and reporting suspicious activities.
Founded by the Coast Guard in 2004, the Waterway Watch is similar to
earlier Coast Watch programs instituted during World War II.
At the time, the Coast Watch program was comprised of a group of
volunteers who scanned our coasts for U-boats threatening U.S.
shipping. Today, America's Waterway Watch calls on volunteers to aid in
the war on terrorism on our home front. People are advised to take note
of suspicious activities and, if it can be done safely, they are
encouraged to take photographs or videotape of the occurrence.
Observers are then asked to immediately report incidents they have
witnessed by calling 911 or the America's Waterway Watch 24-hour
national toll-free telephone number, 1-877-24-WATCH. Reported
information is then sent to the National Response Center located at
Coast Guard headquarters to be evaluated and dispersed to local Coast
Guard responders.
I emphasize that this watch program is meant to be a simple deterrent
to potential terrorist activity by asking
[[Page H11608]]
those who frequent our waterways, ports, and waterfront areas to report
events and people that seem out of place. It is not a surveillance
program and is not meant to spread paranoia.
Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime
Transportation Subcommittee, I also commend the Coast Guard Auxiliary,
which is at the forefront of the Waterway Watch program. The auxiliary
is the uniformed civilian component of the Coast Guard. It is primarily
responsible for implementing programs that serve the recreational
boating community. In fact, the auxiliary helps to promote America's
Waterway Watch through their well-established recreational boating
safety programs.
I also commend the Nationwide Insurance Company, which has supported
the Waterway Watch program by giving the Coast Guard Auxiliary
Association a $96,000 grant to support the auxiliary's role in the
Coast Guard's maritime homeland security missions. The grant funded the
purchase of Waterway Watch stickers that boaters can display on their
boats. It also funded the printing of brochures, wallet cards, and
posters that provide pertinent information on the watch program,
including detailing how citizens can become involved in the program and
listing the numbers that can be called to report suspicious activities.
The Coast Guard's active duty, Reserve and auxiliary forces have
united with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, U.S.
Customs and Border Protection, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
and local law enforcement agencies to detect and deter threatening
activities at waterfront facilities.
However, there are some 95,000 miles of shoreline, 300,000 square
miles of waterways, 6,000 bridges, 360 ports of call, and 12,000
marinas in the United States; and the Coast Guard and other first
responders simply cannot watch all of these facilities all the time.
America's Waterway Watch program ensures that ordinary citizens can
help our Nation's uniformed agencies protect our homeland simply by
remaining vigilant in their own communities.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I again express my support for America's
Waterway Watch program, which helps keep citizens involved in watching
our Nation's shores and waterways, and recognizes the importance of the
service they are providing. I urge my colleagues to adopt H. Res. 549
and again commend Congressman Bilirakis for his work on this measure. I
also congratulate and thank my colleague, the ranking member of our
Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee (Mr. LaTourette),
for his cooperation in this bipartisan effort.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Cummings
from Maryland, for bringing this important measure to the floor in such
a bipartisan way. I enjoy continuing to work with the chairman on a
variety of matters that affect the Coast Guard and our Nation's
maritime industry.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 549, which
recognizes the importance of America's Waterway Watch program in
enhancing our Nation's maritime security. America's Waterway Watch was
established by the Coast Guard to encourage America's 70 million
recreational boaters to report suspicious activity in the maritime
environment to local law enforcement agencies. The program is a
nationwide initiative that is similar to the Neighborhood Watch program
that is so effective in many of our neighborhoods back home.
Through America's Waterway Watch program, the Coast Guard, the Coast
Guard Reserve, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary are actively educating the
public on actions and behavior that constitute suspicious activities.
These outreach efforts are being made in cooperation with our Nation's
recreational boaters, marine dealers, marinas, and other businesses
located near waterways. America's Waterway Watch program acts as an
important force multiplier for Coast Guard and local law enforcement
and enhances the capabilities of local and regional security programs.
Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the resolution's sponsor, the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), and all of the other cosponsors
for rightly recognizing this important community program.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of the Members of the House to support this
resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CUMMINGS. We will reserve, Mr. Speaker.
We have no other speakers.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. I thank the chairman.
At this time, it is my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the author of the resolution.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 549, a
resolution that I have introduced to recognize the importance of
increased maritime domain awareness and support the goals of America's
Waterway Watch program. It has become clear in the years since 9/11
that all Americans have a shared responsibility for our country's
security. That is why I am pleased to highlight the importance of a
program that encourages citizens to do their part to strengthen our
homeland defenses.
The Department of Homeland Security has begun to focus greater
attention on potential security threats from individuals aboard small
vessels and the importance of increasing maritime domain awareness.
Many of us who represent coastal States already know and understand how
vitally important it is to take reasonable and appropriate security
precautions to secure our maritime borders from such threats.
The Coast Guard currently conducts a maritime homeland security
public awareness program called America's Waterway Watch. This program,
which is the maritime equivalent of a Neighborhood Watch program,
encourages boaters and others who live, work or engage in recreational
activities around America's waterways to maintain a heightened sense of
awareness and report suspicious and unusual activities.
This voluntary public outreach program educates America's 70 million
boaters about the types of suspicious activities they should be looking
for and encourages them to report any such abnormalities to the Coast
Guard's National Response Center, which is manned 24 hours a day at
877-24-WATCH. Calls to the center are immediately evaluated and, if
necessary, acted upon by local Coast Guard sector assets and other law
enforcement authorities.
This program, which the Coast Guard promotes by distributing
educational materials and other information to recreational boaters,
marine dealers, marinas and other businesses located near waterways,
acts as a force multiplier for the Coast Guard and local law
enforcement to help increase maritime domain awareness and strengthen
maritime security.
There is no question that we need to improve waterway security and
bolster our maritime defenses. However, it is critically important that
we do so in a reasonable and responsible manner with the input and
advice of America's recreational boaters and manufacturers.
I am pleased that the Department of Homeland Security conducted a
National Small Vessel Security Summit in June to educate small vessel
operators and other stakeholders on current security risks and initiate
a dialogue about possible solutions to close whatever gaps exist in our
maritime security.
Summit participants highlighted America's Waterway Watch and its
contributions to increasing maritime domain awareness and urge greater
support for it. I agree that America's Waterway Watch program is a
sensible and reasonable step toward bolstering our maritime defenses
without imposing costly and confusing new regulations on recreational
boaters who play an important economic role in my district. I look
forward to a continuing and productive dialogue between them and
Federal Homeland Security officials before any rules or mandates are
proposed.
Before I finish, I want to thank Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee Chairman James Oberstar and Chairman Cummings and Mr.
[[Page H11609]]
LaTourette from Ohio and particularly also my Florida colleague,
Ranking Member John Mica, for moving this resolution through their
committee and allowing it to come on the floor today. I also want to
thank my colleagues from Florida who have shown their bipartisan
support for this resolution, which is indicative of how important the
issue of marine security is for our State. I would like to thank all of
our colleagues who have cosponsored this particular resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I believe it is necessary to emphasize the importance of
increasing maritime domain awareness and encourage recreational boaters
and others to report suspicious and unusual activities, which is what
America's Waterway Watch program does. I urge all of my colleagues to
embrace the goals of this program and our shared responsibility for
homeland security by supporting House Resolution 549.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would advise my friend, the
distinguished chairman of the subcommittee, that we have no additional
speakers, and if he is prepared to yield back, I will yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. CUMMINGS. We are prepared to do so.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. I yield back the balance of my time and urge adoption
of the resolution.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, we urge Members to vote for this very
meaningful resolution, and we wholeheartedly support it. I want to
thank the sponsor for his thoughtful piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 549.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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