[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 144 (Thursday, September 11, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCTION OF NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH RESOLUTION

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                         HON. YVETTE D. CLARKE

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 11, 2008

  Ms. CLARKE. Madam Speaker, today I introduce the National 
Preparedness Month Resolution, which recognizes that the month of 
September is designated as National Preparedness Month. This measure 
applauds the public servants at Department of Homeland Security for 
their outstanding contributions to our Nation's homeland security and 
encourages citizens around the world to continue to prepare themselves 
and their families for acts of terrorism, natural disasters and other 
emergencies.
  It has been 7 years since the horrific terrorist attacks against the 
United States and its people on September 11, 2001. Our Nation 
continues to heal from the terrible losses that we suffered and our 
Government remains vigilant against those who attacked us.
  Yet, while our Nation is fortunate that law enforcement agents and 
emergency response providers have successfully worked hard to prevent 
any further attacks, we are still vulnerable. We know that precious 
lives and critical infrastructure continue to be targeted across the 
world as evidenced by various suicide bombings in recent years. 
Terrorism remains prevalent and we must always be prepared both at home 
and abroad.
  I am pleased to have so many members serving as cosponsors to this 
bill. As we all know, preparedness is not a partisan matter--terrorists 
do not select their victims by political party. Therefore, we must all 
support the message that families be prepared for emergencies should 
they occur.
  If a disaster--whether large or small--occurs in a community, local 
responders and disaster-relief organizations will be there to help, but 
citizens need to be ready as well. That is why the Department of 
Homeland Security has designated the month of September each year as 
National Preparedness Month. The Department and its key stakeholders 
will spend the month promoting the importance of being prepared and, 
most importantly, how to be prepared in our communities across the 
country. As we all know, when individual citizens, families and 
communities are prepared, the fear, anxiety, and loss that accompany 
disasters is substantially minimized.
  It is imperative that citizens know what to do in the event of an 
emergency and be ready either to shelter in place or to evacuate their 
homes. People must be ready to care for their basic needs for a minimum 
of 72 hours should they be displaced for a period of time.
  And as our Nation continues to glean lessons from catastrophic events 
such as the September 11th terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina, the 
Federal Government must ensure that preparedness efforts help our 
Nation's most vulnerable populations. Recent wildfires, floods, 
hurricanes and tornadoes have given us the opportunity to observe 
whether those lessons have since been corrected.
  In closing, let me say that I applaud the hard work and dedication of 
the public servants within the Department of Homeland Security in their 
effort to protect our Nation. Further, I encourage our citizens to make 
sure their families are vigilant, alert, and prepared for emergencies, 
and recommend visiting the Web site www.ready.gov, which might greatly 
assist them in this process. I urge my colleagues to support this 
important resolution.

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