[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 118 (Friday, July 31, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TEXAS H. CON. RES. 79

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. K. MICHAEL CONAWAY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 31, 2009

  Mr. CONAWAY. Madam Speaker, at the request of the Secretary of State 
of the State of Texas, I am officially entering House Concurrent 
Resolution 79, as passed by the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, 2009 
of the State of Texas, into the Congressional Record.

                      House Concurrent Resolution

       Whereas, Border communities, such as Laredo, contend with 
     heightened responsibilities in the world today, and since the 
     advent of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, 
     Laredo has become the busiest United States port of entry 
     from Mexico and the sixth-largest customs district in the 
     country, with more than $167 billion in total trade in 2007; 
     while the heavy flow of international commerce is a boon to 
     the local economy, it presents tremendous challenges to the 
     first responders who protect the state and the nation as well 
     as their own community; and
       Whereas, The Bureau of Transportation Statistics calculated 
     that more than 1.5 million trucks and 300,000 rail containers 
     crossed through Laredo in 2006, and according to Texas 
     Department of Transportation estimates, truck tonnage will 
     increase by some 250 percent by 2030; about half of this 
     cargo includes hazardous material, and more than 60 million 
     square feet of warehouse space in the city also contains 
     significant amounts of hazardous materials, creating a 
     tempting target for terrorists and enormous potential for a 
     disaster that could not only endanger public health but also 
     disrupt major transportation systems and negatively impact 
     the national economy; and
       Whereas, Relatively isolated on its side of the border, 
     Laredo is 150 miles from the nearest sizable U.S. city, and 
     its police, fire, and public health personnel are the primary 
     emergency responders for a region of more than 3,000 square 
     miles; this includes a long stretch of the Rio Grande, which 
     is the primary drinking water source for Laredo, Nuevo 
     Laredo, and other communities in the Rio Grande Valley, 
     making swift response to any contamination extremely 
     critical; in addition, the United States-Mexico Border 
     Health Commission has recognized the region as among those 
     most vulnerable to perils such as bioterrorism and 
     epidemics; and
       Whereas, The Laredo Police Department has increased 
     vigilance over border activity since the attacks of September 
     11, 2001, and confronts an escalating threat from violent 
     international drug traffickers, who have been linked to 
     terrorism; the fire department responds to a wide range of 
     emergencies along the Rio Grande, from the rescue or recovery 
     of individuals who have attempted to cross into the United 
     States to bomb threats; and
       Whereas, The emergency response system in Laredo requires a 
     higher level of funding to ensure public safety and meet 
     homeland security imperatives; for instance, the city has 
     only one hazardous materials response unit, purchased in 1991 
     and long overdue for upgrades; it lacks a detection system 
     for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-
     yield explosive weapons, as well as for quick assessment and 
     management of industrial accidents; among other urgent needs 
     are enhanced police staffing, improved radio coverage in 
     remote areas, and construction of a secure regional emergency 
     operations center where safety personnel and local, state, 
     and federal government officials can coordinate decisions and 
     resources in a crisis; and
       Whereas, With an estimated population of 217,000, Laredo is 
     a much smaller city than other major United States ports; its 
     own budget is accordingly limited, and at the same time, 
     its size has been an impediment in the pursuit of federal 
     assistance; homeland security funding formulas currently 
     use census figures rather than threat risk in determining 
     eligibility for such programs as the Urban Areas Security 
     Initiative and Targeted Infrastructure Capability Grants 
     Program, and, as a land port, Laredo is likewise 
     ineligible for the Port Security Grant Program, even 
     though it processes more international shipments than such 
     grant recipients as Mobile, Alabama, and Lake Charles, 
     Louisiana; and
       Whereas, Laredo, as the nation's second-busiest land 
     gateway, shoulders unique law enforcement, public safety, and 
     national security burdens far out of proportion to the size 
     of its population; increased federal funding is necessary to 
     strengthen first response where local agencies with strained 
     budgets are responsible for protecting our nation's critical 
     infrastructure and addressing international threats; now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas 
     hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to refine 
     Department of Homeland Security policy to consider risk 
     levels as well as population size in assessing the financial 
     needs of first responders in border communities along the 
     international boundary created by the Rio Grande; and, be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Texas secretary of state forward 
     official copies of this resolution to the president of the 
     United States, to the speaker of the house of representatives 
     and the president of the senate of the United States 
     Congress, and to all the members of the Texas delegation to 
     the congress with the request that this resolution be 
     officially entered in the Congressional Record as a memorial 
     to the Congress of the United States of America.
     David Dewhurst,
       President of the Senate.
     Joe Straus,
       Speaker of the House.
     Robert Haney,
       Chief Clerk of the House.
     Patsy Spaw,
       Secretary of the Senate.
       Approved: Rick Perry, Governor.

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