[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 129 (Thursday, September 23, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H6965-H6967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1618) urging the Federal 
Government, States, localities, schools, nonprofit organizations, 
businesses, other entities, and the people of the United States to 
observe National Preparedness Month, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1618

       Whereas it has been 9 years since the horrific terrorist 
     attacks against the United States and its people on September 
     11, 2001;
       Whereas terrorists around the world continue to plot and 
     plan attacks against the United States and its interests and 
     foreign allies, and the Department of Homeland Security has 
     stated that the number and pace of attempted attacks against 
     the United States over the past 9 months have surpassed the 
     number of attempts during any other previous one-year period;
       Whereas during the month of September the Nation observes 
     National Preparedness Month, which is sponsored by the 
     Department of Homeland Security, and encourages all citizens 
     to prepare themselves and their families for possible 
     emergencies by getting an emergency supply kit that will last 
     72 hours, making a family emergency plan, being informed, and 
     getting involved in the community in organizations such as 
     Citizen Corps, which actively involves citizens in making our 
     communities and our Nation safer, stronger, and better 
     prepared;
       Whereas acts of terrorism can exact a tragic human toll, 
     resulting in significant numbers of casualties and disrupting 
     hundreds of thousands of lives, causing serious damage to our 
     Nation's critical infrastructure, and inflicting billions of 
     dollars of costs on both our public and private sectors;
       Whereas in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001, 
     and the continuing grave threat of terrorism, Congress 
     established the Department of Homeland Security in March 
     2003, bringing together 22 disparate Federal entities, 
     enhancing their capabilities with major new divisions 
     emphasizing terrorism-related information analysis, 
     infrastructure protection, and science and technology, and 
     focusing their employees on the critical mission of defending 
     our Nation against acts of terrorism;
       Whereas the Secretary of Homeland Security is charged with 
     coordinating the implementation of preparedness in the United 
     States under Homeland Security Presidential Directive-8, and 
     has undertaken efforts to prepare the Nation with public 
     awareness campaigns, including National Preparedness Month 
     activities;
       Whereas since its creation, the employees of the Department 
     of Homeland Security have endeavored to carry out this 
     mission with commendable dedication, working with other 
     Federal intelligence and law enforcement agencies and 
     partners at all levels of government to help secure our 
     Nation's borders, airports, seaports, critical 
     infrastructure, and communities against terrorist attacks;
       Whereas our Nation's firefighters, law enforcement 
     officers, emergency medical personnel, and other first 
     responders selflessly and repeatedly risk their lives to 
     fulfill their new mission of helping to prevent, protect 
     against, and prepare to respond to acts of terrorism, major 
     disasters, and other emergencies;
       Whereas State, local, territorial, and tribal government 
     officials, the private sector, and ordinary citizens across 
     the country have been working in cooperation with the 
     Department of Homeland Security and other Federal Government 
     agencies to enhance our ability to prevent, deter, protect 
     against, and prepare to respond to acts of terrorism;
       Whereas all people of the United States can assist in 
     promoting our Nation's overall terrorism and emergency 
     preparedness by remaining vigilant and alert, reporting 
     suspicious activity to proper authorities, and preparing 
     themselves and their families for potential terrorist 
     attacks; and
       Whereas all people of the United States should take the 
     opportunity during National Preparedness Month in September 
     2010 to take steps at home, work, and school to enhance their 
     ability to assist in preventing, protecting against, and 
     preparing to respond to acts of terrorism: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) commends the public servants of the Department of 
     Homeland Security and other Federal agencies for their 
     outstanding contributions to our Nation's homeland security;
       (2) salutes the dedication of State, local, territorial, 
     and tribal government officials, the private sector, and 
     citizens across the country for their efforts to enhance the 
     Nation's ability to prevent, deter, protect against, and 
     prepare to respond to potential acts of terrorism;
       (3) expresses the Nation's appreciation for the sacrifices 
     and commitment of our law enforcement and emergency response 
     personnel in preventing and preparing to respond to acts of 
     terrorism;
       (4) supports the goals and ideals of National Preparedness 
     Month as they relate to the threat of terrorism; and
       (5) urges the Federal Government, States, localities, 
     schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, other entities, 
     and the people of the United States to observe National 
     Preparedness Month with appropriate events and activities 
     that promote citizen and community preparedness to respond to 
     acts of terrorism.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers) 
each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page H6966]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi.


                             General Leave

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and 
extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the measure 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1618. I am 
pleased that House Resolution 1618 is being considered by the full 
House today during National Preparedness Month. I would like to thank 
Ranking Member King, as well as Representatives Richardson and Rogers, 
the chairwoman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Emergency 
Communications, Preparedness, and Response, for their support of this 
resolution and joining me as House congressional co-chairs for National 
Preparedness Month.
  House Resolution 1618 commends the public servants at the Department 
of Homeland Security for their outstanding dedication to securing our 
Nation and encourages the American public to participate in National 
Preparedness Month.
  National Preparedness Month is sponsored by DHS. Spearheaded by 
FEMA's Ready campaign and Citizen Corps program, National Preparedness 
Month is designed to encourage Americans to take simple steps to 
prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses, and communities. 
This year, the Ready Campaign has partnered with over 4,000 coalition 
members across the country to promote the message that preparedness is 
a shared responsibility.
  As a former volunteer firefighter, I know that lives are saved when 
the public takes steps to prepare for the worst. Individuals across the 
country can be more prepared for the next disaster by making a family 
emergency plan, assembling an emergency supply kit and learning about 
possible threats in their area. Businesses, both large and small, 
should also make every effort to plan for disasters by conducting a 
risk assessment, completing a business continuity plan, and preparing 
an evacuation plan that takes into account the needs of all their 
employees, including those with disabilities.
  We are up to our 12th named storm during this hurricane season, and 
according to the DHS, the number of attempted terrorist attacks against 
the U.S. over the last 9 months has surpassed the number of attempts 
during any other previous 1-year period.
  The good news is that today we are more prepared to respond to 
disasters than at any other time in our history, as we have a stronger 
FEMA and better equipped first responders standing ready across the 
country.
  Despite all the effort that has gone into building a more secure and 
resilient Nation, more work needs to be done. In a survey conducted in 
2009, FEMA found that just 56 percent of respondents had disaster 
supply kits in their homes and only 38 percent knew where to find key 
public safety information. It is my great hope that National 
Preparedness Month will help improve these numbers.
  I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1618 and also ask 
them to encourage their constituents to visit ready.gov where they can 
learn how to be vigilant, alert, and prepared for any emergency.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I rise today as an original cosponsor of House Resolution 1618. This 
bipartisan resolution recognizes the month of September as National 
Preparedness Month, during which government officials, the private 
sector, and individual citizens are urged to become better prepared for 
terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other emergencies.
  Earlier this month, we commemorated the ninth anniversary of the 
September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and honored those who were lost 
that day. Weeks earlier we marked the fifth anniversary of Hurricane 
Katrina, and we were reminded of the lasting devastation caused by the 
storm.
  These solemn anniversaries are powerful reminders of the threats we 
face and the importance of being prepared. Having an emergency kit, 
which includes basic supplies such as water, nonperishable foods, 
flashlights, batteries and other items, developing an emergency 
evacuation plan for your family, and staying informed about what's 
going on in your local area, are all steps that can be taken to become 
more prepared.
  In addition to promoting these steps, House Resolution 1618 commends 
the employees of the Department of Homeland Security; other Federal 
agencies; State, local, and tribal government officials; as well as 
emergency responders and law enforcement officers who defend our Nation 
against terrorism. Their dedication to protecting our homeland against 
threats is one that we cannot and must not take for granted.
  For this reason I have been a strong advocate of the Federal grant 
programs such as the FIRE and SAFER programs, which provide direct and 
much-needed support to our Nation's firefighters for equipment, 
staffing, and many other needs.
  The Center for Domestic Preparedness in my home district of Anniston, 
Alabama, is another prime example of the Federal Government's 
commitment to first responders, providing premier hands-on training in 
disaster preparedness and response at no cost to the State, local, and 
tribal emergency responders.
  These types of Federal initiatives help ensure that we do our part in 
providing the men and women on the front lines with the resources 
necessary to carry out their vital missions. I hope that we will 
continue to enhance funding for these programs, which also have the 
tremendous benefit of promoting a higher level of coordination and 
planning across all levels of government.
  I want to thank Chairman Thompson and Subcommittee Chairwoman 
Richardson for their work on this resolution. As a House co-chair of 
National Preparedness Month, I urge all of my colleagues to support the 
measure.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she 
may consume to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Richardson).

                              {time}  1850

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Madam Speaker, as subcommittee chair of the Emergency 
Communications, Preparedness, and Response Subcommittee of the 
Committee on Homeland Security and one of the cochairs of the House 
National Preparedness Month and original cosponsors of H.R. 1618, I 
rise in strong support of this resolution brought forward by Chairman 
Thompson recognizing the importance of National Preparedness Month.
  I would like to thank Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member King of 
our full committee for their continued leadership on these very 
important issues and not letting Americans be caught unprepared. I 
would also like to acknowledge Mr. Rogers, the gentleman from Alabama, 
the ranking member of our subcommittee, for working with me on these 
preparedness issues, as well as all of the members of our committee who 
supported this resolution.
  September 2010 is the seventh annual National Preparedness Month. 
Through events, public service announcements, and other coordinated 
efforts, FEMA and its thousands of public and private partners have and 
will disseminate critical information about the importance of being 
prepared.
  House Resolution 1618 supports these important efforts by recognizing 
the valuable work of the Department of Homeland Security and 
encouraging Americans to work together to take concrete actions toward 
emergency preparedness.
  Over the course of the last year, we have seen tragedies strike, 
whether it was manmade or beyond our control, in many forms, whether 
they included floods, wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, oil spills, 
and most recently in my own State, a major pipeline gas explosion. 
Additionally, we have also known terrorists continue to target 
Americans and our critical infrastructure, as evidenced by the various 
attempted suicide bombings and plots that have been uncovered.

[[Page H6967]]

  Thanks to countless public servants and everyday Americans throughout 
all levels of government and first responders across our country, our 
Nation stands more resilient than ever. House Resolution 1618 praises 
the selfless dedication of those courageous individuals and calls on 
the American public to equally make efforts at home, at work and 
school, because it's really all of our responsibility to increase their 
ability to assist in preventing, protecting against, and preparing to 
respond to all disasters and, above all, to minimize the loss of life 
and destruction of property.
  Madam Speaker, change is evident in regard to how Americans prepare 
for disasters, but one thing is completely true--we have not completely 
hit the road that we need to be on to be prepared in every aspect to 
avoid some of these disasters and incidents that might occur.
  Let me go over a few simple tips, and I would like to build upon some 
of the ones that Chairman Thompson already mentioned for the Record.
  Number one, it's important to practice your disaster plan. Number 
two, prepare our children so that they know what to do. Number three, 
something that we fell short on with Hurricane Katrina, and that is not 
to forget to make assistance for those who are vulnerable, whether they 
be those who are aged, infants, or those with special needs. We should 
all learn CPR and first aid. We need to understand the post-9/11 risks. 
And finally, we all have got to be involved and volunteer.
  House Resolution 1618 encourages all Americans to be prepared when--
not if--the next emergency occurs and to get involved in the National 
Preparedness Month activity happening in your area. Right here today in 
the Capitol, Chairman Thompson authorized, with FEMA, to be able to 
launch the iPod system, which will enable State and local governments, 
tribal and territories to be able to be better alerted in the case of 
an emergency.
  I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1618.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, House Resolution 1618 
supports the important goals and ideals of National Preparedness Month. 
I thank the ranking member and all my colleagues on the Committee on 
Homeland Security for coming together in a bipartisan manner to show 
support for this important resolution.
  I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1618.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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