[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 21673]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             DESIGNING FOR SECURITY IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, the atmosphere in many cities today is 
one of apprehension and anxiety. We can witness this right outside the 
doors of this Capitol by the hundreds of jersey barriers and concrete 
blocks that surround these buildings and the street closures around the 
White House and our offices. Safety is of vital importance, but we must 
remain aware of the effect that hasty and poorly planned actions can 
have on the livability of our communities.
  In the wake of the events that have occurred since September 11, 
there has never been a more pressing need for the Federal Government 
and other partners in the private sector to link hands with neighbors, 
civic and business leaders to assure that our families are safe, 
healthy and economically secure. It is essential that we accomplish 
these objectives without unnecessarily burdening the normal everyday 
functions of our communities.
  Here in our Nation's capital, Congress and the Federal Government 
have the opportunity to lead by example and be a productive partner in 
working with the District of Columbia, local business leaders and 
concerned citizens to meet our needs. We need to work together to 
protect our national treasures up and down the Mall, our employees' 
offices and the transportation routes without suffocating the city's 
ability to operate.
  Security measures can have a devastating effect on communities. Look 
at the extended closure of National Airport that has resulted in the 
loss of hundreds of jobs, perhaps some permanently, and the 
displacement of thousands of others. The roads that have been closed 
around the Capitol and the White House have snarled traffic and 
frustrated commuters.
  We are well aware that we will never return in our lifetime to the 
pre-September 11 mindset. Therefore, it is critical that we take a 
long-term view to make sure that our safety concerns are planned in a 
manner that do not make things worse. We cannot allow terrorism to 
destroy our sense of community or the ability of those communities to 
serve us.
  With this in mind, the report of the Interagency Task Force of the 
National Planning Commission issued last week titled ``Designing for 
Security in the Nation's Capital'' deserves our special attention. The 
task force began meeting far before the recent attacks, working for 
months to develop a clear outline and plan for security measures that 
do not compromise livability.
  It has been apparent of the need for this action since the closing of 
Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House after the Oklahoma City 
bombing. This sort of temporary action is still in place 6 years later. 
Security measures that may have made sense temporarily have led to a 
seemingly permanent closure that has created costly traffic problems 
and a blighted scene in front of the home of our President.
  The task force outlines several steps that can be taken to ensure the 
safety of Federal buildings and national monuments. The report calls 
for a master design that achieves the same security objectives of the 
items that we currently see littered all over the Capitol complex, 
concrete barriers, bollards and steel posts, without making it look 
like it would be a burial ground for chunks of concrete.
  The task force report also stresses transportation concerns that have 
developed as a result of road closings. It proposes a fascinating 
solution dealing with the circulator system of either buses or 
streetcars that would allow for safe and secure transport of people 
throughout the downtown, the Mall and the Capitol area. Such a 
circulator system could help reduce traffic congestion, allow for the 
removal of parking spaces in areas of security concern and improve 
traffic flow while all the time improving air quality, saving energy 
and making it a more appropriate, enjoyable experience for visitors to 
our Nation's capital.
  The task force will have a real dollar impact if its proposals are 
put in place; but to put in context, the expenditure of perhaps a 
hundred billion dollars in the context of billions of dollars already 
lost and billions more that are proposed for security measures, this 
amount is a small price to pay to protect the public and our national 
treasures in a manner that does not hold this local community hostage.
  I urge my colleagues to examine these proposals and the funding of 
this plan. I am not suggesting that it necessarily needs to be the 
final answer, but it is an important first step to keep our Nation's 
capital and its citizens safe, healthy and economically secure while we 
assure that Timothy McVeigh and Osama bin Laden are not the dominant 
forces in American landscape architecture, public space and 
transportation for the next 50 years.

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