[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 22369]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          RECOGNIZING THE FBI

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise to congratulate the men and women 
of the FBI's Baltimore field office who have prevented yet another 
catastrophic terrorist attack on our Nation. Similar to the plot to 
bomb the tree lighting ceremony in Portland, OR, over the recent 
Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the outstanding work of the men and women 
of the FBI's Baltimore field office was successful in infiltrating and 
thwarting the planned bombing of a military recruitment center in 
Catonsville, MD. This deplorable scheme was meant to harm the young men 
and women who sacrifice so much for our country by serving in the Armed 
Forces. That is why I am grateful for the FBI's months of careful, 
covert and skillful investigations and operations to disrupt this plot, 
put the terrorist behind bars, and keep Marylanders safe.
  This is the second time in as many weeks that the FBI has stopped a 
terrorist plot to harm Americans here at home, reminding us they are on 
the job 24 hours a day 7 days a week keeping the United States safe. 
Whether they are catching sexual predators who exploit children on the 
Internet, targeting scammers who prey on hard-working, middle-class 
families with mortgage fraud schemes, stopping cyber crooks from 
hacking into U.S. networks, or preventing terrorists bent on murder and 
destruction from acquiring weapons of mass destruction, the FBI is 
committed to protecting our communities with fidelity, bravery and 
integrity. This job is not easy and most of the time the good work done 
by FBI employees does not make headlines, but they remain committed to 
their mission of fighting to protect 300 million Americans nonetheless.
  A tremendous amount of detective work was carried out by the FBI and 
their Federal, State and local law enforcement and homeland security 
partners to prevent this attack and save lives. The takedown went 
exactly as planned, and that can be attributed to professionalism and 
diligence displayed by the many agencies involved. Leading the charge 
was the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which was integral in coordinating 
a multiagency team that investigated the threat thoroughly and ensured 
the safety of Marylanders. In addition, I want to praise the critical 
contributions to the investigation by the Baltimore City Police 
Department, Baltimore County Police Department, Maryland State Police, 
Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Army Recruiting Command, Air 
Force Recruitment Command, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 
Army 902d Military Intelligence Group, Defense Criminal Investigative 
Services (DCIS) and other DOD components, U.S. Marshals Service, and 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
  As chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, 
Justice, and Science, I know firsthand the importance of the national 
security responsibilities shouldered by the FBI as they protect us from 
both homegrown and international terrorism. In a time when many 
Americans eye the Federal institutions with wariness and disapproval, 
the FBI continues getting the job done and restoring confidence in our 
government's ability to keep us safe. Again, I congratulate the FBI's 
brave men and women for their tireless efforts in protecting our 
communities, and say to them, ``Keep up the fight!''

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