[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8014]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      RETURN BUFFALO TO THE URBAN AREA SECURITY INITIATIVE PROGRAM

  (Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, this week, the House will take up Homeland 
Security appropriations legislation for fiscal year 2014. 
Unfortunately, this legislation, once again, limits the number of 
cities in the Urban Area Security Initiative program to 25. This is 
unacceptable. It excludes many cities that have been determined to be a 
high risk of a terror threat.
  The Buffalo-Niagara region, which I represent, includes four 
international border crossings and the busiest passenger crossing along 
the northern border with Canada; the largest electricity producer in 
New York State; and is within a 500-mile radius of 55 percent of the 
American population and 62 percent of the Canadian population. 
Recently, authorities thwarted a terror plot in which the target is 
thought to have been a bridge in Niagara Falls. It is unthinkable this 
bill should continue to exclude Buffalo from this important program it 
was once eligible for.
  Mr. Speaker, protecting the homeland should be a Federal Government 
priority. We should be doing more, not less, to protect our most 
vulnerable cities, including returning cities to this program and 
ensuring we maintain the capabilities gained under the program.

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