Lowey Amendment Aims to Overhaul Department of Homeland Security National Asset Database

LOWEY AMENDMENT AIMS TO OVERHAUL DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY NATIONAL ASSET DATABASE

Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) today added an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act of 2007 to greatly enhance our ability to account for critical infrastructure by revamping the seriously flawed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Asset Database. Currently, the database contains over 77,000 assets, but only 11,000 are considered nationally significant.

"New York is home to countless national icons that could be targets; yet DHS continues to ignore this fact. We cannot expect risk-based funding to be effective if DHS's system for evaluating vulnerable targets is so incredibly defective," stated Lowey. "My amendment would enact the recommendations of the Inspector General to require the DHS to identify and evaluate key milestones, remove "extremely insignificant" items, provide states better opportunities to review and remove items, and clarify guidance to obtain more uniform and accurate information, to make sure we inject some common sense into the risk evaluation process."

Last week the DHS Inspector General issued a report on the National Asset Database, one of the tools DHS has stated it uses to allocate anti-terrorism grants. The report found that the list is critically flawed and does not take into account many assets in essential areas such as business, finance, and telecommunications sectors, which have significant presences in New York, while it includes highly unlikely targets such as a popcorn factory and a mule festival as top terror targets. Lowey said it is disgraceful that DHS has wasted time and resources on a database that is practically useless at a time when it has cut critical homeland security funding by 40% for New York and Washington, DC, the top two terrorist targets in the nation.

Some of the other outrageous items included on the list were petting zoos, a Kentucky bourbon festival and golf tournament, bingo and ice cream parlors, a cookie shop, breweries, fishing shops, gyms, pet food makers, redwood trees, an Illinois "Apple and Pork Festival, and even something listed as a "Beach at End of Street."

"In the past three years, terrorists have attacked the Madrid, London, and Mumbai transit systems. In the past three weeks, we have discovered that terrorists once again targeted the New York transportation system. DHS must focus on critical infrastructure that may be attacked, not auto shops, bingo parlors, and petting zoos," added Lowey. "I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and the Department of Homeland Security to overhaul this seriously flawed database and inject common sense into the risk evaluation process."

http://www.house.gov/list/press/ny18_lowey/hs071906.html