Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009

DUNCAN HUNTER NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009 -- (House of Representatives - May 22, 2008)

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Mr. FORBES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment to create an advisory panel between the Department of Defense and the State Department.

Under the leadership of Chairman Skelton, Chairman Berman and Chairwoman Lowey, I believe we've taken the first of what I hope will be many steps to reform the Interagency process.

As Chairman Skelton said yesterday, reforming the way our Federal agencies cooperate is not going to happen in 1 year.

We have 19 Federal departments that have Cabinet-level authority, each with their own mission, culture, and priorities. But whether it is coordinating a uniform and united response to a natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina, whether it's organizing counterterrorism efforts between the CIA, FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, or whether it's coordinating food safety efforts between the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Homeland Security, it's critical that our agencies are not restricted by regulations or cultures that lead to distrust rather than one of cooperation.

The American people expect their government agencies to work together to be responsive and effective in carrying out the duties of government: keeping America safe, enforcing justice, and providing assistance in times of crisis. Americans expect this to be the case in our government's dealing, both at home and around the world.

So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, which establishes an advisory panel between two of our largest departments. This panel will identify ways those departments can collaborate more effectively to address national security challenges we face.

I want to thank Chairman Skelton for his leadership and his commitment to this issue.

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