Issue Position: Homeland Security

Issue Position

Issue Position: Homeland Security

As North Carolina's only representative on the House Committee on Homeland Security, I believe that the first responsibility of the federal government must be to protect the American people. The federal government must work in coordination with local and state governments and the private sector to keep our citizens safe and our communities secure.

Homeland security begins with hometown security, and federal funding provided for local emergency preparedness and response makes our entire nation more secure. Our first responders put their lives on the line for us every day, and I am working to make sure they are well equipped, fully trained, and have emergency plans in place for any crisis. When an emergency happens, that 911 phone call doesn't ring in Washington, D.C., it rings in our local firehouses and law enforcement offices.

As the former North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, I have made improving federal support for local school security efforts my top priority on the Homeland Security Committee. Children spend the majority of their daylight hours in school, but schools are often overlooked when considering emergency preparedness and first responder needs. Given recent events at schools across the country, we as a nation simply must invest in emergency planning to ensure our children have safe and secure places to learn.

In April I introduced The Schools Empowered to Respond Act, which will provide increased federal guidance and access to resources to schools for developing and implementing their emergency response and preparedness plans. It will create a one-stop shop within the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate the department's school security efforts and provide best practices for schools. The bill will give schools more access to federal funds and provide educators with an increased voice in state and local grant decisions.

I crafted the legislation in response to the results of a survey I conducted of principals and superintendents in North Carolina's Second Congressional District. I found that although schools have emergency plans, they would like more assistance and direction from the federal government.

I am also working to ensure that our first responders receive the benefits they deserve, in recognition and encouragement of their service. Congress first provided the Public Safety Officers' Benefit (PSOB) in the 1970s to ensure that if a first responders dies in the line of duty, their loved ones would be cared for. In 2003 I introduced, and Congress passed, the Hometown Heroes Survivors Benefit Act to expedite and streamline the process for those who died of a heart attack or stroke in the line of duty. I will continue to work to improve the implementation of the PSOB, to defend public safety officers, and to ensure that they have the equipment and resources they need to do their jobs.

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