Issue Position: Homeland Security

Issue Position

In the 110th Congress, I was fortunate to serve on the Homeland Security Committee. It is my goal to provide the necessary framework and assistance to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and all agencies contributing to securing our nation.

Intelligence
As a member of Congress, we must work to strengthen our intelligence community and its ability to gather, analyze, and share information that law enforcement and first responders need to prevent an attack. DHS developed the Federal Coordinating Group which brings together officials from federal, state, and local law enforcement to conduct threat mitigation and information sharing. Similarly, many states--including Colorado--have established fusion centers, where local first responders convene to share and analyze intelligence, and coordinate responses. I want to ensure these institutions and many others are able to communicate and share intelligence as quickly and effectively as possible while protecting the privacy of citizens.

First Responders And First Preventers
Effective homeland security starts with our community law enforcement, fire departments, medical professionals and the National Guard. They are the eyes and ears on the ground. They will often be the first individuals to observe suspicious activity that could be terrorist-related, and they will be first on the scene after an emergency.

My goal is to work with first responders, particularly those in Colorado, to find ways to meet their needs. We must assist first responders in obtaining communications equipment allowing various agencies at the federal, state, and local levels to communicate with each other effectively. In addition we must ensure our state and local first responders have the resources to meet the unique threats they face, and responsibly get the training and equipment they need to mitigate that threat.

Natural Disaster Management
Among the many tasks related to homeland security is our nation's preparedness and response to natural disasters. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is charged with this task. We have seen an alarming trend of increased natural disasters in the past decade. Congress must work with state and local governments to develop a response structure which effectively uses resources to alert, evacuate, search, rescue, and recover. Part of this includes developing the next generation of weather satellites--some built in Colorado--which will predict severe weather patterns days in advance to protect life and property and allow for better allocation of resources.

Port And Transportation Security
Terrorist bombings in Madrid, London, and Mumbai demonstrated public transportation and railroads are highly vulnerable. For this reason in 2007, I successfully amended the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act to add the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo to the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC). This center is the nation's premier facility for rail-based security training.

On aviation issues, I will continue to work with DHS to strengthen the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). In particular, we must continue to develop new technology to screen cargo and passengers for weapons and dangerous materials that may cause harm. This technological advancement must also protect the privacy of the traveling public.

Regarding maritime and port security, I will work with DHS to fully implement the Secure Freight Initiative which inspects cargo destined for the US prior to leaving its point of origin. This way, we can inspect containers for nuclear materials at the world's busiest ports long before they ever anchor in our nation's ports. I look forward to working with DHS to increase the number of foreign ports involved in the program and provide screening for additional threats like explosive, chemical, and biological material.

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