Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007--Conference Report

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007--CONFERENCE REPORT -- (Senate - September 29, 2006)

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Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to speak to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007.

Since 9/11, we have made significant progress in bolstering the defense of our Nation against terrorism. Today, Americans are safer than they were just 5 years ago. However, as we learned from the recently released National Security Estimate, the threat of terrorism continues.

As a border State and a major thoroughfare for trade, Washington State faces incredible security challenges. Along our northern border, official checkpoints are separated by miles of vast, rural and rugged terrain.

The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma make up the Nation's third largest container center. Puget Sound is home to America's largest ferry system, transporting more than 26 million passengers and 11 million vehicles annually throughout the area.

The Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007 provides vital resources to build on the progress we have made to make our Nation more secure and citizens safer.

It contains specific provisions that I am very proud to have worked on--provisions that I believe make a strong bill even stronger.

I will speak about those provisions in just a moment, but first, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the steadfast leadership and stalwart dedication of the bill's managers, Senator Gregg and Senator Byrd.

This bill recognizes that as a Nation, we still need to make serious investments in our National security.

That is why we're adding significant resources--more than $21 billion--to better secure our borders.

This includes $2.2 billion to add 1,500 agents to monitor and apprehend criminals--criminal or people crossing the border--and $1.4 billion for detention facilities, including nearly 7,000 additional detention beds to end our failed ``catch and release'' policy.

Using cutting edge technology is critical to securing our 4,000-mile-long northern border. With vast, rural and rugged terrain, physical barriers provide limited benefits along much of the northern border.

The right tools can provide critical intelligence about areas that have previously gone unsecured for so long.

This legislation includes a provision, which I offered with Senator Baucus, directing the Department of Homeland Security to work with the Federal Aviation Administration to test the use of unmanned aerial vehicles on the northern border.

UAVs with extended range can conduct prolonged surveillance sweeps over remote border areas, relaying information to border agents on the ground.

This will modernize our patrol capabilities and enable us to reach hundreds of miles of previously unguarded border.

It is time to get serious, smart and practical by using the best proven resources out there.

I have also sponsored a provision included in this legislation directing the Department of Homeland Security and State Department to work with Canadian officials and State and local first responders to identify border security challenges--including interoperable communications--in preparation for the 2010 Olympics.

Lastly, I was proud to join Senator Feinstein to secure a provision criminalizing the construction of smuggling tunnels under our borders and putting into law stiff penalties for anyone building or using such tunnels.

In July 2005, we discovered a smuggling tunnel between Canada and Washington State. It had been used to traffic drugs, but it's all too clear that tunnels could just as easily be exploited by terrorists to enter undetected into our country.

The legislation before us also provides more than $4.3 billion to improve the security of our ports and the global supply chain.

This includes: More than $2 billion to the Coast Guard; $210 million in port security grants; $420 million for radiation and gamma ray inspection equipment for scanning cargo containers; and nearly $200 million to screen cargo containers at foreign ports and collaborate with private entities to enhance supply chain security.

Focusing on security where cargo is loaded abroad, at the point of origin, is vital to achieving security for our ports here at home.

I am proud to have cosponsored a provision with Senators COLEMAN and SCHUMER, included in this legislation, which directs the Department of Homeland Security to test a new integrated container inspection system at three foreign ports.

This technology has already shown promise at the Port of Hong Kong.

And I believe that testing this system is the next important step to move us toward 100 percent screening of containers.

From our borders to our ports, this legislation also represents a significant investment in the security of our transportation systems.

In light of the foiled terrorist operation in the U.K. on August 10, I remain especially concerned about aviation security.

As we all now know, a network of terrorist cells planned to down as many as 10 U.S. airliners by smuggling liquid explosives onto flights.

The foiled plot provides a stark reminder of the serious gaps which continue to impede our efforts to secure the commercial airline industry.

In 1994, we learned the dangers of our inability to screen passengers for liquid chemicals that could be combined to create an improvised explosive device, when Ramzi Yousef successfully bombed Philippines Airline flight 434. In 1995 they uncovered the infamous ``Bojinka'' plot in Manila.

Yet more than 10 years later, we still have not developed a technology that can be deployed in airports to screen passengers for these substances.

To fix this, we need to make a strong investment in research and development.

The Senate version of this legislation--which passed before the August U.K. terrorist threat--had only $5 million slated for research and development of explosive countermeasures, under the Science and Technology directorate at the Department of Homeland Security.

After the Senate returned from August recess, I wrote to Chairman Gregg requesting that he work in conference to increase funding for explosive detection research under the Science and Technology directorate.

The conference report before us today includes nearly $87 million in explosives research funding and I want to thank Senator Gregg for working in conference to accommodate this request.

The explosives detection problem is both urgent and technically challenging. Passenger screening technology must be efficient, reliable, and effective.

The latest threats make it clear that we need to accelerate our work to find innovative solutions to evolving challenges.

We must be smart and tough in our fight against global terrorism. Our first priority must be ensuring that Americans are safe.

We have come a long way since 9/11. We have worked hard and made progress and we are safer today.

But it is clear: We need to do more to stop terrorists and their schemes.

We can't let down our guard--at our borders, at our ports, on our passenger planes.

The legislation before us today builds on progress we have made and delivers strong and serious investments so we can do even more.

Americans deserve to know that we are doing everything we can to secure our country and keep them safe.

Again, I want to thank the managers of this bill for their efforts. I look forward to working with them as we continue fighting to secure our Nation.

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