Introduction of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill

INTRODUCTION OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS BILL -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 21, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. MAX SANDLIN
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2004

Mr. SANDLIN. Mr. Speaker, if we knew that there was going to be a terrorist attack sometime in the next 5 years but did not know what kind of attack it would be, who would carry it out, or where in the United States it would occur, what actions would we take to prepare and how would we allocate our human and financial resources to do so?

The tragic events of September 11, 2001 brought home to the American people the magnitude of the danger posed by terrorism on U.S. soil. Now, almost 3 years later, we as Americans must assume that terrorists will strike again, possibly using chemical, biological, radiological or even nuclear materials. The unthinkable has become thinkable
After the horrific September 11th terrorist attacks, the country pulled together and we began to take steps to make our homeland more secure. We enacted legislation to overhaul our airport security; we provided new border security measures; we created the Department of Homeland Security.

And yet, despite the steps that have been made, many believe that our Nation is in even more danger today than it was 3 years ago. In fact, Administration officials recently announced that they expect another terrorist attack here in the United States before November. They have resigned themselves to the inevitability of more terrorist attacks and are warning us-the American public-to be prepared.

Despite our awareness of the very real threat of terrorism here at home and despite renewed efforts to prepare since September 11, we remain, as a country, dangerously ill-prepared to handle another catastrophic attack on American soil.

That is simply unacceptable.

Much more needs to be done to make Americans safer and more secure than they are today. Securing our homeland must be the number-one priority of our Government. Indeed, our Nation's very charter-the Constitution-in its preamble states clearly that among the first priorities of Government is to provide for the common defense. Improving the safety of the American people at home must be undertaken as aggressively as pursuing terrorists in far-off lands.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce an appropriations measure that will provide the resources needed to secure our hometowns and ensure our police, fire fighters and paramedics-the Nation's first responders-are fully prepared for anything they may face.

Unfortunately, our efforts have too often been-as we say in Texas-a day late and a dollar short. In this case, however, the $3 billion shortfall contemplated by the budget passed yesterday is dangerous and unconscionable.

Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce an appropriations measure that would meet these critical needs and would-

Improve Our Hometown Response Capabilities by providing. $3.874 billion for the Office for Domestic Preparedness; $180 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants; $800 million for Fire Grants; $60 million for Metropolitan Medical Response System grants; $515 million for Hospital Preparedness Grants (in HHS); $940 million in Bioterrorism Aid to Health Departments (in HHS); and $250 million in Rail and Transit Security Grants.

Secure Our Borders and Meet Airport Security Mandates by providing: $700 million for Federal Air Marshals; $650 million for explosive detection systems purchase and installation; $100 million for air cargo screening; $250 million for port security grants; $161 million for the Container Security Initiative; $400 million on border and port inspection and surveillance technology, including radiation portal monitors in U.S. ports; $50 million for radiation portal monitors at overseas ports (in DOE); $100 million more for border patrol and inspector staffing; $96 million for the northern border airwing expansion; and $50 million more for bus, trucking and port pilot grants.

Mr. Speaker, we have nothing less than a moral obligation to ensure that our nation is fully prepared and vigorously defended. We have troops deployed around the world fighting the war on terror, but we cannot forget our frontline defenders here at home.

I urge my colleagues in this, the People's House, to act now to provide our police; officers, our firefighters, our paramedics and all other emergency personnel the equipment and support they need to protect our hometowns. I hope the House will take up this carefully drafted piece of legislation soon and provide our Nation the security we need.

END