Providing for Consideration of H.R. 1544, Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1544, FASTER AND SMARTER FUNDING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - May 12, 2005)

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Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule and of H.R. 1544. I commend the gentleman from California (Chairman Cox) and his committee for their great work on this essential legislation.

This legislation is an issue of great importance for our Nation, but it is also a huge priority for New Jersey, which lost, as the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez) said, 700 residents on September 11, 2001.

The 9/11 Commission recommendations rightly stated: "Homeland security assistance should be based strictly on an assessment of risks and vulnerabilities. Federal homeland security assistance should not remain a program for general revenue sharing. It should supplement State and local resources based on the risks or vulnerabilities that merit additional support. Congress should not use this money as a pork barrel."

Both the President in his budget and, most recently, the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security in their bill just passed out of full committee have echoed this important recommendation.

Since September 11, 2001, U.S. intelligence reports that our New York-New Jersey region is still among the most attractive targets for terrorists. For all of our critical infrastructure of the trans-Hudson tunnels, airports, seaports, oil refineries, chemical manufacturing, population density, financial centers in both lower Manhattan and in Jersey City, our basic close relationship with New York City, anti-terrorism experts continue to acknowledge that the risk of terrorism remains.

Yet, despite the best efforts of the President, homeland security officials and Members of Congress, these security funds continue to be distributed to States based on population, rather than risk and vulnerability. That is why this bill needs to be passed in its present form.

Fortunately, the legislation addresses our concerns and follows the Commission's recommendations. We are sending more Federal homeland security to States like New Jersey and other high-threat areas where risk is greatest and critical infrastructure must be better protected against terrorism.

H.R. 1544 establishes a more rational approach to distributing homeland security funding by sending more resources to where they are needed. As we learned on September 11, terrorists do not arbitrarily select their targets. Therefore, homeland security funding cannot be arbitrarily distributed.

This legislation would ensure that homeland security grants are awarded according to an assessment of risk and vulnerability, not just population.

For these and many other reasons, Mr. Speaker, this bill and this rule needs to be supported.

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