Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008

Floor Speech

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2008 -- (House of Representatives - May 09, 2007)

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Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this authorization bill, and I commend Chairman Thompson for his hard work in shepherding this important bill to the Floor today. Today is a monumental moment for the Homeland Security Committee and for this House, as we bring forward an authorization bill to the floor--which our Committee was unable to do during the last Congress.

I am proud that the bill we are considering today to authorize the operations of the Department of Homeland Security for Fiscal Year 2008 includes a vital first responder provision on the Metropolitan Medical Response System--or MMRS. I'd like to thank Chairman Thompson for his leadership and also recognize the work of Subcommittee Chair Sanchez and Ranking Member King on this important program.

Despite the Bush administration's repeated efforts to eliminate this unique and effective program, Congress has wisely and consistently appropriated funds for MMRS over the years, providing $33 million for the program this year. While preservation of the MMRS program is paramount, new duties and responsibilities assigned to MMRS--such as response to an avian flu pandemic--require additional funding. That is why I am pleased that the authorization bill contains funding at the $63 million level per year for fiscal year 2008 through 2011.

The authorization bill also resolves programmatic problems that MMRS responders have faced as they work to perform their difficult jobs.

Specifically, the bill clarifies that the cap on personnel expenses, which had been set at 15 percent of the grant funding a jurisdiction receives, is lifted. This change will ensure that jurisdictions have the resources--if needed--to hire and retain experienced and talented personnel. The bill we are considering today also makes clear that MMRS jurisdictions should have the authority they need to come to the aid of neighboring jurisdictions in emergencies--even if they are located across State lines--without being impeded by unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions. And the bill directs the Assistant Secretary of Health Affairs to conduct a review of the MMRS program and report to Congress on the several issues that could further strengthen the program, such as whether MMRS would be more effective if it were once again managed through a contractual agreement with the Federal Government rather than through the current process, which requires Federal funding to be passed through State administrative offices before the funds can be released to the MMRS jurisdictions.

Mr. Chairman, as you know, the MMRS program is the only Federal program that helps first responders, medical personnel, emergency management workers, and businesses develop effective, integrated capabilities to minimize casualties in the event of a terrorist attack using a weapon of mass destruction, a natural disaster such as a hurricane, or a public health emergency including an avian flu outbreak.

As demonstrated by the Bush administration's failed response to Hurricane Katrina, our country has a dangerous ``Preparedness Gap''. Established after the Oklahoma City bombing, the MMRS program is designed to increase our Nation's preparedness capabilities through grants that currently provide funding to 125 jurisdictions in 43 States.

The MMRS program helps local first responder and ``first receivers'' such as doctors, emergency medical technicians and public health officials buy the specialized equipment and get the training needed to act in a coordinated fashion that will save lives in the event of a mass casualty event--whether it's a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.

In the post 9/11 era, there can be no doubt that Al Qaeda is willing and capable of launching attacks on the United States. Moreover, the ongoing potential for severe hurricanes and flooding remind us of the urgent need to be prepared to respond in an organized, effective way to all hazards. The MMRS program is an essential part of our preparedness capability.

Our MMRS personnel across the Nation are hometown heroes. But even heroes need help. Thank you, Chairman THOMPSON, for your help and support of this program, and I urge my colleagues to support the authorization bill.

I would also like to note the strong need for this bill's cyber-security improvements. The Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Internet, which I chair, and full Energy and Commerce Committee under the leadership of Chairman Dingell, have worked on a bipartisan basis, with Ranking Members Upton and Barton, to address cyber threats within the Department of Homeland Security in order to ensure that our country is adequately prepared for massive disruptions from cyber attacks.

This measure provides needed guidance to DHS on these Congressional expectations. Moreover, this legislation will require the Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications at DHS to collaborate with the Department of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission--agencies that have established roles in protecting vital telecommunications and cyber assets. Such collaboration will ensure that ongoing efforts will not be interrupted or wastefully duplicated at the Department of Homeland Security. For example, NTIA's organizing statute establishes the head of NTIA as the President's principal adviser on telecommunications issues. In addition, the agency is compelled by the same law to pursue policies to foster national safety and security, to promote efficient use of Federal spectrum, to coordinate Federal telecommunications assistance to State and local governments, and to coordinate the Executive Branch's telecommunications activities, including the formulation of policies and standards for interoperability, security, and emergency readiness and ongoing review of management of the Internet domain name system.

The FCC also protects telecommunications and cybersecurity, and under the Communications Act is responsible for assuring rapid and efficient communication services with adequate facilities for the purpose of the national defense and promotion of the safety of life and property.

I also support amending this important legislation in order to address the pressing need to improve interoperable communications among first responders. This is something that we have been working on for several years. Representatives Cardoza's expected amendment does not limit interoperability efforts to a single technology or solution. This is vitally important, especially given the history at DHS with grant programs for these efforts. Last year, Congress established a $1 billion interoperability grant program at the Department of Commerce, distinct from DHS's efforts, so that the Commerce Department could draw upon its spectrum and telecommunications expertise. In their respective programs, both DHS and the Department of Commerce should include methodologies to better ensure that funds for interoperability are being used effectively. DHS would do well to implement all of the recommendations of the GAO suggested in its recent report. There is a significant amount of work that DHS must perform in order to improve its interoperability efforts and we will be watching such efforts closely.

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