OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Department Of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

Date: June 14, 2007
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security


DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (House of Representatives - June 14, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

In response to the issues raised, the DNDO has reached an agreement in principle with State and local stakeholders, and it is about 95 percent there. I submit we cannot wait another year for the appropriations cycle to take place.

This amendment is important. It restores $40 million to the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. The lack of these funds threatens to delay the completion of the radiation portal monitor program and significantly impair the implementation of securing the cities initiative. Both of these initiatives aim to strengthen the Nation's defenses against a terror attack by a nuclear device or a radioactive ``dirty bomb.''

There is no doubt that the risks are real. We know that nuclear terrorism is the number one threat facing our country and that the economic costs associated with a dirty bomb could reach about $1 trillion. We know that Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda terrorist network have been attempting to acquire a nuclear bomb. We also know that hundreds of tons of the necessary ingredients of nuclear weapons are dangerously insecure all over the world. There have been numerous documented cases of theft of weapons-grade nuclear material.

But nuclear terrorism is, in fact, preventable, and we should be spending Homeland Security dollars on preventing what could be a catastrophic attack against the United States. Twenty million dollars of the cuts to the DNDO comes out of the radiation portal monitor program. It would delay the completion of these until the year 2013. Acquisition of systems for five ports of entry, including the Port of Houston in my home State of Texas, would be delayed, and this means that more unscreened cargo would get into this country.

Such a delay is unacceptable. And the best deterrence against terrorism is to disrupt the ability of terrorists to do what they want to do, and that is to kill Americans.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward