Civil Air Patrol Homeland Security Support Act of 2007
CIVIL AIR PATROL HOMELAND SECURITY SUPPORT ACT OF 2007 -- (House of Representatives - June 18, 2008)
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Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I also want to thank Chairman BENNIE THOMPSON who has done a great job as the chairman. He has allowed what I call the free market of ideas to work well. That is if a Member comes up with an idea, we will go through the process and after that if it is a good idea and will protect our homeland, he has given us an opportunity to come up with and move those ideas; so thank you, Mr. Chairman.
One of the ideas is of course H.R. 1333 which is the one that Ranking Member CHARLIE DENT has brought forward. It is an idea that would allow us to supplement the security of our country. So I certainly want to thank Mr. Dent for the idea and of course for moving this great idea forward.
I support this particular bill because it allows the GAO to conduct a study to determine how the Civil Air Patrol can help support our homeland security missions. The Civil Air Patrol has long served our Nation. The Civil Air Patrol began at the onset of World War II, patrolling the coastlines of America, protecting the shores of our great Nation from foreign threats.
Since that time, the Civil Air Patrol has regularly assisted States, and that includes also my State of Texas, with search and rescue operations and emergency response. The Civil Air Patrol welcomes this opportunity to play an expanded role in homeland security operations as that role will be defined by the Comptroller General, the Department of Homeland Security, and of course by the United States Congress.
This study will give the Secretary of Homeland Security the ability to consider the use of the Civil Air Patrol to provide aerial assistance to the Department of Homeland Security agencies that are responsible for protecting America against illegal entry and trafficking of people and contraband.
Being from Laredo, Texas, and representing Webb, Starr, Zapata and Hidalgo counties on the border, I do understand why we need this assistance. And I think the way it has been crafted by Mr. Dent, this will allow Homeland Security to use these extra assets on the border to give us the extra protection that we need to make sure that we protect ourselves. So I certainly feel that the Civil Air Patrol can not only provide protection on the border, but also respond to acts of terrorism, natural disasters and other man-made events by assisting in damage assessment, search and rescue operations, and evacuations.
I thank my colleague, CHARLIE DENT, and my chairman, Chairman BENNIE THOMPSON. I know MICHAEL MCCAUL will also speak about how this will help in Texas, and other efforts. Again, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1333.
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