Homeland Security Act Of 2002 Amendment
Floor Speech
Ms. CLARKE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2611) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the Securing the Cities Initiative of the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2611
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF SECURING THE CITIES INITIATIVE.
(a) In General.--Title XIX of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 1908. AUTHORIZATION OF SECURING THE CITIES INITIATIVE.
``(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
``(1) The Securing the Cities Initiative of the Department uses next generation radiation detection technology to detect the transport of nuclear and radiological material in urban areas by terrorists or other unauthorized individuals.
``(2) The technology used by partners in the Securing the Cities Initiative leverages radiation detection technology used at ports of entry.
``(3) The Securing the Cities Initiative has fostered unprecedented collaboration and coordination among its Federal, State, and local partners.
``(4) The Securing the Cities Initiative is a critical national capability to detect the dangerous introduction of nuclear and radiological material.
``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office of the Department for the Securing the Cities Initiative such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year, including--
``(1) for each city in which it has been implemented by fiscal year 2009--
``(A) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
``(B) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and
``(C) not less than $10,000,000 in sustainment assistance for each fiscal year thereafter; and
``(2) for additional Securing the Cities initiatives to be implemented in not fewer than 2 sites participating in the Urban Area Security Initiative, such sums as may be necessary each fiscal year to implement and sustain each additional initiative.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1907 the following new item.
``Sec. 1908. Authorization of Securing the Cities Initiative.''
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke).
GENERAL LEAVE
Ms. CLARKE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Ms. CLARKE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2611, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 2611, a bill authorizing the Securing of the Cities Initiative, was introduced by Representative Peter King, the ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, on May 21, 2009 and marked up and ordered reported by the committee on November 11, 2009.
The Securing the Cities (STC) Initiative is a unified effort among Federal, State, and local law enforcement in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to defend against the threat of a radiological or nuclear device. DHS, the New York Police Department, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and officials from three States and 91 localities are involved in this partnership.
The concept behind the STC is to build rings around New York City to provide a layered defense against the smuggling of a nuclear weapon. The more law enforcement officials who have the ability to detect and are on the lookout for nuclear and radiological material in and around New York City, the better chance that law enforcement has to prevent a successful nuclear attack.
The STC has procured thousands of basic handheld radiation detectors which have been distributed to police officers throughout the region. Advanced vehicles, including trucks and boats with radiation detectors capable of distinguishing different radioactive materials, are also in use in Manhattan and the surrounding area.
More than 1,400 local officers have received training in radiation detection operations under STC. STC funding is given to the New York Police Department, which acts as the grant distributor for the funds. State and local entities around New York City are eligible to receive STC funding.
Participants in STC conduct periodic aerial screening in addition to the checkpoints that the NYPD sets up twice a day on Manhattan roadways as a defensive, training, and deterrence measure.
Today, STC is limited to jurisdictions in and around New York City. An amendment offered by Mr. Green of Texas and included in the legislation before us today will broaden the scope of the STC program to include at least two additional Urban Area Security Initiative cities in the program. The bill authorizes appropriations of $40 million per city for the first year, with smaller sums available for sustainment in the following years.
The STC is a great example of a successful Federal, State, and local partnership. We are in the early stages, and much work remains to be done. That said, the positive initial results justify the continuation and gradual expansion of the program directed in this bill.
During the second session of the 110th Congress, the House passed a measure similar to the one before us today. I urge my colleagues to again support this important Homeland Security legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KING of New York. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
At the outset, let me thank Chairman Thompson of the Homeland Security Committee and my good friend from New York, Congresswoman Clarke, for her strong efforts on this legislation, which is truly bipartisan. The addition of two additional cities makes it truly a national program in scope.
Madam Speaker, when we look at London, when we look at Madrid, it becomes clear that a very likely means of attack by terrorists in the United States would be from suburban areas into urban areas. And certainly in New York, which is the number one terrorist target in the world, enormous steps have been made to protect us against that type of attack, specifically a dirty bomb attack coming from outside the city through the highways, the parkways, the tunnels, the bridges, actually into Manhattan itself, which has already, as we know, devastatingly on September 11, also in 1993, been attacked by Islamic terrorists. But also a number of other plots against New York City have been thwarted.
New York City is definitely the main target in the country, but any number of other cities are as well. That is why I believe the program, which has been implemented in New York, can be a model for other cities throughout the country.
Now, I was very concerned last year when the administration decided to zero out all money for this funding in its budget. This was, I believe, a serious mistake. Fortunately, Congress, by appropriating $40 million in this House and finally $20 million when it came back from conference committee, did continue to fund this program, because we need these radiological detectors on the highways, the toll plazas, the bridges and the tunnels.
I have had the privilege of attending a number of these drills and training sessions when they are conducted. As Representative Clarke said, we're not just talking about New York City. We're talking about a large number of police departments and first responders--fight departments, EMS services--from not just New York City but from Long Island, from Connecticut, from New Jersey. We're talking about the State police, and we're talking about Federal support as well, seeing them all working together in a cohesive way to stop what would be the absolutely devastating impact of a dirty bomb attack, the human toll that that would take, the devastating economic impact it would have, the fact that it would make parts of the city unlivable for extended periods of time, and the fact that it would, in effect, cut off transportation into New York City.
All of these are reasons that we have to go ahead and continue with this Securing the Cities program. It's no guarantee, but it's another layer of defense that we need to protect ourselves against a terrorist attack.
As we know, the terrorists are constantly adapting, and we have to try to stay one step ahead of them. We have to always be on our guard. Actually, we have to be lucky all the time. They only have to be lucky once. We have to rely on more than luck. We have to have preparation, and we have to have a layered defense.
That's why I am so proud to support this legislation which will, in effect, almost set in stone the importance of the Securing the Cities program. We will expand it beyond New York City because, again, while Congresswoman Clarke and I feel that those of us in the New York area are the main targets, the fact is that a human life is a human life; an American life is an American life. Whether it's New York City or any other city in this country, any, certainly, major urban area, I believe this program is adaptable and compatible to those areas.
So I thank Congresswoman Clarke for her effort. I thank the bipartisan support that we have for this legislation, and I, certainly, strongly urge its adoption.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. CLARKE. Madam Speaker, as you have heard, the measure under consideration is important Homeland Security legislation that has previously received and that again deserves the support of the Members of the House of Representatives.
In closing, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on passage of the bill.
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Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2611, permanently authorizing the Securing the Cities initiative. I thank Chairman THOMPSON, Ranking Member KING and my New York colleagues and cosponsors Representatives ISRAEL and CLARKE for their efforts to bring this bill forward.
Securing the Cities was created to design and implement a layered approach for the detection and interdiction of illicit radiological materials in New York. While this program was initially a pilot and significant progress has been made, unfortunately detection technology and systems are not yet fully in place. Given the known threats that New York faces, it is no surprise that NYPD considers this initiative the most important federal security program. We must continue Securing the Cities until all technology and systems are fully operable.
As a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, I have fought to fund this security imperative, and passing this bill will help ensure that funding continues in future years.
I thank my colleagues for their hard work and dedication to ensure our most threatened cities are adequately protected, and I urge a yes vote on H.R. 2611.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, I would like to express my strong support of H.R. 2611, a bipartisan measure authorizing the Department of Homeland Security's Securing the Cities initiative.
I would like to recognize my colleague, Chairman BENNIE THOMPSON, for his leadership on the House Homeland Security Committee and his commitment to protecting the citizens and homeland of our great nation.
I would also like to acknowledge and thank Ranking Member PETER KING for introducing this important legislation which includes an amendment I offered that would expand the scope of the Securing the Cities program to include at least two additional high-risk urban areas, making it a national program.
Launched in 2006, Securing the Cities is a unified effort among Federal, state and local law enforcement officials in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to defend against the threat of a radiological or nuclear attack. Presently, Securing the Cities operates only in New York City and its surrounding areas.
While it appears that New York City remains the prime target for terrorist activity, it is important to ensure that other densely populated areas and those housing critical infrastructure are equally protected from dirty bombs. My amendment would benefit even more high-risk urban areas by providing the necessary resources to detect and intercept illicit radiological material before it is used in a weapon by would-be terrorists.
Through a ring of detectors on highways, bridges, tunnels and on mobile units around the city, Securing the Cities provides a layered defense against the smuggling of a nuclear weapon. The idea behind Securing the Cities is that the more law enforcement officials are on the lookout for nuclear material outside New York City, the better chance law enforcement has to prevent a successful nuclear attack.
Like New York City, Houston is among the highest threat cities in the nation. Our region is extremely dense with critical infrastructure assets, which includes our large energy and petrochemical sectors. By replicating the success of Securing the Cities in more places like Houston, we can bolster law enforcement capabilities to combat potential terrorist activity and protect our communities.
I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2611.
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Ms. CLARKE. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2611, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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