Hearing of the Infrastructure and Border Security Subcommittee: the Department of Homeland Security's Border and Transportation Security Budget 2005

HEADLINE: HEARING OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND BORDER SECURITY SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY

SUBJECT: THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY'S BORDER AND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY BUDGET PROPOSAL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005

CHAIRED BY: REPRESENTATIVE DAVE CAMP (R-MI)

WITNESS: ASA HUTCHINSON, UNDER SECRETARY FOR BORDER AND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

LOCATION: 2237 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C.

BODY:
REP. MARKEY: Thank you very much, and welcome back, Mr. Secretary, thank you for coming.

I sent a letter to Secretary Ridge to request information about the department's efforts to strengthen rail security, and I would like to take this opportunity to ask you a few questions about this pressing homeland security issue. Does the Department of Homeland Security intend to establish voluntary security guidelines that transit operators may or may not choose to implement? Or will the Department of Homeland Security require that operators implement specific security enhancements in response to the vulnerabilities of public transportation systems to attacks by terrorist groups?

MR. HUTCHINSON: Could you give me an example of what you're speaking of?

REP. MARKEY: Well, let me say voluntary security guidelines versus mandatory security guidelines? Will there be a duty for the transit operators to implement standards established by the Department of Homeland Security or will it be left totally to the discretion of any of these railroads or transit systems, subway systems in the United States as to whether or not they will enhance security? Which is the policy which the department will choose in order to increase the security on the rails of the United States?

MR. HUTCHINSON: We have the authority to implement mandatory security requirements, we are not in a position to do that now, we're choosing to make sure that we have the right assessments, the right judgments on what security measures are in place and that we evaluate it in the right way. That is an option that we would certainly look at if we determined that private sector or our transit partners are not moving rapidly enough when they have the capability to do so and that when we have the right judgment as to what that security measure should be.

REP. MARKEY: And what is your guideline for finishing the assessments of what is needed and what your recommendations will be? What have you laid out as your deadline?

MR. HUTCHINSON: Well, I believe that the assessments are substantially complete in terms of the review of the security requirements. We have in fact deployed a substantial number of security measures in accordance with the assessments that have been done, and we'll continue to review those.

REP. MARKEY: So will the assessments be done in the next month, or six months?

MR. HUTCHINSON: I'll have to get back with you on the specific timeframe as to how many have already been completed and which ones remain to be done.

REP. MARKEY: So, for example, just to put a little bit of a highlight on it, as you know both the Fleet Center in Boston and the Madison Square Gardens Democrat and Republican conventions will be situated on top of train systems. So I know that there'll be some security put in place in those two venues, but I think the whole country deserves to know that there is some non-voluntary system that is being put in place. And towards, you know-deploring this a little bit further, given the funding shortfalls that many of these transit systems are facing anyway, how would we expect them, short of having larger grants from the federal government, to implement safety guidelines which we'll put in place?

MR. HUTCHINSON: And that's exactly the reason you want to be careful about doing the mandatory requirements, because, for example, Amtrak, not exactly financially wealthy, and we want to make sure if we put requirements on that they're appropriate and that they meet the security needs and that they are manageable. That's also the reason of course we gave $115 million in rail security grants last year, and we will continue through the urban area security grants to have more funds available.

REP. MARKEY: Are you going to increase your request for Fiscal Year 2005, for this coming fiscal year, are you going to increase your request for additional security funds for transit and railroads across the country?

MR. HUTCHINSON: Well, the budget is of course as submitted. Obviously if there's a determination that more funds are needed and appropriate, then that consideration would be given. But at this time there's not any plan that I'm aware of that would increase-make a budget amendment request.

REP. MARKEY: So in the aftermath of the terrible tragedy in Spain, your administration has yet to reevaluate whether or not there should be an increase in funding for railway security built into this year's budget?

MR. HUTCHINSON: I think the fair characterization would be that even prior to the tragedy in Spain this administration effectively evaluated what we're doing in rail security, got ahead of the curve in the assessments, in the investment, and submitted a budget that anticipated what needs to be done in that area. As we get additional intelligence we'll continue to evaluate that.

REP. MARKEY: But as of this moment you are convinced that the work that you had already done has provided sufficient funds or has sufficient funds budgeted that will deal with the security issues that you have identified on transit in the country?

MR. HUTCHINSON: It's a very appropriate start. More needs to be done, we're directly pursuing that, looking at the right requirements and completing all of the assessments. And then also continuing to invest in those security measures.

REP. MARKEY: I would recommend that honestly we double the security, $115 million is not going to be enough. Have radiation portals been installed in all U.S. ports of entry? That will be my final question.

MR. HUTCHINSON: The radiation portals have been installed in '04 in 408 locations, radiation portal monitors in 528. Numbers specifically, units have been deployed, in '05 we'll deploy an additional 165 portal monitors and 206 radiation isotope identification devices. And that will continue until there's 100 percent coverage.

REP. MARKEY: So are you talking about the personal radiation devices there or are you talking about the actual portals?

MR. HUTCHINSON: No, the personal radiation devices, there will be 5,000 of those deployed this year, 1,000 next year. So what I was speaking of would be the large portal monitors.

REP. MARKEY: Mr. Chairman, I see the red light.

Thank you, Mr. Hutchinson.

MR. HUTCHINSON: Thank you.