Homeland Security

With the arrival of the fifth anniversary of September 11, many Americans continue to reflect on where they were when they heard the news about the terrorist attacks. On that day in 2001, I was ironically participating in the ultimate of Democratic processes - an election - and I was in front of a busy polling place with then New York City Councilman to be John Liu when my
cell phone rang and I was advised by my chief of staff - who was watching television - that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Like everybody else, we assumed that it was a small plane accident. We looked towards the Manhattan skyline and saw smoke from our vantage point in Flushing, Queens.

Shortly afterwards, when I received a call about the second plane, we knew it was no accident. Certain that the election was going to be suspended, I left to be of whatever assistance I could. I manned the phones at our district office in Bayside where I talked to constituents and emergency service organizations. I then went to assist in the loading of boats with medical and emergency equipment/supplies from the North Shore heading towards Manhattan as all the highways were closed. After traveling to Washington in the middle of the night following the attacks, we met with President Bush at the White House and received various briefings. Then on September 14, I was at Ground Zero with the President and other Members of the New York Delegation.

Yesterday, my colleagues in the U.S. Senate approved my amendment to reconstitute a task force dedicated to the capture of Osama bin Laden and top al-Qaeda leadership. The amendment adds $200 million to the intelligence budget for this task force. It also requires classified reporting to Congress on our national strategy and ongoing efforts to bring these terrorists to justice. The Senate showed its overwhelming support for this amendment with a vote of 96-0.

Nearly five years have passed since the murderous attacks of September 11, 2001. Osama bin Laden remains at large, eager to recruit more people to his cause, and capable of attacking our country again. Yet, according to numerous press reports, the CIA's Osama bin Laden unit has been deactivated.

Osama bin Laden planned, financed, and organized a terrorist operation that killed thousands of Americans, and he is still on the loose. Bringing the chief mastermind behind these attacks to justice should be a chief priority in our war on terror. With its unanimous vote, the Senate agrees that Osama bin Laden must be brought to justice.

Today, the Senate Intelligence Committee released the first two of five reports in its “Phase II Read more...

Last month, British authorities thwarted a plot to blow up an aircraft over the Atlantic. While it may have been a surprise to many, it was not the first time that terrorists have planned an attack using liquid explosives. Over a decade ago, Ramzi Yousef plotted to blow up a number of U.S. airplanes over the Pacific Ocean using explosive liquids with a detonator and timing device.

Since then, very little has been done at passenger checkpoints to screen passengers and carry-on baggage for the type of bomb used by Yousef.

The outmoded machines at airport checkpoints cannot easily detect plastic explosives and other threat objects, creating a major vulnerability in our aviation security system. Since 9/11, many of my colleagues and I have repeatedly warned FAA and TSA officials of the need to improve passenger and carry-on baggage screening for explosives. I specifically urged FAA and TSA officials to ban all liquids in carry-ons.

In order to effectively screen passengers and carry-on baggage, we either need a full complement of state of the art screening equipment and adequate personnel, or a larger number of screeners using existing technology. Unfortunately, we currently have neither. We should rescind the arbitrary limit on the number of screeners which was pushed by Congress and the administration, and immediately begin to acquire state-of-the-art bomb detection screening equipment.

Now that we've narrowly averted a re-play of the Yousef plot, I hope the administration will provide the funding necessary for bomb-detecting equipment at every airport in the country.

On Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided me with a comprehensive tour and briefing on key security measures and technologies used at Newark Seaport to fight terrorism in our own backyard. As I explored the methods and techniques we employ to screen incoming cargo, detect dangerous substances, and block terrorist threats at American ports, I became more convinced than ever that the funding we’ve put into new port security measures is money well spent. But, terrorists are constantly adapting and changing, and we must remain one step ahead of them.

Earlier this year, I was proud to support $1.2 billion in extra funds for expanded overseas container inspections, radiation portal monitors at all ports, and more. As we remember the attacks on our nation five years ago next week, homeland security remains my top priority – and what keeps North Jersey safe at its ports, its airports, and its vast infrastructure targets keeps the nation safe.

Despite a determined effort by House Republicans and leaders, it appears the sweeping border security legislation we passed will not be signed into law this Congress.  Attempts to enact comprehensive legislation including amnesty or guest worker programs have stalled the debate and produced zero tangible results.  Since the large bills are proving too controversial or unwieldy, now is a good time to revisit practical and focused legislation such as H.R. 4360, the Border Law Enforcement Act.

Last year I introduced H.R. 4360, the Border Law Enforcement Act with my colleague, Congressman Silvestre Reyes (D-TX).  It would provide authority and direct federal funding for border county Sheriffs to support Border Patrol agents in securing our southern border.  The bill would implement a plan called “Operation Linebacker,

Congresswoman Maloney and I unveiled federal legislation yesterday to reopen the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund (VCF) to provide financial assistance to the heroes who worked at Ground Zero. Our bill comes one day after the release of a Mt. Sinai study which revealed that 70% of 9/11 responders have developed new or worsening respiratory problems as a result of their service.

The bipartisan legislation is named in honor of Detective James Zadroga, who is the the first 9/11 responder to have his death directly attributed to his exposure to the toxins of Ground Zero. Our bill would ensure that rescue workers, students, federal employees and residents in the area have - for the very first time - access to federal funding for treatment of health issues due to 9/11.

Specifically, the legislation removes the December 22, 2003 deadline for filing a claim with the fund, allows a revaluation of certain claims and removes the arbitrary deadline that would only make eligible those who were at Ground Zero within 96 hours of the attacks.

This legislation is needed because the long-term health impacts of 9/11 will remain unclear for many years. Therefore, it's essential that federal resources be available to treat those who are sick or injured today as well as workers who fall ill in the future. The 9/11 heroes who dug through the rubble to find those who were lost and who cleared the site of debris now face their own medical challenges. The Fund represents the most realistic and efficient way to ensure that those who need medical treatment get it without undue delay.

Congress’ inability to complete immigration reform and border security measures this year is a colossal failure on the part of Washington.

We could have immediately passed a border security bill – we could be making progress right now to secure the borders. Instead we have a political food fight – intra-party squabbling and extreme disappointment. Unfortunately, my prediction has come true and another year has passed, hundreds of thousands of illegal crossings have occurred, and the "do everything" approach has done nothing.

Last fall, I set out to change the way Washington approached illegal immigration by introducing a bipartisan border security first bill that separates the issues and makes it possible to move forward on securing the border.

Border security is a national security imperative. We cannot allow the borders to remain open indefinitely and we must act to avoid failing for the eleventh year in a row to secure our border.

Today the Senate returned after a recess in which we returned home to our states to talk with constituents about the pressing issues facing our nation. In travels that took me back to Tennessee and across the country, citizens expressed to me concern over the security of the homeland and our ability to win the War on Terrorism. Today, I laid out the Senate agenda that will clearly show the American people that the number one priority of the Republican-led Congress is the safety, security, and continued prosperity of this country.

First off, we continue debate today over funding for the Department of the Defense. Our soldiers must have the all the resources necessary to secure Iraq and Afghanistan and win victory for democracy in the Middle East. I hope each and every one of my colleagues will join me in demonstrating their commitment to the troops, their commitment to strengthening and enhancing our security here at home, and their commitment to winning the War on Terror by passing the Defense appropriations bill this week.

We need to strengthen the terrorist surveillance program by modernizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's definitions of electronic surveillance and communication and by enhancing Congressional oversight. We need to consider legislation building on last year’s Bio-terror bill by further refining and enhancing our defenses against non-traditional terrorist attacks. Read more...

A successful strike during Friday's test of our national missile defense system is proof positive that this technology is improving to better protect our nation from the threat of a missile strike. In a world where rogue regimes like North Korea and Iran seek to acquire missile technology and nuclear weapons to threaten the sovereignty of the United States, we must remain committed more than ever to the development of a national missile defense system.

Friday's launch mirrored a scenario in which North Korea launched a Taepodong-2 missile toward a city on the West Coast of the United States. North Korea currently possesses the technology to achieve the capability to strike a target in the western United States, and I am confident in our efforts to develop a missile defense shield that thwarts a North Korean attack.

I encourage Lt. General Obering and the Missile Defense Agency to continue its rigorous testing to enhance the reliability of our defense strike capability. Not every test will be as successful as Friday, but it is through these tests that the United States will be able to better protect its citizens and allies.