The House on Monday passed legislation to authorize a program within the Department of Homeland Security to provide state and local governments with assistance in nuclear detection capabilities.
Passed 374-11, the bill, H.R. 5629, would authorize $582 million over two years for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) within the Department of Homeland Security for the Securing the Cities Program.
The program focuses on preventing nuclear attacks in urban areas. A report from the Government Accountability Office would be due to Congress within a year.
Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pa.), the measure's sponsor, said it would "build on the capacity of the Department of Homeland Security to protect the homeland against such an attack."
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), who represents a Brooklyn district, said the Securing the Cities Program has proven effective in the post 9-11 era.
"As a New Yorker, I have special interest in this program, which has done so much to help keep my city secure from nonconventional terrorist threats," Clarke said.
