HOMELAND SECURITY
As the United States responded to the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. and the anthrax attacks on Capitol Hill, we have all seen the bravery and selflessness that our first responders have exhibited in responding to these horrific attacks. Despite the billions that Congress has allocated to First Responders, much of the funds are failing to reach the men and women on the front lines quickly enough.
Homeland Security doesn’t just mean defending against man-made disasters though. As we have seen, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Rita, our first responders must be prepared to meet the challenges of natural disasters as well. With an influx of Katrina evacuees into the North Texas area and with the evacuation of large parts of southeast Texas when Rita struck, we were once again reminded that nature can be extremely dangerous and unpredictable. I am committed to taking the lessons from these two storms to improve our local, state, and national response to a natural disaster of this magnitude.
Recently, the U.S. Congress enacted several measures that will improve domestic vulnerabilities to the threat of terrorism and natural disaster. The first, H.R. 4954, the SAFE Port Act authorizes $400 million per year for port security grants, authorizes and codifies the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDC), and requires the Department of Homeland Security to deploy nuclear and radiological detection systems to cover nearly all cargo entering the United States. H.R. 4954 also establishes demonstration programs to determine the feasibility of screening 100 percent of cargo containers entering the U.S. for nuclear and radiological material at foreign seaports.
As part of the Fiscal Year 2007 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, important legislation was added that will provide resources to improve security at vulnerable chemical plants around the country. The measure directs DHS to establish risk and performance-based standards for chemical facilities; requires chemical plants to conduct vulnerability assessments and create and implement site security plans based on their specific vulnerabilities; and gives DHS the authority to require compliance, including shut-down authority.
The 2007 DHS Appropriations Bill also included important legislation that will improve the federal government’s response to natural disasters. I supported the inclusion of language that would improve and reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by elevating the standing of FEMA within DHS by promoting the Administrator of FMEA to level of Deputy Secretary and granting the agency with autonomy similar to that of the U.S. Coast Guard. The new law requires that the FEMA Administrator be an experienced emergency manager, eliminate waste fraud and abuse within the agency, and improved communication between federal, state, and local disaster response officials and first-line responders.
I am committed to working with local fire departments and law enforcement agencies in the 26th District as they seek out federal funding opportunities to improve training, purchase important equipment, or hire additional staff. If you are an employee of a local fire department or law enforcement agency, please inquire with my district office as to what federal funding opportunities may be available to you.
For more information, please visit the following websites:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
House Homeland Security Committee
Ready America
Texas Homeland Security
Red Cross - Chisholm Trail (Ft. Worth)
Red Cross - Dallas Area Red Cross
Denton County Local Emergency Planning Committee
The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation
Planning Committee Tarrant County eGov
