News

House Committee on Science

Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Chairman

Bart Gordon (D-TN), Ranking Minority Member

www.house.gov/science



IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Science Committee Press Office
Joe Pouliot, Zachary Kurz
Thursday, September 14, 2006
202-225-4275

TOP HOMELAND SECURITY R&D; OFFICIAL
EXPECTS MORE WORK WITH DEFENSE LABORATORIES

Rome Laboratory is Discussed at Border Security Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Admiral Jay Cohen, the new Under Secretary for Science and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security, testified yesterday that he wanted his Department to work more with federal laboratories, such as Rome Laboratory. Cohen made his remarks at a hearing of the House Committee on Science about border security technology.

Cohen, responding to a question from Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), said he was familiar with the work of Rome Laboratory from his years in the Navy, including as Chief of Naval Research. Cohen said the Department of Homeland Security had not done enough to take advantage of the expertise and research being done at federal laboratories.

Another witness at the hearing spoke specifically about what Rome Laboratory had to offer. Dr. Peter Worch, an independent consultant, member of Air Force Science Advisory Board, and former Vice Commander of the Air Force's Rome Air Center (now Rome Laboratory), testified that domestic agencies needed to partner more with military laboratories if technologies to secure U.S. borders was to improve rapidly. Worch said one of the few examples of this cooperation in the nation was the partnership between Rome Laboratory and the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technologies Center Northeast.

Boehlert had invited Worch to testify because of his familiarity with Rome Laboratory as well as because of his well known expertise in sensor technology, a major focus of the hearing.

Boehlert said at the beginning of the hearing that he hoped that Cohen, who became Under Secretary in August, would take away some new ideas and suggestions from the expert witnesses at the hearing. Boehlert reminded Cohen that the Science Committee wrote the law that established the Science and Technology Directorate that Cohen heads.

The overall purpose of the hearing was to review how technology could contribute to efforts to block entry into the U.S. by illegal immigrants, terrorists, drug smugglers or other criminals, and to determine what the Department of Homeland Security could be doing to help develop that technology.

In his opening statement, Boehlert expressed concern that current federal efforts have been insufficient, saying, "We haven't methodically thought through what technology to deploy, how to deploy it, and how to integrate it with the people who will actually be apprehending those trying to cross the border illegally. We haven't come up with a clear, adequately funded plan to conduct the research needed to improve existing technologies and create new ones."

During the hearing, Boehlert also expressed concern, following up on testimony, that the Department's agenda was too focused on short-term research. Cohen said he was planning to increase the amount of longer-term research funded by the Department.

###

Press Releases

Home