Despite the progress we have made on improving our homeland security, thousands of potential terrorist targets nationwide remain vulnerable to attack, including nuclear and chemical facilities, water treatment plants, skyscrapers, and sports stadiums. Democrats are fighting to improve the security of our borders - and our communities.

Increase border enforcement. Hundreds of miles of our borders go unmonitored every day. There is only one border patrol agent for every 5.5 miles of our northern border, and over 60 land ports of entry have less than 25 percent of the required inspection space – hindering security efforts. Today there is not a single system for keeping track of who enters and exits the U.S. Democrats are fighting for a unified terrorist "watch list," and more Border Patrol agents and State Department officials to stop terrorists from entering America in the first place. A permanent state of emergency with National Guard troops constantly being deployed to the border is not the answer.

Ensure safety of water systems. Democrats want to require water treatment plants to assess their vulnerability to terrorist attacks and develop emergency response plans. The federal government would help pay for these assessments and for basic security enhancements to make sure the water supply is safe in the event of an attack.

Improve nuclear security. Democrats want to conduct a top-to-bottom review of nuclear security concerns. New programs of technical aid and training are needed for National Guard, state and local law enforcement, and first responders to improve prevention and response. We need to upgrade security at nuclear power plants to assure the highest levels of security and provide new protections against theft of radioactive materials that could be used in "dirty bombs." We also need to secure stockpiles of nuclear materials from the former Soviet Union so that the terrorists cannot get their hands on them.

Improve chemical security. Today there are over 7,000 chemical facilities where a toxic release could threaten more than 10,000 people. An accident at any of over 120 of those facilities could put more than one million people at risk. Democrats want to require chemical facilities to implement security improvement plans.