Untitled Document

News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

February 25 , 2004

Contact: Sara Lang
Phone: (202) 225-4531

One Year Later: Are We Safer?

WASHINGTON- At the one-year mark of the founding of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) and Democrats on the House Select Committee on Homeland Security released a 100-page report detailing the state of homeland security after the largest governmental reorganization in fifty years.

"This report is a comprehensive look at where we are and where we need to go in order to protect America from another terrorist attack," Etheridge said. "The federal government has a responsibility to protect all Americans from potential terrorist attack. With America's number one enemy, Osama bin Laden, still at large, there is no question that we must move faster and stronger to protect America-- and this report gives us a blueprint to do that."

America at Risk: Closing the Security Gap acknowledges that the United States is safer than it was before September 11 but that significant security gaps remain. The report explores shortcomings in our homeland security efforts and recommends specific actions for the following areas:

Intelligence	Nuclear Materials
Bioterrorism	Ports
Borders	Aviation
Critical Infrastructure	Chemical Plants
Cyper space	Agriculture
Information Technology	First Responder Preparedness
Security, Privacy and Civil Liberties

The report highlighted two areas of special concern to Etheridge - first responder preparedness and agro-security. Two and a half years after 9/11, many first responders still lack the interoperable equipment to allow various departments and first responders to communicate in the face of a large-scale emergency. Federal grant programs are not moving money to local communities and first responders fast enough and many face serious cuts in this year's budget proposal by the President.

"Homeland security begins with hometown security," Etheridge said. "We must move resources quickly and effectively to our local first responders so that they can protect our homes, our families and our communities."

Agro-security is particularly important to North Carolina, where one out of every four people relies on agriculture for their livelihoods. North Carolina is a leader in agro-security, but serious security gaps remain, including the complete failure of the department to put forward a national response plan on agro-security. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) still inspect only a very small percentage of food imports and food facilities, and lab testing to rapidly detect threats to agriculture and food does not exist in every state.

"An attack on our food or water supply could wreak havoc on the economy of our state and our nation, which are stated goals of our terrorist enemies," Etheridge said. "The Department of Homeland Security needs to act quickly to implement North Carolina's proven strategies and distribute a realistic plan."

Click here to read the full report.