Homeland Security/Terrorism

The horrific events of September 11th will always remain etched in the minds of the American people. I believe that we must aggressively pursue terrorists around the world while providing our law enforcement, intelligence officers, and other emergency personnel with the tools they need to prevent or respond to a crisis here at home.

In one of my first acts as a Member of Congress, I voted to fully implement the bipartisan 9-11 Commission Recommendations. The 41 recommendations submitted to the Administration and Congress were designed to improve homeland security, prevent terrorists from acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), and develop strategies for preventing the spread of terrorism.

To give the intelligence community the tools necessary to fight terrorism, I voted to pass the Responsible Electronic Surveillance That is Overseen, Reviewed, and Effective (RESTORE) Act. The RESTORE Act prohibits warrantless surveillance of communications between Americans and gives surveillance authority to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) court, striking the right balance between national security and civil liberties.

I am also committed to strengthening our emergency preparedness and response system. Our National Guard is the first line of defense in the event of a terrorist attack or a natural disaster in Illinois and around the nation. In the 110th Congress, I supported a $1 billion increase to remedy equipment shortfalls that would compromise the Guard’s ability to quickly respond to an emergency.

Finally, keeping our streets safe from crime is a top priority. I have voted to increase funding for additional law enforcement officers and crime prevention programs.