Homeland Security

I am proud to serve on the House Committee on Homeland Security. My subcommittee assignments include the Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee, where I serve as the Ranking Member, and the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and Risk Assessment. The Homeland Security Committee bears the primary responsibility in the House for overseeing the Department of Homeland Security and enacting policies to deter future terrorist attacks on our nation, protect our families from the devastating impact of natural disasters, and provide our emergency responders with the resources necessary to safeguard our communities.

As a Member of the Homeland Security Committee, I have the opportunity to craft legislation and scrutinize proposals regarding our national security and critical infrastructure. Earlier this year, I worked on legislation to reauthorize the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program at the Committee level. I was also an original cosponsor of the first authorization of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and assisted in ushering the bill through the House when it was considered on the Floor.

I have been an advocate for maximizing our nation’s resources to secure our borders. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1178, a bill that I introduced to study how the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) might be used to help better secure our borders. The CAP played a vital role in spotting (and in one case destroying) enemy submarines off our coasts during World War II, and I believe they can be a great asset in monitoring illegal border crossing activity today.

Another issue I have taken an active lead on is the relocation or release of international terrorism suspects currently housed at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In January, the Administration ordered the facility closed by the beginning of 2010. I want to ensure that no one who poses as a threat to the United States is brought to our soil, where they will have access to our civilian judicial system and may ultimately be released into our communities. I have cosponsored legislation to prohibit the transfer of any Guantanamo detainee without the express consent of the governor and legislature of the state to which they will be transferred.

Furthermore, with the Federal Emergency Management Administration under the jurisdiction of DHS, the Homeland Security Committee influences the policy and federal resources authorized for the men and women serving as firefighters, police officers and EMS responders in our communities. During the 110th Congress, I was honored to serve as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response. Given the 15th District’s close proximity to New York City and Philadelphia, our first responders face unique challenges in anticipating potential terrorist attacks on these urban centers near our region. We must be vigilant in ensuring that our brave men and women have the resources necessary to protect themselves, our families and communities while serving in the line of duty.