Chairman Thompson Announces Key Hearings to Promote a Resilient Homeland
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, May 05, 2008
Partnering with Critical Stakeholders to Recover Quickly in the Wake of Disasters
(WASHINGTON) - On Tuesday, May 6, 2008, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, will hold a hearing to encourage the Department of Homeland Security to promote resilience – an approach to ensure the Nation’s ability to quickly and effectively bounce back from large scale disruptions. Witnesses from the Department of Homeland Security, private sector, State and local governments, and other stakeholders will discuss efforts to communicate, coordinate, and collaborate on resilience as a critical part of their mission and operation.
“A resilient homeland must be our objective. 85 percent of the Nation’s critical infrastructure is privately owned or operated. Therefore, it is imperative that the Department play a greater role in promoting resilience in the supply-chain, emergency communications, and other critical areas,” said Chairman Thompson.
The May 6th hearing will be the first in a series of hearings to determine how well policies – that mitigate the effects of an attack or disaster and ensure that people, systems, and assets are operating effectively immediately after a disaster – are being implemented.
Below is a list of Committee hearings that will examine issues of resilience and public-private sector collaboration with the Department.
• Full Committee Hearing
“The Resilient Homeland – Broadening the Homeland Security Strategy”
(May 6, 2008)
• Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism Hearing
“Assessing the Resiliency of the Nation’s Supply Chain” (May 7, 2008)
• Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response Hearing
“Advancing Public Alerts and Warnings System to Build a More Resilient Nation” (May 14, 2008)
• Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment Hearing
“The Resilient Homeland: How DHS Intelligence Should Empower America to Prepare for, Prevent, and Withstand Terrorist Attacks” (May 15, 2008)
• Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Hearing (May 15, 2008)
• Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology Hearing
“Implications of Cyber Vulnerabilities on the Resiliency and Security of the Electric Grid” (May 21, 2008)
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FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Please contact Dena Graziano or Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978.
