Stand By Every Ad Act of 2010

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and am privileged to address you, Mr. Speaker, and to rise in support of H.R. 549, the National Bombing Prevention Act.

This is something that certainly arises out of 9/11, when we watched in horror as the twin towers burned, the Pentagon was attacked, and the plane was crashed in Pennsylvania. It's changed the focus of this Nation. It's changed the priorities that we have.

One would think that government would simply look at this and make sure that all the gaps are filled, that we were able to analyze capabilities and maintain a database, identify those gaps. The list of the things in this bill goes on.

I'm looking at the risk to America and the energy that brings this bill to the floor, Mr. Speaker, and I think about this country in the broad terms. What do we need to do to take America to the next level of our destiny? How do we nurture the things that protect us? And how do we enhance the components that improve us?

And I can't help but reflect, Mr. Speaker, as I stand here that we are unanimous in our support in protecting the American people. We disagree sometimes on the tactics--and I don't think we much disagree on these tactics--but I think that there are greater risks out there to America that cry out for an urgent approach rather than H.R. 549, the National Bombing Prevention Act.

Some of those greater risks come from overseas. They come on our American military that are today in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan, the whole backdrop of that. We have

poured a significant amount of resources in, and we've seen great success in Iraq in particular. We have a tough battle to fight in Afghanistan. That's the habitat that breeds the people that would like to penetrate through our shield.

That's something we cannot always see but it's a tangible enemy because we have seen the results of that tangible enemy.

Mr. Speaker, I can't watch this bill move through debate without raising the issue of the intangible enemy that we have, the enemy that we have from within, the enemy that creeps up on us and sneaks up on us, and the one that causes us to revert to security and trying to find a safer future. Whenever we see a bump along in our economy, when we see the stock market take a dip, when we see some unemployment numbers that go up, the first thing that happens is those who have been lying in wait for an economic disaster pounce upon that as an argument that the free markets are not the solution, that a managed economy is the solution.

And we're in the middle of a pivotal debate in America today, Mr. Speaker, and that pivotal debate rests not so much on the physical security of the American people, as it does the economic opportunity of the American people.

And in the name of economic security, we are watching trillions of dollars being invested in programs that have not shown any pattern of being successful. There was a $150 billion stimulus plan not quite a year ago and then a $700 billion stimulus plan that came out before the election, the bailout plan as it's commonly known, and now we're looking at perhaps a $900 billion stimulus that has with it at least $347 billion in interest attached to it over the next 10 years which takes us to $1.3 trillion.

Just add the $700 billion on from the bailout from last fall, and we're at $2 trillion, $2 trillion in debt and burden which is just one leg of a multi-legged stool as we know from President Obama that has to be constructed by that approach.

And I will submit that as much as we'd like to provide for the safety and the security of the American people--and I will continue to support and work together hand-in-hand across the aisle on those issues--I do oppose the idea that government can spend money better than people can, and I oppose the idea that creating new government programs and spending trillions of dollars. And this one-leg of a multi-legged stool is a $2 trillion leg, Mr. Speaker.

How many more trillion dollars before we get all the legs built on this stool that may look like a centipede and our debt may look like it's insurmountable into the future?

We've got to revert to the things that made this Nation great, the foundations of the American exceptionalism. And those foundations have been--and if we're to have a future will be--the free markets, the markets, the free enterprise system, and our faith in those markets. And at some point, we have to look back at history and understand that no matter how deep we can dig into the old ``New Deal'' of the 1930s, that the best that can be said for it was it may have slowed and diminished the depths to which we sunk during the Great Depression, but the tradeoff was that it delayed the recovery.

And now we are looking at a new, uber, new, new deal that's coming, that is multitrillions of dollars, that may or may not diminish the depths, but it will certainly delay the recovery.

So that is my greatest fear for America, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate your attention.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 549, the National Bombing Prevention Act of 2009, and am pleased that the House has moved quickly early in the 111th Congress to act on this important legislation. On January 15, 2009, I introduced H.R. 549, which authorizes the Office of Bombing Prevention within the Department of Homeland Security. In the previous Congress, the full House passed similar legislation by bipartisan voice vote on June 18, 2008.

The Office of Bombing Prevention will provide much needed analysis and coordination of our Nation's bomb-prevention capacity. This will inform State and local governments on how to best protect our citizens from the threat posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The terrorist attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan; the attacks in London in 2007 and 2005; the Madrid bombings in 2004; and the countless other bombing attacks around the world serve as reminders that terrorist organizations utilize IEDs to target civilians and military personnel.

Within the United States, we have been subject to our own share of explosive attacks, including the 1993 World Trade Center bombings; the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing; the Centennial Olympic Park bombing; and others. State and local bomb squads across the country have formed and trained to respond to these types of threats. But at the national level, there is no analysis of our nationwide capability to respond to explosive threats, or to identify where gaps exist in training, equipment, and personnel against a national baseline. The Office authorized by this bill gives us that ability.

This analysis will also assist State and local officials in applying for homeland security grants to fill these gaps. Further, the bill requires the Office to continue to share information with State and local officials and promote IED security awareness. This information is distributed through a secure website, known as ``TRIPwire,'' which provides to appropriate law enforcement officials access to current IED tactics, techniques and procedures--updated in light of new events and as terrorists change their methods. ``TRIPwire'' includes analysis and reports by experts making it a ``one-stop shop'' for actionable information.

Information sharing with law enforcement is only one part of preventing an IED attack within the United States. Another key component of the Office of Bombing Prevention authorized in this bill is the establishment of an awareness program for the public regarding the threat of IEDs. This program will educate merchants, for example, on types of materials that are explosive pre-cursors, so that sellers can watch for, and recognize, suspicious purchases.

Recognizing that our military has developed invaluable expertise in recognizing and countering IEDs, this legislation instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security to work closely with the Department of Defense to leverage lessons learned by our troops in combat. Adapting appropriate tactics and technology from overseas will improve the capability of our first responders here at home.

The Office of Bombing Prevention has been in existence at the Department of Homeland Security since 2005, but has not yet been authorized by statute. The continued need for the Office of Bombing Prevention is clear. While there are many Federal agencies that bring expertise and roles to countering an explosive threat, this Office provides a unique role to assist and assess State, local, and tribal capability.

By supporting H.R. 549, we take another step in upholding our responsibility to protect the lives and livelihood of American citizens. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 549) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an appeal and redress process for individuals wrongly delayed or prohibited from boarding a flight, or denied a right, benefit, or privilege, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to include in the Record an exchange of letters between the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology and myself.

Committee on Science

and Technology,

Washington, DC, January 15, 2009.

Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Ford House Office

Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman, I am writing to you concerning the

jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Science and

Technology in H.R. 549, the National Bombing Prevention Act

of 2009. H.R. 549 was introduced by Congressman Peter T. King

on January 15, 2009. H.R. 549 is identical to the reported

version of H.R. 4749 from the 110th Congress.

H.R. 549 implicates the Committee on Science and

Technology's jurisdiction over Homeland Security research and

development under Rule X(1)(o)(14) of the House Rules. The

Committee on Science and Technology acknowledges the

importance of H.R. 549 and the need for the legislation to

move expeditiously. Therefore, while we have a valid claim to

jurisdiction over this bill, I agree not to request a

sequential referral. This, of course, is conditional on our

mutual understanding that nothing in this legislation or my

decision to forgo a sequential referral waives, reduces, or

otherwise affects the jurisdiction of the Committee on

Science and Technology, and that a copy of this letter and of

your response will be included in the Congressional Record

when the bill is considered on the House Floor.

The Committee on Science and Technology also expects that

you will support our request to be conferees during any

House-Senate conference on H.R. 549 or similar legislation.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Bart Gordon,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I don't have any additional speakers for the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 549, and believe that authorizing the Office of Bombing Prevention will greatly enhance our Nation's preparedness and response to arguably the most likely method of terrorist attack.

In addition to authorizing the Office to develop a strategic vision and establish the capabilities level around the Nation, the bill provides support for efforts to research explosives detection and mitigation.

It is important to note, Mr. Speaker, that an informed public is a prepared public. In this spirit, the bill also directs the Office to develop and implement a public awareness campaign that can reach the private sector, as well as ordinary citizens.

Again, I'd like to commend Ranking Member King for bringing forth this important bipartisan legislation, and I urge immediate passage of

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This bill authorizes the Office of Bombing Prevention within the Department of Homeland Security. In previous Congresses, it passed on suspension with bipartisan support.

This office will provide the necessary analysis and coordination of our Nation's bomb prevention capability to best protect our citizens from the threat posed by explosive materials.

We only need to look at terrorist activities overseas to understand that conventional and improvised explosive devices are a terrorist's weapon of choice to target military and civilians.

Within the United States, we have been subject to our own share of explosive attacks, including the 1993 World Trade Center bombings, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the Centennial Olympic Park bombing, and others.

State and local authorities have developed the capabilities to respond to potential explosive threats and to neutralize them. Yet without the office established in this bill, there would be no analysis of our nationwide capability to respond to explosive threats, or where gaps exist in training, equipment, and personnel against a national baseline. This analysis will assist State and local officials in applying for homeland security grants to fill these gaps.

Further, this legislation will authorize the office to continue to promote information sharing and IED security awareness through advanced bomb prevention techniques and usable information.

The office uses a secure Web site, known as ``TRIPwire,'' to provide to bomb prevention officials across the country access to current terrorist IED tactics, techniques and procedures, along with expert analysis and reports, making it a one-stop shop for actionable information.

I previously mentioned our troops' experience with IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan. This legislation instructs the Secretary of Homeland Security to work closely with the Department of Defense to take advantage of what our troops have learned on the battlefield, both in tactics and technology, to improve the capability of our first responders here at home.

Preventing a bomb from going off should involve more than just those first responders attempting to neutralize the threat once the bomb has been placed. Education and awareness programs regarding the threat of IEDs are also a piece of this legislation, providing information on explosive precursors to merchants who can recognize suspicious purchases.

The continued need for the Office of Bombing Prevention is clear. It is important to note that this office is not designed to replace existing elements of counter-explosive expertise already found in the Federal Government, but to assist and coordinate State, local, and tribal capability. In fact, the National Tactical Officers Association supports this legislation.

By supporting H.R. 549, we take another step in upholding our responsibility to protect the lives and livelihood of American citizens.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I urge members to support this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 549, the National Bombing Prevention Act of 2009. However, I have some concerns about language included in this bill regarding the enhancement of explosives detection canine resources and capabilities. I'm concerned and worried that this provision could unintentionally harm established Federal canine training facilities and even weaken existing training standards.

Currently, the Customs and Border Protection agency runs two world- class canine training facilities under its Canine Enforcement Program, in addition to a USDA facility in Florida. One of these facilities is located in my congressional district in Front Royal, Virginia, in what is viewed as the Shenandoah Valley. I strongly encourage Members to visit this exceptional program, staffed by dedicated Federal employees, before making any comprehensive reforms to this model program.

The Canine Enhancement Program already serves the needs of the Department of Homeland Security and other Federal agencies. It is so highly regarded that many of our closest international allies--and I was out there. Egypt had their people out there training and many others--send their canine program officials to the Front Royal facility for training.

Mr. Speaker, rather than reinventing a program that already demonstrates exceptional results, I hope that we can work with the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection to address these issues as this legislation moves forward.