H.Res. 1320

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1320) expressing support for the vigilance and prompt response of the citizens of New York City, the New York Police Department, the New York Police Department Bomb Squad, the Fire Department of New York, other first responders, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Customs and Border Protection, the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, Detective Bureau, Patrol Division, and other law enforcement agencies in Connecticut to the attempted terrorist attack in Times Square on May 1, 2010, their exceptional professionalism and investigative work following the attempted attack, and their consistent commitment to preparedness for and collective response to terrorism, 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 resolution under consideration.

I rise in support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution with my very good friend from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) honoring and expressing support for the vigilance and prompt response of the citizens and the law enforcement agencies in New York and Connecticut as well as all the Federal authorities and agencies to the attempted terrorist attack in Times Square on May 1, 2010, their exceptional professionalism and investigative work following the attempted attack, and their consistent commitment to preparedness for and collective response to terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I have long said that real homeland security starts on our streets, not in the halls of Washington, D.C. That's never been a truer statement than today. This shows yet again why we need to support our local first responders--police, fire, EMTs. Another example. They were first to respond before any Federal agencies got involved. That's how it usually always is, be it a manmade catastrophe or a natural catastrophe. These are the individuals who are the first on the scene long before those Federal authorities show up. These are the people who are the eyes and ears of our national security.

Fifty-three hours and seventeen minutes. This is what it took, Mr. Speaker, for the Federal law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, to identify and find and apprehend Faisal Shahzad, the prime suspect for this attempted act of terror on American citizens. In these 53 hours and 17 minutes, the New York Police Department, working with Federal and State law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and others, unraveled the tangled web that eventually led to Shahzad's arrest. I thank them. We all thank them.

We acknowledge, however, a few people and groups. First, the alertness and awareness of Mr. Lance Orton and Mr. Duane Jackson for ``seeing something'' on the streets of New York which were out of order; for ``saying something'' to law enforcement; and not hesitating to do so. If it were not for these men, many others could have been hurt and

Shahzad might not have been apprehended. Think about it. This is the kind of vigilance which is vital to homeland security efforts. We were seconds away from an ignition, a fireball. Who really knows the measure of death and destruction if that incendiary would have been ignited. Who really knows to this day.

I want to thank the citizens of New York for helping and cooperating with law enforcement during the precautionary evacuations in the vicinity of Times Square. I want to acknowledge New Yorkers and their resilient nature and ability to return to life as normal. Perhaps I cannot do justice to it as my brother Mr. King would do, but you will have to accept me for now because he's not here.

I want to express my deep appreciation for the professionalism and collective response of the following law enforcement agencies: the New York City Police Department. Always there. Always on duty. Always knowing that their city is a target. Always looking to find out information to prevent anything from happening to their citizens.

How about Police Officer Wayne Rhatigan of the Mounted Unit Troop B, the Fire Department of New York, the New York Police Department Bomb Squad. Look, they put their lives on the line. They could have gone much slower, that's not their job. That--no one knew--could have been a deep bomb explosion. They put themselves on the line. We respect them. Rather than simply pat them on the back, we must commit ourselves--both sides of the aisle--to make sure that we are always there for our first responders and not simply be there to say thank you, but beforehand, give them the resources that they need to defend America and its neighborhoods.

The New York Police Department Bomb Squad, beyond the regular day of duty, led by Lieutenant Mark Torre, and other first responders; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; United States Customs and Border Protection--we know how this character was finally corralled, at the airport on a plane; the Transportation Security Administration, TSA; the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York; the Department of Homeland Security; the Department of Justice; the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which has been a model for the rest of this country; the Bridgeport Police Department, who did so much work in cooperation with Federal authorities to go to the former home of the perpetrator, the alleged perpetrator, whichever you desire; the Detective Bureau; the Patrol Division up in Bridgeport; and other law enforcement agencies in Connecticut.

Finally, I want to thank our private sector partners, too. If Emirates Airlines did not comply with Federal procedures, we might not have apprehended Mr. Shahzad as he was fleeing the country.

Mr. Speaker, while I know others may say that we just got lucky, I say that they're missing the point. Our post-9/11 efforts to foster greater vigilance among our citizens and a culture of preparedness and collaboration among our first responders and law enforcement paid off. We stayed true to our cherished constitutional principles as we initiated this wide-scale collective response to terrorism.

Simply put, Mr. Speaker, while the time line for identifying and apprehending the suspect--53 hours and 17 minutes--is impressive, it is the continued vigilance and demonstrated commitment to working together to keep our country secure which is really impressive, and in awe it leaves us.

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

May I inquire as to how much time we have remaining on both sides?

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to Mr. Hall from New York.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Pelosi), the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining?

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Himes), a member of the Homeland Security Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I wonder what would have happened if Officer Rhatigan was not on the scene to be alerted by the two citizens I mentioned before. This is exactly why we need to fund our first responders based on security needs. We need no other barometer. America's intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies, are critical to the task of protecting our citizens and our neighborhoods. But also on duty every day are our first responders--that local responder is the first. On 9/11 they were the first to respond. And a few days ago they were the first to respond after being alerted by two citizens of New York. Keep this in mind every day when we see the EMTs and the firefighters of our local towns and our police officers on duty. They need more than a pat on the back. They need more than our encouragement. They need our votes to make sure that we sustain the resources necessary for them to protect all of America.

I know when these things happen, we rise up and then a few days later we might just forget, but we cannot forget.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have presented this resolution today along with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent).

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, to urge my colleagues to pass H. Res. 1320, a resolution honoring the citizens of New York City, the brave men and women of the NYPD, the FDNY, and all our federal and state partners in law enforcement and homeland security for their vigilance and prompt response to the attempted terrorist attack in Times Square this past Saturday, May 1, 2010.

I heard the news of the Times Square incident while traveling in Afghanistan and Pakistan, examining the connections between extremism across the world and terrorist attacks on our own soil.

And given the events of this past week, and the arrest of Faisal Shahzad the link is far too clear.

This resolution, which I introduced with my colleagues Congressman Jim Himes, and Congressman John Hall, along with the entire New York delegation, is in honor of New York City's local law enforcement teams, federal agencies and vigilant citizens for keeping our city, people and country safe. We commend their excellent, professional police and investigative work that led to the quick arrest of this terrorist.

Unfortunately, the fear of terrorism is never far from the mind of any New Yorker.

On Saturday, we were all reminded of the heart-felt loss that we endured nine years ago on September 11, 2001 and how much our world has changed since that tragic day.

New York City remains our nation's number one terrorist target--our greatest symbol of freedom, diversity, and entrepreneurial spirit. It is our nation's financial and cultural capital and as New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said yesterday, the terrorists are going to keep trying to attack us in New York City again and again.

That is why the federal government must increase homeland security funding and protection for New York City. Anti-terror funding must be distributed in a way that prioritizes those areas that are most at risk for future attacks.

I urge this body to increase funding and security programs in high priority areas like New York because protecting the homeland is just too important for politics as usual. Found immediately after the botched attack was a map on the Metro North Railroad to Connecticut identifying my own beloved Staten Island Ferry as a target and the subway stops that serve the Manhattan terminal as potential targets.

Walt Whitman once said that ``The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches, or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people.''

On Saturday, two Times Square vendors--Mr. Lance Orton and Mr. Duane Jackson--saw smoke billowing out of a SUV parked on West 45th Street in Times Square and took action.

They immediately contacted New York City Police Officer Wayne Rhatigan who started evacuating the area and called for additional NYPD and FDNY support, including the bomb squad.

These people saw something wrong and said something--and their actions saved lives and led to the arrest of a man who was seeking to kill countless numbers of innocent people.

Although, the actions of everyone involved in preventing Saturday's potential tragedy are remarkable, all Americans need to remain alert-- and we in the Congress need to support the brave men and women of the NYPD, and law enforcement officers across the Nation with the resources necessary to keep our Nation safe.

As Americans we learn not only from our mistakes but from our successes. The capture of Faisal Shahzad is commendable, but we have to examine why he was allowed to board an aircraft after being added to a no-fly list and why it took until literally the last minute before departure for him to be apprehended. We have got to get to a system for our security and our protection where we track every single person both entering and exiting our country.

In addition we must also continue to support our military and intelligence operations abroad to dismantle these terrorist networks. I just came back from Afghanistan and Pakistan and I can tell you the front line of our security right here at home is in those two countries. Our troops are the front line of defense in protecting the homeland from terrorism and they deserve our support and appreciation.

I urge all my colleagues to support H. Res. 1320.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1320, a resolution which commends the vigilance of the many individuals, first responders, law enforcement, and homeland security personnel for helping prevent what could have been a very deadly terrorist attack in Times Square last weekend and bring into custody the person who has admitted responsibility for this failed attack. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this resolution.

When Faisal Shahzad drove his bomb-laden SUV into Times Square on the evening of Saturday, May 1, 2010, New York City and all America were once again reminded of the thin line between security and tragedy.

This attack was just the most recent of 11 attempts since September 11, 2001, to visit terror on New York City. I cannot say enough about the efforts of the New York Police Department, its local partners, and the Federal agencies, particularly the FBI, that have worked to prevent these incidents and keep the City safe.

The resolution highlights how two vigilant citizens, Mr. Lance Orton and Mr. Duane Jackson, saw something and said something to an alert NYPD officer, Wayne Rhatigan, who secured the scene and the safety of those who were at what has been called the ``Crossroads of the World.''

We are also indebted to the New York Police Department and its Bomb Squad, the Fire Department of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other homeland security and law enforcement personnel for helping to foil this attack and capture the guilty terrorist.

Unfortunately, even after these 11 wake-up calls, not everyone recognizes that New York City is the nation's top terror target and that we must do everything possible to ensure the safety and security of New Yorkers and those

visiting this great City. New York simply cannot be expected to prevent terrorist attacks alone. Protecting New York City is not a local issue. It is a national issue; a national security issue.

What if the bomb that Faisal Shahzad parked in Times Square had detonated, and included radiological or nuclear material? How many lives would have been lost? How long would it have taken for New York's economy--and the nation's economy--to recover?

One of the best ways to stop that nightmare scenario would be to properly fund the Securing the Cities Program, which is the only Federal program of its kind to establish a ring of radiological detectors on bridges, tunnels, and mobile platforms in the region to prevent a radiological or nuclear attack. Unfortunately, the Administration has eliminated funding for this key program, even though in January 2010 the House of Representatives passed my legislation to authorize and fund the program.

New York City Mayor Bloomberg testified in the Senate this morning and stated: ``Since 1990, there have been more than 20 terrorist plots--or actual attacks--against our City. That's why it's so critical for Congress to fully fund homeland security programs like the Securing the Cities--and to take other steps that will help us fight terrorists and make it harder for them to attack us.''

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly stated on Sunday that the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative has yet to be extended to Midtown Manhattan because of the lack of Federal funding. With just $50 million, this ``Ring of Steel'' would give the NYPD a force multiplier throughout Midtown and allow it to expand its reach across the entire city.

The Administration has also proposed eliminating the Coast Guard's Maritime Safety and Security Team in New York City, weakening the City's defenses against a waterborne attack. The Administration has also proposed cutting funding for New York City-area mass transit and port security.

The stark reality is that New York City is the number one target for terrorists. New Yorkers live under constant threat of attack. But the Federal government can minimize those threats by properly funding counterterrorism initiatives based on risk and fund programs in the places they are most needed, like New York City.

Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support this resolution to show our gratitude to the brave and selfless efforts of the first responders and everyone involved who helped turn into a triumph what could have been a tragedy.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume, and I would like to certainly associate myself with the comments of my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell) on this occasion.

I rise today, as do many others in this Chamber, in support of House Resolution 1320, which commends the vigilance of the many individuals and organizations that helped prevent what could have been a catastrophic terrorist attack in Times Square this past weekend.

We should all be extraordinarily thankful that alert street vendors saw something out of place and promptly alerted authorities, who took immediate action to secure the scene and ensure the safety of the many people who are in and around Times Square, which has been called the ``Crossroads of the World.''

This incident is only the most recent in a string of attempted attacks on New York City. This attack and recent plots to blow up the New York City subway trains and pipelines at JFK Airport--which have also been disrupted--show that Islamic terrorists have their sights set squarely on New York City.

This whole notion of homegrown radicalization is something that we are all deeply concerned about. There is the radical cleric in Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki, for example, who has been involved with many of the attacks or attempted attacks, including Major Hasan at Fort Hood, Texas, or Abdulmutallab, the so-called ``underwear bomber,'' and his attempted Christmas Day attack. And we have others out there, too, who are homegrown radicals, and it is an increasing concern. Now the most recent radicalization that we've seen here is, of course, Mr. Shahzad. But these plots should have served to reinforce our efforts to secure New York City and every other city in America from devastating terrorist attacks.

The administration, unfortunately, had proposed cutting funding for or eliminating critical Homeland Security initiatives in New York and elsewhere. There are many initiatives that need to be addressed immediately, such as the Securing the Cities program, which is a successful State and local partnership to help prevent nuclear and radiological terrorism in and around New York. The House has passed legislation to authorize funding for this important initiative, for which the administration has proposed eliminating.

The administration has also proposed dismantling the U.S. Coast Guard's New York City-based Maritime Safety and Security Team, which strengthens the maritime security in and around the city. These reductions are being proposed at the same time that the administration has pursued trying alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in civilian court just blocks away from where the World Trade Center once stood.

We should be more concerned about properly funding counterterrorism initiatives and finding every way possible to make sure that New York and our entire country is as secure as possible instead of bringing terrorists to America and granting them rights to which they are not entitled.

We all owe a huge debt of gratitude, of course, to the New York Police Department, to the Fire Department of New York, the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, and alert citizens who saw something and said something to help us dodge a potentially very deadly bullet.

I hope that Congress and the administration get serious about properly funding important initiatives that will strengthen the security of New York City and our entire country because we may not be so lucky the next time New York or any other city comes under attack.

Again, I want to commend everybody involved with helping to derail this attempted attack, especially the Police Department of New York and the FBI, and everybody else who was involved. I commend Mr. McMahon for bringing this legislation to the floor.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1320.

H. Res. 1320 describes what happened on Saturday, May 1, 2010, concerning the car bomb discovered in Times Square. As the Member of Congress who represents Times Square, I am particularly concerned about these events. We came perilously close to a terrible tragedy, with widespread injuries and loss of life.

As described by this resolution, it was thanks to the alertness of two fellow New Yorkers, Mr. Lance Orton and Mr. Duane Jackson, that we first became aware of the car bomb. They brought it to the attention of the New York Police Department, NYPD. The heroes of the NYPD and FDNY then secured the area, took care of the bomb, and safely evacuated those nearby.

Subsequently, agents and officials with the NYPD, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, and other law enforcement agencies worked quickly and diligently to apprehend the alleged perpetrator, Faisal Shahzad. Due to their speed, they apprehended him before he could flee the country. I want to salute all of those involved in addressing this situation and acting to protect the public. I sincerely thank them for their service.

The events of this past weekend should be a loud wake-up call to all Americans. It is a stark reminder that there are sick people in this world who think it is right to murder innocent men, women, and children to make political points. It is a stark reminder that these sick people will stop at nothing to bring this war of terror to America. And, it is a stark reminder that New York City is a prime target.

To protect New York City, and the millions of people who live, work, and visit each day, we need more antiterrorism funding directed there. The formulas used to distribute such funds, while improved, still ignore the reality that New York City is the number one target. Increased funds could be used, for example, to support more and better surveillance cameras for public places, as well as for a larger police presence.

More money also could be used to fund the Securing the Cities Initiative. This effort is designed to prevent a radiological or nuclear device from coming into a major city like New York. The horror of what could have happened if the car bomb in Times Square had contained radiological or nuclear material is unimaginable. I have supported efforts to properly fund this program, and I will continue to do so.

Further, it is important to remember that our ports, including New York City, remain vulnerable. I fought for, and we enacted into law, a requirement that 100 percent of shipping containers coming into the United States be scanned electronically before they arrive in this country. If we wait until a container with a radiological or nuclear device gets to our shores, it is already too late. We need to stop such shipments before they are here. The 100 percent scanning requirement takes effect in 2012, but DHS has indicated they likely will miss the deadline. I call on fellow Members of Congress concerned about terrorism to help me see that it is implemented fully, and as soon as possible.

These are just a few ways we could make our country safer. The attempted attack on Times Square tells us we have no time to waste. To protect ourselves and our country, we must act now.

I want to thank Representative Michael McMahon for introducing H. Res. 1320. I also want to again thank the heroes who acted so quickly to take care of what otherwise could have been a deadly situation. I urge all Members to support this resolution.