WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2012

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2764) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish weapons of mass destruction intelligence and information sharing functions of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security and to require dissemination of information analyzed by the Department to entities with responsibilities relating to homeland security, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

I want to commend Mr. Meehan, who is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, for his work on this matter.

This basically ensures that the intelligence and analyses of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats are a priority to the Department of Homeland Security.

Again, because of the time constraints, I urge support for the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2764 amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to ensure that intelligence and analyses of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats are a priority for the Department of Homeland Security.

I would like to thank Representative Meehan, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, for his work on this matter.

This measure requires the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (1) to support homeland security-focused intelligence analysis of threats involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials and global health hazards such as biothreats to food and agriculture; (2) to provide relevant threat information to partners; (3) to utilize existing homeland security intelligence capabilities to enhance prevention, protection, response, and recovery efforts with respect to a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack; and (4) to support and share information of these threats with state, local, and tribal authorities.

I urge support for this measure.

Congressional Budget Office,

Washington, DC, May 11, 2012.

Hon. Peter T. King,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has

prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2764, the WMD

Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2011.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be

pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark

Grabowicz, who can be reached at 226 2860.

Sincerely,

Douglas W. Elmendorf,

Director.

Enclosure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Representative Meehan, who is chair of the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.

Mr. Speaker, Representative Meehan has spent a great deal of time studying various threats to the homeland, including al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Pakistani Taliban, Hezbollah, and Boko Haram. He fully understands the threat to the U.S. homeland and why this legislation is so vital.

I urge Members to support H.R. 2764, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank you for yielding and I thank you for your kind words, and I thank the ranking member for his kind words in support of this important amendment.

I urge support for H.R. 2764, which provides, as has been explained, important guidance for the weapons of mass destruction and intelligence sharing functions of the Department of Homeland Security.

Now, this work has been built on a framework of important work, the roots of which were set with former Senators Bob Graham and Jim Talent, who were charged by a previous Congress just 2 years ago with establishing the Weapons of Mass Destruction Weapons Commission. They found that unless decisive action was taken, it was their prediction that a WMD attack would occur somewhere in the world by 2013.

I recently returned from the Middle East, and one of the striking takeaways from that trip was the amount of chemical weapons which are currently stockpiled in Syria. Similar concerns have been expressed about missing Libyan chemical weapons stockpiles. And obviously the great fear of all is that these weapons will get into the hands of al Qaeda terrorists or others during times of great instability.

We can't also forget the world's top State sponsor of terrorism, Iran, which has explicitly stated that it would use nuclear weapons to ``wipe Israel off the map.''

Al Qaeda has reportedly made efforts to acquire what we call chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials, or CBRN, to make weapons of mass destruction in the past. Osama bin Laden's death should not create an atmosphere of complacency. In fact, with multiple affiliate networks around the world targeting the U.S. homeland and interests, it is important that we remain as vigilant as ever. Al Qaeda is now led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden's longtime second in command, and the possibility of a WMD terrorist attack cannot be overstated.

The congressionally established WMD Commission has been relentless in its efforts to ensure that actions are being taken to meet what they describe as a very real threat. Congress must do its part to ensure that the Nation is meeting its WMD detection and prevention responsibilities in a meaningful and risk-based way.

CBRN materials can be quite difficult to detect and to prevent, and the danger they pose is unimaginable. This bill will ensure sustained DHS commitment and facilitate the partnership across the intelligence community, other government partners, and with the public.

I urge support for this bipartisan bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2764, ``WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2011.'' This legislation amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (OIA), to undertake various activities to combat the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Those efforts would include assessments and analyses of threats and the sharing of such reports with federal, state, local, and tribal authorities.

While our intelligence community is strong and sophisticated, it is made even more powerful through the sharing of information between federal, state, and local officials as well as across bureaus.

We are all working towards a common goal--to keep the US and its citizens safe. In order to ensure we are working with all of our available resources and information, we must continue to advance regulations that allow for the sharing of information between our officials. This also includes ensuring that local law enforcement officers across the nation are trained to identify any potential threats and contact the correct authorities.

A partnership between DHS analysts and local law enforcement can enhance situational awareness with respect to the threat of terrorism to the millions of Americans who rely on mass transit systems, including the threat of an attack involving a weapon of mass destruction.

Mass transit systems across the world have continually been a target for terrorist threats, namely the 2004 terrorist attack on a packed commuter train in Madrid, Spain that killed 191 people. There was also the suicide bombing attack in London that left 50 dead in 2005.

While we have so far been fortunate to have not had any incidents of terrorism in our mass transit systems, we know of the threat planned by al-Qaeda to commemorate the both anniversary of 9/11 by attacking US mass transit systems. Thankfully, a Naval SEALS raid on Osama bin Laden's compound discovered and thwarted this plot.

Past incidents that were looked over by federal authorizes have been resolved by local enforcement officers. It is imperative that they continue to assist the efforts of the DHS and that the DHS is open and accessible to these officers via the communication of appropriate information.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the bill before us, H.R. 2764, the WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2012. As a former member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I am proud to co-sponsor this bill, which will increase coordination and information sharing between the Department of Homeland Security, the Intelligence Community, and Federal, State and local authorities. This bill will also enhance DHS's ability to analyze, prepare for, and prevent potential threats from weapons of mass destruction.

We all know that WMDs continue to pose a serious threat to the United States. As rogue states such as Iran with established ties to terrorism continue to pursue nuclear weapons, the threat is all too real that WMDs could fall into the hands of those who would like to attack our country.

The bill we are considering today is comprised of two provisions from H.R. 2356, the WMD Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2011, which was considered and passed by the Homeland Security Committee earlier this month. I was proud to introduce H.R. 2356 as a comprehensive bill to prevent a WMD attack along with my colleague from New York and the Chair of the Homeland Security Committee, Congressman Peter King. This bipartisan legislation would finally begin to implement the recommendations of the 9 11 Commission and the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, and I hope we can bring the entire bill to a vote as soon as possible.

I am glad to see that we are taking these long-overdue steps to make our country safer in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks which occurred over a decade ago on September 11, 2001, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2764, the WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2011.

Mr. Speaker, this bill would strengthen information sharing at all levels of government with regard to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear terrorist threats.

In the decade since the attacks on September 11, 2001, concern about an attack on U.S. soil with weapons of mass destruction or dirty bombs have come in sharper focus, specifically concerns that terrorists and other rogue actors may want to access loose nuclear materials from the former Soviet Union or even weaponized biological agents that originated from stockpiles of now-toppled authoritarian regimes have grown.

This bill also requires DHS to coordinate with other components in the intelligence community and other Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities to provide recommendations on information sharing.

I would note for the record, Mr. Speaker, that the committee approved, on a bipartisan basis, the Pascrell WMD bill earlier this month.

I look forward to seeing this measure, which was endorsed by a bipartisan commission, considered on the House floor in the very near future.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 2764. Enactment of this measure will strengthen the partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and our Nation's first preventers against one of the most vexing homeland security threats: weapons of mass destruction.

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