Global War on Terrorism

September 11 demonstrated the threat of Islamist terrorism is real and the Cold War doctrine of containment, reaction and mutually assured destruction will not work against this new enemy. Terrorism must be addressed before it manifests itself in a smallpox epidemic or a mushroom cloud. That means American policy must be to detect terrorist actions and prevent attacks from happening. At times, the U.S. will need to take preemptive action and maybe even act unilaterally.

As Vice Chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, Chairman of its National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations Subcommittee, and a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I am working to improve counterterrorism efforts and strengthen national preparedness.

I have chaired more than 90 hearings on the terrorist threat. Twenty-two of these were before September 11. These hearings documented the need to take the terrorist threat more seriously, develop a strategy to combat it, and reorganize our government to more effectively respond to an attack.

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, I was a stalwart advocate for the creation of the 9/11 Commission. I helped establish the Department of Homeland Security and the position of Director of National Intelligence to coordinate and oversee all 16 intelligence agencies. Today I continue to lead the bipartisan effort to implement all of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations, including risk-based funding for Homeland Security.

Terrorists don't attack just any target. They choose to attack high-impact centers and our disbursement of homeland security funding should reflect that. Seventy Fourth District residents working in New York died on September 11. By ensuring risk-based funding, I am helping to protect the many thousands of commuters who live in the Fourth District and work in Manhattan. As the recently thwarted terrorist plot in London proved, intelligence is our most valuable weapon in the war on terror. That is why I support the PATRIOT Act.

The PATRIOT Act improves our antiterrorism capabilities by focusing intelligence gathering on immigration, criminal justice and the financial infrastructure, enabling our intelligence and law enforcement communities to stop terrorists before an attack. Although there are concerns about the effect this legislation will have on our civil liberties, please know I will continue to perform aggressive oversight to assure both the effectiveness of the PATRIOT Act and the protection of our personal rights.

When giving the federal government more powers during a time of national emergency, it is imperative we have more congressional oversight, not less; a strong civil liberties board to oversee the work of our 16 intelligence agencies; and a whistleblower statute that encourages employees to speak out and expose any abuses.

In addition to expanding our intelligence capabilities, it is imperative we secure our ports and chemical plants, improve the safety of air and rail transportation, and protect our borders. That is why I support legislation requiring the inspection of all aircraft cargo and improved screening of all checked baggage for explosive devices. I am also an original cosponsor of legislation that will establish procedures for restoring port operations in the event of a terrorist attack and authorize more than $7.4 billion over six years to defend ports and cargo.

In May, I voted to increase rail security funding to add more police officers, K-9 teams, security cameras, fences and chemical detection systems at train and subway stations across the country.
I have also introduced legislation to establish greater security standards for our most vulnerable chemical facilities. The bill gives the Department of Homeland Security authority to shut down facilities that have not adequately addressed their risks.

Working with my Connecticut colleagues, I have successfully secured several key grants to improve homeland security in the Fourth District. The largest includes a $6 million federal grant to build a state-of-the-art Combined Dispatch and Emergency Operations Center to be based in Bridgeport and service 11 towns in Fairfield County, and $1.4 million to help arm the Bridgeport Port Authority with cutting edge technologies, equipped sonar systems and underwater cameras to detect explosive devices.