COMPARISON OF HR 1292, HR 525, AND HR 1158 WITH RECOMMENDATIONS OF 3. Recognizes need, but does not place responsibility/identify essential elements 4. Comprehensive; domestic and international; full range of threats 6. Only internal. "Planning guidance" to other agencies. Unnecessarily 7. Full budget certification/decertification authority 8. Cabinet-level but only for limited agency assets Entity must have authority and process for reviewing State and local plans for integrated response Direct oversight of RDT&E and standards are required "One-stop shop" is need for all Federal, State, and local agencies All Federal agencies, plus State and local disciplines, must be represented Advisory boards for State and local input and for intelligence coordination Senior official needs to be independent of single agency "turf" and 9. Only direct control of those subagencies within its structure. Does not No 24 April 2001 4/1 OPENING STATEMENT-REP WM Lacy Clay Hearing on the Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs and International Relations THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN. I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE COMMITTEE TODAY. I ALSO WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH MY FELLOW MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. I LOOK FORWARD TO.. EXAMINING THE ISSUES SURROUNDING THE "COMBATING OF TERRORISM AND OPTIONS TO IMPROVE THE FEDERAL RESPONSE". AS YOU KNOW, THE SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES HOMELAND FROM NONTRADITIONAL AND EMERGING THREATS MUST BE A PRIMARY NATIONAL SECURITY MISSION OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. DURING THE NEXT QUARTER OF A CENTURY, ATTACKS AGAINST UNITED STATES CITIZENS ON UNITED STATES SOIL, RESULTING IN HEAVY CASUALTIES, ARE LIKELY. THESE ATTACKS MAY INVOLVE BOTH WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION AND MASS DISRUPTION. DESPITE THE THREAT TO HOMELAND SECURITY, WE, AS A GOVERNMENT, HAVE NOT YET ADOPTED HOMELAND SECURITY AS A PRIMARY NATIONAL WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE AN ADEQUATE STRATEGIC SENSE OF THE UNCONVENTIONAL THREATS TO THE COUNTRY. FUTURE ADVERSARIES ARE UNLIKELY TO RISK HEAD-TO-HEAD CONFRONTATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES DUE TO OUR CONVENTIONAL MILITARY SUPERIORITY. THEY WILL SEEK TO EXPLOIT WEAKNESSES IN OUR PREPAREDNESS AND STRATEGIES. THESE UNCONVENTIONAL THREATS MUST BE MET WITH · METHODS THAT ARE OTHER THAN CONVENTIONAL. ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES MUST BE DEVELOPED AND IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY. EXPERT WITNESSES HAVE EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE CURRENT U.S. GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION TO COUNTER TERRORISM IS FLAWED. THEY HAVE ALSO STATED THAT THE ANALYSIS OF THE THREAT FROM TERRORISM LACKS COORDINATION AS WE HAVE OVER 40 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN ASSESSMENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS. IT IS FOR THESE REASONS THAT WE HAVE THIS HEARING TODAY. WE HAVE THREE (3) BILLS – H.R. 525, H.R. 1158, AND H.R. 1292 – THAT ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE OVERALL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF PROGRAMS TO COMBAT TERRORISM. NONE OF THE BILLS INDIVIDUALLY WILL BE A STOPGAP MEASURE THAT CURES THE PROBLEMS BUT, COLLECTIVELY, THEY ADDRESS SOME KEY ACTIONS NEEDED TO COMBAT TERRORISM. IT IS NOW THAT WE MUST ARTICULATE AND DEVELOP A STRATEGY AND POLICIES TO COORDINATE ALL OF OUR COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS SO THAT WE ARE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS REGARD. WE MUST NOT BE FRAGMENTED IN ANY WAY IN OUR APPROACH TO HANDLING THIS ENDEAVOR. THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN. CSIS COMBATING TERRORISM: OPTIONS TO IMPROVE THE FEDERAL RESPONSE Testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management and the U.S. House Committee on Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs, and International Relations April 24, 2001 Frank J. Cilluffo Chairman, Committee on Combating Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism, Homeland Defense Initiative Center for Strategic & International Studies CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES. 1800 K STREET, NW. WASHINGTON, DC 20006 TELEPHONE: (202) 887-0200. FACSIMILE: (202) 775-3199. HTTP://WWW.CSS.ORG |