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OPENING
STATEMENT OF
SENATOR SUSAN M. COLLINS
Local Role in Homeland Security
December 11, 2001
Mr. Chairman, thank you for
convening this hearing and for inviting a
witness from Maine, Commissioner Joseph Tinkham, to
participate.
Our
purpose - to examine the local role in homeland security - is
of utmost
importance. We
are here today to learn about the efforts of state and local
officials to prepare for, and respond to, acts of terrorism.
In doing so, we
need to assess the effectiveness of communication and
coordination among
federal, state, and local agencies and the extent of
assistance needed from the federal government.
Critical to the homeland defense of our nation as a
whole is the security of the individual states, and securing a
state presents
significant financial and logistical challenges.
Let
me illustrate these challenges with some information about my
home state of Maine. As
Commissioner Tinkham, of Maine's Department of Defense,
Veterans, and Emergency Management, has noted in his written
testimony, Maine has more than 3,000 miles of Atlantic
coastline and the longest international border with Canada in
the continental United States.
The State has more than 250 airstrips;
military bases and two major shipyards; more than 800 dams; a
deactivated
nuclear power plant with spent fuel rods on site; and the
second largest
petroleum tank farm on the east coast in the very heart of the
State's largest
population center.
According to Commissioner Tinkham, Maine has identified
25 vulnerabilities that could result in large loss of life or
environmental
catastrophe.
To
meet these challenges and those facing other states, we must
improve
coordination among federal, state, and local governments, as
well as the private sector. We must
avoid wasteful duplication.
We must have realistic plans and effective training and exercises.
We
must also ensure that appropriate information about the
presence of
terrorists and potential threats is shared by federal law
enforcement agencies
with their state and local counterparts.
As Portland Maine Police Chief Michael Chitwood, who has expressed concerns about not being told of
the presence of individuals on the FBI "Watch List," put it,
"If there's something that impacts the public safety of a community, the police chief ought to
know."
Finally,
we must have adequate funding for homeland defense.
While the
responsibility for homeland security is not the federal
government's alone and must be shared by local and state governments, I fully support
additional federal financial assistance for the states and communities.
For example, I recently joined with Senators Frist, Kennedy, and others in
introducing legislation, the Bioterrorism Preparedness Act of 2001, which
not only strengthens our federal response, but also authorizes
substantial new funding for states, local governments, and hospitals - the people who
are on the front lines and will be called upon first in the event of any new
bioterrorist attack. Our legislation
authorizes almost $1.5 billion to improve our State and local preparedness capabilities and also authorizes an additional
$60 million to improve the public health laboratory network through the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
I
believe it important, however, to allow Governor Ridge the
opportunity to
assess needs and priorities carefully.
After that assessment, I expect that the
President will propose billions of dollars in his next budget,
which we expect
to be released in early February.
In that regard, this hearing and the
testimony of Commissioner Tinkham and the other witnesses will
be very helpful in identifying gaps in the system and in setting priorities
for this additional funding.
We
have a lot of work to do - together.
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