In my capacity as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, I am responsible for overseeing the funding for America’s most critical and pressing security needs. The annual funding measure that the Homeland Security Subcommittee considers seeks to invest the necessary resources needed to protect our citizens from deadly terrorist attacks, to secure our borders, enforce U.S. immigration laws, and ensure that we have a rapid and effective federal response to both our natural and man-made disasters.
In the five years since the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, I have continually pressed the President and the Congress to provide the Department with the resources that it needs to fulfill it critical missions.
In February 2008, the Director of National Intelligence released the Annual Threat Assessment. The Director confirmed that Al-Qaeda has regrouped in Pakistan and that terrorists continue to pose significant threats to the United States. According to the threat assessment, terrorists are likely to continue to focus on prominent infrastructure targets with the goal of producing mass casualties and significant economic aftershocks.
With these concerns in mind, I have sought to put the agencies within the Department of Homeland Security on sound financial footing, signaling a new direction in funding in protecting our homeland. I believe that DHS must be both nimble and have the resources necessary to effectively respond to evolving threats.
The FY 2009 Homeland Security Appropriations bill that was signed into law on September 30, 2008 significantly increased resources for our border security; provided resources for immigration enforcement; restored irresponsbile cuts in first responder grants; and increased funding for core homeland security missions.
Please be assured that when it comes to defending our homeland, I am on the job.
