From: Cong. Ben Cardin
Subject: Reply from Congressman Benjamin L. Cardin
Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 11:17:53 -0400
To: rob@vees.net

May 19, 2003

rob@vees.net

Electronic Mail,

Dear Friend:

 <p>Thank you for contacting me regarding the Department of

Homeland Security.

 <p>The security and safety of the United States is perhaps our

greatest responsibility. The Department of Homeland Security, established on March 1, 2003, will have four primary divisions: border and transportation security; emergency preparedness and response; information analysis and infrastructure protection; and science and technology. I supported the consolidation of many of our existing agencies into one cabinet-level department with clear authority to coordinate our defense in the ongoing war on terrorism and our response to any attack. We also have to ensure that many of the agencies that would be included in this new department not lose sight of their original missions.

 <p>Congress has a responsibility to carefully oversee the

largest reorganization of government since World War II. The Department of Homeland Security will be the third largest agency of the U.S. Government -- after the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs -- with 170,000 employees and a potential budget of $37 billion. Congress must insist that the Administration operates the Department in an open and fiscally responsible manner. The Department must also have proper accountability and oversight to assure individual constitutional rights and civil liberties. In addition, both the Department and the intelligence community must do a much better job of assessing risks and analyzing threats to protect ourselves from future attacks.

In February 2003, I was appointed to the House Select Committee on Homeland Security. This committee is charged with overseeing laws, programs and government activities involving homeland security. The Committee will also recommend how the committees of the House of Representatives should be restructured to oversee all homeland security issues. This new Committee will work to ensure that the federal government and Congress fulfill their responsibility to adjust and lead in this new environment, and I look forward to taking on this challenge. I have been appointed to two subcommittees of the newly-created Select Committee: the Emergency Preparedness and Response Subcommittee and the Infrastructure and Border Security Subcommittee. I will be particularly focused on assuring that local and state governments have the financial resources they need to develop and coordinate such plans.

As a member of the Ways & Means Committee I oversee the U.S. Customs Service, and in January 2003 unveiled a state-of-the-art VACIS scanner at the Port of Baltimore to inspect the contents of trucks and containers for dangerous materials. I have also joined with the Mayor of Baltimore City and the County Executives for Baltimore, Anne Arundel, and Howard counties in calling on the federal government to provide essential resources to local and state jurisdictions for homeland security.

I also serve as the chairman of the Organization, Study and Review Committee of the Democratic Caucus, and am responsible for reviewing and recommending how best to structure the committees and legislative operations of the House. Congress must reorganize itself -- possibly by the creation of a new standing committee -- to most effectively oversee and provide assistance to the new Department of Homeland Security.

As a member of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Subcommittee, I will focus on preparations for and response to chemical biological, radiological and other attacks on civilian populations; protection of physical infrastructure and industrial assets; issues related to liability arising from terrorist attacks; public health issues; disaster preparedness; coordination of emergency response with and among state and local governments and the private sector; and homeland security technology.

On the Infrastructure and Border Security Subcommittee, I will focus on all border security issues, including preventing the importation of illicit weapons, pathogens, narcotics and other contraband; illegal entry by foreign nationals; land borders; ports and airspace; integration of federal, state, and local immigration law enforcement; protection of highways, bridges, waterways, airports and air transportation, energy supplies and other critical infrastructure from attack; and preservation of critical government business, and financial institutions.

<p> Emergency Preparedness and Response and Infrastructure

and Border Security are two areas of special interest to me as a representative of the Baltimore-Annapolis-Washington region. Our region is the home to several world-class medical institutions that would be called upon to help in the event of a chemical, biological or radiological attack. In addition, the Port of Baltimore and BWI Airport are two important points of entry into our nation that need to be better secured. We also must do much more to deter a terrorist attack on our rail and commuter lines and along the I-95 corridor. We must redouble our efforts after September 11 to ensure that our citizens are safe, protected and prepared. As a member of these two subcommittees, I will oversee the work and mission of the U.S. Customs Service, the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security, the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP).

Thank you again for contacting me, and feel free to do so again in the future.

Sincerely,

Benjamin L. Cardin
Member of Congress

No Comments | #2207

Unless noted, all content on epistolary.org is © Copyright 1999-2008 to Rob Carlson with all rights reserved. All information is verified when possible, cited as appropriate and applied in the real world at your own risk. Send all feedback to rob@vees.net.