Defending the Homeland, Identifying Threats
The safety and security of the American people is of paramount importance to Congress and President Bush. A crucial component of protecting the homeland in the post-911 world is ensuring that our intelligence community has the resources and capability to pinpoint and act upon potential terrorist threats. On December 7, the House took a critical first step towards attaining that goal by approving S. 2845, the National Intelligence Reform Act Conference Report, landmark legislation to overhaul the nation's intelligence structure and secure our borders. On December 17, President Bush signed the bill into law.
S. 2845 creates the new position of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to serve as the President's principal intelligence adviser, improving the efficiency of our intelligence gathering system, as well as a new National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), which will serve as the principal clearinghouse for intelligence on terrorist activity.
Additionally, it provides for several border security enhancements, including 10,000 more full time border patrol agents, 4,000 more border investigators and 40,000 more detention beds for suspected terrorists and illegal immigrants. The bill also includes a new requirement for in-person visa renewal and minimum security standards to prevent counterfeit production of driver's licenses, birth certificates and Social Security cards. However, important provisions approved by the House were left out by the Senate.
On page 390 of The 9/11 Commission Report the following recommendation is made: "The federal government should set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses." Why would they make such recommendation? Because 63 driver’s licenses were held by the 9/11 hijackers. I look forward to joining my colleague Judiciary Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner in the new Congress to introduce legislation that includes this and other border security provisions.
We will also be fighting for completion of the security fence along the U.S. - Mexico border that has become a high-traffic section of the border, leading to illegal crossings as well as extensive environmental damage. This hole needs to be plugged and the illegal crossings need to be stopped.
For some reason, the U.S. Senate did not think it was urgently necessary that we tackle these issues. The House, however, is not deterred in its determination to see these important policies put into place. Border security and immigration reform are as much a part of the solution as intelligence reform. It is simply common sense that preventing what was accomplished by the 9/11 hijackers must be a top priority. Illegal immigrants must be denied any and all avenues to continue gaming our system. Our homeland security depends on it.
