Tom Tancredo: “The defense of the Nation starts with the defense of our borders. Mr. Speaker, we have begun a massive buildup of forces…”

“The defense of the Nation starts with the defense of our borders. Mr. Speaker, we have begun a massive buildup of forces as a result of the events of September 11. Indeed, the President has issued a call for units of the National Guard to be activated. Troops are being dispatched, planes, ships, all over the world. The President has issued an executive order to restrict the flow of capital so that we will, hopefully, inhibit the ability of terrorists around the world in that particular capacity. We have done a great deal to try to figure out how to make it more difficult for hijackers to take over planes. We have increased security at all of our airports. Recently, we ordered that even crop dusters would not be allowed to fly for fear that some sort of chemical agent might be introduced into the atmosphere. We have increased security around water facilities and power plants throughout the Nation for fear of some sort of, again, biological or chemical attack that might come in that direction. We have, indeed, created a brand-new, or will create a brand-new, cabinet level agency for homeland defense that I hope will do what is desperately needed to be done, and that is to coordinate the activities of all of our agencies that are designed to provide some sort of defense for this Nation.”