Christopher Shays: “I rise in support of the Preparedness Against Terrorism Act because I think it is an outstanding bill that addresses…”

“I rise in support of the Preparedness Against Terrorism Act because I think it is an outstanding bill that addresses some real concerns. The Subcommittee on National Security of the Committee on Government Reform held eight hearings on terrorism in this Congress. The issues we looked at included the need for integrated foreign and domestic threat assessments, better coordination of Federal programs to combat terrorism, and a clearer focus on the needs of local and State first responders. The bill we are considering this evening would address the concerns that my subcommittee has heard expressed in testimony. With more than 40 Federal agencies and programs involved, and no clear national strategy to guide program spending, current policy is clearly confused, and there is no way to know if money is being targeted effectively.”