Jerry Moran: “since September 11, our Nation has been made to reevaluate every action we undertake on a daily basis. What we once…”

“since September 11, our Nation has been made to reevaluate every action we undertake on a daily basis. What we once considered a safe Nation has become a people concerned about security, and they look to Congress and the President for answers. With the bill we will pass today, H.R. 3253, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs is challenging the Veterans Administration with the task to address some of our new concerns: to use a fraction of the assets of the Department of Veterans Affairs to help protect the people of the United States from terrorists. We will charge the administration with this task because we believe it is one that they can readily handle. We must be proactive in preparing the United States for a future terrorist attack. As our Vice President said just yesterday, "The prospects of a future attack against the United States are almost certain. Not a matter of if but when. It could happen tomorrow, it could happen next week, it could happen next year, but they will keep trying." Those are sobering thoughts. We must respond in a timely, effective, and comprehensive manner to protect the American people if and when an attack occurs. This bill would do just that. Under this bill at least four geographically separated national medical emergency preparedness centers would be established.…”