Political Quotes

“I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue before and now. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 251 to extend the DHS Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards, CFATS, program for a period of 2 years. Like many of my colleagues in the House, my district is home to a number of chemical facilities. They play a crucial role in the local economy, but with that comes a risk. The CFATS program helps address that risk and makes communities like mine safer, without being overly burdensome. Twelve years ago, the Bush administration issued a call to action to address credible terrorist threats to high-risk chemical facilities across the country. At the time, chemical facility security was one of the biggest security gaps we faced, and Secretary Chertoff asked Congress to ``pass a balanced, risk-based security measure for the chemical industry.'' {time} 1645 Within the year, Congress attached language to the DHS appropriations bill, giving DHS temporary authority to implement a chemical security program. CFATS survived on annual authorizations through the appropriations process for 8 years, and the lack of certainty and stability stunted the program's growth. In 2014, after the tragic explosion at the West, Texas, chemical facility, Congress finally passed a 4-year authorization bill. Since then, the CFATS program has invested in better tools, better trained personnel, and a better strategic vision for the future.…”