Political Quotes

“I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4404, the Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel Exercise Act, sponsored by the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms. McSally), a colleague on the Committee on Homeland Security. Mr. Speaker, the threats our communities face are evolving rapidly, and we need to make sure our communities are prepared to respond. My community knows all too well the benefit exercises have on the ability of first responders to do their jobs safely and effectively. The year before the Boston Marathon bombings, through the UASI grant, Boston participated in Urban Shield, a 24-hour exercise during which responders were rotated through various training scenarios. More than 1,800 emergency response personnel from over 50 Federal, State, and local agencies participated. The goal of Urban Shield was to assess capabilities achieved through grant investments, improve proficiency at core capabilities, and identify capability gaps. Prior to that, the city of Boston participated in a Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop, where more than 200 participants from Federal, State, and local governments took part in a 24-hour-long integrated response exercise in which multiple coordinated assaults were simulated, much like the terrorist attacks in India in November of 2008.…”