Susan Collins

I agree with that approach as opposed to the more narrow approach recommended by some of our colleagues.

I believe it is imperative that we build a baseline of capabilities all across this country.

It is crucial that the Department can identify, measure, and assess what this money has bought and what future investments are needed.

As Senator Lieberman has indicated, we wrote the law that restored the administration of the grant programs to FEMA.

So I hope that as we appropriately, in response to the Mexican cartel problem, focus resources and efforts on the southwest border, we do not create a new vulnerability on our northern border.

I think if we are talking about ensuring high-quality, needed equipment, personnel, training, that having some sort of match... is absolutely essential.

You want the State or local entity to be invested, to have some skin in the game

I applaud FEMA for being responsive to the needs and concerns of stakeholders, but I am concerned that this pilot... is not acceptable.

Our Nation's homeland security grant programs are a vital part of enhancing our capacity to prepare for, protect against, and respond to a full range of natural disasters and manmade hazards.

It is inconceivable to me that Treasury has not acted. This is such a glaring loophole, and it does need to be closed.

We have worked for so many years to change the culture in the Federal Government to one of sharing essential information.

I am very concerned from the work that we have done in this Committee and from what I have seen at the Armed Services Committee about the link between terrorism and drug trafficking.

As the Chairman has pointed out, this nomination comes before us at a time when the threat to our Nation posed by illegal drug trafficking is escalating.

But my final comment to you is do not forget the northern border as well. That also is vulnerable.

An important part of the counternarcotics effort is to interdict and seize cash from the drug trade.

It is inevitable that terrorist groups are going to link up with the Mexican drug cartels to smuggle either terrorists into this country using well-known successful smuggling routes or perhaps a weapon of mass destruction of some sort.

The 2009 National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy noted an even greater threat to our homeland security, and that is, the possibility of collaboration between drug cartels and terrorist groups.

The horrific bloodshed that has resulted in the deaths of thousands in Mexico is not constrained to the southern side of the border.

We still have barriers to the sharing of absolutely vital information.

The cartels' trafficking and the associated violence demand increased attention at the Department and across the Federal Government.

That does not strike me as a very good sign that 2 years later we still do not have agreements with that many countries.

We have been seeking agreements with countries so that they share more information with us on potential terrorists.

I would say to my colleagues that there is a page with a picture of what an ID for a U.S. Senator looks like.

The manual will become a textbook for those seeking to penetrate aviation security, and he described the leak as serious.

This is no time to rest, no reason to pause, in our efforts to protect our country from terrorist attacks.