Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5094, the Enhancing Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative Act. I have been a long-term proponent of the If You See Something, Say Something campaign, which was begun in New York City in 2002 by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. {time} 1915 This program, along with the Suspicious Activity Reporting initiative, SAR, helps Federal, State, and local law enforcement piece together sometimes seemingly disparate pieces of information to prevent, detect, and interdict terrorist threats to the homeland. During a recent subcommittee hearing on SARs, a witness from the New Jersey State Police explained that a SAR triggered a law enforcement investigation where a copy of ``Inspire'' magazine was found in a residence, in particular, an article on how to construct a pressure cooker bomb. The suspect admitted to planning a major attack in New York City. This SAR was instrumental in thwarting a potential terrorist attack against our Nation. While the FBI reviews, nationwide, SARs for investigative leads, DHS largely manages the efforts to provide information and training to State and local law enforcement, fusion centers, and other emergency response providers. H.R. 5094 strengthens this effort by requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a strategy designed to improve the operations and activities of the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative, NSI.…”