Sean Patrick Maloney: “Mr. Speaker, today belongs to the family members of the attacks of September 11 who have worked tirelessly to see these…”

“Mr. Speaker, today belongs to the family members of the attacks of September 11 who have worked tirelessly to see these recommendations enacted. They spent today in Congress in meetings in support of this legislation. The 9/11 Commission gave us a blueprint for better security which was not meant to be on a shelf gathering dust. With this legislation, Congress accomplishes more for security in less than a week than it previously could accomplish in more than 2 years. Homeland security is a high priority of the first 100 hours agenda, and it includes many important and commonsense provisions. It requires Homeland Security grants to be based on risk, not politics. And the radios that did not work on 9/11 still do not work, and they did not work at Katrina. It establishes a grant program specifically for communications equipment for first responders. It establishes an independent privacy and civil liberties board with subpoena power, and it includes the prevention and helps to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. The bill expands the U.S. diplomatic outreach in the Middle East. In short, the bill will make our citizens and our country safer.”