On the recordJuly 20, 2010
I am very excited about handheld detectors for the Department of Homeland Security to do rapid detection of biological threats at ports and airports and the dual-use terrorist risks of synthetic genomics. I think it is also important that we have enhancements to unmanned aerial surveillance technology for safe and effective deployment for border and maritime missions. We had a hearing on this just recently. Many of us questioned the safety or the results-oriented work of that unmanned aerial surveillance being used at the border. We need to have those results, and I believe that this legislation will help us do so. So this is a great step forward, in addition to the authorization of $20 million for the Securing the Cities program for fiscal year 2011 and directs DNDO, in fiscal year 2012, to add at least two new cities, based on risk, to this radiation detection program in operation in New York City. We all know that the threat of nuclear attacks as a homeland security threat is evident, and radiation detection is crucial for us to be sure that we have a number of elements to assess the potential of that kind of threat.
