Sheila Jackson Lee: “Again, I thank the distinguished gentleman, and I also thank the chairman of the full committee, the ranking member of…”

“Again, I thank the distinguished gentleman, and I also thank the chairman of the full committee, the ranking member of the full committee, and the subcommittee chairs as well. I serve on the Homeland Security Committee, and I am constantly aware of the overlapping duties and responsibilities, Mr. Chairman, of the United States military, which has its confinement in certain areas, but also working to secure the homeland. The Jackson Lee amendment No. 64 in en bloc amendment No. 4 makes an important contribution to the bill by improving the effectiveness of U.S. Northern Command, or NORTHCOM, in fulfilling its critical mission of protecting the U.S. homeland in the event of war and to provide support to local, State, and Federal authorities in times of national emergency. Specifically, here is what my amendment does. It develops and has in place a leadership strategy that will strengthen and foster necessary institutional and interpersonal relationships with State and local governments. The backbone of securing the homeland is engaging State and local governments. Also, to develop an instructional program to train key personnel how to lead effectively in the event of a disaster when they do not have command authority to dictate actions. {time} 1830 In addition, NORTHCOM, which was established in 2002 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, is to bring the capabilities and the resources of the U.S.…”