Political Quotes

“As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 4289, the ``Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act,'' which will help ensure the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) achieves cross- component interoperability. This bill implements several recommendations contained in a 2012 report of the DHS Inspector General on the status and quality of interoperable radio communications. A major finding of the report is that DHS has spent over $430 million in the past 9 years for communication purposes but it still does not ``have interoperable communications for daily operations, planned events, and emergencies.'' The IG report also found that 99% (478 out of 479) of radio users surveyed could not find the DHS common channel because the components did not ``effectively inform them'' of the correct channel. That is why it is important that we vote today to implement the following specific recommendations from the report: 1. Create a structure with the necessary authority to ensure that the components achieve interoperability. 2. Create a structure with the necessary authority to ensure that the components achieve interoperability. Because the mission of DHS is to ensure that our homeland is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards, effective communication within the organization is crucial.…”