Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation Hearing re: Nuclear Terrorism Prevention: Status Report on the Federal Government’s Assessment of New Radiation Detection Monitors
WASHINGTON, DC,
Sep 18, 2007 -
Thank you Mr. Chairman, and I'd like to thank the witnesses for coming before our Subcommittee today.
This is the fifth hearing held by the Committee on Energy and Commerce since 2002 aimed at how our country combats nuclear smuggling. Admittedly I haven’t been here for all of them, but as a legislator, no matter how effective you are, this is one of those very frustrating issues. Here we are--still talking about what can and cannot come through our borders; and how effective the people who work there are; and drawing up schematics that show how our security is failing at our ports and border stations. Not only is it frightening that we are still talking about it five years later but it's frightening that we are still advertising our security flaws, here, publicly.
Mr. Chairman, it is unfortunate that we're probably not going to talk about drug trafficking or illegal immigration and human trafficking or the myriad of other issues that the American public is urging congress to talk about here. Instead we are going to pull in agency workers away from their posts and throw flags for process fouls and talk about the inadequacy of tests and the problems with primary and secondary testing and the radiological properties of kitty litter and bananas. We are going to talk about the appropriations process and about what passes the threshold of "significant increase in operational effectiveness."
Of course I am concerned about nuclear materials coming over our borders. Of course I am concerned that the taxes paid by the people go to programs that are the most effective at deterring nuclear smuggling. Of course I cringe at a $1.2 billion dollar price tag--and question the source. But, I don’t see how parading a flawed program in front of the people here today is going to improve our border security and ultimately our national security. I hope to hear some concrete recommendations on where we can take this program and secure our borders, at least from this one terrible threat.
With that Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
