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	Press Releases June 17, 2005   LIEBERMAN PROTESTS FRAGMENTATION, DUPLICATION OF HOMELAND SECURITY SCIENCE AND TECH AUTHORITY   WASHINGTON – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., says the Administration’s plans for critical research and development of nuclear and radiological detection technology duplicates similar research already underway and could delay the nation’s ability to respond to nuclear and radiological threats. In a letter to DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff, Lieberman argues that the location of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office in the office of the Secretary of the Homeland Security Department fragments federal efforts to research and develop effective technology, creates a number of ambiguities, and has the potential to foster unintended consequences. “Doing everything possible to deter and detect the threat of a nuclear or radiological terrorist attack is of extraordinary importance,” Lieberman writes in the letter. But, he adds, “I fear the Administration’s proposal falls far short… by failing to build on the assets we have, duplicating infrastructure, and taking a stove-piped approach to research and development. I’m concerned that the DNDO would not tackle the problem but instead risk slowing down our ability to address this threat.” The Department’s Science and Technology Directorate was created as a unified R&D center with the statutory mission to coordinate, integrate, and harvest all forms of homeland security research and development on chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-explosives threats. It is already undertaking extensive radiological R&D. But the ability of the Directorate’s Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency – modeled on the highly successful agency at the Defense Department - to be the “primary driver” of homeland security research and development would be diminished by the DNDO, Lieberman says. “DNDO would undermine a critical part of the research, development, testing and evaluation structure for homeland security… which the Administration itself has strongly endorsed and promoted for the last three years,” Lieberman says in the letter. “The Administration has provided insufficient justification for a second research and development organization to coordinate, direct, and fund research and development related to radiological and nuclear detection and has not demonstrated that the existing offices of the S&T cannot continue to perform these tasks.” Creating a second bureaucracy will slow down progress not accelerate it, he said. Lieberman raises additional questions about how the DNDO would coordinate with the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate, as well as the new Director of National Intelligence, given new intelligence collection and analysis capabilities that would be given to DNDO.   ###   Printable Version   Related File(s) (pdf) Chertoff letter (686.9 KBs) « previous Press Release next Press Release »   1998 - 1999 - 2000 - 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - 2007 June 2005 Press Releases May   |  July   --   2004   |  2006     June 30 - COMMITTEE RELEASES WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE TO COLLINS-LIEBERMAN INTELLIGENCE REFORM OVERSIGHT LETTER   June 21 - BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS SAY IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS AMONG FIRST RESPONDERS IS KEY TO BETTER HOMELAND SECURITY   June 21 - LIEBERMAN WELCOMES THREE CONNECTICUT CHILDREN WITH JUVENILE DIABETES TO DC HEARING   June 17 current Press Release   June 17 - SENATORS COLLINS AND LIEBERMAN ANNOUNCE RECEIPT OF THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF BRAC DOCUMENTS   June 14 - COLLINS, LIEBERMAN: KEEP THE WAR ON TERROR ON TRACK   June 14 - MCCAIN, LIEBERMAN INTRODUCE SAVE LIVES ACT OF 2005   June 13 - PENTAGON PRODUCES ADDITIONAL BRAC DATA   June 12 - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RELEASES MORE BRAC-RELATED DOCUMENTS FOLLOWING SENATORS COLLINS, LIEBERMAN ISSUANCE OF SUBPOENA LAST WEEK   June 7 - SENATORS COLLINS AND LIEBERMAN ISSUE SUBPOENA FOR BASE CLOSURE DOCUMENTS   June 5 - SENATORS COLLINS AND LIEBERMAN REACT TO RELEASE OF SOME BRAC DOCUMENTS BY PENTAGON   June 2 - PRIVATIZATION OF AIR TRAFFIC SPECIALISTS JEOPARDIZES AVIATION SAFETY   June 1 - DoD RELEASED BRAC DATA INSUFFICIENT, ACCORDING TO SENATORS COLLINS AND LIEBERMAN
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