Lieberman
Criticizes the Inflexibility of the White House
Homeland Security Proposal
President’s
Legislation Marginalizes the Role of
Science and Technology
September 19, 2002
WASHINGTON -
Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, D-Conn.,
is cautioning that President Bush’s Homeland Security
legislation would give short thrift to the role of science and
technology in fighting terrorism, effectively restricting one
of the most valuable tools at the country’s disposal.
Lieberman’s
proposal, S. 2452, which is now being debated on the Senate
floor, engages the community in the defense of the homeland to
a far greater extent than President Bush’s proposal by
reaching out to marshal and coordinate the nation’s
unparalleled scientific and technological resources to develop
new homeland security capabilities.
"The defense of
our home soil is dependent upon the research, development, and
deployment of new technologies," Lieberman said. "My
bill, in contrast to the Administration’s proposal, is
committed to that fact."
The Senate bill, for
example, creates a Security Advanced Research Projects Agency
(SARPA), which would administer a $200 million fund to support
basic and applied research and development at entities within
or outside the federal government. The bill also:
Establishes a
National Emergency Technology Guard consisting of teams of
non-governmental volunteers to assist local communities in
responding to emergencies requiring specialized science
and technology capabilities
Establishes a
Science and Technology Council consisting of
representatives from other federal agencies, and provides
authority to form an Advisory Panel of representatives
from industry and academia.
Creates an Office
for Technology Evaluation and Assessment, which will act
as a clearinghouse and point-of-contact for proposals
regarding technologies relevant to homeland security.
Lieberman’s
legislation contrasts sharply with the White House proposal,
which articulates no coherent framework or mission statement.
The broader science, technology and R&D functions of the
Department of Homeland Security would be secondary priorities
within the Department, and entities outside the new
Department, including other government agencies, private
sector firms, universities, and research institutions, would
find themselves largely excluded from the homeland security
effort.
Unlike the Lieberman
proposal, the President’s bill contains no flexible funding
mechanism, or even any additional funds, to support research
and development in other agencies, in the private sector, or
in the universities. It contains no mechanism to harness the
expertise in all of the DOE national laboratories or sites,
and no forum through which the private sector or academia may
provide input or guidance on S&T-related issues. |