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Capitol Comment
by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
America Must Guard Against Complacency in Homeland Security
December 4, 2008
On November 26, the world’s largest democracy, India, fell victim to the senseless horrors of terrorism. Armed terrorists descended on Mumbai, a tourist hotspot and a hub of the Indian economy, with the goal of destroying innocent human life and crippling the nation’s economy. Focusing on “soft targets,” including luxury hotels, a popular café, transit stations, a Jewish cultural center, and even a hospital, the aggressors targeted Westerners and held siege over the city, brutally murdering nearly 200 innocent people, including six Americans. The attacks in India must remind us that terrorism has not been eradicated. And Islamic extremists’ disdain for liberty and democracy continues to motivate them to destroy those who cherish freedom.
America has not been attacked on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001. But the domestic security we have enjoyed has not merely been good fortune. According to a Washington D.C. think tank, we have prevented at least 19 planned attacks against the United States since 9/11. However, it is unrealistic to think that our homeland security efforts will thwart every violent plot against America. A bipartisan commission appointed by Congress to examine the greatest threats to our national security reported on December 3 that nuclear or biological weapons will likely be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by 2013. Therefore, if America is to remain safe, we must remain vigilant and guard against slipping into a state of complacency that will lure terrorists to attack us again.
First, we must enhance security along our borders and at our nation’s ports. Indian officials reported that many of the weapons used in the Mumbai attacks were smuggled in by sea months in advance. Texas boasts 28 seaports, and three of them are among the busiest in the country. Our ports must not become a gateway for terrorists. In 2006, I helped pass the SAFE Port Act, which authorizes random inspections of containers, establishes minimum standards and procedures for security containers in transit to the U.S., and implements an improved container targeting system. I also offered legislation to add hundreds more Customs and Border Protection officers to inspect incoming shipments. These efforts have helped keep our coast secure.
Next, Congress must work to support a robust defense budget. Over the past several years the Senate has been able to pass supplemental funding along with regular defense spending bills. This funding has kept our troops equipped on the battlefield and has enabled our military to fight terrorism abroad. As we transition into the next administration, we must make sure that our defense remains strong enough to win the War on Terror. It is also important that Congress support modernization and capitalization projects to outfit our military forces with the resources and equipment to meet the challenges of next generation terrorists. And finally, we must honor those who have served in our military by assuring veterans’ health care and G.I. benefits.
Finally, we must continue to fight terrorism abroad by identifying security threats before they result in attacks on our homeland. Our defense and intelligence agencies must continue to work together and with allied nations, such as India and Pakistan, to track and disrupt terrorists’ plots. In order to do this, U.S. officials must have the means to gather information on our enemies. The modern and relevant tools established under the Patriot Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Amendments Act of 2008 must be maintained and enforced in the next administration.
On December 1, the world was watching as President-elect Barack Obama unveiled his national security team. In particular, Mr. Obama’s decision to keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates in his cabinet and to name General James Jones National Security Advisor puts our allies and adversaries on notice that vigilance will continue to guide our national security policy. It is critical that the next administration and Congress work together to avoid complacency, and we must remain committed to the defeat of global terrorism.
Kay Bailey Hutchison is the senior U.S. Senator from Texas.
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