Congressman Pete King

Homeland Security

Islamic terrorism is the most diabolical threat facing our nation today. No American ever wants to relive the attacks of September 11th. This is particularly true on Long Island where hundreds of our friends and neighbors were murdered on that horrific day. As Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee and as a Member of the Intelligence Committee, I know that the New York–Long Island region remains the number one terrorist target in the country.

As Committee Chairman I have conducted a series of hearings on the extent of radicalization in the Muslim-American Community. We must move beyond political correctness and address the root causes of how and why certain individuals are being radicalized here in the United States and participating in terrorist attacks against Americans. On March 10, 2011, I held the first of these hearings that focused on the extent of radicalization in the Muslim-American Community and that community’s response. At the hearing we heard from two individuals whose relatives became radicalized and were encouraged to commit jihad. We also heard from noted Islamic expert Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, the Founder and President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. This hearing was followed by three subsequent ones dealing with the threat of Muslim-American Radicalization in U.S. Prisons (June 15, 2011), Recruitment and Radicalization within the Muslim-American Community by Al-Shabaab (July 27, 2011), and a joint-hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee regarding the threat to military communities inside the United States as well as the threat from radicalized Muslims within our military (December 7, 2011). While I received much criticism from special interests and their allies in the media for conducting these hearings, I stood by them because I knew they were the right thing to do to publicize and discuss this grave threat to Americans. That is why I have held additional hearings this year on the Hezbollah threat in the U.S. (March 21, 2012) and the response of Muslim Americans to the radicalization hearings (June 20, 2012). The outstanding witnesses at the June 20 hearing were Dr. Jasser, Asra Nomani and Dr. Qanta Ahmed.

The war against Islamic terrorism must be fought in many ways and we must do all we can to stay ahead of our enemy. That is why I have strongly supported the PATRIOT Act and the right of our government to intercept terrorist phone calls being made into the United States from overseas. As Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I have worked hard to pass legislation securing our ports, our chemical plants, and our airports. I have also reached across the aisle to pass legislation protecting our rail and transportation systems.

I am also proud to have authored the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act (H.R. 3116) and passed it through the committee. This important legislation gives DHS the tools and guidance it needs to carry out key functions and to fulfill its responsibilities. It will also:

• Allocate the D-Block communications spectrum to public safety for the development of a national interoperable public safety wireless broadband network (This has been signed into law;
• Provide that any person who, in good faith, reports suspected terrorist activity to law enforcement cannot be sued for making that report (See Something, Say Something);
• Require an updated reexamination of the conclusions and recommendations of the 9/11 Commission to determine how the ideology and forces that attacked the U.S. homeland on 9/11 have evolved over the last decade and whether our homeland security approach has adequately adapted to that change;
• Strengthen border security by requiring a strategy for gaining operational control of the border; requiring interdepartmental and interagency consultation of border security technology; and allowing for the Border Patrol to have regular access to federal borderlands;
• Improve U.S. efforts to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) attack in the United States

Finally, I have also continued my efforts to ensure that New York City and Long Island receive the Homeland Security funding needed to protect among other things our subway and commuter lines, and our ports and highways. I am particularly concerned that the next terrorist attack against New York City will be launched from the suburbs such as those in London and Madrid. That is why New York’s Securing the Cities (STC) Initiative, which would establish radiation detectors throughout the region, is so vital. While it was wrong for the Obama Administration to eliminate funding for this program in its first two years (I had to fight to make sure STC received funding), I am pleased to report that money for this region was included in the President’s last two budgets for this program. In addition, I have also previously sponsored legislation which would implement a unified strategy and provide the technology for defending New York City, Long Island, and the surrounding areas against radiological and nuclear threats. This legislation (H.R. 2611) passed the House on January 20, 2010.