Senator Jay Rockefeller

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

June 2, 2011

Thank you, President Kopp. Thanks also to Marshall for hosting us and to everyone with the state and federal government who helped bring this important summit together.

This is West Virginia’s fourth Homeland Security Summit since that quiet September morning ten years ago was shattered by a terrorist sneak attack.

As first responders, you understand better than most the many ways that the events of 9/11 changed us. It changed the way we see the rest of the world, it changed our routines and changed the way we think about homeland security.

All Americans were affected in some way – including in West Virginia – and we still are. We are compelled to do more, to give of ourselves and just maybe to be a little more alert to the world around us.

That’s where all of you come in, and that’s why we are here today: to talk about progress, learn a little and look ahead to the challenges we still face.

A lack of manpower. Lack of money. Old equipment or training needs that go unmet.

Many of you are being asked to do more with less, whether it’s first responders rushing to respond to a flood or a traffic accident, or the National Guard or Coast Guard tasked with emergency response, and everyone in between: You all have stepped up to the mission.

And for that, we honor and thank all of you.

It’s the government’s job to step up as well. And we are.

We improved ties between the federal, state and local levels. That’s the point that Secretary Napolitano made last night.

Another way to help you do your job is with better communications – which anyone defending the homeland will tell you is the life blood of their work. So I want to tell you about a revolutionary step we are about to take on that front that will change things for all of us.

We learned after 9/11, that many firefighters, police officers and other first responders couldn’t talk with one another on a reliable, unified radio network. Many of the men who went in had no idea what was happening in the towers, even as they pressed forward to try and save lives.

We’ve seen the same thing play out around the country this spring, as responses to tornadoes and floods are hampered by poor communication. And at Upper Big Branch mine a year ago – we essentially had no working communication.

That’s where my legislation is going to make things better. My plan involves taking an underused stretch of the airwaves and auctioning them to pay for dedicating a block for public safety.  And because those airwaves belong to the public, we can do it without any cost to taxpayers.

This is how it will work: the companies that hold the licenses but are not using all the spectrum now will give it back to the federal government on a completely voluntary basis. To encourage the give-back, they will get a small portion of the proceeds from the sale of these licenses.  

The sale also will pay for building the public safety network.  And it will raise $10 billion or more for reducing the deficit.

This nationwide network will help public safety workers from coast to coast, in small towns and major cities. It will save lives, improve response time and open up a whole new world of possibilities for the men and women who wear uniforms and put their lives on the line.

Once this plan is up and running, imagine the possibilities:

• Firefighters will be able to download detailed floor plans before rushing into burning buildings. 
• EMTs will be able to send pictures from an accident scene to doctors in the emergency room.
• And police will be able to get detailed information on a suspect before they even approach a dangerous situation.

My plan has support from the White House, from mayors and governors around the country, and most importantly from organizations that represent firefighters and other public safety professionals nationally.

My goal is to make this plan a reality by September, the 10^th anniversary of 9-11. And I hope you will help us get there.

Beyond communications, we have challenges on many fronts, and one big one centers on efforts by some in Congress to cut off essential funds to local and state governments.

The House Republicans’ budget ignores critical needs, cuts funding for firefighters, police officers, and EMS workers, and is a step back on public safety.

I continue to fight for targeted cuts in federal spending and elimination of waste and fraud, while also trying to end excessive tax cuts for millionaires and wealthy corporations.  But I strongly oppose reckless cuts to our infrastructure or safety

We’re in the process of negotiating a FAA bill that will make aviation safer by closing some of our security gaps. And we know terrorists have recently targeted our rail network.  I think rail security is among our next big challenges and I’m pushing for Congress and the industry to get focused on that together.

Lastly, one rapidly growing area of threats hinges on our dependence on the cyber world – the system that powers our cell phones, computers and other electronic devices.

The Directors of National Intelligence under both President Obama and President Bush have said that cyber attacks are our single greatest national security threat.  But outside of this room very few people know about this threat, and even fewer are doing something about it. 

How does cyber security affect us?

In a recent two-year period (between 2007 and 2009), 71 government agencies and organizations that work with the U.S. military were successfully penetrated by foreign hackers.  Every year hackers steal enough data from U.S. government agencies to fill the Library of Congress many times over. 

And well beyond the military and the government, organized crime and terror organizations want to hack the private sector, too. 

Advanced computer technology has given us a high standard of living in the United States, but everything we do depends on it – banking, the electrical grid, air traffic control, hydroelectric dams, food production, chemical and nuclear plants, and on and on.

The economic impact from computer attacks in the United States is already reaching tens of billions of dollars each year, and may approach $1 trillion globally.

It’s an extremely serious situation, with enormous consequences. 

I have been working on a bipartisan basis with my colleagues in Congress and the White House on legislation to address these vulnerabilities and get the public and private sectors working together urgently to build the protections we need.  My bill creates a framework so the government and private sector can coordinate and communicate seamlessly before, during, and after an attack. 

And with regard to cost – the government must and will pay its share and support the nationwide security effort, but the private sector has to step up, too.  Like it or not, cyber security operations must become a regular cost of doing business if we are to protect our economy and way of life.

The bottom line, as I see it from my place as Chairman of the Commerce Committee, and a long-standing member of the Select Intelligence Committee, is this: we closed one chapter with the killing of Osama bin Laden this spring; but our enemies are nimble and creative and will try again and again.

It’s our responsibility to be prepared for anything. Overseas our troops and intelligence professionals stand ready. Here at home you all stand ready.  But we can only be successful if we continue to work together, make security the top priority it should be, and use superior training and technology to our advantage.  Thank you.