Congresswoman DeLauro believes that our national response to threat of terrorism must include our local communities and she is glad that the Homeland Security Office is coordinating this effort. She has met with the emergency response team in New Haven, and will continue to work with other leaders in the community to keep our families and our loved ones safe.

As you can appreciate, we face new threats; and, therefore, we need new defenses for our country. Our priority must be greater security for our people. This will require enhanced intelligence and law enforcement. But we must always be vigilant about our individual freedoms. Congresswoman DeLauro will work to strike the right balance in meeting this unwanted challenge. We will defend our country; and while we do so, we will not sacrifice the freedoms that make our land unique.

Equipping Connecticut's First Responders

First responders – police officers, fire fighters, and emergency medical personnel – put their lives on the line to protect our communities every day.  And since September 11 th , they have added a new duty to their many responsibilities – fighting terrorism, and preparing to respond in the event of a terrorist attack.

Unfortunately, federal funding has not kept up with these added responsibilities, and in 2004, the President's budget cut the funding for first responders in half.  A non-partisan report by the Council on Foreign Relations identified $98 billion in first responder needs, but the federal government had provided less than $14.5 billion of that amount.  One result of this – only 13% of fire departments can effectively respond to a hazmat incident.

Congresswoman DeLauro has been working hard to increase funding for our first responders and keep our communities safe.  In 2004, she obtained funding for the Woodbridge and Shelton Police Departments to upgrade their communications equipment and purchase much-needed protective equipment.  She supports the CONNECT First Responders Act, which would provide $5 billion to improve communications for police and fire departments. 

DeLauro supports Connecticut's Defense Industry

Strong homeland security also means maintaining a strong national defense.  Congresswoman DeLauro is proud of the role that Connecticut plays in our national defense, making the best equipment in the world.  The 2005 Defense Appropriations bill delivered billions of dollars to Connecticut to help our businesses make the tools that our soldiers rely on.  The bill includes funding for 59 Black Hawk helicopters to be made by Sikorsky in Stratford, and $35 million in Air Force engine work for the Pratt and Whitney plant in Middletown.  Pratt is also providing engines for 24 new F-22 aircraft.

Securing Our Public Transportation

Congresswoman DeLauro remains deeply concerned about transit security.  She does not believe that the Transportation Security Administration is doing enough to ensure that our rails are as safe as our skies.  That's a big problem for those of us whose main mode of inter-city travel is the Northeast Corridor. 

Transit agencies and commuter railroads are faced with continually increasing demand, which is putting tremendous strain on rolling stock and other capital.  At the asme time, the federal government is not adequately funding rail security needs, resulting in a great strain on capacity and security.

The challenges facing transit security (including subways and buses) are exacerbated by passenger expectations.  Unlike the nation's aviation system, where individuals and baggage must pass through extensive security screening before entering “sterile” areas, public transit is designated to be easily accessible and therefore much harder to secure.  But that does not mean that we cannot take certain steps to reduce the likelihood of a successful attack on our rail system.

Congresswoman DeLauro is a cosponsor of legislation that would authorize $640 million in spending for security upgrades in the rail tunnels into and out of New York City, as well as upgrades on the Northeast Corridor.  The bill would also create networks of information-sharing among rail security managers to create and maintain “best practices to improve rail security.”