Posted on 08/02/2004 1:26:58 PM PDT by rwfromkansas
Policy Memo: Progress On Homeland Security
MEMORANDUM FROM: BC'04 POLICY DEPARTMENT
WHAT KERRY PROPOSES... BUSH HAS DONE
John Kerry is so out of touch with the homeland security picture in the United States that he doesn't realize that virtually all of his homeland security proposals are already being implemented right now by President Bush.
As part of his "Plan to Make America Stronger and Safer," John Kerry sets forth six initiatives that he claims he would pursue if he was elected President.
Kerry's six initiatives cover 17 separate homeland security issues, and break down into 33 discrete proposals. Of Kerry's 33 homeland security proposals, 31 are already being implemented by President Bush.
(All citations herein to Kerry's homeland security proposals are taken verbatim from http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/homeland/plan.html, visited 5/27/04)
List of the 31 Kerry "Proposals" the President is Already Implementing
1) Train the National Guard to serve as personnel in the event of an attack, performing quarantines, evacuations, etc.
2) Make homeland security a central mission of the National Guard.
3) Substantially increase the size of AmeriCorp. (Kerry originally said he would double AmeriCorp, but has backed away from that promise)
4) Expand AmeriCorp's mission to include homeland security.
5) Create a civil defense program.
6) Harness the resources of the scientific community to aid in the War on Terror.
7) Fund the backlog of requests for protective gear for first responders.
8) Ensure that federal resources get to first responders quickly instead of trickling through bureaucracy.
9) Give COPS enough funds to realize its initial mission of 100,000 new police officers.
10) Develop common security standards for metropolitan areas.
11) Provide resources for the implementation of metropolitan security plans.
12) Provide funds to develop communication technologies for first responders.
13) Work with the FCC to ensure that first responders have access to the best wavelengths.
14) Give state and local governments access to the terrorist watch lists.
15) Simplify and coordinate the terrorist watch lists.
16) Foster the establishment of state emergency operation centers.
17) Encourage states to modernize their ID systems, including driver's licenses.
18) Strengthen anti-counterfeiting safeguards for identification.
19) Improve information-sharing between states related to ID fraud.
20) Investigate phony ID traffickers.
21) Use modern technology to monitor health trends and provide real-time reporting of disease outbreaks.
22) Pool patient and pharmacy usage data from across the country to alert public health officials of potential disease outbreaks.
23) Prepare health providers and hospitals for patient surges in case of terrorist attacks.
24) Develop antidotes and vaccines to protect the population from bioterrorism.
25) Develop standards for ports and for container loading facilities.
26) Develop technologically transparent containers.
27) Employ technology to improve accuracy and timing for transmitting container shipment data.
28) Accelerate the timetable for the "smart border" accords.
29) Implement security measures at cross-border bridges and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.
30) Develop safety standards for critical infrastructure, including chemical plants.
31) Help owners of vulnerable industrial facilities find economical ways to improve security.
John Kerry has proposed what he calls a national "Defend America" initiative. It's a four-point plan... every single point of which has already been implemented by President Bush.
I. Kerry's Supposed National Guard Proposal:
"Homeland security should be a central mission of the National Guard. Guard members should be trained to serve as personnel in the event of an attack, helping evacuate or quarantine people, assisting in medical units; and helping communities set up and execute plans."
But President Bush Has Already Enlisted the National Guard:
President Bush federalized many National Guard units in the wake of September 11th to provide additional airport security, fly air patrols, and protect critical infrastructure. National Guard units are under the jurisdiction of state Governors during peacetime, and can be federalized only in time of emergency. [SOURCES: http://appropriations.senate.gov/releases/record.cfm?id=182288; http://www.ngaus.org/newsroom/libertyshield31903.asp]
Since 9/11 National Guard troops have been used, for example, to secure nuclear facilities in Arizona and Pennsylvania. [SOURCES: http://www.kold.com/global/story.asp?s=1289768&ClientType=Printable; http://www.pema.state.pa.us/pema/cwp/view.asp?A=7&Q=251737&pemaNav=|4715|4749|4752|4016|]
More than 23,000 members of the Army and Air National Guards have been called into federal service to provide homeland security as part of Operations Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle. [SOURCE: http://appropriations.senate.gov/releases/record.cfm?id=182288]
The President has also called for the deployment of National Guard troops as part of Operation Liberty Shield to defend critical bridges and railways across the nation. [SOURCE: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0115.xml] And National Guard Units Have Long Received the Training Advocated by Kerry:
The federal government prescribes a variety of training regimens for National Guard units. National Guard units are regularly trained to assist with evacuations and quarantines. Many units receive training in medical assistance, for example through the New Horizons training program. The National Guard also employs a number of "Civil Support Teams" that are trained in all of these functions. [SOURCE: http://www.arng.ngb.army.mil/about_us/aiding_america.asp; http://www.sgaus.org/BrinkChange.htm; http://www.arng.ngb.army.mil/news/news_view.asp?nav_link_id=12&news_id=263; http://www.reswritingservices.com/y2k.html] II. Kerry's Supposed AmeriCorps Proposal:
"John Kerry believes that AmeriCorps should be doubled and its mission expanded to include homeland security. AmeriCorps members could be trained to help in emergency medical response, community planning, and other homeland security activities."
But Kerry Has Already Acknowledged He Will Scale Back This Promise:
At the beginning of April, Kerry stated that budget realities would force him to scale back his proposed national service program. [SOURCE: http://www.iht.com/articles/513761.html] Meanwhile, President Bush Has Already Called For Substantially Increasing AmeriCorps:
In his 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush called for a 50% in the size of AmeriCorps to 75,000 volunteers. President Bush has already substantially increased AmeriCorps funding levels over funding levels in FY 2003, and the FY 2005 budget would achieve the President's goal of supporting 75,000 AmeriCorps members. [SOURCES: http://www.cns.gov/news/nsn/151.html; http://www.collegiatetimes.com/linkedFiles/pdfarchive/092503.pdf; http://www.nationalservice.org/news/pr/020204.html] And President Bush Has Also Already Expanded AmeriCorps to Include Homeland Security:
AmeriCorps launched a homeland security grant program in July of 2002, awarding $10.3 million in competitive grants to 43 non-profit and public organizations in 26 states and the District of Columbia. "President Bush asked AmeriCorps and Senior Corps to devote more resources to homeland security, and the Corporation was the first federal agency to distribute grants after the 9-11 attacks to engage volunteers in homeland security." [SOURCE: http://www.nationalservice.org/news/pr/021604.html] III. Kerry's Supposed "Community Defense Service" Proposal:
"This service would be comprised of hundreds of thousands of Americans in neighborhoods all over the country. Volunteer Service Captains would receive training and education to assist their communities in the event of an attack Like the Civil Defense Program that existed during World War II, service captains would act as a 21st century Neighborhood Watch. They would be trained to help identify local health professionals and experts in the area, provide information on local evacuation or quarantine plans, and stand ready to be of assistance to first defenders in the hours after an attack -- providing needed manpower to deal with the aftermath."
But President Bush Has Already Done This... It's Called "Citizen Corps"
President Bush established Citizen Corps in 2002. Citizen Corps harnesses community resources through the creation of local Citizen Corps Councils that formulate emergency preparedness plans for responding to disasters such as terrorist attacks. Training materials, technical assistance, and other coordination are provided to local communities by the federal government. More than 1,100 local Citizen Corps Councils are already up and running. [SOURCE: http://www.citizencorps.gov/pdf/council.pdf; http://www.citizencorps.gov/councils/] IV. Kerry's Supposed Private Sector Technology Partnership Proposal:
"During World War II, the U.S. government brought together our greatest thinkers, scientists, academics and policymakers through the Manhattan Project to design new tools for warfare. John Kerry believes we need a similar effort to bring the advances of the 21st century to the War on Terrorism. This should include: gathering the nation's greatest scientists to develop needed vaccines and antidotes to the biological and chemical scourges (similar to the work that is already being done to protect troops on the battlefield from biological and chemical agents); partnering with the technology community to improve detection technologies and developing and implementing new security systems to prevent tampering with goods in transit."
But Kerry's Proposal Is Taken Straight From President Bush's Speeches, Right Down to the Reference to World War II:
"The Department of Homeland Security will be charged with four primary tasks.... It will bring together our best scientists to develop technologies that detect biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, and to discover the drugs and treatments to best protect our citizens." [SOURCE: President's Speech on the Creation of the Department of Homeland Security, 7/7/02, available at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2031255.stm]
"[T]o prevail in this war, we will fight on the frontiers of knowledge and discovery.... Our scientific community is serving on the front lines of this war, by developing new technologies that will make America safer.... For example, I saw a warning and response system that will supply first responders with timely and life saving information in the event of a chemical attack on a subway or any other enclosed space.... What I saw was new technologies that our scientists are developing to help us secure the homeland. America is grateful -- it's grateful for your work." [SOURCE: President's Speech at Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, 7/22/02, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/07/20020722-1.html (emphasis added)]
"You're on the cutting edge, and you've got a great history, as well. It is a direct decedent of the University of Chicago laboratory, where in 1942 Enrico Fermi and his colleagues achieved the world's first controlled nuclear chain reaction." [SOURCE: President's Speech at Argonne National Laboratory, Illinois, 7/22/02, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/07/20020722-1.html (emphasis added)] And President Bush Has Already Harnessed the Resources of the Scientific Community:
President Bush established Project BioShield in 2003, a federal initiative to develop and stockpile vaccines and treatments against agents like small pox, anthrax, botulinum toxin, e-bola and plague. [SOURCE: http://usembassy.state.gov/posts/in1/wwwhpr0204g.html]
Researchers in Chicago and at MIT have been enlisted to participate in Project BioWatch, where they develop new technologies to detect the release of biological or chemical attacks. [SOURCE: http://homelandsecurity.osu.edu/focusareas/sensors.html]
The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate established the Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), also known as "the Department's first government 'think tank,'" in April of 2004. [SOURCE: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=3507] John Kerry has proposed what he calls a "new" first responders initiative. It's a four-point plan... three points of which have already been implemented by President Bush.
I. Kerry's Supposedly "New" First Responder Equipment Plan
"First defenders often don't have the protective gear or other emergency response equipment to help react in the critical first hours after an attack. The government should immediately fund the backlog of requests for protective gear, assuring that these resources go directly to responders, rather than trickling through the bureaucracy."
But President Bush Has Already Provided Unprecedented Levels of Funding for Equipment, Including Protective Gear, for First Responders:
In 2001, the Department of Justice announced that the State Domestic Preparedness program would "[provide] a combined total of $145.3 million to the States using a single solicitation to cover both Fiscal Year 2000 and 2001 funding allocations." President Clinton's last two budgets allocated an average of only $74 million in funding per year.
The 2002 budget allocation to the program – President Bush's first – was $315 million. That is more than four times the funding level from Clinton's last two budgets.
In 2003, President Bush allocated over $2 billion to the program "to address the unique equipment, training, planning and exercise needs of state and local emergency responders." That is more than 26 times the funding level from Clinton's last two budgets, a 2,600% increase in funding. [SOURCE FOR ALL OF ABOVE: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/guidelinesinfo.htm] And President Bush Has Already Taken Steps to Cut Red Tape and Speed Funds into the Hands of First Responders:
In 2003 President Bush signed into law a requirement that the Office of Domestic Preparedness act on grant applications for first responder funds within 15 days of receipt, and that states must obligate the funds to local governments "within 60 days after the grant award." [SOURCE: 108 P.L. 90, Title III]
DHS has formed a Homeland Security Funding Task Force and assigned it the mission of cutting through red tape at the State level so that funds can be gotten into the hands of First Responders. [SOURCE: http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/News_Releases/2004/0315.html]
The federal government is doing its part. James Garner, president of the Conference of Mayors, stated that the federal government has sent homeland security money to the states "by Federal Express," but that the states have sent the money to the cities by "pony express." [SOURCE: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04023/264741.stm]
Given the number of cities eligible for funds, it would substantially slow the federal process down for DHS to attempt to allocate money directly to each individual municipality. II. Kerry's Supposedly "New" Proposal to End the Cop Crunch:
"President Bush made this problem even worse by cutting the Federal COPs program. As a result, police officers receive fewer resources to double up on duty, doing their normal responsibilities as well as focusing on homeland security. Americans shouldn't have to face rising crime in their communities to fight the war on terrorism. John Kerry believes we should restore funding to COPS to realize its initial mission of 100,000 new police officers."
But President Bush Has Already Met and Exceeded the 100,000 Officer Goal:
When President Clinton created the Office of Community Policing Services, he pledged to put 100,000 new law enforcement officers on the street. In March of 2004, the Department of Justice announced that it had far exceeded this goal, providing grants for the hiring of over 118,000 new law enforcement officers. [SOURCE: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=1056] And President Bush Has Not Eliminated the COPS Program:
President Bush has called for allocating more than $97 million to the COPS Program in FY 2005. While this is less money than was allocated expressly to COPS in FY 2004, that is because many elements of the Program – such as matching grants for bullet-proof vests, and the entire hiring component of the Program – have been folded for efficiency reasons into general Justice Assistance funds.
The President has called for $508 million to be allocated to the Justice Assistance Grants Program in FY 2005. Most of those funds can be spent flexibly, including for the hiring of additional law enforcement officers. IV. Kerry's Supposedly "New" Proposal To Develop Metropolitan Security Plans
"There are currently no common standards for what basic capabilities every major metropolitan area should have to respond to chemical, biological, and other catastrophic terrorist attacks. Kerry believes the Department of Homeland Security should work with representatives of federal, state, county and local governments; representative of health providers and first responders, and rank and file members to develop appropriate standards for preparedness in our cities and provide resources so communities can meet these goals."
But President Bush Already Requires States and Localities to Develop Homeland Security Plans:
To receive federal grant money through the State Homeland Security Program, each state is required to submit a "State Homeland Security Strategy" plan to the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Domestic Preparedness. State plans must be coordinated with metropolitan and local governments, and states cannot receive grant money until their plans are approved. [SOURCE: Homeland Security Grant Program Application, available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/fy04hsgp_appkit.pdf]
Metropolitan areas wishing to receive grants under the Urban Area Security Initiative are similarly required to develop Urban Area Homeland Security Strategies. [SOURCE: UASI Grant Application, available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/docs/fy04uasi.pdf] And President Bush Has Already Issued National Standards:
In February of 2003, President Bush issued Presidential Directive HSPD-5, requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop "a consistent nationwide approach for Federal, State, and local governments to work effectively and efficiently together to prepare for, respond to, and recover from domestic incidents." DHS issued an Initial National Response Plan in October of 2003, and issued National Incident Management System (NIMS) standards in March of 2004, which provide "the Nation's first standardized management plan that creates a unified structure for Federal, state, and local lines of government for incident response." [SOURCES: HSDP-5 at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030228-9.html; NIMS at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=3259]
"[B]eginning in FY 2005, adoption of the NIMS [by the states] will be a requirement for receipt of grant funds from ODP." [SOURCE: Homeland Security Grant Program Application, available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/fy04hsgp_appkit.pdf] Moreover, President Bush Already Provides Resources for the Development of Such Plans:
Under the State Domestic Preparedness Program, certain grant funds were expressly allocated for planning activities. Under the State Homeland Security Program, grant funds can be used more flexibly, but continue to "support costs related to homeland security and emergency operations planning activities." [SOURCE: Homeland Security Grant Program Application, available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/fy04hsgp_appkit.pdf] John Kerry proposes "bringing 21st century information technology to the war on terror." It's a three-point plan... every single point of which has already been implemented by President Bush.
I. Kerry's Supposed Proposal to Bolster First-Responder Communications
"Existing technologies must be made available to firefighters, police officers, and other first responders to communicate in an attack. The nation should also invest in technologies that make this critical communication even easier. We also need to work with the FCC to assure first defenders have access to the best wavelengths so they can communicate in an emergency."
But President Bush Has Already Provided First Responders Funds to Purchase and Develop Interoperable Communications Equipment:
In September of 2003, President Bush distributed over $146 million in grants for interoperable communications systems to a variety of first responder groups through the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. The grant program "explore[s] uses of equipment and technologies to increase interoperability among the fire service, law enforcement, and emergency medical service communities." [SOURCES: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=961; http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0266.xml] And the FCC is already working to ensure that first responders are allocated radio wavelengths that are free of interference:
The FCC is presently actively evaluating the "Consensus Plan" for radio wavelengths, which is supported by a variety of first responder groups. FCC staff endorsed the plan in March of 2004, and the FCC announced on May 13 that it expects to complete rules that will solve the problem of interference with public service wavelengths within a month. [SOURCES: http://www.consensusplan.org/plugin/template/consensus/21/2693; Tit for Tat as Nextel, CTIA Clash on Rebanding, RCR Wireless News, May 17, 2004; http://www.consensusplan.org/plugin/template/consensus/21/3133] II. John Kerry's Supposed Proposal to Share Information with States & Locals
"Appropriate state and local authorities should immediately get access to the 58 national terrorist lists and intelligence officials should work to simplify these lists. Then, as recommended by the Hart-Rudman Commission, a 24-hour operations center should be established in each state to provide a real time intergovernmental link between local and federal law enforcement. Field-level police would contact this center to determine whether to hold or release suspects based on a check of federal databases."
But President Bush has already given states and locals access to the terrorist lists:
The Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) was created in September of 2003. It is fully staffed on a 24/7 basis, and can be contacted at any time by state, local, or federal law enforcement to access the Terrorist Screening Database and check apprehended individuals against it. "The process for making an internal inquiry is relatively simple. A police officer checks the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database on a routine traffic stop, and he/she is requested to call the TSC because the person stopped has similar identifying information to a known or suspected terrorist listed in the NCIC. When the officer calls TSC, through the police department's dispatch, the call center verifies the caller's identity, takes the information on the encounter ... and checks his name through the TSC's database." [SOURCE: Statement of Donna A. Bucella, Director, Terrorist Screening Center, Before the House Judiciary Committee, March 25, 2004, available at http://www.iwar.org.uk/homesec/resources/tsc-mar-25-04/Bucella.pdf]
In February of 2004, the Department of Homeland Security announced its plan to "deliver to states and major urban areas real-time interactive connectivity with the DHS Homeland Security Operations Center through the Joint Regional Information Exchange System (JRIES)." The Department explained that "this collaborative communications environment ... will allow all states and major urban areas to collect and disseminate information between federal, state, and local agencies involved in combating terrorism." [SOURCE: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=3212] And President Bush is already simplifying and consolidating the terrorist lists:
TSC completed the initial development of a Terrorist Screening Database in March of 2004, and will finish its consolidation of the terrorist watch lists by the end of 2004. [SOURCE: Statement of Donna A. Bucella, Director, Terrorist Screening Center, Before the House Judiciary Committee, March 25, 2004, available at http://www.iwar.org.uk/homesec/resources/tsc-mar-25-04/Bucella.pdf] Moreover, President Bush has already provided states and locals funds and guidance for the development of emergency operations centers:
In 2002 and 2003, President Bush distributed $81 million in grants for emergency operations centers. [SOURCE: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/press_release/press_release_0265.xml]
The establishment of Emergency Operations Centers is an essential element of DHS's new National Incident Management System, with which all states must comply to be eligible for grant money under the State Homeland Security Program in FY 2005. [SOURCES: http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/NIMS-90-web.pdf; http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/docs/fy04hsgp_appkit.pdf] III. John Kerry's Supposed Proposal to Cut Down on False Identification
"With better technology, we can replace ... 'big-net' tactics with smarter, more targeted efforts to identify real terrorism suspects. This includes encouraging states to modernize their driver's license and ID systems; strengthening anti-counterfeit safeguards; enabling different state motor vehicle departments to communicate about applicants using false information; and investigating phony identification traffickers."
But President Bush is already encouraging the states to modernize their ID systems:
In his July 2002 "National Strategy for Homeland Security," President Bush announced a "major initiative" to "support state-led efforts to develop suggested minimum standards for driver's licenses, recognizing that many states should and will exceed these standards." [SOURCE: http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/book/nat_strat_hls.pdf]
"The Secret Service has worked closely with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) to develop minimum and uniform standards for U.S. driver's licenses." [SOURCE: Hutchinson Testimony, September 9, 2003, available at http://www.aamva.org/documents/idssenatefinancecommitteetestimony090903_ahutchinson.pdf]
Since the President's National Strategy was announced, "[m]ost states have undertaken efforts to bolster security in the driver's licensing process." [SOURCES: http://www.aamva.org/Documents/idsProposalToDHSForJointStateDLIntegrityProject06242003.pdf; http://www.alec.org/meSWFiles/excell/DRIVERS%20LICENSE.xls] And President Bush has instituted numerous anti-counterfeit safeguards:
The Forensic Documentary Laboratory (FDL) at the Bureau of Immigration & Customs Enforcement is "a fully-accredited crime laboratory" the sole mission of which is "to detect and deter domestic and international travel and identity document fraud." "[T]he FDL has performed forensic document and fingerprint examinations for numerous state and local police agencies, Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and local prosecutors' offices. The FDL has also provided training in fraudulent document recognition to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), State and local police agencies, and DMVs." [SOURCES: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=44&content=1875&print=true; Hutchinson Testimony, September 9, 2003, available at http://www.aamva.org/documents/idssenatefinancecommitteetestimony090903_ahutchinson.pdf]
The Department of Homeland Security has implemented US-VISIT, which employs biometric data to verify and lock-in the identity of visa holders when they attempt to enter the United States, and has provided state-of-the-art training to Customs & Border Patrol Officers to aid them in detecting fraudulent documents. More than 60,000 fraudulent documents were intercepted at the United States' over 300 points of entry in FY 2003. [SOURCES: http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/congress/2003_h/031001-verdery.doc; Hutchinson Testimony, September 9, 2003, available at http://www.aamva.org/documents/idssenatefinancecommitteetestimony090903_ahutchinson.pdf]
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has created the Social Security Number Verification Service (SSNVS), "a web-based on-line system for employers to verify the names and SSNs of newly hired employees." [SOURCE: Testimony of James B. Lockhart, Deputy Commissioner of Social Security (September 9, 2003), available at http://www.aamva.org/documents/idssenatefinancecommitteetestimony090903_jlockhart.pdf]
The Social Security Administration has also created the SSA Online Verification Service (SSOLV), which "enables DMVs to request verification of an SSN from SSA while processing an application for a driver's license." Thirty-four states are currently participating in the program. [SOURCE: Testimony of James B. Lockhart, Deputy Commissioner of Social Security (September 9, 2003), available at http://www.aamva.org/documents/idssenatefinancecommitteetestimony090903_jlockhart.pdf]
Numerous federal agencies, including the Secret Service, DHS, FDA, TSA, USPS, SSA, FBI, INS, and CIA, have joined with the private sector to form the Document Security Alliance, an organization that develops and distributes strategies to prevent identification fraud. [SOURCE: http://www.dsai.org/content/index.cfm?contentID=246&cgoup_id=88] President Bush has already taken steps to improve information-sharing relating to document fraud:
The Bureau of Immigration & Customs Enforcement has established a Law Enforcment Support Center "to assist state and local law enforcement officers who have questions about identification assessments during traffic stops. In addition, ICE operates units to link enforcement and intelligence resources with adjudication officers from BCIS who must make determinations about documents that they are presented for adjudication." [SOURCE: Hutchinson Testimony, September 9, 2003, available at http://www.aamva.org/documents/idssenatefinancecommitteetestimony090903_ahutchinson.pdf]
In October of 2003, the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs announced its National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan, which calls for "establish[ing] regular communications and methods of information exchange" between "[l]ocal, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies" regarding criminal intelligence. The plan advocates providing federal training and funding in support of the intelligence sharing effort. [SOURCE: http://it.ojp.gov/documents/National_Criminal_Intelligence_Sharing_Plan.pdf]
The Secret Service has been working closely with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), which has in turn been developing numerous systems through which states' DMVs can share regarding the use of false documentation. Among these are the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS) Standardization Program; the Problem Driver Pointer System (PDPS); and the Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS). [SOURCES: http://www.aamva.org/Documents/drvAutomatedSystemsNLETSProjectDef.pdf; Hutchinson Testimony, September 9, 2003, available at http://www.aamva.org/documents/idssenatefinancecommitteetestimony090903_ahutchinson.pdf; http://www.aamva.org/drivers/drv_AutomatedSystemsPDPS.asp; http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/01/14/gen.drivers.license/] Finally, President Bush is already shutting down phony identification traffickers:
Operation Card Shark, a pilot program of the Bureau of Immigration & Customs Enforcement, has succeeded in busting several "document mills" and seized thousands of documents. [SOURCE: http://www.globalsecurity.org/security/library/congress/2003_h/031001-verdery.doc]
The Department of Justice has actively prosecuted dozens of phony identification traffickers. [SOURCE: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/dc/Press_Releases/Feb_2004/04069.html; http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/us/terrorism/cases/index2.html (listing more than 20 indictments related to document fraud)] John Kerry has proposed what he calls a national "Homeland Health" initiative. It's a three-point plan... every single point of which has already been implemented by President Bush.
I. Kerry's Supposed "Real Time Detection System" Proposal
"This initiative would apply the benefits of 21st century modern technology to provide real time reporting of disease outbreaks and track and monitor health trends. Most bioterror illnesses initially look like the flu, and health professionals may not realize a trend. A new real time detection system would pool confidential patient data and pharmacy usage across the country to alert public health officials when disease is on the rise."
But President Bush has already instituted real-time reporting of outbreaks and monitoring of health trends:
President Bush's BioSurveillance Initiative is designed to "detect disease outbreaks and exposure to contaminants." The $130 million investment will "enhance the early warning of potential emerging biological threats through the BioSense program" and "strengthen[] the Laboratory Response Network in a push toward real-time laboratory reporting." [http://www.cdc.gov/fmo/budgtsum05web.pdf]
In 2003, the Center for Disease Control at HHS initiated the development of the National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) to provide "electronic, real-time reporting of information for public health action." NEDSS includes "direct electronic linkages with the health care system allowing medical information ... to be shared electronically with public health officials as soon as a clinical laboratory receives a specimen or makes a diagnosis of a condition of public health importance." [SOURCE: Testimony of Joseph M. Henderson, Director Office of Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t030924.html] And President Bush has also instituted measures to pool information to alert public health officials of potential disease outbreaks:
The President's FY 2005 budget provides $100 million for Project BioSense, which "uses automated analysis techniques on electronically available health data to highlight a potential public health problem." [SOURCE: http://www.asm.org/Policy/index.asp?bid=24871]
BioSense improves the monitoring of public health data by "synthesizing information from nurse call lines, over-the-counter drug sales, and selected laboratory tests" to "provide an emerging picture of an attack before a large number of actual cases arrive in emergency rooms." [SOURCE: President's FY 2005 Budget, Department of Health & Human Services] II. John Kerry's Supposed Proposal to Train Health Providers for Biological Attacks
"Today, most doctors and nurses are not adequately trained to detect many biological weapons and hospitals are not prepared to respond to a mass crisis. This initiative would provide training to health providers and assist hospitals and other providers in developing plans for a surge in patients."
But President Bush has already taken unprecedented measures to train hospitals and health providers in bioterror preparedness:
President Bush signed into law the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, which contains numerous provisions designed to enhance and fund the preparedness of health care providers and hospitals. [SOURCE: http://www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/PL107-188.html]
Under President Bush's leadership, the Department of Health and Human Services "trains and maintains federal public health emergency response teams to be rapidly deployed in the first stages of a bioterrorist incident." The Health Resources and Services Administration "works with states and the nation's hospitals to ensure their preparedness on a regional basis." [SOURCE: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2003/pdf/bud15.pdf]
In 2002, President Bush distributed $1.1 billion in terrorism preparedness grants to the states and major metropolitan areas. The preparedness funds were divided into two parts. "The CDC distributed a total of $918 million to state and local health departments to support bioterrorism, infectious diseases and public health emergency preparedness activities. The Health Resources and Services Administration provided $125 million to the states to develop regional hospital plans and enhance the ability of hospitals to deal with large numbers of casualties." [SOURCE: Testimony of Tommy Thompson, available at http://hhs.gov/asl/testify/t020716b.html]
In 2003, President Bush distributed an additional $1.4 billion in grants to assist in preparations for terrorism-related public health emergencies, including $498 million specifically earmarked "for states to develop surge capacity to deal with mass casualty events." [SOURCE: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20030902.html]
In his FY 2005 budget, the President noted that "[n]early $4.5 billion has been provided to bolster State, local, and hospital biodefense preparedness since September 11, 2001. The budget continues support for these investments by proposing an addition $1.3 billion in 2005, bringing the total to $5.8 billion." [SOURCE: President's Budget for FY 2005] III. John Kerry's Supposed Proposal to Develop Vaccines
"We need to bring together the best of the public and private sectors to develop broad-spectrum designer antidotes so that our first responders - and our population - can be protected and treated from the widest possible range of attacks."
But President Bush has already funded a comprehensive new initiative to develop and stockpile vaccines and antidotes:
In his State of the Union address in 2003, President Bush announced Project BioShield, "a comprehensive effort to develop and make available modern, effective drugs and vaccines to protect against attack by biological and chemical weapons or other dangerous pathogens." [SOURCE: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030203.html]
Project BioShield consists of several major vaccine and antidote development initiatives:
-- It "authorizes the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to conduct and support research and development of countermeasures (e.g., drugs, vaccines and devices) that treat, identify, or prevent harm from a biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear agent that may cause a public health emergency that affects national security." [SOURCE: http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-doc.cfm?doc_name=lb-108-2-139 ]
-- It provides for the hiring of experts from the pharmaceutical industry and academia to perform countermeasure research for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). [SOURCE: http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-doc.cfm?doc_name=lb-108-2-139 ]
-- It spurs the development of new vaccines by providing more than $5.5 billion to purchase and stockpile newly developed countermeasures. "This authority will enable the government to purchase vaccines and other therapies as soon as experts believe that they can be made safe and effective, ensuring that the private sector devotes efforts to developing the countermeasures." [SOURCE: http://budget.senate.gov/republican/squarepeg.htm; http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030203.html] John Kerry has proposed an initiative "Defending Our Skies, Sea, and Land." It's a three-point plan... every single point of which has already been implemented by President Bush.
I. John Kerry's Supposed Proposal To Improve Port Security
"John Kerry believes we need to develop standards for security at loading facilities for containers and assure facilities can meet basic standards. He also believes America should be researching and developing containers that will be technologically transparent – capable of being inspected instantly by detection and identification equipment. Technology could also improve accuracy and timing for transmitting and sharing data about contents, location, and chain of control involving a container shipment."
But President Bush has already developed standards for loading facilities, and has taken steps to assure that those standards are met:
President Bush implemented C-TPAT in January of 2001. The program is a joint government-business initiative that works to improve cargo and shipping security along the entire supply chain by developing model security measures for participating companies and then monitoring to ensure that they are properly implemented. The program has more than 4,700 participants accounting for more than 70% of the import containers that enter the United States. The President has called for a $20 million increase in funding for C-TPAT in FY 2005. [SOURCES: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/commercial_enforcement/ctpat/fact_sheet.xml; http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/protecting.html]
President Bush implemented Operation Safe Commerce beginning in February of 2002, a public-private partnership established in the United States to improve security throughout the international and domestic supply chains. President Bush has already allocated $58 million to pilot projects under this program to develop a comprehensive strategy at our nation's major ports to ensure the safe shipping of containerized cargo. [SOURCE:www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=88&content=090005198006aa1e; www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=88&content=090005198004093a] President Bush is already developing technologically transparent containers:
Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) is working with C-TPAT importers to implement the "CBP Smart Box initiative." As of January 2004, Phase 1 participants began adhering to new sealing standards and incorporating container security devices into their standardized security. "The goal is to have a smart and secure container that prevents and deters tampering, alerts government and trade when tampering does occur, and is inexpensive." [SOURCES: http://www.securitymanagement.com/library/Jacksta_Seaport0504.pdf;]
CBP is in the process of developing smart boxes with "additional sensors that could detect chemicals, radiation, and the residue of explosives." [SOURCE: http://www.technologyreview.com/purchase/pdf_dl.asp?79juh=421139&hy6f0=10261]
CBP has employed new gamma-imaging technology as part of its Vehicle and Cargo Imaging System (VACIS). This Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) equipment is used "to 'see' into cargo containers and identify potential contraband." Thus far, 145 systems have already been deployed. Furthermore, the President's FY 2005 budget provides $50 million in funding to develop "the next generation of radiation screening devices." [SOURCES: www.customs.ustreas.gov/ImageCache/cgov/content/enforcement/port_5factivities/draft_5fvacis_5fdoc_2edoc/v1/draft_5fvacis_ 5fdoc.doc; http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/protecting.html; www.cbp.gov/ImageCache/cgov/content/newsroom/commissioners_5fmsgs/speeches_5fstatements/mar262004_2edoc/v1/mar262004.doc] Finally, President Bush has already employed technologies to improve the accuracy and timing of shipping data:
"Customs relies heavily on advanced information they receive electronically though the Automated Manifest System (AMS) to select cargo or containers for inspection. This selection is made using the Automated Targeting System (ATS) to identify high-risk shipments based on anomalies and 'red flags' within AMS data." In 2003, Customs promulgated new AMS rules for ocean shipments in, requiring that all ocean-going vessel operators file their manifests electronically to facilitate ATS targeting. [SOURCES: http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/OIG_Ervin_Stmt_SeaCargo_Hearing_03-31-04.pdf; http://www.rofgw.com/TOPIC_ARCHIVE/Customs/customs.html]
"To better identify high-risk cargo and passengers, the [President's FY 2005] budget includes an increase of $20.6 million for staffing and technology acquisition to support the National Targeting Center (NTC) as well as additional Customs and Border Patrol targeting systems, which are used to review advance manifests and other information to determine which shipments are higher-risk and require closer examination." [SOURCE: http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/protecting.html]
Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) is experimenting with "electronic seals" that both "track containers and detect intrusions." Electronic seals serve as "a radio frequency identification tag, allowing a container's movements to be recorded automatically when it passes tag readers on loading cranes and port gates or in distribution facilities." [SOURCE: http://www.technologyreview.com/purchase/pdf_dl.asp?79juh=421139&hy6f0=10261] II. John Kerry's Supposed Proposal To Secure Bridges And Tunnels
"John Kerry believes we should accelerate the timetable for the action plans agreed to in the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico 'smart border' accords. America should also work with Canada to implement adequate security measures for cross-border bridges and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel."
But President Bush has already accelerated the timetable for the "smart border" accords:
In September of 2003, Tom Ridge noted that, "Smart border accords have significantly improved our coordination and our cooperation with Mexico and Canada." Ridge went on to state that DHS has "accelerated the [smart border process] and it continues to work." [SOURCE: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/09/20030902-7.html]
By February of 2004, Tom Ridge testified before the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee that "the Smart Border accord we have with Canada, across the board has been successfully and almost completely implemented." [SOURCE: Ridge Testimony, February 9, 2004]
In February of 2004, the Department of Homeland Security announced several "significant steps in enhancing border security along the Mexican Border." [SOURCE: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=3193] And President Bush has implemented significant security measures at cross-border bridges and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel:
The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program is designed to screen out low-risk shipments, thereby allowing law enforcement to concentrate its inspection efforts on cargo that poses the greatest potential threat. FAST has been implemented at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and at various cross-border bridges. [SOURCES: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/text/20020909-3.html; http://ambassadeducanada.org/border/status-en.asp]
The NEXUS program similarly allows border agents to focus their inspection efforts where the risk is greatest by "allow[ing] pre-screened, low-risk travelers to be processed with little or no delay." NEXUS has been implemented at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and at various cross-border bridges. [SOURCES: http://ambassadeducanada.org/border/status-en.asp; http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/text/20020909-1.html]
The United States and Canada have provided hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure improvement funds "for physical and technological improvements at key border crossings." [SOURCE: http://ambassadeducanada.org/border/status-en.asp] III. John Kerry's Supposed Proposal To Protect Private Infrastructure
"The Bush Administration says we should leave it to big business to make these security improvements themselves, even though they are unlikely to make real changes. Others might want to mandate protective measures with an expensive one-size-fits-all Federal solution. John Kerry believes [we] should work to develop modest, minimal safety standards for certain kinds of industry and infrastructure, look at requiring private terrorism insurance, and helping owners find economical ways to improved security."
But President Bush is already helping owners find economical ways to improve security:
President Bush's 2003 National Strategy for Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets states that its guiding principle is to "[e]ncourage and facilitate partnering ... between government and industry" and to assure "that federal, state, local, and private entities work together to protect critical facilities, systems, and functions that face an imminent threat." [SOURCE: Critical Infrastructure Report, pg. ix, is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/physical.html]
The Department of Homeland Security is already in the process of identifying all at-risk critical infrastructure throughout the country, and has announced that it will complete this process by December of 2004. It has already identified the top 17 highest-risk chemical sites, and partnered with industry to enhance protections at those sites. [SOURCES: March 2004 testimony of Frank Libutti, http://appropriations.senate.gov/hearmarkups/record.cfm?id=218572; Fact Sheet: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, February 2004, http://www.alec.org/meSWFiles/pdf/HSMemo.pdf] And President Bush has backed legislation prescribing minimal safety standards:
The President's 2003 report noted that "DHS, in concert with EPA will work with Congress to enact legislation that would require certain chemical facilities, particularly those that maintain large quantities of hazardous chemicals in close proximity to population centers, to undertake vulnerability assessments and take reasonable steps to reduce the vulnerabilities identified." [SOURCE: Critical Infrastructure Report, pp. ix, 66, is available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/physical.html]
President Bush supports legislation currently pending on the Hill that would require facilities to formulate security plans and submit them to DHS for approval. If the plans do not meet DHS standards, DHS would be authorized to promulgate mandatory provisions of its own that industry would be required to implement. Furthermore, if a facility failed to comply with its plan, DHS would be empowered to proceed directly against it through an enforcement action. [SOURCE: S. 994 §§ 3(a)(3); 3(b)(3); 4(c) ] Insurance is at best tangentially related to homeland security. Nevertheless, President Bush has taken steps to ensure that terrorism insurance remains commercially available:
In his 2002 National Strategy for Homeland Security, President Bush called for "[f]ederal support" to ensure a "properly functioning market for terrorism insurance." [SOURCE: http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/book/nat_strat_hls.pdf]
President Bush signed into law the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, which ensures the commercial availability of terrorism insurance by providing federal backing for extraordinary losses. [SOURCE: http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/insurance/tria112602.pdf]
Instead, he proposes things that have already been done.
That's what you get when you miss 38 out of 49 intelligence briefings. <sarcasm
Maybe if Kerry would show up to work, especially to the Sen. Intel. Comm. meetings, or at the very least receive his national security briefing instead of appearing onstage with the likes of Whoopi Goldberg to hail Hollywood as the "heart and soul of America," he'd know what the Administration has already done about security.
Ping
The 9/11 Commission sounded redundant.
The "Franchurian Candidate" is getting very good at saying "Me too" and pointing out the obvious.
That's what he gets for accepting outdated, pilfered documents from Sandy Berger.
This article needs to be kept for reference and added to the list below.
Several other important threads that need to be kept current:
John Kerry's Flip Flops (extensive documentation)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1119904/posts
John Kerry's leadership - FOUR bills passed in 19 years. (4 resolutions as well)
[Kerry's not-so-lustrous Senate career accomplishments]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1182739/posts
What Kerry Said and What You Need to Know ("MUST READ")
[analyses his acceptance speech at the Convention]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1182752/posts
Policy Memo: Progress on Homeland Security (Most of Kerry's proposals already done...)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1183603/posts
Almost all spring, if you listened to Bush's speeches, and then Kerry's the following week, you'd hear Kerry simply echoing Bush's announcements with proclomations that Bush should do certain stated things (identical, or nearly so, to what Bush had announced). Week after week. Bush's speech would hardly be covered, but Kerry's would.
The timing of Bush implementing these policies before Kerry realized they were already being implemented is very suspicious.
*Snort* True, so true....
"Maybe if Kerry would show up to work, especially to the Sen. Intel. Comm. meetings, or at the very least receive his national security briefing instead of appearing onstage with the likes of Whoopi Goldberg to hail Hollywood as the "heart and soul of America," he'd know what the Administration has already done about security.
Zinger of the day."
Yeah, and this is what people want for president????
I did a LexisNexis search and found that the House and Senate intel committees (which organized into a 9/11 panel that issued a report Dec. 2002) originally proposed the intelligence czar idea, not the commission.
"....he proposes things that have already been done..."
The public MUST be made aware of this. It shows how uninformed and illprepared Kerry is to be commander in chief.
It's not like they didn't know the result going into the Commission findings. (Read the First Commission Report).
Reporting for duty?? More like "Man Overboard".
HAHAHHA!!! Kerry is a walking laughing stock!
actually he is more like a man who is awol. Whoever is working for Kerry is doing a poor job to let him make a fool of himself this way. He ought to be hanging in head in shame, of course dems have no shame.
As for the czar, seems to me Bush et al have done a damned fine job without a czar.
It's the same with Kerry's Iraq proposals; they're already outdated when he makes them, i.e., he wants the U.N to run Iraq, but Iraq is already running Iraq.
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