[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 18] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 23079-23080] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]H.R. 5441, FY2007 HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE REPORT ______ HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD of california in the house of representatives Wednesday, December 6, 2006 Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5441, the Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report. As a member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, it has been an honor to work with Chairman Hal Rogers and with our Ranking Member Martin Sabo who is retiring from Congress at the end of this session. Congressman Sabo has served our country with honor and distinction throughout his distinguished career in the House of Representatives. I have had the privilege to serve with him on the Budget Committee and for the past 4 [[Page 23080]] years on the Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee. As the ranking member on the Budget Committee, Martin fought hard for fiscally responsible budgets and funding priorities that would enhance the quality of life of all Americans. As the ranking member on the Homeland Security Subcommittee, he has been a true champion and advocate for real and effective security for our Nation. He has led the fight, for example, to protect our ports, our aviation system, and our chemical plants. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Martin Sabo is a gentleman Congressman and a respected Member of the House. He has been the voice of calm and reason in a process that has had the potential to be partisan and acrimonious. It has been a genuine privilege to serve with him in the U.S. House of Representatives and particularly on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. I will miss him, and this House will miss him. Martin, I wish you the best in the future. Mr. Speaker, the conference report before us makes several improvements to the House-passed bill and is a testament to Congressman Sabo's leadership. The increased funding for Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant funds is essential to cities like Los Angeles that continue to be potential terrorist targets. UASI grants are badly needed by our local law enforcement officers who are the first line of defense in a disaster or terrorist attack. These funds are critical to local efforts to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from acts of terrorism or mass disaster. I am happy that the UASI grants are funded in the conference at the House level of $770 million, $13 million or 2 percent above 2006. I am pleased that this conference report has increased funding for fire grants to $662 million; this is above the House-passed level and $14 million (2 percent) above 2006. Included in the grant money is $115 million for hiring additional personnel under the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters Act (SAFER Act). These funds are critical to firefighters such as those in my state of California. The funds will help fire services obtain additional personnel, equipment and training to better protect the American public. The conference report also increases port security grants to $210 million. This is $173.25 million above last year's level. While this is an improvement over previous years' funding, it still is insufficient to meet the needs identified by the Coast Guard to adequately secure our ports. With only 6 percent of containers entering our seaports and fewer than half of our ports having radiation portal monitors, much work remains to be done. I am pleased also that the conference report includes my report language on unaccompanied alien children, detention standards, alternatives to detention, increasing Customs and Border Protection operations at Ontario International Airport, and bill language that prevents the Department of Homeland Security from moving forward with its potentially dangerous plan to privatize key immigration officer positions at the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services. I am thankful that this inherently governmental work will continue to remain the responsibility of trained and experienced Federal employees directly accountable to the Department and not to the bottom line of a private company. I am also pleased that Senate language limiting the tenure of the university centers of excellence was not included in the conference report. Nevertheless, Mr. Speaker, I also have a few concerns about this conference report. First, I am disappointed and greatly concerned that this bill's report expresses support for the expansion of the 287(g) program which allows State and local law enforcement officers to perform immigration enforcement functions. Many local law enforcement officers have stated that if they are required to enforce Federal immigration policies it would hamper their ability to successfully fight crime in their respective communities. Secondly, I am concerned about certain provisos regarding chemical plant security. Preventing the Secretary of Homeland Security to disapprove a security plan based on the presence or absence of a particular security measure, undermines the Secretary's authority to require meaningful and comprehensive security measures. Furthermore, shielding from public discourse information submitted on security plans, treating the information during court proceedings as if it were classified material, and making scrutiny of the implementation and enforcement of the security requirements the sole purview of the Secretary, prohibits the needed transparency and oversight of a system intended to provide security for all Americans. Finally, I am concerned that allowing the Secretary to approve alternative security programs established by private sector entities, Federal, State, or local authorities may allow the Secretary to pre-empt State laws that impose more stringent requirements. Mr. Speaker, in spite of these concerns, I believe the passage of this conference report is important to our efforts to improve the safety of our Nation and the American people. As Chairman Rogers has said on numerous occasions, those who seek to do us harm only have to do their job right occasionally. We have to do our jobs to protect America 100% of the time. This is a step toward that important goal. I urge my colleagues to support this conference report, and fund these efforts to protect our Nation. ____________________