House passes major Homeland Security Legislation

Washington - Today, the House of Representatives approved major legislation to make America safer from the threat of terrorist attack.  The legislation implements many of the unfulfilled recommendations of the 9-11 Commission on improving homeland security and preventing the spread of terrorism.

Congressman Jim Oberstar has been fighting for many of its provisions for years.  "We're going to require that every cargo container that comes into the U.S. is screened and that baggage that goes on aircraft is checked for explosives.  These seem like common sense measures, but the Republican leadership just couldn't get the job done."

The legislation also provides grants to communities to upgrade communications equipment so police and firefighters can talk to each other during emergencies.  This problem was pointed out by emergency responders immediately after 9-11 but was not dealt with effectively by the Bush Administration. 

Another section of the bill strengthens a program aimed at securing nuclear materials in the former Soviet Union that could fall in to the hands of terrorists.  "These are critical public safety issues," said Oberstar.  "It makes sense that they were at the top of our agenda."

Today's legislation was part of a series of major bills the Democratic leadership promised to pass in the new Congress.  "We are going to move more legislation in the first hundred hours than the previous Congress moved in two years," said Oberstar.