Rep. David Price (D-NC), NJ & NY Port Authority deputy executive director for operations Ernesto Butch, Rep. Rush Holt, and NJ Transit Police Chief Joseph Bober at Newark Penn Station where Price and Holt discussed Congressional efforts to increase funding for rail and transit security programs. (Sep. 12, 2007) (Photo credit: NJ Transit)
Rep. Holt (far right) meets with leaders of central New Jersey’s emergency management community to discuss the additional measures they believe are necessary to improve the region’s emergency response to a natural or man-made crisis. (January 26, 2006)
Rep. Holt stands with, from left to right, Sgt. Harold Messler, Chief Cully Lewis, Sgt. Ronald Horinko, and Mayor Nancy Martin of Helmetta as Holt presents them with a $40,000 grant check for the Helmetta Police Department to upgrade the radio systems in its patrol cars. Holt secured the funding through the Fiscal Year 2006 appropriation for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program run by the U.S. Department of Justice. (April 17, 2006) |
Protecting the people of the 12th District and America as a whole is one of my top legislative priorities. Over the past two years, I’ve voted to increase federal spending on homeland security by more than $10 billion. Since 9/11, I’ve worked the waterfront of Homeland Security issues, and the 109th Congress has been no exception. In December 2005, the independent, bipartisan 9/11 Commission – in its final report card – gave the Congress and the Bush Administration 5 F’s, 12 D’s, and 9 C’s on homeland security and intelligence reform, including a D for screening cargo, including at ports. I believe it is inappropriate for any foreign government to own or operate any component of our infrastructure that is critical to our nation's security. The unilateral and secretive decision of the Administration to allow the sale of a British-based port operations company controlling operations at 20 U.S. ports to the government of the United Arab Emirates—a country whose financial institutions were used by al Qaeda to help fund its attacks on America—was simply unfathomable. We need to ensure the security of our transportation infrastructure across the board—from who controls the operations at our seaports, airports, and train stations to what kind of cargo screening technology and procedures are being used. The port of Hong Kong already screens 100% of its cargo for potential threats—there’s no excuse for America to do any less. At the local level, I’ve continued to push for additional grant money to help local fire, police, and EMS organizations get the interoperable radios, firefighting gear, and other equipment they need to respond quickly and effectively to any crisis—be it an Atlantic hurricane or a terrorist attack. I’ll continue to push to have these kinds of common sense security measures implemented in New Jersey and across the country. |
About Rush
