News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 10, 2002
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Locke testifies on homeland defense before U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Gov. Gary Locke today urged the U.S. Senate to develop a long-term funding structure that helps state and local governments work most effectively with the federal government to ensure strong homeland defense.

Testifying with Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes and Michigan Gov. John Engler, Locke made his remarks this morning before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee in Washington, D.C. The committee held the hearing to determine how best to protect against, and respond to, future terrorist attacks.

Locke has been closely involved in homeland defense issues since Sept. 11, including the deployment of the National Guard at the state’s airports and along the state’s border with Canada.

In his testimony, Locke thanked the committee for continuing to make homeland security a top priority and emphasized the state’s commitment to partnering with the federal government on matters of homeland defense. The governor noted that agencies and public health jurisdictions have already spent an additional $8 million since September 11 on a wide range of terrorism-response measures.

The governor urged the senators to adopt new approaches that ensure multi-year funding to enhance terrorism-response measures in Washington and other states.

“September 11 dealt a very hard blow to Washington state’s economy and our state’s budget situation,” Locke said. “Because of our heavy reliance on the aerospace industry, the nature of the September 11th attacks and their devastating impacts on air transportation plunged our state into recession.”

The governor said that the national recession, which was severely aggravated by the events of September 11, has cost Washington over 70,000 jobs and sent the state’s unemployment rate soaring to a high of 7.6 percent, the second highest in the nation.

“And while it appears the national economy is beginning to rebound, Boeing is not even halfway through its announced layoffs of 30,000 aerospace jobs in our state,” Locke said. “Any economic recovery in our state will significantly lag the rest of the nation.”

Testifying that Washington closed a $1.6 billion budget deficit with $700 million in painful cuts, layoffs and other measures, Locke said, “The national recession and severe budget shortfalls experienced by some 40 states place real limits on what the states can do. We must have sustained financial assistance from the federal government, which has primary responsibility for homeland security.

The governor also cited an urgent need for sustained federal support for bioterrorism preparedness, including support to the states and local communities to develop plans and hold terrorism-response exercises.

Locke highlighted two additional homeland defense concerns including enhanced U.S.-Canadian border security and shared intelligence information.

The governor said with one of the busiest border crossings in the nation, enhancing U.S.-Canadian border security is absolutely critical to Washington state. He noted the arrest of a documented terrorist who was apprehended entering Washington from Canada just before the new millennium. Ahmed Ressam, transporting a carload of explosives, was arrested while on his way to commit a terrorist act on the L.A. International Airport.

The governor expressed his appreciation for the authorization of increased federal staffing along the border, but said he was gravely concerned about the decision to federalize National Guard troops for border duty and the decision to allow these troops to serve unarmed.

Locke urged the senators to consider activating National Guard troops for border duty in the same manner that the Guard was activated for airport security -- under state control.

The governor said posting unarmed troops at the border places them in unnecessary danger and adds undue burden on federal agents to provide force protection when they should be focused on preventing suspicious materials and people from entering the country.

Locke also stated that the nation’s governors need timely and secure access to intelligence information from a number of federal agencies, and those agencies need to share information with one another as well as with other state officials.

“Federal security clearances should be standardized and reciprocal between agencies and levels of government,” the governor said.

Locke noted the present “costly and grossly inefficient” requirements that state officials obtain a separate security clearance from each separate federal agency, or that one federal agency refuses to recognize security clearances granted by another federal agency.

Emphasizing the important role of the states in managing and coordinating homeland security funding, Locke concluded his testimony by urging the committee “to develop a consistent, long-term funding structure that helps state and local governments prepare for this new era of global terrorism.”

Locke expressed his appreciation to the chairman and the committee members for their “leadership to help our states and nation respond to this new, but very real, threat to our peace and freedom.”

A copy of the governor’s testimony follows.




Gov. Gary Locke’s testimony before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee
April 10, 2002

Chairman Byrd, Senator Stevens, Senator Murray and members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify on homeland security on behalf of the state of Washington and its citizens. I want to thank you all for continuing to make homeland security a top priority, especially as it involves state and local governments.

September 11 dealt a very hard blow to Washington state’s economy and our state’s budget situation. Because of our heavy reliance on the aerospace industry, the nature of the September 11th attacks and their devastating impacts on air transportation plunged our state into recession.

The national recession, which was severely aggravated by the events of September 11, has cost Washington over 70,000 jobs and sent our unemployment rate soaring to a high of 7.6 percent, the second highest in the nation. At the same time the national unemployment rate was 6 percent.

And while it appears the national economy is beginning to rebound, Boeing is not even halfway through its announced layoffs of 30,000 aerospace jobs in our state. Any economic recovery in our state will significantly lag the rest of the nation.

Washington also had to close a $1.6 billion budget deficit. We accomplished this with $700 million in painful cuts, layoffs and other measures.

Despite these challenges, Washington state is strongly committed to partnering with the federal government to ensure strong homeland defense. Our agencies and public health jurisdictions have already spent an additional $8 million since September 11 on a wide range of terrorism response measures, including increased overtime pay for public health and law enforcement personnel, new equipment, statewide vulnerability assessments and response plans, protection of our ferries and other transportation facilities, and other prevention measures.

But the national recession and severe budget shortfalls experienced by some 40 states place real limits on what the states can do. We must have sustained federal financial assistance since the federal government has primary responsibility for homeland security.

For our state, that means an immediate and long-term financial commitment to bolster the security of our seaports and other infrastructure, such as railroads, highways and bridges.

Washington, with its extensive coastline, is vulnerable and has already experienced smuggling of human cargo through its international ports. I urge the committee’s favorable consideration of the Administration’s request for additional funding for the U.S. Coast Guard.

There is also an urgent need for sustained federal support for bioterrorism preparedness, including support to the states and local communities to develop plans and hold terrorism-response exercises.

Since these threats are new and long-term, the U.S. must adopt new approaches that ensure multi-year federal funding, much as the Congress has historically done for the Department of Defense.

Other issues of equal importance include the need to share critical intelligence and security information with key state and local officials who must partner with the federal government to prevent terrorist acts.

Governors need timely and secure access to intelligence information from a number of federal agencies. And those agencies need to share information with one another as well as with other state officials. It is both costly and grossly inefficient to require our officials to obtain a separate security clearance from each separate federal agency or for one federal agency to refuse to recognize security clearances granted by another federal agency. And that is the current situation.

For example, state agencies are trying to get security clearances from FEMA. Should those be granted, the clearances will not allow us to receive similar intelligence information from the FBI.

Federal security clearances should be standardized and reciprocal between agencies and levels of government.

Border security is absolutely critical for Washington, which has one of the busiest border crossings in the nation. While Washington state has not had a credible terrorist threat, a documented terrorist was apprehended entering Washington from Canada just before the new millennium. Ahmed Ressam was arrested getting off a car ferry at Port Angeles on his way to commit a terrorist act on the L.A. International Airport. His car was loaded with explosives.

I am, therefore, grateful for the authorization of increased federal staffing along the U.S.-Canadian border.

However, I still am concerned about the length of time it is taking to add trained border agents along our U.S. Canada border. And until additional border troops are in place, I’m concerned about the decision to federalize National Guard troops for border duty.

I also have grave concerns about the decision to allow these troops to serve unarmed. That decision places these troops in unnecessary danger and adds undue burden on federal agents to provide force protection when they should be focused on preventing suspicious materials and people from entering the country.

The National Guard troops should be activated under Title 32, or state control, in the same manner the states activated the Guard for airport security. Under state authority, the nation’s governors provided immediate assistance to the federal government at the airports within days of the September 11 attacks. Under federalization, it has taken almost six months to get relief at our nation’s border crossings.

And finally, Mr. Chairman, I emphasize the important role of the states in managing and coordinating homeland security funding. Although a large percentage of funds clearly must support community-based emergency preparedness and first responders, those funds should be channeled through the states to ensure a coordinated and collaborative statewide strategy.

In Washington, for example, we have an Emergency Management Council that includes representatives of our cities, counties, fire chiefs, police chiefs, sheriffs, federal agencies, National Guard, seismic safety experts, public health, building officials, search and rescue, and private industry.

The Emergency Management Council, in turn, has a Committee on Terrorism that has been meeting monthly for the past two-and-one-half years.

These groups advise the Adjutant General and me on emergency preparedness strategies and policies.

Our state also uses these groups to oversee the distribution and allocation of FEMA and Department of Justice grant monies and other federal funds to ensure a coordinated and collaborative strategy for using federal funds to enhance our preparation and response to terrorist threats. Only in that manner can programs be implemented consistently and comprehensively to raise capacity throughout all regions of the nation.

And, because of the severe deficits faced by many states and localities, traditional federal match requirements, including so-called “soft matches,” may be difficult, if not impossible, for many jurisdictions to achieve.

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I urge you to develop a consistent, long-term funding structure that helps state and local governments prepare for this new era of global terrorism.

Thank you for your leadership to help our states and nation respond to this new, but very real, threat to our peace and freedom.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


Related Links:
- U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations


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