Quigley Statement on Bastille Day Attack in Nice, France
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), Ranking Democrat on the Emerging Threats subcommittee of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), released the following statement in response to the Bastille Day attack in Nice, France:
“Once again, my heart is heavy for the people of France. Almost eight months to the day after a series of tragic terrorist attacks occurred in Paris, we are mourning the death of 84 innocent men, women and children who had gathered to celebrate Bastille Day. My deepest condolences go out to all of the families mourning lost loved ones, and I hope and pray for a speedy recovery for all of those injured in this devastating attack.
“The latest attack in Nice – like those in Brussels, Paris, Orlando and Istanbul – continues to confirm what I and many in the intelligence community have been stressing for years: First, soft targets like festive holiday gatherings, sporting arenas, or Pulse nightclub in Orlando – venues very similar to ones in the Fifth District – are today’s largest security vulnerability. They are easy to attack and difficult to protect. We must do everything in our power to bolster and harden their defenses. Second, we must continue to strengthen our intelligence gathering and increase intelligence sharing with our European allies to uncover further plots and hunt down would be terrorists. Third, we need to finally end the harmful, across the board spending cuts of sequestration, which are crippling the capabilities of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies. And fourth, Congress must fully fund U.S. homeland security grants to states and localities, instead of cutting them as has been the case since 2010.
“To thwart a similar style attack from occurring in the U.S., I have been working through my role on the House Appropriations Committee to fully fund the federal programs designed to keep America safe. For example, just last month I offered an amendment to the Homeland Security Appropriations bill to bolster funding for major U.S. Homeland Security grants for states and localities, which has been nearly cut in half since 2010. Had it passed, it would have increased funding for programs like Buffer Zone grants, Transit Security Program grants, the Port Security Grant Program, Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grants, as well as many others. These are precisely the types of programs that help keep Americans safe amid new and growing threats.
“I stand with the people of France as they mourn those lost in this atrocious attack, and I will continue to fight for funding and strategies that will protect against new and evolving threats both at home and abroad – focusing on ways that really keep Americans safe.”
Rep. Quigley is Ranking Democrat of the Emerging Threats subcommittee on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He has been an outspoken advocate for reprioritizing U.S. homeland security and defense funding to meet the needs and threats of today. In June, he offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2017 Homeland Security Appropriations bill to increase funding for U.S. Homeland Security grant funding for states and localities, which has been cut in half since 2010. In April, Rep. Quigley warned of decreasing U.S. Homeland Security Grant funding and how soft targets in the U.S. were more vulnerable than ever. Rep. Quigley has also been a proponent for nuclear arms reduction, working in the House Appropriations Committee to overhaul unlimited defense spending. This year, Rep. Quigley successfully included his amendment to add an additional $22 million in critical funding for the Nuclear Counterterrorism and Incident Response Program in the manager’s amendment to the Fiscal Year 2017 Energy and Water Appropriations bill. He also hosted a briefing with Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) about the current state of U.S. nuclear weapons policy and the need to reprioritize nuclear weapons funding via careful planning and preparation that reflects the current security and budgetary environments.
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