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Since September 11, 2001, we have been working to rebuild our nation, not only our buildings, but also our sense of security. It was my privilege to bring legislation to the House floor to create the Department of Homeland Security. My position in the House Rules Committee allows me to have direct impact on all legislation that affects the American people, including homeland security. Now, as a member of the Select Committee on Homeland Security, I am playing an active role in helping to protect Americans at home and abroad. The security of the American people is the primary function of the Government of the United States. The creation of a new Department to coordinate all security activities on behalf of the American people was an important first step, and will serve as the foundation of our continuing efforts to protect our citizens. H.R. 5005, which I brought to the floor as a Member of the Rules Committee on November 13, 2002, created a new Federal Department, bringing together for the first time entities that were designed to protect the homeland of the United States. This new Department is working to ensure coordination among all of the agencies under its charge, as well as any Department that retains functions that could affect homeland security. The Department of Homeland Security helps protect our borders by bringing together the Coast Guard, Customs Service, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), the Border Patrol, and Agricultural Inspectors. Importantly, INS functions within the Department are now divided up between border security, and immigration and visa services to help distinguish and highlight these two very different missions.
Our maritime industry, including hundreds of ports nationwide, contributes approximately $750 billion to the gross domestic product each year. The State of Florida has some of the largest ports in the country. Thousands of passenger and container ships pass through the Port of Miami every year. Industries from retail sales to the airline industries are affected by the business that is done at these ports. I will continue to work to ensure that our ports have all the resources they need to protect passengers and commerce. We are also intensifying our efforts to ensure that our nation's first responders have the resources they need to address all threats. In November 2003, the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness and Response produced legislation that will consolidate grant funding streams and simplify the process by which grants are awarded. I am proud to have authored language, included in the legislation that passed out of Subcommittee, that would allow Miami-Dade and Broward Counties to apply for funds directly from the Department of Homeland Securing.
We must remember that the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security did not signal the end of our efforts. I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the new Department effectively integrates its agencies. I will also work to ensure that our state and local officials have the resources necessary to protect our citizens and infrastructure in South Florida. It is an unfortunate reality that we may very well face further attacks within our borders or abroad; with the creation of this new Department, the American people can rest assured that the Federal Government is trying to do everything possible to thwart future terrorist attacks.
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