Wednesday, April 10, 2002

Mr. Chairman, Senator Stevens, I am honored to be here this morning to testify before this distinguished committee.

I am also pleased to be joined by my colleagues, Governor Roy Barnes of Georgia, and Governor Gary Locke of Washington. We have also submitted for your review more extensive testimony that represents the position of the National Governors Association.

I would like to commend this body for its willingness to work on a bipartisan basis with the administration and America’s governors as we develop a comprehensive national strategy to protect our people from acts of terror. When it comes to homeland security, there must not be Republican or Democrat priorities, but simply American priorities.

I must also commend Governor Ridge for his accessibility to the governors and for his willingness to work closely with state homeland security offices as we develop a national security plan.

This is not a trivial point. As emphasized in the submitted written testimony, for our nation’s response to be comprehensive in both theory and practice, the states must be the locus of interaction with the federal homeland security effort.

As the common clearinghouse for funding and program implementation, the states are willing to take on the responsibility of making sure every community is covered. That will not be the case if homeland defense funding is scattered to other levels of government that are more limited in scope.

Clearly, Governors recognize that the first responders are often local and that a good share of the funding should be passed through for their needs. However, without statewide coordination, there will be holes in the emergency management system. We simply cannot risk those holes. If we are to prevent and/or respond to another terror attack, our preparation must be across the board, leaving no community or potential target unprotected.

I should also like to stress another point in the submitted testimony, regarding the interoperability of communications systems. In this regard, the committee may be interested to learn that, just last month, Michigan enacted a unique, comprehensive strategy to speed the deployment of broadband, high-speed Internet connections.

Beyond the economic and education opportunities created by broadband, enhancing homeland security was a key component of this initiative. The ability to share data across government agencies, including law enforcement and emergency management, hospitals and county health departments is absolutely critical.

Michigan has also invested in a state-of-the-art 800-megahertz radio communications system for the Michigan State Police. This system is available for the use of local law enforcement and other state and local agencies.

My point here is that the investment needed to provide high-speed, communications capability to all agencies involved in homeland security is substantial. Adding to the cost is the need for redundancy, or backup systems.

States and local governments cannot bear these costs alone. However, the benefits of interoperability will spill over far beyond homeland security and will help all the agencies involved be better equipped to serve the public and achieve their respective missions. That’s why federal investment is so important and so needed.

With regard to bioterrorism expenditures, within three months of September 11, Michigan’s public health department spent $2.6 million responding to the anthrax crisis and bolstering the state’s response capabilities. Our public health department is budgeting $28.9 million in additional immediate investment at the hospital, local health department, and statewide levels. In this regard, governors are grateful for the leadership and support we have received from the Congress in the form of the Kennedy-Frist legislation.

As with bioterrorism preparedness, other homeland security initiatives will require an ongoing commitment of federal resources. Overall, Michigan alone has already spent $31.8 million directly responding to homeland security needs. Recurring costs to support necessary programs and initiatives are anticipated to total another $31.6 million annually.

Finally, I should emphasize the continuing need for improving the staffing and systems at our international borders. Indeed, governors appreciate the commitment the President has made to adding personnel at the borders.

Following September 11^th, traffic at Michigan’s border crossings with Canada slowed to a crawl, with delays approaching 12 hours or more. Industry experts tell me that each hour of delay costs an auto assembly plant $60,000. That’s a pretty heavy toll.

Trade between the U.S. and Canada averages $1.3 billion per day – with 43 percent of that traffic flowing either through Detroit or Port Huron. This flow of trade is the lifeblood of our nation’s economy. It cannot be restricted at the border.

In the wake of September 11, Michigan stepped up to the plate to help resolve border delays, and I tasked members of the Michigan National Guard to assist U.S. Customs at the border. Even now, Michigan guardsmen are helping to fulfill federal responsibilities at the border.

Border issues cannot be solved by manpower alone, though. That’s why I agree with President Peter McPherson of Michigan State University and his call for a "smart border" approach that encourages innovative border procedures that implement new technology, information exchange and resource sharing. However, being smart is not free, and it takes investment to make it happen, and I urge this committee to support funding for the "smart border" plan.

Thank you and I look forward to answering your questions.