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Positions and Views on Other Issues where Information is Available: |
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| Homeland Security & War On Terror |
Positions and Views |
| Homeland Security, a General Statement |
Biden: Terrorist attacks on rail systems in Mumbai, following similar attacks in London and Madrid, killed hundreds of innocent civilians. Our British allies disrupted a plot to blow up airliners bound to the United States underscoring our vulnerability in the sky. Yet the Department of Homeland Security cut by forty percent funds for known terrorist targets like Washington, DC and New York City. Our ports, chemical plants, railways and other critical infrastructure are not secure. Our local police agencies are stretched too thin, and our first responders still cannot talk to each other in the event of an emergency of natural disaster. This Administration and the Republican led Congress have refused to make the necessary investment. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has even argued that shortchanging homeland defense is justified because Al Qaeda's strategy is to weaken America by forcing us to invest in futile homeland security efforts.
Source: www.joebiden.com Date: 11/30/2007 |
| Making Our Homeland More Secure |
Biden: The real question we should be asking is: what does it take to make all of America safer? The 9/11 Commission gave us a blue print. To be sure, implementing it will cost more. But we can easily afford it - if we change our priorities. This year, the budget for the Department of Homeland Security is $35 billion; at $60 billion, the tax cut for millionaires is nearly double that amount. Senator Biden would take back one year of the tax cuts for Americans who make over a million dollars a year, and put this money in a dedicated Homeland Security and Public Safety Trust Fund to implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations and invest in law enforcement. For $10 billion a year over the next five years we could: - screen 100 percent of cargo containers coming into our ports, - better protect our chemical facilities, - improve air cargo screening, - make sure that our first responders can talk to one another in emergencies, - hire 1,000 more FBI agents, - hire 50,000 more local cops, and create local counter-terrorism units in our large cities to stop home-grown plots
Source: www.joebiden.com Date: 11/30/2007 |
| National Security Agency (NSA) Examinining Domestic Phone Records |
Biden: No Response |
| Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission |
Biden: More than a year ago the 9/11 Commissioners graded homeland security improvements since September 11th; their report card was riddled with D's and F's. Joe Biden supports implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations in their entirety; we must work to make our ports, chemical plants, railways, and infrastructure more secure.
Source: www.joebiden.com Date: 11/30/2007 |
| Radical Fundamentalism |
Biden: Joe Biden knows that the most effective way of fighting radical fundamentalists is working with our allies around the world. Joe Biden will rebuild alliances in international law enforcement, intelligence and financial circles, strengthening our forces in the fight against radical fundamentalism and restoring America’s standing in the world
Source: www.joebiden.com Date: 12/01/2007 |
| Weapons of Mass Destruction |
Biden: Joe Biden knows loose nuclear weapons in the former Soviet Union and other weapons of mass destruction pose a grave threat to the United States if they fall into the hands of extremist networks. As president, Joe Biden will work to disrupt these extremist networks and improve detection systems to seek out these weapons before they harm the United States or our allies.
Joe Biden has dedicated his career to eliminating the threat of nuclear weapons. He pushed for the SALT II treaty, the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and the convention banning chemical weapons. As president, Joe Biden will continue his efforts to reduce nuclear arsenals around the world and secure stockpiles of dangerous weapons in the former Soviet Union.
Source: www.joebiden.com Date: 12/01/2007 |
| Bioterrorism |
Biden: Develop vaccines and other effective responses to potential biological weapons.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues Date: 04/22/2008 |
| Department of Homeland Security (DHS) |
Biden: No Response |
| National Guard in the Department of Homeland Security vs. Defense |
Biden: Senator Biden recognizes the vital role of the National Guard in protecting the homeland. He successfully led the fight to keep Delaware’s Air National Guard Base open by making clear to Base Realignment and Closure Commissioners the value of the missions, the organizations, and infrastructure at the base. He has also successfully led the way in finding ways for citizens with much needed information security experience to help the government track terrorist financing and protect our information systems through Guard service.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues Date: 04/22/2008 |
| Intelligence |
Biden: No Response |
| Domestic Intelligence Agencies |
Biden: No Response |
| NSA Surveillance of Citizens |
Biden: No Response |
| Color-Coded Warning System |
Biden: No Response |
| Local First Responders |
Biden: Joe Biden was an early supporter of the SAFER Act, which has helped 400 local departments – large and small – hire additional fire fighters. When President Bush attempted to eliminate the program, Joe Biden worked to restore it and increased federal support for hiring both paid and volunteer first responders. But more needs to be done, as two-thirds of our fire departments are still understaffed and many first responders are overworked. Joe Biden's Homeland Security Trust Fund Act, includes $500 million to fund the SAFER program every year for the next five years
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America's first responders still cannot easily communicate with the military, police and other first responders in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. Joe Biden supports giving first responders the equipment they need, so if there is a Katrina or a 9/11, the dedicated professionals or volunteers can do their jobs. He is also a strong supporter of establishing a hard date for broadcasters to return their analog spectrum.
Senator Biden has co-chaired the Congressional Fire Services Caucus from 2005-2007 and continually advocated numerous measures to honor fallen fire fighters. He has repeatedly fought for better enforcement of the Hometown Heroes Act. Senator Biden wrote a letter to the Department of Justice asking for vastly improved response time when it was revealed that families of fallen firefighters were not receiving their due compensation in a reasonable amount of time.
Since 2000, some 100 people have died in campus-related fires – and many of the tragedies could have been prevented with proper safety measures. So Senator Biden annually introduces a resolution declaring September Campus Fire Safety Month. It encourages college administrators and local elected officials to implement educational programs, evaluate living conditions on and around campuses, and increase the use of fire detection systems.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues Date: 04/22/2008 |
| Air Security |
Biden: No Response |
| Port Security |
Biden: Today, only 5 percent of cargo entering our seaports is scanned, even though our ports are among America’s most vulnerable targets. Should a terrorist attack and we have to suspend operations at every port, as we did after 9/11 at every airport, it would cost this economy $58 billion in 12 days. Senator Biden wants 100 percent of containers to be scanned to prevent radiological and other dangerous materials from being smuggled into America and has offered a plan to do so.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues Date: 04/21/2008 |
| Rail Security |
Biden: Protecting Rail Systems: Our rail systems are also vulnerable to terrorist attack. Rail systems are the most widely targeted systems in the world, and our intelligence communities have found evidence that terrorists have targeted our rail systems. While we can’t protect every inch of track, we can protect the critical infrastructure – stations, tunnels, bridges, hazardous shipments – most likely to be targeted.
The Rail Security Act: Recognizing the vulnerability of our nation’s rail systems, Senator Biden introduced legislation to dramatically increase rail security just one week after September 11th. Senator Biden’s rail security proposals became law as a part of the “Implementing the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007.”
Re-routing hazardous materials: The Naval Research Laboratory has estimated that a 90-ton rail tanker carrying hazardous materials such as deadly chlorine could kill or injure up to 100,000 citizens if targeted by a terrorist in an urban area. Senator Biden led the effort to pass legislation requiring the federal government to work with the rail industry to route those shipments along the safest routes available where they are less vulnerable to terrorist attack.
Establishing a Federal Rail Police Department: Each rail company employs a private rail police agency. These agencies have varying authorities under federal and state law and, many times, function as a security force to protect against vandalism rather than focus on counter-terrorism efforts. The Amtrak Police Department has made great strides since September 11th, however, it is limited by funding and authority. Because security efforts must be coordinated across state lines, Senator Biden has proposed the establishment of a National Rail Police to ensure that rail passengers are safe and hazardous shipments are protected.
Source: biden.senate.gov/issues Date: 04/22/2008 |
| Hazardous Materials Security |
Biden: No Response |
| Cybersecurity |
Biden: No Response |
| Spent Nuclear Fuel |
Biden: No Response |
| Drinking Water Security |
Biden: No Response |
| Evacuation Preparedness |
Biden: No Response |
| War on Terror, a General Statement |
Biden: Joe Biden knew before 9/11 the threat extremism posed to Americans and urged the Bush Administration to refocus efforts on terrorism he predicted would come “in the belly of a plane.” As president, Joe Biden will continue efforts to secure American ports, rails, chemical plants and infrastructure.
Source: www.joebiden.com Date: 12/01/2007 |
| War on Terrorism Policies |
Biden: No Response |
| National Intelligence Estimate Assessment |
Biden: No Response |
| Al-Qaeda |
Biden: No Response |
| Guantanamo Bay Prison (GITMO) |
Biden: No Response |
| Terrorist Prisoner Rights Under Geneva Conventions |
Biden: No Response |
| Torture of Terrorists |
Biden: No Response |
| Waterboarding |
Biden: No Response |
| Trials of Terrorist and Combantant Detainees |
Biden: No Response |
| Habeas Corpus and Legal Rights for Combatant Detainees |
Biden: No Response |
| Enemy Combatants |
Biden: No Response |