Homeland Security

We should strengthen our military by expanding the size of the armed services by 100,000 troops and dedicating at least four percent of our gross domestic product (GDP) to defense. We should transform our domestic civilian international efforts to meet a new generation of global vulnerabilities and ensure that our intelligence and law enforcement efforts are able to address threats before they reach out shores.

 

After President George H.W. Bush left office, in 1993, the Clinton Administration began to dismantle the military, taking advantage of what has been called a "peace dividend" from the end of the Cold War. We took the dividend, but we did not get the peace.

 

Meanwhile, we lost about 500,000 military personnel and about $50 billion a year in military spending. The U.S. Army lost four active divisions and two reserve divisions. The U.S. Navy lost almost 80 ships. The U.S. Air Force saw its active personnel decrease by 30 percent. The Marines' personnel dropped by 22,000.

 

The plan:

A Stronger Military. We are well advised to increase the size of our military by 100,000 troops and increase to at least four percent of our gross domestic product to defense. This kind of investment will make up for critical gaps in the modernization of our equipment, personnel and health care efforts. However, as we invest in our military, we must ensure that funds are used to address critical needs of the men and women of our Armed Forces, not political or contractor interests.

 

Transform And Strengthen Our Domestic Civilian International Efforts To Meet A New Generation Of Challenges. Building on the Goldwater-Nichols military reforms of the 1980s, we need to ensure that our civilian instruments of national power have the ability to build joint efforts among our civilian agencies and empower Regional Deputies with clear lines of authority, sufficient budgets and the responsibility to develop and execute regional plans and strategies. We must also constantly challenge bureaucratic "group think" and revitalize our national security structures so we have the capabilities needed to meet 21st century challenges.

 

Strengthen Strategic Planning. Many of our civilian national security and foreign policy structures were created decades ago. Today we need strengthened capabilities to strategically integrate all elements of national power. National Security Council staff must be empowered and accountable for reaching out to divergent viewpoints and challenging policies and proposals.

 

Protect The Homeland. While there has been much emphasis on protecting facilities and responding to attacks, a key priority must be prevention. Today, protecting the homeland must begin far from home. Intelligence and law enforcement efforts able to address threats before they reach our shores must be a priority for U.S. and international action. This will demand new U.S. capabilities, stronger international alliances and integration of our federal actions with international, state and local efforts.

 

Defeating Radical Muslims

The defeat of this radical and violent faction of Islam must be achieved through a combination of American resolve, international effort, and the rejection of violence by moderate, modern, mainstream Muslims. An effective strategy will involve both military and diplomatic actions to support modern Muslim nations. America must help lead a broad-based international coalition that promotes secular education, modern financial and economic policies, international trade, and human rights.

EMPOWER FIRST RESPONDERS AND BUILD A MORE RESILIENT SOCIETY

Use ReadyStat To Close The 72-Hour Response Gap: A ReadyStat program is to measure what prevention and response capabilities are needed by American localities depending on what types of threats they are most likely to face. This will decrease disaster response time, while recognizing that the federal government should assist communities in accessing resources without supplanting local investment.

 

Expand Disaster Training For Emergency Management: The Department of Homeland Security must expand training opportunities for local, state and private sector leaders before disasters occur and create regional response teams like the Urban Search and Rescue Teams. The government should also work with local authorities to strengthen and expand a civilian auxiliary network of doctors, construction workers, and other civilians who are trained to act during a regional emergency.

 

Encourage Better Coordination and Planning: Encourage and reward real representation for Mayors and Governors with a State and Local Government Coordination Office that reports directly to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Local officials must be well-informed because they lead response and recovery efforts during a disaster.

 

TRANSFORM FEMA, DECENTRALIZE DHS AND EMPOWER LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

 

Bring FEMA Into The 21st Century: We must reduce the bureaucracy and other impediments to disaster response by transforming FEMA to enhance the work of state and local leaders as well as the private sector. FEMA must enter the digital age by using modern technology to track relief supplies and aid so they are delivered efficiently where they are needed, all while monitoring for fraud. Finally, America must ensure businesses and charitable organizations can easily partner with government to help those in need.

 

Decentralize the Department of Homeland Security: Decentralize the Department of Homeland Security to create increased accountability in disaster response. New regional directors, based on an expanded FEMA regional model, will support state and local authorities in planning for and responding to disasters, empowering those authorities to become “First Preventers.”

 

Secure Our Border: A primary responsibility of the Department of Homeland

Security is to secure our nation’s borders – a challenge which must be met with effective coordination of Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Coast Guard.

 

Employ TerrorStat To Ensure Information Sharing: Use TerrorStat to provide an easily accessible depository for terrorism data, including reports of suspicious activity, precursor crimes and expanded Syndromic Surveillance to identify pandemic and biochemical attacks as soon as possible. TerrorStat will improve communications between law enforcement agencies and increase opportunities to stop attacks before they happen. Additionally, we must extend the King Amendment to protect Americans who report suspicious behavior from liability.

 

STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE WITH RESPONSIBLE FUNDING

 

End Wasteful Earmarking So Critical Needs Can Be Funded: Our nation faces infrastructure weaknesses like the bridge collapse in Minnesota. America cannot waste money on politically-motivated projects like the “Bridge to Nowhere.” The federal government must lay out a long-term plan based on need to assist states and local governments in building and maintaining capabilities to prevent and recover from catastrophic attacks.

 

Provide Need-Based Support to Localities: The Federal government must work with state and local governments, along with the private sector, to ensure reasonable protections exist around critical infrastructure. Funding decisions must be made based on the criteria of whether a proposal closes a needed-capability gap that is critical to national security.