Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said yesterday’s report put out by the 9/11 Commission shows the need to create a broadband network solely for first-responders.
King, who represents most of Long Island, and who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, urged lawmakers to support his bill — H.R. 607, the Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011 — in which construction of a special network would be paid for through federal block grant funds.
“The Commissioners reminded us that the ‘inability of first responders to communicate with each other on demand was a critical failure of 9/11’ that ‘led to needless loss of life,’” King said. “President Obama supports the reallocation of D Block for public safety, as do the Department of Homeland Security, Republicans and Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee and virtually every public safety group and the seven largest governance groups in the country.”
King also urged leaders to consolidate the number of congressional committees that have jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Click here to read more about the Commission’s report…