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Homeland Security
Securing the homeland and keeping Americans safe is the most important duty of our federal government. Congressman McHenry is co-sponsoring the Keep Terrorists Out of America Act, which would prohibit the Obama Administration from releasing or transferring detainees from Guantanamo Bay to any state without the approval of the Governor or State Legislature. The measure would also require the Administration to provide Congressional notification and security certifications for each detainee before they can be transferred to U.S. soil.
As a member of the House Budget Committee, Congressman McHenry voted to increase funding for homeland security and national defense by 8%. He supports active Congressional oversight for Department of Homeland Security to measure effectiveness and progress against spending.
Federal investment in local emergency services is an important component of homeland security. Congressman McHenry holds regular grant-writing workshops to assist local first responders in obtaining federal grants. He has helped secure over $10 million in homeland security grants for police and fire departments in the Tenth District.
Congressman McHenry supports reauthorizing provisions of the Patriot Act that are scheduled to sunset, which will ensure that law enforcement and intelligence agents have the necessary tools to combat terrorism. The Patriot Act effectively updated statutes to account for new technologies and threats to the American homeland. The measure extends the tools that law enforcement already uses to fight organized crime and allows them to be used to fight terrorist threats. Most important, the legislation allows for intelligence and law enforcement officials to share information in pursuit of counterterrorism investigations.
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