Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., issued the following statement in reaction to the agreement reached between House and Senate Republicans on chemical security.
“Committees in both the House and the Senate separately crafted bipartisan and comprehensive proposals to protect the American people from potential terrorist attacks on vulnerable and highly toxic chemical plants. I would have preferred passage and conferencing of these bills, which contain provisions to prod facilities to use safer chemicals or methods so they are less tempting targets for terrorists to attack. The Senate bill also would have protected the rights of states to legislate stronger security measures.
“Under the agreement reached, the Department of Homeland Security will finally have the authority to regulate high risk chemical plants, which it doesn’t have now. But much work remains before the American people are as safe as they should be from one of the nation’s most glaring homeland security gaps.”