WASHINGTON, DC – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Senator Susan Collins and Ranking Member Joseph Lieberman today announced that the committee has begun an examination of the vulnerabilities of America’s mass transit systems, steps that are being and should be taken to ensure that these systems are as secure as possible, including the development and deployment of high tech solutions, what the federal government’s role should be in this effort, and what we can learn from terrorist incidents abroad.
The Senators plan to hold a hearing on this topic sometime after the August recess. “We need to learn from the terrorist attacks in London, Madrid, Tokyo, and Israel in order to make our mass transit systems as safe as possible. In the aftermath of the September 11th tragedy, America has understandably focused its resources on securing air travel. We need to turn our attention to other transportation modes as well before terrorists can find and further exploit potential weaknesses,” said Senators Collins and Lieberman. “We know this is an enormous task, but we also know that far more can be done. Millions of Americans rely on public transportation and they deserve to know that the state, local, and federal government are working together to keep this transportation as secure as possible,” the Senators added.