Terry Everett, September 15, 2003

A week after the second anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our homeland, the focus of national attention returns from memorializing those who lost their lives that fateful day to what our country is doing to ensure such an attack does not happen again. Over the last two years, the Federal government has taken decisive steps to make America safer. The job isn't done, but significant progress has been made.

September 11, 2001 changed our nation forever. While the Administration and Congress have taken great steps to protect our nation against terrorists, it is almost impossible in a free and open society to anticipate and prevent every action by someone intent to do us harm.

In direct response to the terrorists' declared war on America, our nation launched Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, taking the battle to the terrorists, depriving them of their training camps and putting them on the run. Continuing the war on terror, America went after the terrorists' base of support in Iraq and removed the regime of Saddam Hussein. Both of these vital military operations, designed to disrupt and destroy the terrorists at their source, remain at the forefront of America's battle to end terrorism.

On the home front, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agents have gained ground in hunting terrorists abroad and uncovering those operating in the United States, putting them in custody before they can carry out their attacks on Americans. The capture and indictment of six suspected members of Al Qaeda in Buffalo, NY last October, the March arrest of 9/11 architect Khalid Shekh Mohammed in Pakistan, and the January arrest and guilty plea of an Ohio truck driver who met with Osama Bin Laden and plotted to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge, are some of the high profile examples.

The job of making America safer not only depends on rounding up terrorists and terminating their financial and foreign governmental support, but also remaining vigilant here at home against possible new attacks. The biggest development on this front was last year's creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security headed by Secretary Tom Ridge. While the creation of this new watchdog agency represented the largest reorganization of the Federal government since World War II, it is nearly fully operational. A national 24-7 watch operation is up and running as these protectors watch our skies, ports, railways, and highway systems for new threats.

Closer to our local communities, Congress has provided more than $20.8 billion in grant funding for First Responders - a 1000 percent increase since 2001. The new 2004 Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which passed the House in June, targets $500 million for state and local law enforcement terrorism prevention efforts.

The new Homeland Security Department also brings together customs and immigration officials to better monitor illegal alien activity. While I am still not satisfied that we have gone far enough to halt the flow of illegal immigrants into this country, more resources are being directed to this effort in the 2004 budget.

In our nations' skies, airline passengers are seeing increased protection through the implementation of additional airport screening measures and training courses to certify pilots to carry firearms in the cockpit.

The job of making America safe requires commitment from government, business and our citizens, and it is a job that is only beginning. Terrorists have declared war on America, yet we have the resources and the will to prevail, and we will.

Congressman Terry Everett represents the 2nd Congressional District of Alabama in the U.S. House of Representatives.