John Boehner, May 13, 2005

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the threat of all-out nuclear war no longer a pressing concern, the 1990s saw us grow comfortable -- if not complacent -- in the way we approached threats like terrorism. We watched problems in the Middle East and with the United Nations fester -- problems that should have been handled with more than a few expensive missiles or a few tough words. It goes without saying that September 11th was a wake-up call for the United States.

But as with everything, hindsight is 20/20. What matters now is not just the history, but what we’ve learned from it.

We’ve learned that we simply weren’t prepared for the war that had been waged against us. To address this, Congress and the President have transformed the way we handle national security, just as was done after World War II. Congress drafted the USA Patriot Act to give law enforcement the tools it needs to combat terrorists here at home -- the same tools it already had for fighting drug dealers and organized crime.

We’ve learned that our defense apparatus was too spread out, and that coordination was often difficult if not possible. The Patriot Act fixed part of that, tearing down many of the institutional walls that had prevented information sharing. We also created a new department to coordinate a number of security functions that departments like Treasury, Commerce, and Transportation had previously operated. The goal has been to streamline our defenses to help different agencies communicate and operate together more effectively.

We’ve learned that our current military infrastructure was better suited for the Cold War. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process will help us make the most of our military resources as we prepare for the needs of today and tomorrow. Wright Patterson Air Force Base for one stands to gain new programs that maximize its strengths in medical research and sensor technology.

We’ve learned the benefit of taking the fight to the enemy. In October 2001 we launched Operation Enduring Freedom which toppled the Taliban and led to a freely elected government in Afghanistan. Operation Iraqi Freedom ousted a ruthless dictator in the heart of the Middle East, and led to Libya renouncing its WMD programs and Lebanon demanding its freedom from Syrian dominance. We look at the world now intent on preventing disaster before it occurs; on fighting abroad rather than in our backyard, and promoting positive change where nobody ever dreamed change was possible.

We’ve learned that we can no longer trust the United Nations to be an effective organization. The U.N. has been corrupted by the oil-for-food scandal, embarrassed by its inability to substantively respond to the tsunami disaster in Southeast Asia and the genocide in Darfur, and plagued by a number of other problems that call into question its legitimacy as a world body. It is going to take America’s leadership in pushing for change if the U.N. is to have any real role in mediating world crises. The President’s response has been to nominate the reform-minded John Bolton as our Ambassador to the U.N., and the Senate will hopefully confirm him soon.

We’ve learned what needs to be done to bolster Homeland Security. Per recommendations offered by the 9/11 Commission, we reorganized our intelligence community and created a National Intelligence Director. The U.S. House has also passed legislation that provides priority assistance to first responders who face the greatest risk. We’re now examining a bill that authorizes spending for 2,000 new Border Patrol agents and refines the much-criticized color-coded terror alert system put into place in 2002.

Of course, more needs to be done. We will continue to examine the changes of the last few years to be sure that they’re working and that we’re getting out of them what we need. One of the great fears in the days and weeks immediately following September 11th, in addition to the threat of more attacks, was the possibility that as time passed people would begin to forget the lessons of that horrific day. We haven’t forgotten. "The battle," Patrick Henry once said, "is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave." The same could be said today.

Congressman John Boehner, a Republican, represents Ohio's Eighth Congressional District, which includes Miami, Butler, Preble, Darke, and Mercer Counties.