[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                SECURITY AND SAFETY IN A POST	9/11 WORLD

=======================================================================

                             FIELD HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON
                  EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

                                 OF THE

                     COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             FIRST SESSION
                               __________

                           SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
                               __________

                           Serial No. 118-27
                               __________

       Printed for the use of the Committee on Homeland Security
                                     

                  [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                     

       Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov/

                               __________

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
                    
54-678 PDF                 WASHINGTON : 2024   


                     COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY

                 Mark E. Green, MD, Tennessee, Chairman
Michael T. McCaul, Texas             Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi, 
Clay Higgins, Louisiana                  Ranking Member
Michael Guest, Mississippi           Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas
Dan Bishop, North Carolina           Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey
Carlos A. Gimenez, Florida           Eric Swalwell, California
August Pfluger, Texas                J. Luis Correa, California
Andrew R. Garbarino, New York        Troy A. Carter, Louisiana
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia      Shri Thanedar, Michigan
Tony Gonzales, Texas                 Seth Magaziner, Rhode Island
Nick LaLota, New York                Glenn Ivey, Maryland
Mike Ezell, Mississippi              Daniel S. Goldman, New York
Anthony D'Esposito, New York         Robert Garcia, California
Laurel M. Lee, Florida               Delia C. Ramirez, Illinois
Morgan Luttrell, Texas               Robert Menendez, New Jersey
Dale W. Strong, Alabama              Yvette D. Clarke, New York
Josh Brecheen, Oklahoma              Dina Titus, Nevada
Elijah Crane, Arizona
                      Stephen Siao, Staff Director
                  Hope Goins, Minority Staff Director
                       Natalie Nixon, Chief Clerk
                                 ------                                

          SUBCOMMITTEE ON EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

                 Anthony D'Esposito, New York, Chairman
Nick LaLota, New York                Troy A. Carter, Louisiana, Ranking 
Dale W. Strong, Alabama                  Member
Josh Brecheen, Oklahoma              Donald M. Payne, Jr., New Jersey
Mark E. Green, MD, Tennessee (ex     Daniel S. Goldman, New York
    officio)                         Bennie G. Thompson, Mississippi 
                                         (ex officio)
               Diana Bergwin, Subcommittee Staff Director
          Lauren McClain, Minority Subcommittee Staff Director

                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page

                               Statements

The Honorable Anthony D'Esposito, a Representative in Congress 
  From the State of New York, and Chairman, Subcommittee on 
  Emergency Management and Technology:
  Oral Statement.................................................     1
  Prepared Statement.............................................     3
The Honorable Daniel S. Goldman, a Representative in Congress 
  From the State of New York:
  Oral Statement.................................................     4
  Prepared Statement.............................................     7
The Honorable Bennie G. Thompson, a Representative in Congress 
  From the State of Mississippi, and Ranking Member, Committee on 
  Homeland Security:
  Prepared Statement.............................................     8
The Honorable Troy A. Carter, a Representative in Congress From 
  the State of Louisiana, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on 
  Emergency Management and Technology:
  Prepared Statement.............................................     8

                               Witnesses

Mr. Joseph Pfeifer, First Deputy Fire Commissioner, New York City 
  Fire Department:
  Oral Statement.................................................    10
  Prepared Statement.............................................    13
Ms. Laura Kavanagh, Fire Commissioner, New York City Fire 
  Department:
  Oral Statement.................................................    15
  Prepared Statement.............................................    16
Ms. Rebecca Ulam Weiner, Deputy Commissioner, Intelligence and 
  Counterterrorism, New York City Police Department:
  Oral Statement.................................................    19
  Prepared Statement.............................................    21
Mr. Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner of Police, Nassau County 
  Police Department..............................................    23
Mr. Greg Ehrie, Chief Security Officer, Port Authority of New 
  York & New Jersey:
  Oral Statement.................................................    25
  Prepared Statement.............................................    27

 
                SECURITY AND SAFETY IN A POST-9/11 WORLD

                              ----------                              


                      Tuesday, September 12, 2023

             U.S. House of Representatives,
                    Committee on Homeland Security,
                      Subcommittee on Emergency Management 
                                            and Technology,
                                                      New York, NY.
    The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:24 a.m., in 
9/11 Memorial & Museum, Concourse Lobby, 180 Greenwich Street, 
New York, NY, Hon. Anthony D'Esposito (Chairman of the 
subcommittee) presiding.
    Present: Representatives D'Esposito, LaLota, Strong, 
Brecheen, and Goldman.
    Also present: Representatives Malliotas, Molinaro, and 
Menendez.
    All. I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States 
of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one 
Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for 
all.
    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you, everybody. The Committee on 
Homeland Security, Subcommittee Emergency Management and 
Technology, will come to order. Without objection, the 
subcommittee may recess any point. The purpose of this hearing 
is to hear from State and local law enforcement partners on the 
evolving threat landscape post-9/11. I thank the 9/11 Memorial 
and Museum for hosting us as we remember the tragedy that 
affected so many lives, and changed our understanding of the 
threat landscape here in United States of America and beyond.
    Without objection, the gentleman from New York, Mr. 
Molinaro and the gentlewoman from New York, Ms. Malliotakis, 
are permitted to sit on the dais and ask questions to the 
witnesses. I would also like to seek unanimous consent and have 
Mr. Menendez also waive onto the committee. Without objection, 
so ordered. I recognize myself for an opening statement.
    I first want to thank our witnesses for participating in 
today's field hearing on evolving threats, security and safety 
in a post-
9/11 world. I am humbled to be able to conduct this hearing on 
such sacred ground. As a lifelong New Yorker, retired NYPD 
detective, former chief of the Island Park Fire Department, and 
Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency 
Management and Technology, I want to thank each and every one 
of you for your commitment to keeping our Nation, our State, 
our city, and, of course, our beloved Nassau County safe. 
Without you, we would be in a very different place.
    It is my firm belief that those serving in law enforcement, 
the fire service, and emergency management represent the very 
best of America. Our Nation remains resilient thanks to your 
bravery and the bravery of your colleagues, their tenacity, and 
their ability to bring order into chaos. They choose to 
overcome fear with courage every day, which they nobly 
demonstrated 22 years ago as they helped our Nation respond to 
and recover from the deadliest attack the United States has 
ever seen.
    The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, shook this 
great Nation, and took the lives of almost 3,000 innocent 
people, lives that were taken far too soon. Our sense of safety 
and security was shattered, highlighting the presence of very 
real and a very cruel enemy. While the tragic fall of those 
great towers will never be erased from our memory, we also 
cannot forgot the unparalleled heroism and determination 
demonstrated by first responders and law enforcement that day.
    As former President George W. Bush declared in his address 
later that evening, we responded with the best of America, with 
the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers 
and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they 
could. Amid such pain and chaos, New York City's firefighters, 
police officers, paramedics ran toward the collapsing buildings 
with unforgettable courage and compassion. The world may look 
different than it did 22 years ago, but there is no shortage of 
those who seek to do harm and disrupt our way of life. From our 
Nation's first responders to those of us serving in Congress, 
we each have a role to play in keeping our community safe and 
protecting our right to life, liberty, and our pursuit of 
happiness.
    Following the attacks of September 11, Congress 
demonstrated its commitment to national security by reforming 
intragovernmental coordination and terrorism prevention by 
creating the Department of Homeland Security. Within DHS, the 
Federal Emergency Management Agencies grant programs provide 
preparedness funding for States, local governments, and 
nonprofit agencies to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks, 
major disasters, and other emergencies.
    DHS's cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency 
leads our Nation's efforts to defend against cyber threat 
actors that target critical infrastructure, Federal, State, and 
local governments, the private sector, and every single 
individual that calls America home.
    The Department's Office of Intelligence and Analysis 
delivers intelligence information to our State, local, Tribal, 
and territorial, and private-sector partners. DHS's Countering 
Weapons of Mass Destruction's office was established to help 
its operational partners at the Federal, State, and local 
level, to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction 
against the United States of America and promote readiness for 
chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.
    Regardless of one's position as public servants, we must 
follow the example of those heroes who sacrificed their lives 
that day and used the authority and resources we've each been 
given to put the lives of fellow Americans first. We must be 
vigilant in confronting new threats as well as innovative as 
those threats evolve. The United States' Armed Forces, law 
enforcement, and the intelligence community has bravely fought 
terrorist groups like al-Qaeda, the Taliban, ISIS, and many 
others, but their radical ideologies continue to inspire 
violence against the West. In fact, the FBI has expressed 
concern about U.S.-based lone actors radicalized by Jihadism 
and other radical ideologies. Additionally, other threats 
include transnational criminal organizations which have 
trafficked fentanyl into the United States of America causing 
more than 100,000 deaths annually.
    Cyber attacks and espionage also threaten our Nation's 
hospitals, small businesses, and critical infrastructure. 
Furthermore, antisemitism and hate crimes have skyrocketed in 
the last 2 years. There's no doubt the evil we face is ever-
evolving, and although daunting, we must meet today's 
challenges with the same commitment to protecting those we love 
as those heroes who responded to the attacks on 9/11 and the 
brave soldiers who fought on the front lines in Afghanistan.
    We must be unwavering in our support of the Federal and 
local law enforcement agencies as they intersect and disrupt 
terrorist plots against this great Nation. We must support our 
Nation's network of emergency responders as they safeguard our 
home from unimaginable threats.
    As we look to the future, let us remember those who gave 
their lives on September 11, 2001, and who have courageously 
fought to protect our freedoms. Freedom isn't free, so let us 
be united in our resolve to protect our businesses, our places 
of worship, and our way of life all which are beacons of light 
in the greatest Nation in the world.
    Thank you, again, to our witnesses for your commitment to 
peace and security. I look forward to hearing from you about 
your work.
    [The statement of Chairman D'Esposito follows:]

                Statement of Chairman Anthony D'Esposito
                           September 12, 2023
    I first want to thank our witnesses for participating in today's 
field hearing on ``Evolving Threats: Security and Safety in a Post-9/11 
World.'' I am humbled to be able to conduct this hearing on such sacred 
ground. As a life-long New Yorker, retired NYPD detective, former chief 
of the Island Park Fire Department, and as Chairman of the Committee on 
Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Management and 
Technology, I want to thank each of you for your commitment to keeping 
our Nation safe and to helping Americans during their time of need.
    It is my firm belief that those serving in law enforcement and in 
emergency management represent the very best of America. Our Nation 
remains resilient thanks to their bravery, their tenacity, and their 
ability to bring order into chaos. They choose to overcome fear with 
courage every day, which they nobly demonstrated 22 years ago as they 
helped our Nation respond to and recover from the deadliest attack the 
United States has ever seen.
    The terrorist attacks of 9/11 shook our great Nation and took the 
lives of almost 3,000 innocent people--lives that were taken too soon. 
Our sense of safety and security was shattered, highlighting the 
presence of a very real and cruel enemy.
    And, while the tragic fall of the Twin Towers will never be erased 
from our memory, we also cannot forget the unparalleled heroism and 
determination demonstrated by our first responders and law enforcement 
that day. As former President George W. Bush declared in his address 
later that evening, ``we responded with the best of America, with the 
daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and 
neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.''\1\ 
Amid such pain and chaos, New York City's firefighters, police 
officers, and paramedics ran toward the collapsing buildings with 
unforgettable courage and compassion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-nation-
the-terrorist-attacks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The world may look different today than it did 22 years ago, but 
there is no shortage of those who seek to do us harm and to disrupt our 
way of life. From our Nation's first responders to those of us serving 
in Congress, we each have a role to play in keeping our communities 
safe and in protecting our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of 
happiness.
    Following the attacks of 9/11, Congress demonstrated its commitment 
to national security by reforming intragovernmental coordination and 
terrorism prevention by creating the Department of Homeland Security 
(DHS). Within DHS, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) 
Grant Programs Directorate provide preparedness funding to States, 
local governments, and non-profit agencies to prevent and respond to 
terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.
    DHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads our 
Nation's efforts to defend against cyber threat actors that target 
critical infrastructure, Federal, State, and local governments, the 
private sector, and the American people. The Department's Office of 
Intelligence & Analysis (I&A) delivers intelligence information to our 
State, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) and private-sector 
partners. And DHS's Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office was 
established to help its operational partners at the Federal, State, and 
local levels prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction against the 
United States and promote readiness for chemical, biological, 
radiological, and nuclear threats.
    Regardless of one's position, as public servants, we must follow 
the example of those heroes who sacrificed their lives that day and use 
the authority and resources we've each been given to put the lives of 
our fellow Americans first. We must be vigilant in confronting new 
threats as well as innovative as those threats evolve.
    The United States' armed forces, law enforcement, and intelligence 
community have bravely fought terrorist groups like al-Qaeda, the 
Taliban, and ISIS, but their radical ideologies continue to inspire 
violence against the West. In fact, the FBI has expressed concern about 
U.S.-based lone actors radicalized by jihadism and other radical 
ideologies.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ https://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/threats-to-the-homeland-
evaluating-the-landscape-20-years-after-911-wray-092121.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Additionally, other threats include transnational criminal 
organizations, which have trafficked fentanyl into the United States, 
causing more than 100,000 annual deaths.\3\ Cyber attacks and espionage 
also threaten our Nation's hospitals, small businesses, and critical 
infrastructure. Furthermore, antisemitism and hate crimes have 
skyrocketed in the last 2 years.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ATA-2023-
Unclassified-Report.pdf.
    \4\ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/antisemitic-incidents-on-
rise-across-the-u-s-report-finds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    There is no doubt, the evil we face is ever-evolving. And, although 
daunting, we must meet today's challenges with the same commitment to 
protecting those we love as those heroes who responded to the attacks 
on 9/11 and the brave soldiers who fought on the front lines in 
Afghanistan. We must be unwavering in our support of Federal and local 
law enforcement as they intercept and disrupt terrorist plots against 
the United States, and we must support our Nation's network of 
emergency responders as they safeguard our home from unimaginable 
threats.
    As we look to the future, let us remember those who gave their 
lives on 9/11 and who have courageously fought to protect our freedoms. 
Freedom isn't free, so let us be united in our resolve to protect our 
businesses, our places of worship, and our way of life--all of which 
are beacons of light.
    Thank you again to our witnesses for your commitment to peace and 
security. I look forward to hearing from you about your work.

    Mr. D'Esposito. I now recognize the Ranking Member, Mr. 
Goldman, for his opening statement.
    Mr. Goldman. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you 
for convening this hearing in this now-hallowed place, the 
Museum and Memorial for 9/11. I also just want to take note of 
my colleagues who are here as well, many from New York, New 
York City, and the surrounding suburbs, including New Jersey 
suburbs, all of whose districts have been--were dramatically 
impacted by the 9/11 attacks. Of course, I am the 
Representative of this district, this location, and I'm very 
grateful that although we have very many disagreements on a 
number of different things, we have bipartisan unity in 
supporting this site, this museum, the 9/11 World Trade Center 
Health Program to make sure that we honor our commitment to the 
first responders and simply pay for their health care from 
their illnesses that have arisen from their heroic efforts 
following 9/11.
    I also want to thank our witnesses who are here today. We 
appreciate all of your work responding to and preventing 
terrorist attacks, and are really grateful for your presence 
here today. I think the American people do not realize how many 
potential terrorist attacks are thwarted by the fine men and 
women in law enforcement. You don't hear about those for good 
reason, but I know from my former years as a Federal 
prosecutor, that they happen far more frequently than you would 
realize.
    First Deputy Commissioner Pfeifer, I also just want to take 
a special moment to extend a thank you for your service. You 
are a hero and among the brave first responders who responded 
after those horrific attacks, and have continued your fine 
service to our country.
    I'd also like to thank the Memorial and Museum for hosting 
us today and providing this space. I've been to the museum 
several times. It is incredibly powerful and moving, and it is 
a testament to the importance of that event that we honored 
yesterday on the 22nd anniversary, which we will do every year 
as a reminder that we can never forget what happened on 9/11. 
We can never forget those people around the world, those 
groups, those organizations who do not like us because we are, 
as the Chairman said, the beacon of light of democracy.
    That day is etched into our collective memory as a day that 
brought this Nation to a standstill, a day that showed the 
world the worst of humanity's capacity for hatred, but also, 
the best of our resilience and unity as a city and as a Nation. 
On that faithful Tuesday morning, beautiful skies, as we all 
remember, and is commemorated in this museum. Nineteen 
terrorists hijacked four commercial planes, flew two of them 
into the two towers of the World Trade Center, one into the 
Pentagon, and a fourth plane crashed in Shanksville, 
Pennsylvania, through the heroic efforts of passengers who 
thwarted what was expected to be an attack on our Capitol.
    Nearly 3,000 people were killed that day. I vividly 
remember--I lived about a mile north of here on Hudson Street. 
I will never forget watching streams of people covered in soot, 
dust. It looked like they had literally been showered on by the 
white soot, walking startled, silent up the street. I will 
never forget the pile burning for weeks and weeks. The smell 
that has--that just constantly emanated from it. The missing-
person signs that were put up all around downtown, none of them 
were ever recovered. It is a day etched in many of our 
memories, because I know many of us here have stories to tell, 
and it's a day that we can never forget.
    I'd also like to acknowledge the survivors and families of 
those who lost loved ones on 9/11, and who have continued to 
fight every single day for the truth, justice, and care that 
the New York heroes so deeply deserve. Those who are still 
suffering from illnesses, it is troubling to say the least that 
there were 343 members of the Fire Department of New York who 
perished that day. Since 9/11, there are now 341 who have died 
from 9/11-related illnesses. Those families, those survivors 
need full transparency from the city of New York, and from our 
Government, to make sure that they get the proper justice, 
accountability, and transparency that they need.
    In the days and weeks following 9/11, the world watched as 
we came together in a display of unity and strength. The world 
joined us, joined America, our allies, to share in the--both 
the grief, but also the resiliency. We have transformed this 
area now. We have rebuilt it as is the American way. And the 
strength of our resiliency is a reminder of the mandate that we 
have to ensure that evil never triumphs over the American 
spirit, that our democracy and freedoms never succumb to those 
who want to undermine it, both from abroad and from within.
    The aftermath of 9/11 reshaped how our country had dealt 
with terrorism and ushered in a need to strengthen our Nation's 
national security to ensure that such events never happen 
again. We have enacted new laws, establishing the 9/11 
Commission, 22 agencies that joined together to become the 
Department of Homeland Security, and what was the largest 
reorganization of the Federal Government since World War II.
    As we remember 9/11, we must also reflect on the lessons it 
imparts, which is the need to continually strengthen our 
homeland against terrorist attacks. Nine-eleven revealed 
significant and fundamental security challenges. For example, 
emergency communications challenges were identified by the 9/11 
Commission as a contributing factor in the death toll. There 
have been vast improvements in the 22 years, including the 
creation of the First Responder Network Authority in 2012, 
which established a single Nation-wide broadband specifically 
for first responders, a broadband network. I hope to hear today 
from our witnesses how advancements in technology and 
communications have helped to improve city security as well as 
the Nation's security.
    Another great resource that was developed after 9/11 were 
the Department of Homeland Security grant programs, which 
provided dedicated funding to cities like New York to help 
build and strengthen defenses against terrorism. We have 
programs now, like the Urban Area Security Initiative and State 
Security Grant Program, to assist in ensuring that first 
responders have the resources they need to defend their 
communities. So many cities, including New York and Washington, 
rely on these resources.
    I, and I know my colleagues here, commit to doing 
everything we can to ensure these resources remain sufficient 
and robust to stem any future terrorist attacks. It is my hope 
that we use this hearing to commemorate the memory of the 
victims and the bravery of the first responders. This is my 
home. It is an honor to be here for this hearing to discuss how 
we are going to keep our city, New York, strong. Let us 
recommit to working together, transcending our differences, and 
striving for a world where tragedies become relics of the past, 
and we work together to promote American democracy here and 
abroad.
    I look forward to discussing all of this with our witnesses 
today. I thank the Chairman, again, and I yield back.
    [The statement of Ranking Member Goldman follows:]

                Statement of Honorable Daniel S. Goldman
                           September 12, 2023
    September 11, 2001, is etched into our collective memory as a day 
that brought the Nation to a standstill, a day that showed the world 
the worst of humanity's capacity for hatred, but also the best of our 
resilience and unity as a city and as a Nation.
    On that fateful Tuesday morning, 19 terrorists hijacked four 
commercial airplanes and flew two of them into the World Trade Center, 
one into the Pentagon and a fourth plane crashed in Shanksville, 
Pennsylvania en route to the Capitol that day. Nearly 3,000 people were 
killed that day.
    Living in downtown Manhattan on September 11, I will never forget 
watching the second plane hit the Towers and the soot-covered people 
walking down Hudson Street. Now, as the Member of Congress who 
represents this district, I am honored that we are holding this hearing 
in my district to honor the lives lost on September 11 and the grief 
that families who lost loved ones continue to experience.
    I would also like to acknowledge the survivors and families of 
those we lost on 9/11 who have continued to fight every single day for 
the truth, justice, and care that these New York heroes so deeply 
deserve. And for those who are still suffering from illness arising 
from the horrific attacks that day, please know that I and others in 
Congress are fighting every day so that you can receive the basic 
health care you so deserve for the sacrifice you made for this country 
and the victims of 9/11.
    For me and so many others, the immediate aftermath of 9/11 was a 
surreal mixture of shock, disbelief, and sorrow. First responders 
rushed into the chaos without a second thought, demonstrating 
extraordinary courage. Their bravery and deep sense of duty saved many 
lives that day. And it also caused 343 lives of members of the FDNY to 
perish that day.
    In the days and weeks following 9/11, the world watched as we came 
together in a display of unity and strength. Our community is home to 
countless heroes who have cared for, rebuilt, and transformed our city 
in the aftermath of the attacks. Their strength is a reminder of the 
mandate we have to ensure that evil never triumphs over the American 
spirit. That our democracy and freedom never succumb to those who want 
to undermine it.
    The aftermath of 9/11 reshaped how the country dealt with terrorism 
and ushered in a need to strengthen our Nation's national security to 
ensure that such events never happen again. The Federal Government 
changed its counterterrorism efforts following 9/11, enacting new laws, 
establishing the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the 
United States (also known as the 9/11 Commission), and combining 22 
agencies to establish the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)--in 
what was the largest reorganization of the Federal Government since 
World War II.
    As we remember 9/11, we must also reflect on the lessons it 
imparts, which is the need to continuously strengthen our homeland 
against terrorist attacks. Nine-eleven revealed significant and 
fundamental security challenges. For example, emergency communications 
challenges were identified by the 9/11 Commission as a contributing 
factor in the death toll.
    Twenty-two years later, there have been vast improvements in 
communications, including the creation of the First Responder Network 
Authority (FirstNet Authority) in 2012, which established a single 
nationwide broadband network specifically for first responders. I hope 
to hear today how advancements in communications have helped improve 
the city's security posture and also what further investments are 
needed.
    Another great resource that was developed after 9/11 is the 
Department of Homeland Security's grant programs, which provide 
dedicated funding to cities like New York City to help build and 
strengthen their defenses against terrorists. Programs like the Urban 
Areas Security Initiative (UASI) and the State Homeland Security Grant 
Program assist in ensuring that first responders have the resources 
they need to defend their communities against threats. New York City, 
Washington, DC, and so many other places rely on these resources. I 
commit to doing everything that I can to ensure that these resources 
are robust.
    It is my hope that with this hearing we will commemorate the memory 
of the victims and the bravery of the first responders.
    New York City is my home. And it is an honor to be here for this 
hearing to discuss how we are going to keep our city New York Strong. 
And let us commit to working together, transcending our differences, 
and striving for a world where such tragedies become relics of the 
past.
    I look forward to discussing with our witnesses today on how 
Congress can best support their efforts to help strengthen New York 
City.

    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you, Mr. Ranking Member.
    Other Members of the subcommittee are reminded that opening 
statements may be submitted for the record.
    [The statements of Ranking Members Thompson and Carter 
follow:]

             Statement of Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson
                           September 12, 2023
    Twenty-two years ago, everything we knew about our Nation's 
security changed. September 11, 2001, was a pivotal moment in our 
history--it left an indelible impact on our country and, of course, New 
York City. On that tragic day, four hijacked airplanes were used as 
weapons, claiming the lives of 2,983 people. We continue to mourn their 
loss and keep their families in our prayers.
    To the first responders who served on 9/11 and to their loved ones 
left behind that terrible day and in the years since, we express our 
continued, unwavering support to you.
    It is fitting that the Committee on Homeland Security is meeting, 
again, on this hallowed ground today. The committee was established in 
the wake of 9/11, so that Congress could do its part to oversee and 
support those on the front lines securing our country and our 
communities.
    Since its inception, this committee has worked with the Department 
of Homeland Security, which was also stood up after 9/11, to secure the 
homeland and provide grants to State and local partners. We have made--
and must continue to make--significant investments in grant programs 
like the Urban Area Security Initiative, the State Homeland Security 
Grant Program, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, and the Transit 
Security Grant Program. This funding is critical to firefighters, 
paramedics, police, and other first responders.
    I hope the witnesses today will share what we can do to better help 
them protect communities against the ever-evolving threat landscape. 
The threat of terrorism persists, but as a Nation we are better 
prepared than we were 22 years ago.
    As someone who has served on the Committee on Homeland Security 
since its creation, I remain committed to supporting first responders 
and communities fighting this threat, both domestic and foreign. I look 
forward to your testimony on how the committee can support your efforts 
to protect New York City.
                                 ______
                                 
               Statement of Ranking Member Troy A. Carter
                           September 12, 2023
    I want to extend my gratitude to the witnesses here today. First 
responders, like yourselves, keep communities safe from terrorist 
threats.
    Today, we are gathered in the 9/11 Memorial and Museum to mark a 
solemn occasion.
    Twenty-two years ago, 19 terrorists hijacked four commercial 
airplanes, leading to the death of nearly 3,000 people.
    I want to send my heartfelt condolences and unwavering support to 
the families of each victim who died on that ill-fated day.
    September 11, 2001, will forever be imprinted into our hearts as a 
day that terrorists tried to destroy our Nation. While we lost 
thousands of lives, brave first responders, including one of our 
witnesses here today, First Deputy Commissioner Pfeifer, helped save 
thousands more by rushing into burning buildings without thinking about 
their well-being. Their courageous actions then and now are the reason 
why New York City is still standing here today.
    The events on 9/11 revealed significant homeland security 
challenges, including the lack of dedicated funding to help State and 
local officials manage terrorist threats. In the aftermath of 9/11, the 
Department of Homeland Security was established, and grant programs, 
such as the Urban Area Security Initiative, the State Homeland Security 
Grant Program, and the Securing the Cities Program, were created to 
provide funding to cities and States to help improve preparedness and 
response to terrorist threats.
    Limited communications technology was also a challenge during 9/11 
response, which the 9/11 Commission highlighted in their report. First 
responders did not have an effective way to communicate with one 
another, contributing to a higher death toll.
    Since 9/11, Congress has worked to strengthen our communications 
abilities and created the First Responder Network Authority in 2012, 
establishing a nationwide broadband network for first responders.
    While we have made vast improvements, more needs to be done.
    I look forward to discussing how we can best support our first 
responders and secure our communities.
    Thank you, and I yield back.

    Mr. D'Esposito. I am very pleased to have such an important 
panel of witnesses before us today. I ask that the witnesses 
please rise and raise your right hand.
    Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will give 
before the Committee on Homeland Security of the U.S. House of 
Representatives will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing 
but the truth so help you God?
    Thank you. Please be seated. Let the record reflect the 
witnesses have answered in the affirmative.
    Would like to now formally introduce our witnesses. Mr. 
Joseph Pfeifer, the first deputy commissioner of the New York 
City Fire Department. Mr. Pfeifer was the first fire chief to 
respond to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, and 
we certainly thank him for his bravery and heroism on that day, 
and for being here with us today. Mr. Pfeifer also the founding 
director of the FDNY Center for Terrorism and Disaster 
Preparedness. Sir, thank you for your service.
    Ms. Laura Kavanagh is the 34th fire commissioner for the 
city of New York's Fire Department. Commissioner Kavanagh 
oversees administration of the agency's 17,000 employees and 
was a key leader for the Department's responses to the 2015 
Ebola outbreak as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioner, 
thank you for your time and your commitment to safety.
    Ms. Rebecca Weiner, head of the New York City Police 
Department's intelligence and counterterrorism bureau. Deputy 
Commissioner Weiner has been with the NYPD since 2006 and 
previously served as legal counsel to the Department's 
intelligence analysis unit. She also served as the first 
representative of local law enforcement on the director of 
National Intelligence's National Intelligence Council. 
Commissioner, thank you for being here. Thank you for welcoming 
us to 1PP earlier this month, and thank you for serving the 
NYPD well.
    Mr. Patrick Ryder is the commissioner of the Nassau County 
Police Department. Commissioner Ryder has dedicated 38 years of 
his life to law enforcement first starting in the NYPD in 
Brooklyn North, the best borough to work in. Thirty-six of 
those years with the Nassau County Police Department. 
Throughout his career with the Nassau County Police Department, 
Commissioner Ryder has implemented several programs and 
initiatives to ensure officer and public safety, including the 
creation of the counterterrorism unit. I will say as a lifelong 
resident of Nassau County and proud to represent now in 
Congress, I thank Commissioner Ryder every day for his 
commitment to keeping Nassau County safe. Commissioner, thank 
you for being here.
    Mr. Greg Ehrie is the chief security officer of the Port 
Authority of New York and New Jersey. He served in the United 
States Air Force and is a veteran of Desert Storm and gave an 
impressive 22 years of service to the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation. Sir, thank you for being here, and thank you for 
your time, and thank you for your service to this great county.
    I thank the witnesses for being here today. As a proud New 
Yorker, thank all of you for your service to the great State of 
New York.
    I now recognize First Deputy Commissioner Pfeifer for 5 
minutes to summarize his opening statement.

 STATEMENT OF JOSEPH PFEIFER, FIRST DEPUTY FIRE COMMISSIONER, 
                 NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT

    Mr. Pfeifer. Chairman D'Esposito, Ranking Member Goldman, 
and subcommittee Members, thank you for letting me speak today 
and testify in this historical location on such an important 
topic.
    Twenty-two years ago yesterday, on a bright summer day, I 
was the battalion chief standing in the street with my fire 
units responding to an odor of gas when suddenly I heard a loud 
noise of a plane coming overhead and flying so low that I could 
read the words American on the fuselage. Then I saw the plane 
aim and crash into the World Trade Center.
    In a flash, I knew this was no accident, but a terrorist 
attack, and thousands of people were in their greatest moment 
of need. I was the first fire chief to arrive at the World 
Trade Center, and with my firefighters and first responders, we 
looked at the burning building, and knew we were going to the 
most dangerous fire of our lives. Without hesitation, 
firefighters approached me and asked, Chief, what do you need? 
I directed them to go up, evacuate everybody, and rescue those 
that couldn't get out.
    Seventeen minutes after the first attack, a second plane 
crashed into the South Tower, and within 60 minutes a third 
plane would crash into the Pentagon, and a fourth into the 
fields in Pennsylvania. Then the unthinkable happened. I heard 
a loud rumbling sound of the 110th story World Trade Center 
towers collapsing to the ground, and in bunker gear, you don't 
run too far or too fast in 11 seconds. Then this beautiful 
summer day turned completely dark in a cloud of crumbled 
concrete and twisted steel, and I couldn't see the hand in 
front of my face.
    I wondered in that moment if I was still alive. In 102 
minutes, our world changed forever as we witnessed the mass 
murder of nearly 3,000 people, including 343 of my 
firefighters, one of whom was my brother. In the aftermath, the 
9/11 Commission report identified several critical changes that 
municipalities to improve intergovernmental, interagency 
communications, and coordination. The Fire Department embraced 
that mandate to adapt to the threat of terrorism by enhancing 
emergency response capabilities. We conducted an in-depth, 
after-action review and strategized ways to make improvements.
    We created a state-of-the-art fire department operations 
center located at FDNY headquarters. It enables senior leaders 
to manage complex emergencies by seamlessly sharing information 
and coordinating with local partners, like the New York City 
Police Department, New York City Emergency Management, and 
other city agencies, as well as State and Federal partners.
    One significant development from our post-9/11 discussions 
is FDNY's creating a center for terrorism and disaster 
preparedness. Through information gathering, intelligence 
analysis, and coordination with Government partners, the center 
enabled the Department to understand the risk better and 
prepare to respond to terrorist attacks, natural disasters and 
extreme events. Members of the center created emergency 
response plans, developed strategies to prepare for emerging 
threats. This includes working with NYPD Emergency Management 
to establish operational roles and train for terrorist attacks 
and other complex events.
    We have worked diligently to strengthen the interagency 
relationships via training with other agencies. We have 
bolstered communication, enabling us to share voice, video, and 
data effectively to--to effectively manage situational 
awareness and coordination. This includes frequently engaging 
with State and Federal partners, such as the Port Authority of 
New York and New Jersey, surrounding counties, the United 
States Coast Guard, the National Guard, the FBI Joint Terrorism 
Task Force, the Federal Aviation Administration to just name a 
few.
    Another lesson from 9/11 was the Fire Department needed to 
increase capability and capacity. A good example of this was 
FDNY's marine units for the water operations. Before 9/11, our 
marine division was comprised primarily of 60-year-old fire 
boats designed to respond to boat and peer fires along the 
waterway. We now have built marine operations into a robust 
fleet of boats on various sizes and capabilities designed for a 
tiered response to all types of emergencies. We acquired two 
140-foot vessels, two medium-sized, 60-foot vessels with more 
maneuverability and a variety of small boats capable of 
responding to emergencies.
    We built our new fire boats to deal with terrorist threats 
against critical infrastructures, such as bridges and to be a 
regional asset. I'm sure you remember the miracle in the Hudson 
with passengers standing on the wings of United Airways--U.S. 
Airways floating down the Hudson River. Our fire boats rescued 
many of those passengers. We also built up capabilities to 
repair those boats more quickly.
    Thankfully, no subsequent terrorist attack in New York City 
has created such destruction as we saw on 9/11 of the World 
Trade Center. However, as this subcommittee is well aware of, 
the city continues to experience acts of terrorism and mass 
violence. In recent years, the Fire Department and our partners 
have responded to multiple terrorist attacks. This has included 
individuals attempting to detonate a pipe bomb in a narrow 
subway corridor, a bomb fashioned from a pressure cooker, set 
to explode in a suitcase in Chelsea's neighborhood of Lower 
Manhattan, and terrorists who drove a truck down the West Side 
Highway, and crowded bike path, and hit people and pedestrians, 
and hit a school bus.
    Last year, the city experienced a mass shooting in a subway 
in Brooklyn, involving a smoke grenade and handguns that 
injured 29 people. Since 9/11, FDNY training has evolved, 
including focusing on responding to active-shooter incidents. 
Using Federal funding, we created a counterterrorism rescue 
task force, selecting EMS and fire personnel undergoing 
extensive training with our colleagues from NYPD. In an active-
shooter response, police aggressively subdued the shooter while 
another police team creates a warm zone in which EMS and 
firefighters provide lifesaving care for victims under NYPD 
forced protection. Patients needing care are then rushed to the 
hospitals. We call this dual mission stopping the killing and 
stopping the dying.
    The threat environment is changing as terrorism evolves and 
new methods of attack. We analyzed innovative threats and 
prepared to counter them with our security partners through an 
information-sharing network. FDNY's Center for Terrorism and 
Disaster preparedness has written intel documents and trained 
with members to confront the threat of vertical terrorism in 
high-rise buildings where fire and smoke are used as weapons.
    Potential innovative attacks may also involve targeting 
large energy storage battery systems. We are working with the 
private sector to safeguard these facilities. We have also 
taken proactive approaches involving cyber threats. To do so, 
we have leveraged Homeland Security funding to build a variety 
of in-house resources and tools for security testing, 
firewalls, intrusion detection, and prevention. We have also 
explored ways to conduct incident management of a cyber attack 
with physical consequences.
    Finally, we do not limit our preparation to responding to 
threats brought about by deliberate attacks of terrorism as an 
integral part of Homeland Security that fire departments, such 
as the FDNY, must confront is one of climate security. National 
disasters have devastating effects here in New York City and 
around the world.
    Recent history has shown more frequent and more powerful 
events. During Hurricane Sandy, the Fire Department faced many 
emergencies across the city. We responded to water rescues, 
flooding where people were trapped, and thousands of downed 
trees and utility lines, and scattered debris, along with 
various medical emergencies, and the largest residential fire 
in FDNY's history. As luck would have it, I was the first chief 
at that fire.
    We have seen recent examples of climate-driven disasters 
causing wide-spread destruction, such as the wildfires in Maui, 
flooding in New England, and similar events in locations 
throughout the country. Municipalities need your help to 
prepare for these events to reduce the death toll and the 
skyrocketing property costs. Climate security is an essential 
element of homeland security that we are incorporating into our 
preparedness.
    In conclusion, I want to thank the committee for your time 
and interest in these critical issues. We are here at the 9/11 
Memorial Museum as a sign of resilience to reflect on the past, 
and envision the future so we can enhance the present. Tragic 
events can be challenging to talk about. But with these stories 
comes a responsibility to improve response operations to save 
lives.
    I am grateful to Congressional Members here today, and your 
colleagues, for ensuring that these discussions continue and 
for providing the Department, like FDNY, with the tools to do 
our best in these dangerous situations. Through your support, 
we will turn traumatic memories into hope and greater national 
preparedness and security.
    Thank you so much.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Pfeifer follows:]
                  Prepared Statement of Joseph Pfeifer
                           September 12, 2023
                       a day we will never forget
    Chairman D'Esposito, Ranking Member Carter, and subcommittee 
Members thank you for letting me testify at this historical location 
about such an important topic.
    Twenty-two years ago yesterday, on a bright summer day, I was a 
battalion chief standing in the street with my fire units responding to 
an odor of gas when suddenly I heard the loud noise of a plane 
overhead, flying so low that I could read the word ``American'' on the 
fuselage. Then I saw the plane aim and crash into the North Tower of 
the World Trade Center. In a flash, I knew this was a terrorist attack, 
and thousands of people were in their greatest moment of need.
    I was the first fire chief to arrive at the World Trade Center. 
With my firefighters and first responders, we looked at the burning 
North Tower and knew that we were going to the most dangerous fire of 
our lives. Without hesitation, firefighters approached me to ask, 
``Chief, what do you need?'' I directed them to ``Go up, evacuate 
everyone, and rescue those who could not get out.'' Seventeen minutes 
after the first attack, a second plane crashed into the South Tower. 
Within the next 60 minutes, a third plane would crash into the Pentagon 
and a fourth into the fields of Pennsylvania.
    Then the unthinkable happened. I heard the loud rumbling sound of 
each 110-story World Trade Center Towers collapsing to the ground. In 
the dark dust cloud of crumbled concrete and twisted steel, I could not 
see the hand in front of my face, and I wondered if I was still alive. 
In just 102 minutes, our world had changed forever as we witnessed the 
mass murder of nearly 3,000 people, including 343 of my firefighters, 
one of whom was my brother.
                            lessons of 9/11
    In the aftermath, the 9/11 Commission Report identified several 
critical changes for municipalities to improve intra-agency 
communications and coordination. The Fire Department embraced the 
mandate to adapt to the threat of terrorism by enhancing emergency 
response capabilities. We conducted an in-depth after-action review and 
strategized ways to make improvements. We created a state-of-the-art 
Fire Department Operations Center. Located at FDNY headquarters, it 
enables senior leaders to manage complex emergencies by seamlessly 
sharing information and coordinating with local partners like the New 
York Police Department (NYPD), New York City Emergency Management 
(NYCEM), and other City agencies as well as State and Federal partners.
    One significant development from our post-9/11 discussions is FDNY 
creating a Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness (CTDP). 
Through information gathering, intelligence analysis, and coordination 
with government partners, the CTDP enables the Department to understand 
risk better and prepare to respond to terrorist attacks, natural 
disasters, and extreme events. Members of the CTDP create emergency 
response plans and develop strategies to prepare for emerging threats. 
This includes working with NYPD and Emergency Management to establish 
operational roles and train for terrorist attacks and other complex 
events.
    We have worked diligently to strengthen interagency relationships 
via training with other agencies. We have bolstered communication, 
enabling us to share voice, video, and data more efficiently for 
situational awareness and coordination. This includes frequent 
engagement with State and Federal partners such as the Port Authority 
of New York and New Jersey, the United States Coast Guard and National 
Guard, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Federal Aviation 
Administration, to name just a few.
    Another lesson of 9/11 was the Fire Department's need to increase 
capabilities and capacity. A good example of this is FDNY's Marine 
Units for water operations. Before 9/11, our Marine Division was 
composed primarily of 60-year-old fireboats designed to respond to boat 
and pier fires along the water. We have now built Marine Operations 
into a robust fleet of boats of various sizes and capabilities designed 
for a tiered response to all types of emergencies. We acquired two 
large 140-foot vessels, two medium-sized 65-foot vessels with more 
maneuverability, and a variety of smaller boats capable of responding 
to emergencies. We built our new fireboats to deal with terrorist 
threats against critical infrastructure like bridges and to be a 
regional interstate asset. I'm sure you remember the Miracle in the 
Hudson with passengers standing on the wing of U.S. Airways floating in 
the Hudson River. Our fireboats rescued many of those passengers. We 
also built up the capability to perform repairs at FDNY facilities, 
eliminating the need to transport them to distant shops and 
significantly boosting the time our marine assets are in service and 
available.
                     preparing for emerging threats
    Thankfully, no subsequent act of terror in New York City has 
created destruction and devastation on the scale of the World Trade 
Center attacks. However, as this subcommittee is well aware, the city 
continues to experience acts of terrorism and mass violence. In recent 
years, the Fire Department and our partners have responded to multiple 
terrorist attacks. This has included an individual attempting to 
detonate a pipe bomb in a narrow subway corridor, a bomb fashioned from 
a pressure cooker set to explode in a suitcase in the Chelsea 
neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, and a terrorist who drove a truck down 
a crowded bike path, ramming cyclists and pedestrians, and hitting a 
school bus. Last year, the city experienced a mass shooting on a subway 
train in Brooklyn involving smoke grenades and handguns that injured 29 
people.
    Since 9/11, FDNY training has evolved and now includes a focus on 
responding to active-shooter threats. Using Federal funding, we created 
the Counterterrorism Rescue Task Force. Select EMS and fire personnel 
undergo extensive training with colleagues from NYPD. In an active-
shooter response, the police aggressively subdue the shooters while 
another police team quickly creates a ``warm zone'' in which EMS and 
firefighters provide life-saving care to victims under NYPD force 
protection. Patients needing care are then rushed to the hospital. We 
call this the dual mission of NYPD and FDNY, ``Stopping the killing and 
stopping the dying.''
    The threat environment is changing as terrorism evolves with new 
methods of attack. We analyze innovative threats and prepare to counter 
them with our security partners through an information-sharing network. 
FDNY's Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness has written intel 
documents and trained members to confront threats such as Vertical 
Terrorism in high-rise buildings where fire and smoke are used as 
weapons. Potential innovative attacks may also involve targeting large 
energy storage battery systems. We are working with the private sector 
to safeguard these facilities.
    We have also taken a proactive approach to evolving cybersecurity 
threats. To do so, we leverage Homeland Security funds to build a 
variety of in-house resources and tools for security testing, firewall 
protection, intrusion detection, and prevention. We have also explored 
ways of conducting incident management for cyber attacks with physical 
consequences.
    Finally, we do not limit our preparation to responding to threats 
brought on by deliberate acts of terrorism. An integral part of 
Homeland Security that fire departments such as FDNY must confront is 
one of Climate Security. Natural disasters have had devastating effects 
here in New York and around the world. Recent history has shown more 
frequent and powerful climate events. During Hurricane Sandy, the Fire 
Department faced many emergencies across the city. We responded to 
water rescues, flooding, thousands of downed trees and scattered 
debris, various medical emergencies, and the largest private dwelling 
fires in FDNY's history. As luck would have it, I was also the first 
chief to arrive at that fire. We have seen recent examples of climate-
driven disasters causing widespread destruction, such as the wildfires 
in Maui, flooding in New England, and similar events in locations all 
over the country. Municipalities need your help to prepare for these 
events to reduce the death toll and skyrocketing property losses. 
Climate Security is an essential element of Homeland Security that we 
are incorporating into our preparedness.
    In conclusion, I want to thank the committee for your time and 
interest in these critical issues. We are here at the 9/11 Memorial 
Museum as a sign of resilience to reflect on the past and envision the 
future so we can enhance the present. Tragic events can be challenging 
to talk about. But with these stories comes a responsibility to improve 
response operations to save lives. I am grateful to the Congressional 
Members here today and your colleagues for ensuring these discussions 
continue, and for providing departments like FDNY with the tools to do 
our best in these dangerous times.
    Through your support, we will turn traumatic memories into hope and 
greater national preparedness. Thank you.

    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you, Mr. Pfeifer. I just want to 
remind, your opening statements will be submitted for the 
record. If we could try to just summarize the opening 
statements, keep it to 5 minutes. Again, Mr. Pfeifer, thank you 
so much for your service.
    I now recognize Commissioner Kavanagh for 5 minutes.

 STATEMENT OF LAURA KAVANAGH, FIRE COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY 
                        FIRE DEPARTMENT

    Ms. Kavanagh. Thank you. I think as you heard from 
Commissioner Pfeifer's testimony, you know, the New York City 
Fire Department suffered the ultimate tragedy 22 years ago, but 
it's the ultimate sign of resilience, including Commissioner 
Pfeifer's decision to come back and continuing serving like so 
many of your members have.
    One way that we can honor those who have fallen is to 
protect and nourish those who've survived. Many of our members 
are suffering World Trade Center health conditions, as the 
Chairman mentioned today. For our responders who now suffer 
from cancer, our data shows is those receiving treatment 
through the World Center Trade Program live longer than cancer 
patients in New York State who were never exposed to the World 
Trade Center. Remarkably, 5 years after a cancer diagnosis, 86 
percent of responders are still with us today. Despite its 
success, we are forced to continually fight to maintain funding 
for this program. In July, the Senate approved necessary 
funding for the World Trade Center Health Program as part of 
the National Defense Authorization Act. We are hopeful that the 
House will approve it as well.
    As First Deputy Commissioner Pfeifer poignantly 
highlighted, one quality that has always strengthened the Fire 
Department is our ability to learn from experience and improve, 
and our ability to have Federal funds integral to continuing 
that improvement. A couple of things that I'd like to highlight 
on that. We are the premiere fire department in the country. 
That means that we are a regional and a national asset. We are 
proud that our fellow first responders from across the 
continent look to us for innovation, and we gladly share our 
knowledge and best practices.
    For example, recently we received requests from various 
municipalities about our advanced drone and robotics program. 
Using Federal dollars, we have gone from a single-tethered 
drone to a fleet of drones and robotic devices that we 
regularly use at scene of emergency operations. We were the 
first fire department in the country to use a drone, and we 
have continued pushing the technology forward working directly 
with the FAA to improve processes for departments like ours.
    Initially, drones were just static observational devices, 
but we now employ these drones and robotic devices as tactical 
tools that save lives of first responders. For example, in 
April, we deployed our robotic dog to search for signs of life 
in a parking garage collapse. In the summer, we used the drones 
to analyze a construction crane that had caught fire and 
dangled 45 stories above 10th Avenue. We also use these 
regularly at fires and emergencies on a daily basis.
    We have also transformed into a regional and national 
asset, that includes a 285-member incident management team that 
manages and coordinates emergencies across the country. This 
concept, which came out of the wake of 9/11, allows the 
Department to send talented emergency managers nationally and 
even internationally to provide assistance. Some examples just 
this year, the Ridge Creek forest fire in Oregon, the wildfires 
in Quebec, in Canada. We also formed the FDNY's Urban Search 
and Rescue Team, which is specialized teams that are trained to 
carry out live-saving operations in complex environments. They 
have been deployed to New England, assist in search-and-rescue 
operations during severe flooding. They also gone to Florida, 
North Carolina, South Carolina, and to help with hurricane 
responses across the country. We frequently deploy search-and-
rescue teams, including in recent years to Louisiana, Georgia, 
Florida, the Carolinas, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, Massachusetts, 
Texas, as well as several islands in the Caribbean.
    Finally, we are grateful for every dollar of Federal 
funding that we receive, and we appreciate the attention paid 
to this issue by the Members of this subcommittee and the 
Committee on Homeland Security. We believe it is critical to 
allow grant funds to be used for training as well for 
management and administrative costs. There is great value in 
purchasing tangible innovative equipment, and we do a lot of 
that. As a grant recipient, we also put a priority on making 
sure that we track and administer grant dollars appropriately 
and efficiently to great lengths to be good stewards of Federal 
funds.
    Having the equipment is only one part of the equation. The 
other is being certain that FDNY personnel can expertly deploy 
it at the appropriate moment, and it is only possible when 
their training is current and substantial. I also want to 
stress the importance of keeping funding tied to risk. The 
number of cities eligible for UASI funding has grown, and while 
I would never discourage the Government from allocating funds 
to other cities, it is important that areas of the country 
where the risk is greatest are able to access Federal funding 
to successfully manage that risk.
    Cities like New York have a great need for Homeland 
Security funding, as I hope First Deputy Commissioner Pfeifer 
and I have demonstrated today. We greatly appreciate the 
partners that we have in this room. Your support, and the 
support of your colleagues in Congress, has enabled the 
Department to modernize, innovate, and equip ourselves to keep 
pace with the evolving set of challenges that we face. 
Sometimes those innovations are the result of very difficult 
days, but I am grateful to live in a country that works 
together to ensure that an attack like 9/11 can never happen 
again. Thank you.
    [The prepared statement of Ms. Kavanagh follows:]
                  Prepared Statement of Laura Kavanagh
                           September 12, 2023
    Good morning Chairman D'Esposito, Ranking Member Carter, and all of 
the Members of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology 
who are here today.
    As commissioner of the New York City Fire Department, I want to 
express gratitude to the Members of the subcommittee for conducting 
today's hearing at the National September 11th Memorial & Museum. 
Twenty-two years ago, the Fire Department lost 343 members here on this 
hallowed ground as they raced to save as many New Yorkers as they could 
from the towering infernos of the World Trade Center. The loss of even 
a single firefighter shakes the entire FDNY family; losing this many 
all at once was an unfathomable blow.
    In the wake of September 11, the men and women of the FDNY worked 
around-the-clock for months at Ground Zero to recover the victims' 
remains, including their own fallen comrades. The tragedy of 9/11 
didn't end on that day. Our members are still dying of illnesses 
sustained because of the brave and selfless time they spent at the 
World Trade Center site. Last week, we added 43 names to the World 
Trade Center Memorial Wall. We are now at the point where nearly as 
many members have died of World Trade Center illnesses as died in the 
attack itself.
    But as our 158-year history has shown, the FDNY is resilient. I am 
proud that, despite the great risks involved, FDNY members respond 
every day to help their fellow New Yorkers. Our ranks today include 
many legacy members who lost loved ones on 9/11 but continue to serve. 
There is no better example of that than First Deputy Commissioner 
Joseph Pfeifer, who, as you just heard, was a Battalion Chief on 
September 11, 2001.
    One way we can honor those who have fallen is to protect and 
nourish those who survive. We established the FDNY WTC Health Program 
in response to the large numbers of survivors affected by WTC-related 
health conditions, including cancers and lung disease. Every day this 
program provides our members with the therapies they need: medical 
monitoring, mental health and physical health treatments, 
chemotherapies, respiratory medications and organ transplants, all at 
no cost. In the last 18 months, six members of our Department have 
received lung transplants, freeing them from constant oxygen therapy 
and the very real threat of death. And for our responders who now 
suffer from cancer, our data shows that those receiving treatment 
through the WTC Health Program live longer than cancer patients in New 
York State who were never exposed to the World Trade Center. 
Remarkably, 5 years after a cancer diagnosis, 86 percent of responders 
are still with us today. Despite its success, we are forced to 
continually fight to maintain funding for this program. In July, the 
Senate approved necessary funding for the World Trade Center Health 
Program as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. We are 
hopeful that the House will approve it as well.
    As First Deputy Commissioner Pfeifer poignantly highlighted, one 
quality that has always strengthened the Fire Department is our ability 
to learn from experience and improve, and our ability to Federal funds 
is integral to continuing that improvement. The lessons of September 
11--hard-earned as they were--have led to innovation and great leaps 
forward in our ability to plan, prepare, and execute emergency 
responses. On a constant basis, we analyze an evolving landscape of 
threats and hazards. We work with local, State, and Federal partners to 
improve our State of preparedness and the tools that we use to respond. 
Without Federal support, that wouldn't be possible.
                    federal support--put to good use
    The FDNY values every dollar of Federal funding that we receive, 
and we work incredibly hard to make sure that the American taxpayers 
are getting their money's worth. We use Federal funding--primarily from 
Urban Area Security Initiative and Port Security grants--to strengthen 
the Department and enhance our capabilities so that we can provide 
lifesaving response and emergency care here in New York City and across 
the country.
    Federal funding has transformed FDNY's training capabilities. Using 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grants, we have created several 
advanced training facilities. These include a Subway Simulator, a 
Shipboard Firefighting Simulator, a marine-based Damage Control 
Simulator, and the Downey All Hazards Collapse Simulator, which 
includes a decommissioned airplane to create collapse or plane crash 
environments. We also conduct joint training exercises with local, 
State, and Federal partners. The Counter-Terrorism Rescue Task Force--
equipped with Federally-funded equipment such as ballistic vests and 
helmets--trains constantly with NYPD partners so that they are prepared 
to deploy whenever the need arises.
    We also use DHS grants to enhance interoperable communications, and 
specifically our on-scene situational capabilities. We invest funds to 
protect our information systems by building capabilities to monitor, 
detect, and respond to potential threats.
    The FDNY is the premier fire department in the country. We are 
proud that our fellow first responders from across the continent look 
to us for innovation, and we gladly share our knowledge and best 
practices. For example, recently we have received requests from various 
municipalities about our advanced drone and robotics program. Using 
Federal dollars, we have gone from a single, tethered-drone to a fleet 
of drones and robotic devices that we regularly use at the scene of 
emergency operations.
    We were the first Fire Department in the country to use a drone, 
and we have continued pushing the technology forward, working directly 
with the FAA to improve processes for departments like ours. Whereas we 
initially used drones merely as static observational devices, we now 
employ drones and robotic devices as tactical tools, employing infrared 
cameras to detect heat signatures and maneuverability to use for 
search-and-rescue purposes in ways that would be very dangerous or 
impossible to replicate with humans. For example, in April, we deployed 
our robotic ``dog'' to search for signs of life in a parking garage 
collapse and this summer we used drones to analyze a construction crane 
that caught fire and dangled 45 stories above 10th Avenue. We also use 
these devices at routine fires and emergencies on a daily basis.
    Thanks to Federal funding, the Department has built assets and 
capabilities that have transformed the FDNY into a regional and 
national asset.
    This includes a 285-member Incident Management Team that manages 
and coordinates emergencies, including large incidents such as 
explosions, major fires, and weather events. This concept--which came 
out of sharing best practices with the Forestry Service in the wake of 
9/11--allows the Department to send talented emergency management and 
logistics nationally and even internationally to provide immediate 
assistance where communities are struggling. This year, the FDNY has 
deployed members to Idaho to assist with the Ridge Creek forest fire; 
to Oregon to assist with the Lookout forest fire; and to Quebec to 
provide assistance with wildfires.
    Federal funding and cooperation also led to the creation of FDNY's 
Urban Search and Rescue Team (USAR) teams and other specialized teams 
that train to carry out life-saving operations in complex environments 
such as tunnels, subways, building collapses, waterways, and high 
rises. In July, we deployed a USAR team to New England to assist in 
search-and-rescue operations during severe flooding. Though we have 
only just entered hurricane season, FDNY members have already responded 
to Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina to assist with Hurricane 
Idalia. We frequently deploy search-and-rescue teams around the country 
following hurricanes. In recent years, we have sent teams to provide 
hurricane relief in Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas, Puerto 
Rico, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Texas, as well as several islands in 
the Caribbean.
    We also use Federal funding to purchase vessels for FDNY's Marine 
unit. The largest boats in our fleet are capable of pumping 50,000 
gallons of water per minute, have air filtration and pressurization 
protection, and are useful for firefighting, water and ship rescue, and 
hazardous material detection. They assist with securing the waterways 
around New York and are equipped to handle chemical, biological, 
radiological, and nuclear (CBRN). These vessels are a regional asset 
that we use to assist neighboring jurisdictions through mutual aid 
agreements and requests. A recent example that some local members of 
the subcommittee may recall was when FDNY units assisted over several 
days in resolving a large cargo ship fire in New Jersey. Tragically, 
two Newark firefighters died in the line of duty; FDNY members assisted 
their Newark counterparts in locating their fallen members.
                   key elements of the grant process
    We are grateful for every dollar of Federal funding that we 
receive, and we appreciate the attention paid to this issue by Members 
of this subcommittee and the Committee on Homeland Security. We believe 
it is critical to allow grant funds to be used for training as well as 
for management and administrative costs. There is great value in 
purchasing tangible, innovative equipment, and we do a lot of that. But 
as a grant recipient, we also put a priority on making sure that we 
track and administer grant dollars appropriately and efficiently. We go 
to great lengths to be good stewards of Federal funds, and having the 
ability to pay grants staff allows us to do that. It's also critical 
that funds continue to support new training programs and sustain 
successful legacy programs. Having the equipment is only one part of 
the equation; the other is being certain that FDNY personnel can 
expertly deploy it at the appropriate moment, and that is only possible 
when their training is current and substantial.
    I also want to stress the importance of keeping funding tied to 
risk. The number of cities eligible for UASI funding has grown, and 
while I would never discourage the Government from allocating funds to 
another city, it is important that areas of the country where the risk 
is greatest are able to access Federal funding to successfully manage 
that risk.
    Cities like New York have a great need for Homeland Security 
funding, and as I hope First Deputy Commissioner Pfeifer and I have 
demonstrated today, we use Federal funding efficiently and in ways that 
benefit the entire country.
    We greatly appreciate the partners that we have in this room. Your 
support, and the support of your colleagues in Congress, has enabled 
the Department to modernize, innovate, and equip ourselves to keep pace 
with the evolving set of challenges that we face. Sometimes those 
innovations are the result of very difficult days, but I am grateful to 
live in a country that works together to ensure that an attack like 9/
11 never happens again.

    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you, Commissioner.
    I now recognize Deputy Commissioner Weiner for her opening 
statement.

    STATEMENT OF REBECCA ULAM WEINER, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, 
    INTELLIGENCE AND COUNTERTERRORISM, NEW YORK CITY POLICE 
                           DEPARTMENT

    Ms. Weiner. Good morning, and thank you all. Good morning. 
Thank you so much, Chairman D'Esposito and Ranking Member 
Goldman, and all of you here today. On behalf of Police 
Commissioner Edward A. Caban and Mayor Eric Adams, I want to 
thank you for having me today.
    Twenty-two years ago, the attacks that we have all been 
discussing happened in this hallowed space. A lot has happened 
since, and our terrorism landscape manifests very differently 
today. However, the threat is no less proximate and it is no 
less concerning, and it requires our collaboration, absolutely 
intensively.
    Today's threat environment in New York City is more 
dynamic, more diffuse, and unpredictable than ever. What hasn't 
changed, however, is that the city remains a singularly 
priority target, due to its unique draw of iconic location, 
high-profile events, and a vibrantly diverse population. Since 
9/11, violent extremists and malicious actors across the 
ideological spectrum have targeted New York City in over 50 
disrupted plots and attacks. Commissioner Pfeifer mentioned a 
couple of them earlier, from foreign terrorist organizations 
and the individuals they inspire, to adversarial nation-states, 
to domestic violent extremists, and lone actors motivated by a 
wide range of grievances, including racial and ethnic hate, 
anti-Government extremism, and conspiracy theories.
    In 2022 alone, there were eight terrorist incidents in the 
greater New York area, which demonstrate the diversity and the 
range of threats we encounter. I'll touch on some of these 
briefly in the interest of time, but they're enumerated at 
greater length in my written submission for the record. The 
year began with two incidents motivated in part by race-based 
conspiracy theory, the assassination of two of our officers in 
January 2022.
    As was mentioned, a mass shooting on the subway in 
Brooklyn. During that summer, two incidents took place within 
weeks of one another with links to the government of Iran and 
the ideology that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds 
force inspire and an assassination plot against a Brooklyn-
based woman's rights activist, and a brutal attack against 
author Salman Rushdie.
    There was, of course, the horrific attack targeting the 
black community in Buffalo carried out by a racially- and 
ethnically-motivated violent extremist, and a disrupted plot 
against a New York City synagogue last fall by an adherent to a 
neo-Nazi ideology.
    The year ended with the Jihadist attack against three of 
our officers just outside the security perimeter in Times 
Square as revelers were gathered to support the new year. 
Compounding these issues are public safety risks that are newer 
to us. In particular, I wanted to flag those associated with 
emerging technology, artificial intelligence generative AI. 
Generative AI offers clear and present risks, the proliferation 
of disinformation and deep fakes at scale and at cost, bot-
generated and voice-cloned threats, scams and swatting 
campaigns, lower barriers to entry for the creation of malware, 
phishing, and other cyber threat vectors, the provision of 
targeting and tactical guidance, which we've started to see on-
line, and even the potential creation of novel illicit 
narcotics, explosive compounds, or bioweapons. We're only just 
beginning as a law enforcement collective to understand the 
public safety implications of emerging technology, and 
generative AI is only dimension of the challenge.
    It's important to note that we can't keep New Yorkers safe 
without critical partnerships with the Federal Government, and 
this occurs at every level with every agency. We participate in 
numerous task forces with Federal agencies, from the Joint 
Terrorism Task Force, to the counterintelligence task force, to 
fusion centers. Every day, we gather Federal, State, and local 
counterparts to focus our resources on drivers of gun violence 
in the city through our gun violence strategies partnership.
    While these active partnerships are critical, funding our 
local counterterrorism efforts is equally important, 
particularly given competing priorities that have begun to 
stretch the resources of many agencies today. The NYPD expects 
to receive $123 million in Homeland Security grants from the 
Federal Government during fiscal year 2023, vitally important 
funds. These funds are integral to our public safety mission, 
and should be allocated based on risk.
    New York City remains the priority target in this country. 
We use these resources to provide equipment and training to our 
counterterrorism officers deployed around the city, and to 
support our critical response command, especially trained and 
equipped group of officers, who you probably saw upstairs as 
you were walking in, who deploy throughout the city based on 
intelligence protecting people, infrastructure, and events, 
deterring and detecting acts of terrorism and targeted 
violence.
    We rely on this funding to acquire chemical, biological, 
radiological, and nuclear explosive detection equipment that we 
use around the city, and to support our intelligence analysis 
efforts to detect and deter threats.
    We depend on it to maintain our domain awareness systems, 
an important intelligence-sharing tool. Cuts to these vital 
funding strains will imperil these programs at a time that many 
of our partners are struggling with competing challenges, 
priority challenges as well, outside of the counterterrorism 
domain, such as Russia's war in Ukraine, rising threats posed 
by the CCP, and other priorities.
    Last, we wanted to highlight a lesser-known element of our 
counterterrorism response, which is partnership with the 
Federal Park Service. For years, the Federal Park Service has 
allowed the NYPD to house our counterterrorism unit, aviation 
division, special operations division, and emergency services 
unit at Floyd Bennett Field. Grouping these units together in 
one location allows us to properly train for and rapidly 
respond to emergency situations where every second counts.
    Our lease recently expired, and we've been working 
collaboratively with the Parks Department to extend it. No 
agreement has yet been reached, and there is simply no other 
place in New York City that can provide the same space and 
access. We appreciate the support that several of you and your 
colleagues have provided in helping broker an agreement that 
would allow us to remain our footprint there. Thank you again 
for the opportunity to testify today, and I will be happy to 
answer any questions that you may have.
    [The prepared statement of Ms. Weiner follows:]
               Prepared Statement of Rebecca Ulam Weiner
                           September 12, 2023
    Good morning Chairman D'Esposito, Ranking Member Carter, and 
Members of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology. I 
am Rebecca Ulam Weiner, deputy commissioner of intelligence and 
counterterrorism for the New York City Police Department (NYPD). On 
behalf of Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban, and Mayor Eric Adams, I 
thank you for inviting me to testify before your subcommittee today, 
and I am pleased to discuss the Federal efforts that support State and 
local law enforcement in mitigating the threats posed by terrorism and 
targeted violence.
    Twenty-two years after 9/11, terrorism manifests differently today 
than it did in the first decade after 9/11, or during the heyday of 
ISIS's external operations. Today's threat environment in New York City 
is more varied, diffuse, and unpredictable than ever. What has not 
changed, however, is that the city remains a singularly priority target 
due to its unique draw of iconic locations, high-profile events, and a 
vibrantly diverse population. Since 9/11, violent extremists and 
malicious actors across the ideological spectrum have targeted New York 
City in over 50 disrupted plots and attacks--from foreign terrorist 
organizations and individuals they inspire, to adversarial nation-
states, to domestic violent extremists and lone actors motivated by a 
wide range of grievances, including racial and ethnic hate, anti-
Government extremism, and conspiracy theories.
    Since just 2020, there have been over one dozen terroristic 
incidents--to include attacks, disrupted plots, and on-going threat 
streams--in New York State, motivated by a wide range of ideologies and 
carried out by a diverse set of individuals. To cite a few:
   Our Federal partners are currently investigating a human 
        smuggling network, including at least one person allegedly 
        linked to ISIS, which facilitated the migration of more than a 
        dozen Uzbek nationals into the United States.
   On New Year's Eve in 2022, an individual traveled from Maine 
        to attack three NYPD officers with an edged weapon right 
        outside the Times Square security perimeter.
   Last November, the NYPD and FBI conducted a joint 
        investigation into social media posts threatening to conduct a 
        shooting targeting a synagogue. This investigation led to the 
        arrests of two men in Penn Station and the recovery of an 8-
        inch military-style knife, a firearm with a 30-round magazine, 
        a Swastika arm patch, and a ski mask.
   In a years-long campaign of threats, harassment, and an 
        attempted assassination, an Iranian women's rights activist 
        from Brooklyn has been targeted by a transnational criminal 
        network emanating from Iran. Separately, in the summer of 2022, 
        a New Jersey man allegedly inspired by the Islamic 
        Revolutionary Guards Corps traveled to a literary festival in 
        Chautauqua, New York and attacked--and nearly killed--well-
        known author and free speech advocate Salman Rushdie.
   In May 2022, New York State experienced the deadliest 
        racially-motivated mass casualty attack in its history when a 
        white supremacist entered a grocery store in a predominantly 
        Black neighborhood in Buffalo and killed 10 people in an attack 
        targeted against the Black community.
   A Staten Island man was arrested in the fall of 2020 for 
        posting death threats against protesters, politicians, and 
        police officers on social media; he had in his possession 
        various weapons including a semi-automatic pistol, a Taser, a 
        crossbow, and an expandable baton.
   An ISIS-inspired man from Texas pleaded guilty to material 
        support for terrorism for activities involving a plot to bomb 
        Trump Tower and the New York Stock Exchange in November 2020.
   In the wake of civil unrest following the police-involved 
        murder of George Floyd, New York City experienced a sharp rise 
        in anti-Government extremist violence targeting the NYPD and 
        its infrastructure. Malicious actors intent on harming police 
        officers set fire to NYPD vehicles on multiple occasions. In 
        one case, a man crawled under an NYPD marked van and sliced 
        wires, with the purpose of cutting the brake lines.
   Also during the height of the civil unrest that summer, a 
        Brooklyn resident attacked two NYPD officers on an anti-looting 
        foot patrol, slashing one with a knife and stealing his weapon 
        in an opportunistic assault allegedly motivated by violent 
        Islamist extremism.
    New York City has also witnessed a new rise in violence associated 
with conspiracy theories. Last year, two high-profile acts of violence 
were carried out by individuals who espoused race-based conspiracy 
theories--the ambush assassination of two NYPD officers in January 
2022, and an attack on the New York City subway in the spring. As we 
prepare for what may be a highly contested national election cycle, we 
are cognizant that political violence and anti-Government extremism are 
likely to continue to rise, and that conspiracy theories will play a 
role in fueling them.
    Transnational repression is also rising in New York City, whereby 
government actors linked to countries like the People's Republic of 
China and Iran seek to target dissidents and perceived political 
adversaries. Mere steps from where we sit today, an overseas police 
station operated clandestinely by the People's Republic of China was 
recently identified, investigated, and shut down.
    Compounding all these issues are public safety risks associated 
with emerging technology, particularly generative artificial 
intelligence (AI). Generative AI has begun to profoundly change the way 
many industries and individuals operate, creating tremendous 
efficiencies. However, it also offers clear and present risks: the 
proliferation of disinformation and deepfakes, at scale and at cost; 
bot-generated and voice-cloned threats, scams, and swatting campaigns; 
lower barriers to entry for the creation of malware, phishing, and 
other cyber threat vectors; the provision of targeting and tactical 
guidance; and even the potential creation of novel illicit narcotics, 
explosive compounds, or bioweapons via large language models. Local law 
enforcement is only just beginning to understand the public safety 
implications of emerging technology, and generative AI is only one 
dimension of that challenge.
    It is important to note that we cannot keep New Yorkers safe 
without our critical partnerships in the Federal Government. We 
participate in numerous task forces with Federal agencies, which are 
critical to keeping the city and region safe, notably including the 
Joint Terrorism Task Force. We utilize fusion centers with our State 
and Federal colleagues to share intelligence and thwart crime. Every 
day, we gather Federal, State, and local law enforcement partners to 
focus our resources on the drivers of gun violence in this city, 
through our Gun Violence Strategies Partnership.
    While these active partnerships with Federal agencies are critical, 
funding our local counterterrorism efforts is equally important, 
particularly with the competing priorities that stretch the resources 
of Federal agencies today. The NYPD expects to receive about $123 
million in Homeland Security grants from the Federal Government during 
fiscal year 2023. These funds are integral to our public safety 
mission. When issuing grants, it is critical that the Government 
allocate funds based on risk so they are utilized most effectively. We 
use these resources to provide equipment and training to our 
counterterrorism officers, and to support our Critical Response 
Command, a specially trained and equipped group of officers who 
regularly deploy throughout the city to detect and deter acts of 
terrorism and targeted violence. We rely on this funding to acquire 
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive detection 
equipment to support intelligence analysis preparedness efforts. We 
depend on it to maintain our Domain Awareness System, which is an 
important intelligence-sharing tool for law enforcement officers. Any 
decrease in this funding will imperil our ability to continue these 
programs that are absolutely critical for the prevention of terrorist 
attacks and would fundamentally erode our ability to detect and prevent 
terrorist attacks on the Nation's largest city and potentially impact 
the safety of our law enforcement personnel who protect our community.
    Last, we wanted to highlight a lesser-known element of our 
counterterrorism response, which is our partnership with the Federal 
Parks Service. For years, the Federal Parks Service has allowed the 
NYPD to house our Counterterrorism Unit, Aviation Division, Special 
Operations Division, and Emergency Services Unit at Floyd Bennett 
Field. Grouping these units together in one location allows us to 
properly train for and rapidly respond to emergency situations where 
every second counts. Our lease recently expired, and we have been 
working collaboratively with the Parks Service to extend it. However, 
no agreement has yet been reached. Our footprint on Floyd Bennett Field 
is unique, and there is simply no other place in New York City that can 
provide the same space and access. We appreciate the support that 
several of you and your colleagues have provided in helping broker an 
agreement that would allow us to maintain our footprint at Floyd 
Bennett Field, and we look forward to working with our Federal partners 
to continue and enhance this critical partnership.
    Thank you again for this opportunity to testify today. I will be 
happy to answer any questions you may have.

    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you very much Deputy Commissioner 
Weiner.
    I now recognize Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick 
Ryder to summarize his opening statement.

 STATEMENT OF PATRICK J. RYDER, COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, NASSAU 
                    COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

    Mr. Ryder. Good morning, and thank you, Mr. Chairman, and 
this committee for giving us the opportunity to speak here 
today, the opportunity to give our victims a voice, and the 
opportunity to let law enforcement and all first responders 
know there are still people that are out there in Government 
that support us in our battles every day.
    I am going to start my 41st year this January, and I, too, 
am a first responder down at Ground Zero. I woke up that 
morning, my father-in-law, retired FDNY, was standing there 
watching my three kids. They were newly-born triplets in their 
bouncies. He was watching the TV staring in silence. I walked 
down, putting my tie on, and he says, Something bad happened. 
He knew. That instinct took over. He knew it was going to be a 
bad day for the FDNY. The second plane hit, and he just tapped 
me on the shoulder, and he said, Go. Go we went, like every 
first responder did, without question, without hesitation, go.
    I remember going down the West Side Highway on Day 2, it 
took a while to put some supplies that were donated by the 
communities, and we drove down the West Side Highway. We 
dropped them off at the Intrepid. As I'm pulling down, the dust 
that was kicking up behind the cars in front of me, now knowing 
that was the DNA of our loved ones that were down crushed in 
those buildings by that terrorist attack.
    As we went down even further, there was signs being held 
up, thanking us, supporting us, sending their love and praise 
to us, and I knew that moment that no matter what you take from 
us, you will never take the will of the people, not the will of 
the great people of the State of New York or anywhere in this 
country, that they all stood together united like we do in our 
pledge, united together to fight.
    I got down, and I pulled up, and I remember walking up to 
the first pile. It was gigantic. I couldn't imagine anything so 
big in my life. I met a cop there Gary Wall. Gary Wall was a 
Limerick police officer. Gary was filthy dirty. We just pulled 
up, and I remember saying, Gary, how long you been here? I've 
been here since yesterday. My brother Glenn was in Tower One. 
He worked for Camden. Glen was my best friend growing up. That 
was my first attachment to someone dying in the Towers.
    Then everybody climbed on that hill, can by can handing 
down, hoping that they'd find somebody. Then when somebody 
yelled out, Quiet, you got thousands of people to be absolutely 
silent to hear if somebody was knocking on a pipe. Then, 
crawling through one of the tunnels, I'm about 100 yards in, 
and the first time ever, I understood what the blasts from the 
horn of a fire truck means, Get out, something's bad. You can't 
turn around. The tunnel's 2\1/2\, 3 feet round, and I'm backing 
out 100 yards on my knees. My brother-in-law grabs me, and we 
just start to run. The building stops shaking, back on the 
pile.
    That day, I met a man I'll never forget, and he's, to this 
day, one of the smartest academic minds I ever met. Chauncey 
Parker with the NYPD as a deputy commissioner, and also the 
director of the New York/New Jersey HIDTA. He said to me, he 
goes, Pat this was complete failure of the intelligence-sharing 
community. A complete failure. He goes, we have to do more if 
we're going to go forward. The next day, we started developing 
what was called the HIDTA RIC. Nassau County was one of the 
first to have a regional intelligence center. HIDTA stands for 
the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, and we started 
sharing and building partnerships that grew and grew every day.
    Just this past week, we've connected to cameras and license 
plate readers through the NYPD, through the FDNY. The 
partnerships are invaluable. But I live in a State that is now 
trying to take away the rights from law enforcement of flying 
our drones, as you just heard the testimony, and how important 
they are to saving lives. The first persons they come after are 
law enforcement.
    We're overreaching. We're sending up drones that are 
unmanned, and we're watching, big brother looking down. No. 
This is big brother trying to protect you, the same big brother 
that ran into those buildings that morning of 9/11, the same 
big brothers that were crushed in those buildings that day in 
trying to rescue those people.
    We are challenged every day when it comes to technology, 
whether it's drones, whether it's arable official intelligence, 
facial recognition, our license plate reader program, these 
thing invaluable to us. But every day, my great State of New 
York tries to take more and more away from me. This is how we 
defend you. This is how we defend our victims. This is how we 
give them a voice.
    I've got no notes in front of me because a guy told me a 
long time ago, if you speak about what you're passionate about, 
you don't have to write it down. Speak from the heart. That's 
coming from the heart. You heard the testimony. I just watched 
the special with Chief Pfeifer on it the other day. It brings 
me to tears 22 years later, and too many people were lost that 
day because we failed. We won't fail again, not the people on 
this side of the table. We will not fail again. Bad guy has to 
be right once. We have to be right every single time.
    So thank you for the opportunity to speak, and thank you 
for giving our victims a voice.
    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you, Commissioner Ryder.
    I now recognize Mr. Ehrie for his opening statement.
    Mr. Ryder. See the partnership?
    Mr. Ehrie. Always together.

STATEMENT OF GREG EHRIE, CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER, PORT AUTHORITY 
                    OF NEW YORK & NEW JERSEY

    Mr. Ehrie. Thank you, Chairman D'Esposito. My name is Greg 
Ehrie, and I am the chief security officer for the Port 
Authority of New York and New Jersey. Like many of my fellow 
witnesses, I was also 22 years ago here at Ground Zero as a 
first responder during my service with the FBI. I appreciate 
the opportunity to come before the subcommittee today and talk 
about these very important critical issues.
    The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a vast 
multimobile transportation agency that builds, operates, and 
maintains infrastructure, including five airports, two tunnels, 
the Lincoln and the Holland, four bridges, the Port Authority 
Bus Terminal, the path rail system that connects New York and 
New Jersey, the Ports of New York and New Jersey, and the 
iconic 16-acre World Trade Center complex where you now sit.
    Port Authority facilities have the unfortunate distinction 
of being targeted multiple times by terrorists. In 1975, an 
explosive device was detonated at the TWA baggage reclaim at 
LaGuardia Airport that killed 11 and injured 74. In 1993, a 
truck bomb was detonated beneath the Twin Towers of the World 
Trade Center, killing 6 and injuring over a thousand people. On 
September 11, the Port Authority lost 84 employees, including 
37 police officers responding to Zero and saving countless 
lives. This gives us an unfortunate distinction of being the 
police department that faced the single worse loss of life in 
any department in the United States.
    In 2017, as Chief Pfeifer mentioned, in an MTA corridor at 
the doorstep of the Port Authority bus terminal, a would-be 
suicide bomber partially detonated an IED injuring four people, 
including himself. Two decades after 9/11, the transportation 
sector continues to be an attractive target of terrorism. 
Particularly acute are the Port Authority's high throughput 
assets that are critical to the Nation and the region, as we 
operate the Nation's largest airport system, the busiest bus 
terminal, and most-traveled bridge in the country. This legacy 
has resulted in a tireless commitment to safety and security to 
protect our facilities and those who depend on them. This is 
evident as security accounts for 26 percent of the agency's 
personnel, and 26 percent of our operating budget.
    Additionally, since 9/11, $1.7 billion has been invested in 
capital projects to harden and strengthen existing facilities. 
The Port Authority employs a risk-based, multi-layer security 
approach to protect employees, customers, and transportation 
assets. We protect Port Authority transportation by performing 
all-hazard risk assessments to understand the current threat 
landscape. Our assessments look across all agency assets, and 
prioritize our risks so that we can better guide our security 
investments. In doing so, we have enhanced both physical and 
operational security, hardened our assets, and improved the 
agency-wide resiliency.
    We make investments in capital security projects that are 
based on our risk assessment's findings and complete projects 
that preserve life and safeguard our facilities. These projects 
include the hardening of our underwater tunnels, strengthening 
of our bridge suspender ropes, the hardening of bridge towers 
and building columns, installation of bollards to prevent the 
use of vehicle-borne IEDs at our facilities, and enhancement to 
airport perimeter fencing and guard boosts.
    We also deploy best-in-class security technology solutions. 
We have a dedicated security technology department that focuses 
on researching, evaluating, and deploying proven technology 
solutions across our facilities. Additionally, we are an active 
participant in the New York City Mayor's Office Security 
Technology Task Force to collaborate with our local partners on 
cutting-edge technological solutions. We maintain a robust 
cybersecurity program that provides a broader way of cyber 
defenses to include a 24/7 dedicated cybersecurity operations 
center and other cyber centers.
    We deploy a highly-trained and well-equipped 
counterterrorism focused police force, members of who you see 
before you today. The Port Authority Police Department has over 
2,100 police officers who maintain a 24/7 presence at our 
facilities. Since 2001, the PAPD uniform staff has grown 
significantly to respond to new terrorism threat landscapes. In 
addition to routine uniform patrols, our policing deployments 
include high-visibility counterterrorism teams and emergency 
service units, explosive detection K-9 units, radiological and 
chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear capability 
deployments, vehicle checkpoints and commercial vehicle 
inspectors, and bag busts and path-trained inspections.
    Additionally, we have a contract security guard force who 
are trained in behavioral recognition techniques and 
counterterrorism awareness. These security officers are posted 
at locations throughout our facilities and staff a 24/7 
security operation center. The Port Authority also has its own 
Office of Emergency Management that leads our agency-wide 
business continuity program and executes training and full-
scale exercises. These training and exercise programs integrate 
our regional first responders, and focus on the incident 
command system and unified command principles, active-shooter 
response, rail emergencies, aircraft incidents, acts of 
terrorism, and other natural and human-made hazards.
    We also maintain, like many of my witnesses stated before 
me, local, State, and Federal partnerships to enhance 
situational awareness of the current and emerging threats 
facing our region. Our investigators have a presence on task 
forces to include the New York and New Jersey FBI JTTFs. The 
Port Authority collaborates with the DHS Office of Science and 
Technology, DHS Office of Health Affairs and Biowatch Program, 
as well as the DOD Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, 
DARPA.
    These partnerships have led to the development and piloting 
of a variety of security technology programs at the Port 
Authority. We also conduct quality assurance inspections and 
seek independent third-party review. The Port Authority 
regularly audits its security programs to proactively identify 
and mitigate issues before our adversaries can exploit them.
    An essential component to the implementation of this multi-
layered security approach is Federal grant funding. The Port 
Authority does not receive tax revenue from New York or New 
Jersey, but relies primarily on revenue generated from facility 
operations. That being said, and considering the COVID-19 
pandemic impacts to agency revenue, Federal grants are critical 
to the continuation of our security programs. In 2023, the Port 
Authority received $13.5 million in Federal grant funding from 
the DHS FEMA Transit Security Grant Program, the UASI Program, 
and the Port Security Grant Program. FEMA grant funding has 
long supported Port Authority security initiatives to include 
counterterrorism programs, police training and equipment, 
emergency preparedness training and exercises, facility 
hardening, and strengthening projects.
    Furthermore, the Port Authority received $2 million in 
grant funding through the body-worn camera program through DOJ. 
This funding allows us to outfit our police department with 
body-worn camera technology, and will help enhance 
accountability and provide transparency to the communities we 
serve. We appreciate Congress' past support of Federal security 
grant funding, and ask that you continue to fund these vital 
programs. They are essential to the Port Authority's financial 
ability to maintain safety and security of our facilities and 
implement initiatives to address the challenges of the ever-
evolving threat landscape.
    In closing, I would like to thank all the Members of the 
subcommittee and our Congressional delegation for their 
unwavering support that allows us to better serve our employees 
and customers, and better protect our regional assets and 
infrastructure. I'm happy to answer any questions.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Ehrie follows:]
                    Prepared Statement of Greg Ehrie
                           September 12, 2023
    The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a vast multi-modal 
transportation agency that builds, operates, and maintains 
infrastructure, including:
   five (5) airports, including JFK, Newark Liberty 
        International and LaGuardia,
   two (2) tunnels--the Lincoln and Holland,
   four (4) bridges, including the George Washington Bridge,
   the Port Authority Bus Terminal,
   the PATH rail system that connects New York and New Jersey,
   the iconic 16-acre World Trade Center (WTC) complex, and
   the Ports of New York and New Jersey.
    Port Authority facilities have the unfortunate distinction of being 
targeted multiple times by terrorists. In 1975, an explosive device was 
detonated at the TWA baggage reclaim at LaGuardia airport that killed 
11 and injured 74. In 1993, a truck bomb was detonated beneath the 
North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing 6 and injuring over 
1,000 people.
    On September 11, 2001, the Port Authority lost 78 civilian 
employees, as well as 37 police officers, who responded to the World 
Trade Center attacks and helped save countless lives. This was the 
worst single-day loss of life of any Police Department of the United 
States.
    In 2017, in an MTA corridor at the doorstep of the Port Authority 
Bus Terminal a would-be suicide bomber partially detonated an IED 
injuring 4 people, including the suspect.
    Two decades after 9/11, the transportation sector continues to be 
an attractive target of terrorism. Particularly acute are the Port 
Authority's high-throughput assets that are vital to the region and the 
Nation, as we operate the largest airport system, the busiest bus 
terminal, the most traveled bridge and the busiest port system in the 
United States.
    This legacy has resulted in a tireless commitment to safety and 
security to protect our facilities and those who depend on them. This 
is evident, as security accounts for 26 percent of the agency personnel 
and 26 percent of the operating budget. Additionally, since 9/11, $1.7 
billion dollars has been invested in capital projects to harden and 
strengthen existing facilities.
    The Port Authority employs a risk-based, multi-layer security 
approach to protect its employees, customers, and critical 
transportation assets.
    The layers in this methodology include:
          measuring risk through a layered assessment process
    The Port Authority has been proactive in assessing risks, 
prioritizing vulnerabilities, and developing solutions designed to 
mitigate those risks. In doing so, we have enhanced both physical and 
operational security, hardened our assets, and improved agency-wide 
resiliency.
   investing in capital security projects and strengthening programs
    Utilizing the findings of the agency risk assessment, the Port 
Authority completed projects that preserve life and safeguard 
facilities from threats. Such projects include, but are not limited to:
   Column hardening at our facilities, such as the Port 
        Authority Bus Terminal.
   Hardening of our underwater tunnels and installation of 
        protective mats. In 2019, the PATH Underwater Tunnel Breach 
        Mitigation Program received a Designation Award from the DHS 
        SAFETY Act office. The PATH was the first rail transit property 
        in the country to receive such a comprehensive Safety Act 
        award.
   Strengthening of suspender ropes, hardening of our bridge 
        towers, and pier fender installations--adding enhanced 
        protection of the George Washington Bridge, Bayonne Bridge and 
        Outterbridge Crossing.
   Bollard installation to prevent the use of vehicle-borne 
        improvised explosive devices (VBIED).
   Enhancements to airport perimeter fencing and hardening of 
        guard posts.
   Construction and implementation of redundant PATH Train 
        Control Center.
         utilizing best-in-class security technology solutions
    The Port Authority is constantly researching and piloting best-in-
class security technology solutions, adding another layer of security 
to our facilities. In addition to our 8,500-plus CCTV cameras, the Port 
Authority's security technology portfolio includes:
   Robust card access control systems with door alarms at every 
        facility.
   Perimeter intrusion detection systems at our airports and at 
        PATH underwater tunnel entrances.
   Detection devices to help protect against chemical, 
        biological, and radiological threats.
   Agency-wide P25 Radio System to ensure seamless internal and 
        interoperability with our local Port District partners.
   License Plate Readers at our facilities.
   And most recently--the installation of a gunshot detection 
        system at Liberty Newark International Airport Terminal B.
    The Port Authority is also an active participant in the New York 
City Mayor's Office Security Technology taskforce that was established 
to foster collaboration with local partners to develop and pilot 
cutting-edge technology solutions to enhance police and security 
operations.
               deploying police and security guard assets
    The Port Authority has a highly-trained police force of over 2,100 
members that maintain a 24/7 command presence at our transportation 
facilities. Since 2001, the Port Authority Police department uniformed 
staff has grown significantly to respond to new terrorism threat 
landscape.
    In addition to routine uniformed patrols, our policing deployments 
include:
   High-visibility counterterrorism teams and Emergency Service 
        Unit patrols,
   Explosive detection canine (K-9) unit patrols,
   Radiological detection and CBRNE capabilities deployments,
   Vehicle checkpoint and commercial vehicle inspections,
   Bag, bus, and PATH train inspections.
    The Port Authority Police Department also maintains a presence in 
29 Federal, State, and local law enforcement task forces, to include: 
the FBI JTTF in both New York and New Jersey. We are confident that we 
are connected to receive important and actionable intelligence and 
information.
    Additionally, we have an important contract security guard force 
who are trained in behavioral recognition techniques and 
counterterrorism awareness. These security officers are posted at 
locations throughout our facilities and staff a 24/7 Security 
Operations Center.
           maintaining a strong emergency management program
    The Port Authority has its own Office of Emergency Management (OEM) 
that is vital to this multi-layered security plan. The OEM leads our 
agency-wide business continuity program and execute agency-wide 
training and full-scale exercises. These training and exercise programs 
integrate our regional first responders and focuses on the incident 
command system and unified command principles, active-shooter response, 
rail emergencies, aircraft incidents, acts of terrorism, and other 
natural and human-made hazards.
    developing and maintaining strong federal, state, and regional 
                              partnerships
    The Port Authority understands the importance of maintaining strong 
relationships with our Federal, State and local partners. These 
cooperative partnerships are integral to our intelligence, 
counterterrorism, security technology, and training efforts. The 
support received through these partnerships helps us better secure our 
assets and the information exchange is mutually beneficial to all 
partners.
    In addition to our partner agencies noted above, the Port Authority 
has strong working relationships with various Federal agencies and 
programs, to include:
   DHS Office of Science and Technology (DHS-S&T),
   DHS Office of Health Affairs (BioWatch Program),
   DOD Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
    These partnerships are essential to information sharing regarding 
emerging security technologies and have led to the development and 
pilot of a variety of programs at Port Authority's facilities.
    We ask Congress for their continued support of funding to these 
research agencies to assist with the development and testing of future 
technologies which aim to increase the effectiveness of detection 
devices, screening devices, and police personal safety devices.
  performing on-going quality assurance and seeking independent review
    To maintain a prepared, unified, and accountable security 
operation, the Port Authority regularly measures, audits, and inspects 
its programs and systems. These internal auditing programs allow us to 
proactively identify and mitigate issues and concerns before our 
adversaries can exploit them.
    Additionally, for over a decade, the Port Authority has 
successfully utilized the DHS SAFETY Act office as an independent 
third-party to review and validate the effectiveness of our security 
programs and technologies against industry best practices.
    Prior to 2013, SAFETY Act certifications and designations were 
awarded to individual technologies. The Port Authority in collaboration 
with the SAFETY Act office, helped redefine the eligibility criteria 
for awards, and in 2013 we received a groundbreaking SAFETY Act 
designation for the LaGuardia Airport Security Program. Since then, we 
have continued to leverage the SAFETY Act office and have received 
awards for some of the Port Authority's most used and relied-upon 
facilities, including the George Washington Bridge, World Trade Center, 
and PATH.
    The SAFETY Act office has expanded its portfolio of participants to 
include large private entities such as the National Football and Major 
League Baseball. Although, the program continues to grow, the SAFETY 
Act budget has remained relatively flat over the past 15 years. We 
would request that Congress continue to support the SAFETY Act program 
and provide the much-needed additional funding and resources to ensure 
its continued success.
                the importance of federal grant funding
    A critical component to the implementation of this multi-layered 
security approach is Federal grant funding. The Port Authority does not 
receive tax revenue from New York or New Jersey and relies primarily on 
revenue generated from facility operations. That being said, and 
especially considering the COVID-19 pandemic impacts to agency revenue, 
Federal grants are vital to the continuation of our security programs, 
that can never remain static or, even worse, fall behind against the 
backdrop of the ever-evolving threat landscape.
    In 2023, the Port Authority received $13.5 million in Federal grant 
funding from the DHS FEMA Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP), Urban 
Area Security Initiative (UASI), and the Port Security Grant Program. 
FEMA grant funding has long supported security initiatives to include:
   Counter-terrorism programs,
   Police training and equipment,
   Cybersecurity programs,
   Installations of CCTV and Access Control Systems at PATH, 
        Ports, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal,
   Bollard protection initiatives,
   Protection of the PATH tunnels,
   Building column protection at the Port Authority Bus 
        Terminal,
   WTC Transportation Hub security initiatives,
   Emergency preparedness training and exercises and business 
        continuity Programs.
    Furthermore, the Port Authority received $2 million dollars in 
grant funding through the DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance Body-Worn 
Camera program. This funding allowed us to outfit our police department 
with Body-Worn Camera technology that enhances accountability and 
provide transparency to the communities we serve. We intend to apply 
for 2024 grant funding through this program to further enhance our 
training capabilities.
    We appreciate Congress' support of Federal security grant funding 
and ask that you continue to fund these vital programs; they are 
essential to the Port Authority's financial ability to maintain safety 
and security at our facilities and implement initiatives to address the 
challenges of the evolving threat landscape.
    In closing, I would like to thank the Members of the Subcommittee 
on Emergency Management and Technology and our Congressional delegation 
for their unwavering support that allows us to better serve our 
employees and customers and better protect our regional transportation 
infrastructure and all those who depend upon it.

    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you, Mr. Ehrie.
    Before we get into questioning, I just want to point out, 
as I look around, there was a reason why we wanted to have this 
hearing here at the 9/11 Museum, and we wanted to make sure 
that those who visited this hallowed ground could be part of 
this. As we look around, we see people visiting the 9/11 
Museum.
    I just want to point out to all of you here, whether you 
are proud New Yorkers, or whether you're visiting from any 
corner across this Nation, many days you may watch the 
mainstream media and see a very divided government, division in 
Washington, division amongst parties. I just want to be very 
clear that on this dais, you have Members of the U.S. House of 
Representatives from many corners of this great Nation 
representing both sides of the aisle.
    But this morning, we are not Democrats or Republicans, we 
are here as Americans. This is your Government at work. We are 
united, not divided, united in funding innovation and education 
and equipment, fighting for the health care of 9/11 survivors, 
and most importantly, keeping us and our first responders safe.
    Members will be recognized by order of seniority for their 
5 minutes of questioning. An additional round of questioning 
may be called after all Members have been recognized. I now 
recognize myself for 5 minutes.
    Deputy Commissioner Weiner, you mentioned it briefly in 
your opening remarks, but I think if--if you could perhaps give 
us 2 to 3 minutes, can you gives a sense--and I know that this 
is something that we discussed when we had met a few weeks ago, 
and I think for everyone to hear, especially my colleagues is 
of super importance. Can you give us a sense of the threat that 
foreign terrorist groups pose today and how it has changed over 
the past 20 years?
    Ms. Weiner. Absolutely. Thank you for the question. This is 
an enduring threat. It's a persistent threat. As I mentioned, 
though it manifests differently today than it did on September 
12, 2001, it's a threat that we have arrayed tremendous 
resources and need to continue to array tremendous resources to 
combat al-Qaeda and ISIS, continue to inspire home-grown 
violent extremists across the country and here in our area of 
responsibility, in New York, every day.
    This continues through propaganda; this continues through 
plotting; this continues through the investigations that we 
collectively, with our Federal, State, and local counterparts 
across the country, carry out to make sure that it doesn't 
manifest in violence on our streets.
    This is in addition to threats posed by nation-states. I 
mentioned Iran briefly earlier, but the emboldened Iran and 
activities targeting dissidents here in our city, targeting 
former U.S. officials in threat streams are of great concern to 
us at the NYPD and in concert with our Federal partners. The 
nexus to international terrorism remains strong, and it will 
continue to do so. The programs that we've just described are 
put into place to ensure that collectively we can meet threats 
where they emanate from before they materialize here on our 
streets.
    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you very much.
    One of the things that Mr. Goldman mentioned in his opening 
remarks was about FEMA's nonprofit security grant program. 
Commissioner Ryder is charged with protecting one of the 
largest Jewish populations across the Nation, and I am honored 
to represent that same population. The nonprofit security grant 
program provides funding support for target hardening and other 
physical security enhancements and activities to nonprofit 
organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack. In 
New York alone, antisemitic attacks have increased by 39 
percent from 2021 to 2022, reaching a record high.
    Commissioner, have you observed the use of a nonprofit 
security grant program within Nassau County's large Jewish 
community?
    Mr. Ryder. Yes, we have. So in Nassau County we have been 
very fortunate that we reach out to all of our--our schools. We 
have 56 school districts, 450 buildings. We have over 100 
yeshivas that are out there and synagogues and houses of 
worship. Every one of them has received an assessment from the 
Nassau County Police Department. Our homeland security office 
has done the security assessment with them.
    We've advanced their security as far as going--giving them 
the Rave app, which is a response app that we use in Nassau 
County. It's in every one of our institutions, and also the 
hardening of that security, putting in the bollards, putting 
parking conditions, lighting, anything that would make it a 
safer--the, as we call them, the person trap in the front of 
the building. So we've done a lot with our leaders, both from 
the religious side and school side, but we always can do more, 
and they can always use more funding.
    Mr. D'Esposito. So do you believe that the nonprofit 
security grant program has been successful?
    Mr. Ryder. It's been invaluable. It really has. It's 
sometimes not waiting for that, but that perception of security 
is so important to those people that go to pray on the Sabbath, 
on a Sunday or a Friday at a mosque. It's--they want to make 
sure that they feel secure when they go to pray. So the fact 
that we put these security measures in place is important, but 
the intelligence side is probably more--more important.
    Mr. D'Esposito. So just to stick on that for one moment, in 
Nassau County, it has been successful because I think the lines 
of communication have been great and you have been at the 
forefront of making sure that it's implemented. What can we do 
as Members of Congress from all walks of this country to make 
sure that local police departments as well as the larger ones 
have the same resources that--that you are utilizing in Nassau 
County?
    Mr. Ryder. Well, supply and demand. Where is it needed the 
most, you know. Look, nobody is a bigger target than the New 
York City area, and we know that. That's why we have five of 
their detectives that sit in my intel center to share 
intelligence back and forth.
    But when it comes to the technology and the support of the 
public side, there's a foundation out there that has to start 
with at home with the kids and stuff where we are starting to 
teach our children about antisemitism and hate. It doesn't--
it's not spent enough time of building that foundation with 
them. Then they grow into those people that become those--that 
want to target us.
    The more we spread that wealth throughout the country, it 
is important. But there is needs that are, in some places, a 
lot less than it would be in like, again, like the greater New 
York City area.
    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you very much, Commissioner.
    I now recognize Mr. Goldman for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Goldman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I would just note that I have also heard from my 
communities the nonprofit security grant program has been 
invaluable. The President's budget recommended an increase of 
$55 million to $360 million. Unfortunately, the House 
Appropriations homeland security amount that has been proposed 
is much less than that. It's only $315 million. So I hope that 
my colleagues on the other side of the aisle can address that 
discrepancy and boost it to what the President commanded so 
that it can continue its success.
    Deputy Commissioner Weiner, you--I appreciate your comments 
about the international terrorist threats, but you also 
mentioned in your opening statement domestic terrorism, which 
has grown pretty significantly in recent years. Can you talk 
about how that threat has evolved over the past several years?
    Ms. Weiner. Absolutely. Thank you for the question. So this 
certainly has been an area of growth across the country, and 
including in New York City. You can look at an event that 
tragically took place very recently in Jacksonville, Florida, 
or I mentioned earlier the Buffalo attack, for important 
reminders of how that threat can manifest.
    Individuals who are often radicalized in a different way 
than we see among those who are inspired by al-Qaeda or ISIS, 
spending a lot of time in the digital sphere, the on-line 
environment and technology has been studied very intensively, 
has played a role in radicalizing and mobilizing individuals to 
violence across the ideological spectrum, but very much to 
include domestic violent extremism.
    It's a label that includes a broad category of people who 
are motivated by different grievances, but uniting them all is 
hatred, hatred against particular ethnic groups, particular 
races, anti-Government extremism, and really important as we 
think about the sacrifice that so many of our colleagues have 
made on 9/11 and years subsequent about the role of law 
enforcement officers as targets for domestic violent 
extremists.
    This has been true in recent years in a number of different 
examples of what we call accelerationist or--is one 
manifestation of race-based sort of conspiracy, as well as 
racially- and ethnically-motivated extremism. You see a lot of 
hallmarks of different attacks, the creation of manifestos that 
are disseminated on-line, a lot of on-line kudos for attackers 
that have come before attackers.
    We see this as a transnational threat, not just a domestic 
threat. Here I think we've done a lot of work collectively in 
thinking through the difference between international 
terrorism, as I was describing earlier, and domestic terrorism.
    These are elements that are growing, they are fueled by 
conspiracy, they are fueled by disinformation, and they are 
really, at their basis, animated in hate, and something that 
we've provided a lot of resources in trying to address. We 
created a unit, our racially- and ethnically-motivated 
extremist task force, in 2019, to do a lot of the tactics, 
techniques, and procedures that we have applied in the context 
of international terrorism, but focused on this rising threat 
with funding that we are grateful for from your committee, 
funding from our grants that focus on training and equipping 
officers, intelligence analysts, and investigators to 
understand this element of the threat just as much as we've 
resourced understanding the international terrorism 
environment.
    Mr. Goldman. You also mentioned the prevalence of 
disinformation, misinformation, AI, deep fakes. I'm going to 
combine two questions into one. You know, addressing both that, 
I would appreciate understanding a little bit more. Then also, 
what can we, in Congress, what can the Federal Government do 
more to both help combat disinformation, and I'd like for you 
to talk about why it's dangerous, but also to combat domestic 
violent extremism.
    Ms. Weiner. Absolutely. So we are staring down the barrel 
of a pretty fraught and contentious election season coming up.
    Chairman D'Esposito, I'm so grateful that you reinforced 
the united nature of this hearing and your subcommittee.
    Disinformation is, in many ways, operating like a toxic sap 
that is hardening and dividing our individuals here, our 
citizens, and this is occurring in many ways. But our focus at 
the NYPD, and in our bureau, is understanding the ways in which 
people are consuming information that may be deliberately used 
sometimes by foreign adversaries. I think about the case of 
Russia and election interference as a good example of 
disinformation that's intentionally disseminated into our on-
line environment in order to divide us.
    So that's an area where we as local law enforcement need to 
understand the threat. We need the resources to try to combat 
it. Whether that is intelligence analytical support that is, 
again, funded Federally; whether those are tools that can be 
used to identify when information is not grounded in reality, 
this is going to become increasingly important in the era of 
generative artificial intelligence where creating information 
that is inauthentic is democratized to anyone who chooses to do 
so. So our abilities to detect that inauthenticity become 
really important, and these are new priority areas for us to 
invest in going forward as the threats continue to evolve.
    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you. The gentleman's time is expired.
    I now recognize the gentleman from New York, and my fellow 
Long Islander, Mr. LaLota.
    Mr. LaLota. Thank you, Chairman.
    We said we'd never forget that 22 years ago we were 
attacked by folks motivated by hatred and envy for our great 
Nation; that our innocent friends and family, who merely went 
to work that day, riding the subway, a train, maybe they drove 
in, perished that day. We said we'd never forget the first 
responders and civilians who rushed toward danger knowing it 
might be fateful for them to save innocent people, did so 
valiantly.
    We said we'd never forget the troops who were deployed two 
decades afterwards to ensure this country remains safe, and the 
first responders are still on watch today in this city and 
beyond to ensure we remain safe. We said we would never forget.
    As I look to my left and to my right, and this point has 
been hit a little bit, on the bipartisan nature of this panel, 
but it's not just New York and New Jersey Members, the 
gentleman to my right is from Alabama, two to my right is from 
Oklahoma, I hope that we personify Congress' commitment to 
ensuring that this city remains safe, that we fight our enemies 
as far abroad as we can, that we identify the issues is which 
would put our people into danger, and that we don't forget; and 
that we here are committed to ensuring that we give you the 
resources, the tools, the policies, the rhetoric, things that 
we can do to ensure that you can do your jobs effectively.
    I appreciate you all being here today and the work that you 
do every day. My dad was a cop and his dad was a cop, and my 
brother served in the Marines, and I was in the Navy. This is a 
team effort that you see before you, and we appreciate your 
dedication and support to our common constituents.
    Yesterday, I visited Persistent Systems on Midtown West, 
about 26th Street, and they produced for the military and first 
responders communications gear, things that, Deputy 
Commissioner, you talked about in your opening statement, 
things that share data and voice and video in near-real-time 
and real-time capacities.
    Commissioner, you hit this when you spoke as well, this was 
a failure 22 years ago of intelligence sharing, of 
communications sharing. We didn't know the things that we 
needed to know 22 years ago to thwart this incident, nor to 
respond to it in a maximum capacity. I appreciate collectively 
your efforts to get better at this.
    Deputy Commissioner, my first question is to you, sir, you 
mentioned this in your opening statement, the improvements 
we've made in those sorts of communications, data sharing, 
voice sharing, video sharing. Can you explain in about a minute 
or so into greater detail, sir, as to the advancements that 
you've made and to the extent that you share, the FDNY shares 
with Port Authority, NYPD, or other agencies that your 
equipment is interoperable with them, that your tactics, 
techniques, and procedures are compatible with other agencies. 
Can you tell me, sir, what advancements we've made in the last 
22 years?
    Mr. Pfeifer. We've made a lot of advancements in the last 
22 years. We share radio frequencies. We share video. In our 
emergency operations center, there's a live feed video from 
NYPD helicopters. I certainly would have loved to have seen 
that 22 years ago, but we do--we do it now. We've also worked 
with the private sector getting live feed videos from their 
helicopters. We work with the Port Authority.
    Not long after 9/11, there was a threat against the 
bridges, particularly the George Washington Bridge. I sat at a 
law enforcement meeting, and just this meeting, a bunch of 
police and one fire guy in the back. I raised my hand, and I 
said, how do you collapse a bridge? Nobody knew. Then Port 
Authority invited me into a meeting the next day with the 
engineers, and we sat down and Port Authority, NYPD, FDNY, and 
we found out how that would occur, and then I gave them some 
ideas and then we changed procedures.
    Mr. LaLota. Thank you, Deputy Commissioner. I'm going to 
interrupt you really quickly----
    Mr. Pfeifer. OK.
    Mr. LaLota [continuing]. Because my time is running out.
    Mr. Pfeifer. I'm sorry.
    Mr. LaLota. Would you, sir, commit to working with our 
offices to let us know what more the Federal Government can do 
to ensure that we continue to communicate and collaborate?
    Mr. Pfeifer. Absolutely.
    Mr. LaLota. Thank you.
    Mr. Pfeifer. We need to work together, and we need to do it 
in a physical, but also through technology and sharing 
digitally.
    Mr. LaLota. I appreciate that.
    Commissioner, my last few moments are for you, sir. There's 
no mistake why D'Espo respects you so much. Your statement 
fired me up and has me focused even more so on this issue. I 
want to give you a moment to maybe discuss a little bit more 
about our State's policies and how they affect your job, 
especially how they negatively affect your job as it pertains, 
sir, to recruitment and retention. You know, what have current 
policies in this State done for your department's recruitment 
and retention, sir?
    Mr. Ryder. Understand that law enforcement is not perfect. 
We have made mistakes 100 percent, and after reform that 
changed, justice reform that came in when it came to discovery 
information and bail reform, and then we get the blame of why 
crime is continuing. Well, the crime is continuing is because 
we don't keep bad people where they belong and that's in jail.
    So laws need to get refocused back where they were. They 
did some adjustments for us when it came to the bail reform, 
but on the discovery side, the work that is done, especially 
when it comes to technology, every camera, every video, every 
body camera all has to be turned over within that 14-day period 
or we're dismissing charges, and that's what's happening.
    So when it comes to the technology side of things, 
extracting that information and then turning it over to defense 
counsel, he has more rights now than our victims do. 
Unfortunately, we get the burden of trying to pick up that 
slack without funding it. They've made no--you know, they've 
made mandates that are unfunded, and that's the problem that 
we're going through. The size of the discovery people and the 
analysts that are now hired to extract that information, nobody 
is picking up the tab.
    So when you look at the laws, and now--again, they're now 
looking to go after restricting the flights of unmanned drones, 
there are thousands of drones in the air every single day that 
civilians are buying and have the same usage that my drone has, 
ability to film and go into areas that you can't reach. But 
they're not under any restrictions. The first person they come 
and ask is the law enforcement, let's make sure that they're 
doing it right, or the first responders in the FDNY. The focus 
has got to go back where it belongs. Get it off our back and 
put it back on where it belongs on the bad people, not on the 
good people who are trying to protect you.
    Mr. LaLota. Thanks, Commissioner. I yield back.
    Mr. D'Esposito. The gentleman's time is expired.
    I now recognize my good friend from the State of New 
Jersey, Mr. Menendez.
    Mr. Menendez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Ranking 
Member. Thank you for convening today's hearing, allowing me to 
waive on to discuss a topic that's so important to my district, 
which sits right across the river in New Jersey.
    This region, our country, to our witnesses, thank you all 
for coming. Thank you for your service.
    To the museum staff, thank you for hosting us today.
    To the Port Authority on whose campus we sit, who I 
consider family, privileged to be here with you today and 
yesterday as we commemorate this 22nd anniversary of 9/11 and 
also remember the lives lost in 1993.
    In remembering and honoring the lives lost, we must commit 
ourselves to the work that remains to preventing future 
tragedies. As the Chairman and Ranking Member and other 
colleagues have touched on, we approach these challenges not as 
Republicans or as Democrats, but as Americans, and that's how 
we're going to solve these challenges by doing it together. So 
I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here today.
    The events of September 11 prompted sweeping changes to how 
our Nation considers the global threat landscape. While our 
cyber and technological capabilities have evolved significantly 
since 2001, so have those of our adversaries. As a Nation, we 
must ensure that our efforts to improve counterterrorism post-
9/11 keep pace in order to keep Americans safe. This requires 
continued development of innovative cyber capabilities that can 
detect and counter cyber threats, ransomware attacks, unwanted 
digital intrusions, and other attacks.
    As representatives of entities that safeguard people, vital 
networks, and critical infrastructure, many of you are at the 
forefront of this fight.
    Deputy Commissioner Weiner and Mr. Ehrie, how have the 
terrorism threats your organizations encounter evolved in the 
cybersecurity landscape, and how do your organizations utilize 
Federal resources to deploy cyber defense measures? Deputy 
Commissioner Weiner, you're first.
    Ms. Weiner. Thank you. Another area of tremendous growth, 
and here the technological revolution that has occurred in the 
22 years since 9/11 have worked in ways that my co-witnesses 
have described to empower law enforcement to combat threat, and 
again, that goes back to having the support from the Federal 
Government to continue funding to improve our own capabilities 
internally.
    Our information technology bureau spends a tremendous 
amount of time and resources. I mentioned our domain awareness 
system that helps us understand threats, whether that's threats 
on the city streets or threats to our own internet footprint 
and infrastructure and digital footprint. We rely tremendously 
on technology. We leverage it to combat threat. We leverage it 
to do everything that we do. That needs to be done safely.
    So UASI grants, in particular, have been instrumental in 
creating cybersecurity capabilities in our department that 
allow us to continue our operations. The adversaries' playing 
field has also improved unfortunately over the last two 
decades. You know, we discussed artificial intelligence 
briefly, but here is an element where the cyber threat 
landscape is about to really change, and to continue the 
trajectory that has been on-going in recent years. The threats 
are often not new, certainly in terms of cyber threat vector. 
What's different is the opportunity that AI allows to conduct 
them at scale and at cost.
    Mr. Menendez. So we'll need additional coordination between 
local actors, and the Federal Government is considering how 
quickly evolving that landscape is?
    Ms. Weiner. Absolutely.
    Mr. Menendez. I appreciate you flagging that, and I want to 
give Mr. Ehrie a chance to discuss cybersecurity at the Port 
Authority.
    Mr. Ehrie. No, absolutely. As always, Commissioner Weiner 
has it correct. It's a delta that's growing, as we've watched 
and worked to keep that delta closed. When we think of physical 
security, the cyber world, especially with the emerging AI 
issue, is just vastly outstripping our ability to deal with it 
at this point. The grants are critically important, and that 
interaction you're talking about between the local and the 
State and the Federal Governments and the ability to 
collaborate on that is going to be absolutely critical.
    We are starting to see pieces of through the intel world, 
ChatGPT, AI, asking it what's the best terrorist attack, what's 
the best target, and you have something at the speed of light 
that studies over. That piece of terrorism where there was 
planning can be speeded up now through these uses of that. So 
our ability to address that is something we're working on. We 
focus on the technology piece. We depend on the Federal 
Government for the funding for that and for that collaboration.
    Mr. Menendez. We are partners in that. Our colleague, 
Andrew Garbarino, chairs the Cybersecurity Subcommittee. We'd 
love to have you down, and--because it's something that we are 
laser-focused on.
    Just one more quick question: Our first responders are 
often faced with challenging and unique circumstances, 
especially in these densely-populated districts like the ones 
that we have the honor of representing. Just one example, this 
July, a fire broke out on a cargo ship in the Port of Newark, 
in New Jersey's 8th Congressional District. Despite the 
unfamiliar terrain, firefighters did what firefighters do, and 
two firefighters from Newark's Fire Department lost their lives 
responding to that fire.
    Urban areas present unique challenges for our first 
response in a security scenario. Commissioner Kavanagh and 
anyone else that would like to speak on it, how does it help 
first responders to have specific funds dedicated to addressing 
the unique security challenges presented by urban areas, some 
of which are covered by the Urban Area Security Initiative? 
Thank you.
    Ms. Kavanagh. Absolutely. As you mentioned, that tragic 
fire in Newark, you know, broke our hearts, also an example of 
collaboration though. We sent over our specialized rescue 
units, and they were able to find those two firefighters and 
pull them out, so that their colleagues could begin to mourn 
them.
    I can't emphasize enough how much--you know, the theme of 
this hearing has been bipartisan, and that's the same for us, 
too. You know, all of the training that we do because of the 
complexity of this city, because it requires us to always be on 
top of new technology, to train regularly is a national asset. 
Our teams have gone to, I think, almost every State represented 
up here.
    So, you know, this is--while it's--New York is certainly 
the main target, this is not a New York problem alone, but it's 
also not a New York solution. The assets that we build, the 
technology that we build, and the people that we train are, you 
know, uniquely qualified because of the challenges in our city 
to go out and help their fellow Americans wherever an emergency 
may be.
    Mr. Menendez. Thank you.
    Thank you again, Chairman, for allowing me to waive on. I 
yield back.
    Mr. D'Esposito. The gentleman's time is expired.
    I now recognize fellow first responder, the gentleman from 
Alabama, Mr. Strong.
    Mr. Strong. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I want to thank the staff and especially the Members from 
New York. You all have been great hosts. You might tell, I'm 
from also across the river. I'm across the Tennessee River, OK, 
but it's an honor to be here with you.
    He mentioned first responder. My father was a 23-year fire 
chief, inspired me, 39 years, myself, from a junior firefighter 
to assistant chief. Four commissioners and a chief, I'm honored 
to be here before you. You think about it, a lot has changed in 
22 years from VHF radios, UHF radios, to digital 
interoperability. That's what we learn from this. It's 
unbelievable how many lives have been saved.
    Ms. Weiner, you mentioned you were--a grant, I think of 
$120 million. Does it concern you that the mayor, Mayor Adams, 
is considering cuts because of so many illegal aliens coming to 
New York?
    Ms. Weiner. As we are here today and think through all of 
the terrific collaboration that has sustained our operations 
here, and all of the other issues that are confounding our 
Government, whether it's Federal agencies dealing with other 
problems now, great power conflict problems, or our city, which 
is grappling with humanitarian crisis involving migrants; the 
funding that we've just been talking about to support our 
counterterrorism operations here; and to make sure that as we 
navigate collectively all of these other priority areas, we do 
not forget our counterterrorism operation is critically 
important.
    So again, Federal funds are what allow us to continue to do 
that and to make sure that September 12, 2023, is a reminder 
that we will never go back to September 12 of 2001.
    Mr. Strong. Thank you. I agree.
    I stand amazed after 22 years to see how many people have 
chosen careers in the U.S. military, police, paramedics, and 
firefighters. That's the one thing that really stood out, 
especially yesterday.
    In 2020, immigration and enforcement spending totaled about 
$4 billion across departments and agencies that today make up 
the Department of Homeland Security. President Biden's fiscal 
year 2024 budget request for immigration enforcement was $25 
billion. I think Americans would agree that we haven't seen a 
proportionate increase in immigration enforcement, particularly 
in the last 2 years.
    Ms. Weiner, do you think this administration's immigration 
and border crisis has diverted valuable time and resources away 
from our national security mission?
    Ms. Weiner. The fidelity that we apply to the 
counterterrorism ecosystem here in the city and across the 
country sustains our ability to protect the city. That's 
critically important for all the reasons that we've just been 
talking about. You know, I'm not in a position to say what is 
or isn't a diversion. Unfortunately, we're in a period of time 
globally, not just in this country, but around the world, where 
we have to walk and chew gum at the same time. We have a number 
of competing issues that we have to deal with adroitly. So, 
from where we sit here in this space, on this day, we 
understand the importance of continuing our posture on these 
issues.
    Mr. Strong. Thank you.
    Commissioner Ryder, would it--your testimony--you testified 
about taking away the rights of law enforcement to fly drones. 
Would it surprise you that the Mexican cartel is flying 17 
drones for every one flown by U.S. Border Patrol?
    Mr. Ryder. Absolutely not. Of course they are. That's why, 
again, we have to be right every time. They only have to be 
right once. They're practicing every day, they're drilling 
every day, they come up with new ideas. They've got nothing to 
do but wake up every morning and figure out how they're going 
to mess with the system. We have to go to work every day and 
make sure the system works.
    Mr. Strong. Would it surprise you that the Secretary of 
Homeland Security continues to tell the American people that he 
has operational control of the Southern Border?
    Mr. Ryder. From my personal opinion, there is very little 
control of that border right now.
    Mr. Strong. I totally agree. I'm from Rocket City, U.S.A., 
Huntsville, Alabama. We have the ability to jam or drop these 
drones. This administration allows them to fly freely in U.S. 
airspace, and we cannot tolerate that any longer.
    Our homeland is under attack once again at the Southern 
Border, and you start looking at these first responders, each 
of you and the people that work under your direction, sees it 
every day. I've worked over 200 overdoses myself. We're 
watching as fentanyl is killing a generation of Americans, and 
something has got to be done about it. Illegal immigration, 
fentanyl poisoning, human smuggling, this border failure is not 
a Republican issue, it is not a Democratic issue, it is an 
American issue. It is time that it be addressed. You look at 
it, America deserves better.
    Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    Mr. D'Esposito. The gentleman yields back.
    I now recognize the gentleman from Oklahoma, Mr. Brecheen.
    Mr. Brecheen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    It's an honor to be with you all at Ground Zero here today. 
The very existence of this committee is a result of what 
happened here 22 years ago. I think most of us remember well 
where we were at. It's inspiring to hear the stories of those 
of you that were here not just watching it like many of us in 
TV from Oklahoma, but we're actually responding. Your courage 
and your bravery was an inspiration to our country. I think 
there's a lot of us that remember the unity that existed in 
those days after, and we're a Nation that's in need of that.
    With that said, there are problems we have to work through. 
Today's mission, the mission statement before us, is the 
evolving threat. You know, I'm--you've got a Democrat mayor who 
last week said we're now getting people--talking about the 
illegal immigration situation that New York is experiencing, 
said we're getting people from West Africa, we're getting 
people from all over the globe that made up their minds that 
they're going to come through the Southern Border and come into 
New York City. That same Democrat New York City mayor also said 
that it's about 10,000 a month that are coming to your city.
    So as we look at the mission of today's hearing, the 
evolving threat, I would feel derelict in my duty representing 
Oklahoma if I didn't in New York City, knowing that you have 
people that are here, that have not gone through the same 
scrutiny that they go through when they're flying in and they 
have to present documentation.
    I think we have to face the reality that there is a threat 
that is here. As many of you have said, New York City is unique 
because of its density of population, that you are a target.
    So, it is uncomfortable. How do we talk to one another when 
there's such, you know, differences in ideology, but also, you 
know, focus on the things we have to be focused on. How do we 
keep people who hate America from repeating heinous behavior?
    I want to ask you, Mr. Ehrie, it's--it was--it's incredible 
to know all that you actually represent with, you know, lead 
security officers for the Port Authority, the number of 
bridges, five airports I think you said are under your 
inspection, 8,500 surveillance cameras that, you know--that 
you--that you all have in operation trying to watch what's 
going on.
    What is occurring with the 100,000 more people in this 
city? What are you all doing? What is your advice to other 
cities as we make sure that we are trying to be wise in 
stopping another 9/11-type activity, whether it's, you know, to 
the same level, a smaller level, or that cybersecurity, what 
actions are you all taking with the grant funding with this 
illegal immigration situation, you know, front and center in 
New York City?
    Mr. Ehrie. Thank you for the question. We here at the Port, 
obviously, and as has been said, we're dealing with a 
humanitarian challenge with people coming here, like many 
States and many cities. The Port, you know, supports as best we 
can both the State and the city's efforts to house and to vet 
these individuals when they come here.
    From a security standpoint, we do--I won't say numbers are 
often irrelevant, but we look at the challenge every way, we 
deal with it collaboratively, we talk with our intel partners, 
we do the best we can with the technology catching up with 
that, but it's a concern, you know, more people of any stripe 
coming to this city.
    Much like today, or yesterday, when we had the festivities 
and the commemorations here to think about the attacks that 
happened on 9/11, people come here and it's a flooded area, and 
we have to take those security precautions. But we do rely on 
that funding to allow us, as you mentioned, the technology 
that--not only here at the Port but throughout the city that we 
have, the camera systems, the security alarms, the biological 
alarms, they're all in place to deal with that. We look at that 
stepping up. If there's more visitors that come to our 
facilities, we appreciate that as the city does, but we do take 
our security concerns just as seriously.
    Mr. Brecheen. Mr. Ryder, the failure of the intelligence 
community, you cited--it's come up another time, powerful 
statement that you said that, you know, the bad guys only have 
to be right once. We have to be right every time. What are your 
comments? We know that we apprehended 98 people in the 
terrorist watchlist 2 years ago. We've already apprehended 100 
people coming across the Southern Border on the terrorist 
watchlist, but what about those that didn't? What about those 
who have gotten across without the documentation that may have 
been caught through other screenings that are now potentially 
in New York City? What are your thoughts on this?
    Mr. Ryder. I am a child of immigrants. My parents came to 
this country from Ireland, came through Ellis Island on the 
Queen Elizabeth at the time. We are a country that welcomes 
all, but a process has to be in place. You won't walk into an 
NBC building, a CBS building, a FOX building without going 
through a security process, controlled access. Then there's a 
vetting process, show your ID and we'll give you it back. At 
the end of the day, you get it back when you walk out.
    There's no controlled access at the border, so we don't 
know who's coming through that border. That makes my job and 
the commissioner's job harder. I have to vet the normal 
domestic terrorist people that are evolving in this country. 
Now, I've got to take everything from around the world that's 
coming through the border with no vetting process and now try 
to figure out who's going to be my next potential target. How 
many hundreds have gotten through that border already that are 
building up right now to do an attack on our country? We don't 
know it. You know what, but because of the great work that 
we're doing on this side of the table and the support that 
we're getting, we're going to try to stay on top of that and 
make sure that the people are safe.
    Mr. Brecheen. Thank you.
    I yield, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. D'Esposito. The gentleman's time is expired.
    Mr. Goldman. Mr. Chairman, will you yield for 1 minute just 
to respond to that?
    I would just like to point out, first of all, this is about 
9/11, and I hope we can continue to focus on this, but the 
migrants who have come to New York City have been vetted. 
Nearly every single one has come through a port of entry and 
has been vetted and has gone through that process, and that's 
part of the reason why there has been so little criminal 
activity from those 100,000-plus that have come here. Thank you 
for your indulgence.
    Mr. D'Esposito. The Chair now recognizes Ms. Malliotakis.
    Ms. Malliotakis. First, I want to thank each and every one 
of you for your service to our State.
    I want to thank the Chairman for--Anthony D'Esposito, for 
his service to our city as a former NYPD detective.
    I want to say that this is about 9/11, and it is about 
preventing the next terrorist attack, and that is why we have a 
responsibility as Members of Congress to make sure that our 
homeland is secure, and that includes our borders, and that 
includes making sure that the Department of Homeland Security 
does not have an open border process that is allowing millions 
of people to enter into our country.
    With that said, I am very concerned about DHS, which was 
created post 9/11; TSA, which is under the DHS, allowing 
individuals to use warrants to board aircrafts completely 
against the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. But here 
locally, we should be talking about the people that we don't 
know about. You mentioned--we know that there are about 7.4 
million. Does the NYPD vet those individuals, the ones that do 
come to New York City?
    Ms. Weiner. We rely on our Federal partners for screening 
individuals, and, you know, you mentioned individuals who have 
been turned away or apprehended, who would be part of our 
terrorist screening database hits.
    Ms. Malliotakis. Does NYPD cooperate with Federal detainer 
requests?
    Ms. Weiner. So NYPD, in terms of criminal enforcement--and, 
you know, you're referring to sanctuary city policies and our 
ability to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and 
Customs and Border Protection, and in the context, which is 
where I operate of crime investigation and prevention, we 
cooperate extensively with ICE.
    Ms. Malliotakis. Extensively you do.
    Ms. Weiner. Yes.
    Ms. Malliotakis. However, does the city of New York 
prohibit NYPD from cooperating with Federal detainer requests? 
Because the last that I saw, out of all the retainer requests 
this year, last year, and the year prior, there was zero 
cooperation.
    Ms. Weiner. In civil enforcement, that's where this policy 
comes to play. However, in terms of protecting our city from 
crime, that's where the cooperation and the collaboration is 
robust and on-going, and we work extensively with those 
agencies.
    Ms. Malliotakis. OK. Well, and I would like to say that, 
for the record, that there have been dozens of individuals that 
are currently here in the current shelter system created by our 
mayor for migrants that have been arrested and released back 
onto our streets, because my colleague says that they're vetted 
and everything is great.
    I also want to ask--I also want to point out that there's 
1.6 million individuals who have had zero interaction with any 
Government official that have entered our Southern Border. We 
don't know where they are. We don't know who they are. Does 
that concern you?
    Ms. Weiner. I think what's happening at the border is 
certainly of concern. It's of concern in many different 
dimensions. There's a humanitarian crisis in this city, one 
that requires a lot of collaboration and a lot of funding and 
support.
    From a security perspective, which is my purview, it 
absolutely does. I think one of the issues I wanted to flag was 
tremendous partnership and cooperation with Federal agencies 
surrounding some of the networks, human smuggling networks 
related to individuals from Uzbekistan, and, you know, there 
were press reports recently around links to ISIS of some of 
those individuals.
    Ms. Malliotakis. Yes.
    Ms. Weiner. So that vetting and that intelligence and those 
partnerships that we have come to rely on in terms of our 
ability to investigate threats have allowed us, working 
collaboratively with our Joint Terrorism Task Force officers, 
NYPD officers assigned to those task force----
    Ms. Malliotakis. You mentioned the Federal partners that 
investigate the human smuggling network as it relates to ISIS. 
The FBI reported that those individuals were already in the 
country, so they were able to somehow get in despite this great 
vetting process that my colleague says exists.
    But aside from that, I'm concerned about the 1.6 million 
got-aways that have had zero interaction, that are in our 
country, we don't know who they are, we don't know where they 
are. That is my greatest concern. We caught 250 individuals 
over the last--this fiscal year and last fiscal year at the 
border. That's great, but what about the 1.6 million?
    Mr. Ryder, Mr. Ehrie, does that concern you?
    Mr. Ehrie. Much like the commissioner said, from a security 
professional's point of view, of course it concerns me. But 
we're--as we deal with this humanitarian crisis we need to get 
our arms around that and what's going on at the border and 
these folks coming into the country.
    Ms. Malliotakis. Mr. Ryder.
    Mr. Ryder. Absolutely, it concerns me.
    Ms. Malliotakis. Well, I want to thank you all for your 
what you're doing. Again, I--I--your job is being made 
difficult by what is going on at our border, that the 
Department of Homeland Security was created to keep our 
interior secure, so that's what we should all be focused on in 
Congress is making sure you have the tools and resources, but 
that the policies of this administration, this Congress are in 
place to actually help you do your job, not make it more 
difficult, because you shouldn't have to divert all these 
resources from the current threats by--think there's 1.6 
million people in the country, we don't know who they are, 
where they are, and what they're planning. That's a--that, I 
think, is the No. 1 thing that we should be concerned with.
    I yield back to my colleagues, and I thank you for allowing 
me to participate in this important hearing.
    Mr. D'Esposito. The gentlewoman yields.
    The Chair now recognizes Mr. Molinaro from New York.
    Mr. Molinaro. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for 
allowing me to waive on to the subcommittee. I, too, have been 
serving in the State of New York in local government and as an 
emergency responder for the last 30 years. I, too, recall early 
that morning, 22 years ago, a flight--plane flying low above 
the Hudson River, wondering what exactly was going on here, 
from my viewpoint in the Hudson River Valley only to a few 
moments later realize that that indeed was a plane headed 
toward this very location.
    I'm grateful certainly to all of you, to your service to 
the city of New York, the region, and of course the State.
    Mr. Chairman, thank you for your own service, sacrifice, 
and heroism, and service to your community and the city of New 
York.
    Deputy Commissioner Pfeifer, you had--and thank you, by the 
way, for your leadership. I had the pleasure of sitting through 
several of your leadership training seminars as a county 
executive. You spoke after 9/11 of the efforts within the city 
of New York to collect more data, to implement technology that 
would allow for greater sharing of data communication, 
interoperability. Have we achieved the goal of adequate 
interoperability and data sharing within the city of New York 
agencies?
    Mr. Pfeifer. We're constantly trying to improve on that. 
There's no doubt we're totally different than we were 22 years 
ago, but we are improving on that. We need funding for 
technology. So think of this, if I take out my phone and I 
swipe to the left, I get my camera. Well, what happens if I 
swipe to the right and I could get a locater so our--our people 
within high-rise buildings or in any building, if they ever get 
in trouble, they swipe right and they could get a locator. The 
same thing if we're looking for firefighters and other first 
responders, to be able to track them where they are, so when 
they get in trouble, get in dangerous situations we can provide 
help. So to answer, we're expanding our ability to communicate 
with each other.
    Mr. Molinaro. But we have significant needs to improve on 
that interoperability.
    Commissioner Ryder, to expand beyond the city of New York, 
this State and this country is made up by countless emergency 
responder agencies. Would you say on Long Island, that there is 
adequate interoperability and communication among police 
agencies and fire agencies volunteering career? Have we met the 
task of the 9/11 Commission's pointing that we lacked 
imagination? Have we gotten to the point where that technology 
has met the need, or do we still have advancements----
    Mr. Ryder. We have gotten better, but we need to go 
further. We're very unique. In Nassau County, I believe there's 
62 fire agencies--72 fire agencies alone, and they all have 
their own fiefdom, if you will, what they control. In--law 
enforcement has theirs with another 19 village police 
departments in two cities. So it's complicated, but, yes, we've 
gotten better in our communications, we're able to communicate 
with our villages, I'm able to communicate with the NYPD on the 
border, and, of course, Suffolk County to my east.
    Mr. Molinaro. Thank you. I--only because I have no idea how 
much time I have left.
    Ms.----
    Mr. D'Esposito. You have a minute and a half.
    Mr. Molinaro. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Ms. Weiner, is there adequate vetting by the Federal 
Government of the migrants, immigrants, individuals, 
undocumented that are now under the care of the city of New 
York? Is there adequate vetting, yes or no?
    Ms. Weiner. This is the challenge of our time----
    Mr. Molinaro. No, I understand, Ms. Weiner. I----
    Ms. Weiner [continuing]. And it's why we do what we do all 
day.
    Mr. Molinaro. Is--Ms. Weiner, is there--has there been 
adequate vetting so that the communication sharing that exists 
is sufficient for the city of New York to know who and what 
individuals are dealing with, and then share that information 
with other agencies? Is that adequate?
    Ms. Weiner. I think----
    Mr. Molinaro. Ms. Weiner, I apologize, is the Federal 
Government vetting adequate?
    Ms. Weiner. If everybody had a crystal ball and was able to 
understand the dimensions----
    Mr. Molinaro. Yes, I----
    Ms. Weiner [continuing]. Of these people and this crisis--
--
    Mr. Molinaro. Ms. Weiner, I appreciate the sentence. I 
really do. I'm not trying to cause any conflict. I believe that 
it is inadequate.
    Commissioner Ryder, would you suggest--would you--knowing 
that the city of New York, under Mayor Adams' policy of moving 
individuals to other parts of the State, would you say that 
there is adequate sharing of criminal background, health 
concerns, risk as those individuals are moved to communities 
beyond the city of New York?
    Mr. Ryder. If anybody is moved to Nassau County, we've 
received no information on it whatsoever.
    Mr. Molinaro. Thank you, Mr. Ryder, Commissioner Ryder.
    Two things, certainly as Mayor Adams said only days ago, we 
are dealing with a crisis that will, in quotes, destroy the 
city of New York. Now, whether that's hyperbole or rhetoric, I 
really don't care. What I do care about is that the lessons we 
learned 22 years ago, or were to have learned 22 years ago, is 
that a porous border, that access to flight training, that 
being able to access documents and identification in order to 
conduct and orchestrate an attack on this country was far too 
easy then than we hope it is today.
    However, adequate or inadequate response to the border 
would suggest to us--inadequate background check and vetting 
would suggest to us that we are open to some risk today. That, 
to me, is alarming and concerning, and ought to be to all 
Americans, not because we don't care about the individuals, we 
do. It was my responsibility as a county leader to locate 
residents shelter. But there's a concern here.
    Mr. Chairman, I just want to end--and I apologize--the 
reason I point to the inadequate--and I think that we're--we've 
made advances, but we have not adequately created 
interoperability and joint communication beyond regional 
agencies--is because this State participates, as several do, 
not many, as several do, Mr. Chairman, in collecting, as every 
State does, thanks to the FCC, a surcharge on cellular phones. 
This State redirects those--that surcharge.
    Millions upon millions of dollars that should be getting to 
agencies on the ground, like the Port Authority, like FDNY, 
like the Nassau police agencies and fire agencies, they 
redirect that aid that was meant to create an interoperability 
and communication to general fund obligations. I believe that 
this is a failure of significant magnitude that is limiting our 
capacity to protect the homeland and to provide emergency 
responders with the tools necessary to respond here in our 
community and our State.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. D'Esposito. The gentleman's time is expired.
    I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our 
witnesses for being here today. I think this was a meaningful 
subcommittee hearing in obviously a place that holds so much 
meaning to many of us.
    I also want to thank the staff here at the museum and the 
staff from Homeland Security for the great job that they did in 
organizing this hearing.
    The Members of the subcommittee may have some additional 
questions for the witnesses, and we would ask the witness to 
respond to these in writing. Pursuant to committee rule VII(D), 
the hearing record will be held open for 10 days.
    Without objection, this subcommittee stands adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 11:19 a.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]

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