Securing our communities against terrorist threats
In his first term in Congress, Roskam voted in favor of H.R. 1 to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission to drastically modernize and improve our nation’s homeland security strategy.
Roskam also cosponsored H.R. 2291 to remove civil liability for individuals who bring suspicious activity to the attention of security or law enforcement officers to ensure that the public is protected in performing the vital task of staying vigilant during their daily activities. It is exactly this sort of everyday prevention that successfully stopped the notorious shoe bombing plot of Abdul Raheem on American flight 63 in late 2001.
Securing our food supply
“U.S. Congressmen Peter Roskam and Mark Kirk announced a bill to improve food safety for an ever increasingly imported food supply.”- Journal & Topics. 4/18/08
Congressman Roskam authored legislation to close a dangerous loophole in our food import regulations that endangered our nation’s food supply. Roskam’s legislation would increase safety standards at our nation’s ports, holding food importers and safety labs accountable for tainted imports.
Securing our transportation system
“U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam district includes O'Hare, said it is "completely unsatisfactory" that undercover TSA agents were able to get 60 percent of fake explosives past O'Hare's screeners during the tests conducted in 2005 and 2006.”- Chicago Tribune, 10/27/07
A secure transportation system is essential to the free flow of people and goods that drive the American economy. Congressman Roskam has helped lead efforts in Congress to close dangerous loopholes, implement strict safety standards and hold government agencies accountable for their safety records.
He regularly communicates with transportation security officials to ensure the progress of efforts to improve the safety of local critical infrastructure, including commuter and freight rail, trucking centers and airports.
Presently, Roskam is developing legislation to implement a national curriculum of transportation security education to be adopted by all major transportation companies, because everyone from the conductor on the train to a factory hand loading trucks for shipping has an important role to play in understanding potential threats, looking out for suspicious activity and protecting the safety of America’s largest ground transportation hub, Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
Securing our personal identity
“Kirk and Roskam are introducing legislation that would do away with the current paper card, and replace it with a plastic ID that contains a magnetic strip, bar code, microchip, and picture. They say the aim is cutting down on identity theft.”- WGN, 2/11/08
In an effort to curb ID theft and fraud, Roskam helped introduce legislation to increase the security of social security cards.
- Since1935, nearly 500 million Social Security cards have been issued.
- U.S. employers report the use of more than 1.4 million Social Security numbers that do not exist each year.
Congressman Roskam’s legislation, H.R. 5405, the Social Security Identity Theft Prevention Act, would require that future issues of Social Security cards be tamper-proof, made of durable material, and include security features that harness the latest innovations in technology to protect our identities and our security.
Next: Protecting our Veterans