JULY 23 - Safeguarding Ports is Key to Homeland Security & Prosperity
Often, homeland security is thought of in terms of protecting the physical borders that run between the United States and our neighbors. However, we must not overlook the critical importance of maritime ports to our nation’s safety. Both because they serve as gateways into the United States and because they facilitate much of our nation’s international trade, American ports are potentially vulnerable spots that must be carefully guarded.
JULY 22 - Senators Urge Interior Secretary Salazar to Resume and Expedite Shallow Water Drilling Permits
Today, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, led by Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), urged the Department of the Interior to resume and expedite consideration of shallow water drilling applications and to provide adequate guidance to those seeking new permits...
JULY 16 - Foundation of U.S. Military Should be Built on American Soil
For the future security posture of U.S. military forces and for the fiscal health of our nation, our military construction agenda should be guided by these words: Build in America. At the end of the Cold War, the U.S. military determined that our armed forces would be best trained and equipped for service when stationed at installations on U.S. soil. Thus, our military adopted a “force projection” strategy that allows our troops to deploy from home, rather than being based primarily overseas...
JULY 12 - Sen. Hutchison’s Statement on New Offshore Drilling Moratorium
Today, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) released the following statement on the Obama Administration’s new drilling moratorium that directs the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (formerly the Minerals Management Service) to suspend the approval of permits for companies that drill wells using subsea or surface blow-out-preventers on floating facilities until November 30, 2010...
JULY 9 - Supreme Court Ruling is Another Key Victory in the Fight for Second Amendment Rights
As the fight to protect the rights of American citizens to keep and bear firearms wages on, the Supreme Court of the United States recently handed down a decision that marks another significant victory for lawful gun owners. In the landmark case, McDonald v. City of Chicago, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that it is unconstitutional for state and local governments to unnecessarily restrict the gun rights of law-abiding individuals. With the decision, America’s highest court sent a clear message to those who seek to obscure the founding framers’ intent and to circumvent the Second Amendment: gun ownership is a constitutionally-protected right for all lawful citizens in our nation...
JULY 2 - Petraeus Brings New Focus to Afghan Mission Strategy
On July 4, our nation celebrated the independence for which early patriots fought and died more than 234 years ago. Their sacrifice, along with the service of generations of American service men and women, is the reason our nation still thrives under the freedom and democracy our founding fathers envisioned for America...
JUNE 30 - Sen. Hutchison Statement on Temporary Extension of National Flood Insurance Program
With Hurricane Alex threatening homes along the Gulf Coast, U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) tonight released the following statement on the Senate temporarily extending the National Flood Insurance Program. This temporary extension makes reliable, federally-backed flood insurance available to coastal residents and other flood-prone communities through September 30...
