IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 537
Recognizing the exemplary contributions of the Gilmore Commission to the 
homeland security of the United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 25, 2004
Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in 
addition to the Committees on Armed Services and the Judiciary, for a 
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the exemplary contributions of the Gilmore Com-
mission to the homeland security of the United States, 
and for other purposes.
Whereas on October 17, 1998, Congress provided for the es-
tablishment of the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic 
Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons 
of Mass Destruction in section 1405 of the Strom Thur-
mond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 1999; 
Whereas the 18-member panel, chaired by the former Gov-
ernor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, James S. Gil-
more III, also known as the ‘‘Gilmore Commission’’, was
•HRES 537 IH 
the only comprehensive means to address the basic level 
of preparedness and response to a terrorist attack within 
the United States prior to September 11, 2001; 
Whereas the Gilmore Commission was the first annual advi-
sory panel to address homeland security preparedness 
using experts in the fields of first response, intelligence, 
national defense, public health, and emergency manage-
ment at the Federal, State, and local levels; 
Whereas Ray Downey, Deputy Chief and Commander of Spe-
cial Operations for the New York City Fire Department 
and a member of the Gilmore Commission, the most 
decorated firefighter in the New York City Fire Depart-
ment, responded to emergencies in Oklahoma City, At-
lanta, and other cities outside his jurisdiction, was deco-
rated 21 times for valor, brought incredible insight into 
the basic needs of first responders, including the lack of 
interoperable communications, and, on September 11, 
2001, perished in the collapse of the North Tower of the 
World Trade Center in New York City; 
Whereas in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the 
Attorney General, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services, and the Director of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, and supported 
by the RAND Corporation, the Gilmore Commission as-
sessed Federal agency efforts to enhance domestic pre-
paredness for incidents involving weapons of mass de-
struction; evaluated the progress of Federal training pro-
grams for local emergency response; assessed deficiencies 
in programs for response to incidents involving weapons 
of mass destruction, including a review of unfunded com-
munications, equipment, and planning requirements and 
the needs of maritime regions; recommended strategies
•HRES 537 IH 
Whereas the Gilmore Commission recently published its 5th 
and final annual report, titled ‘‘Forging America’s New 
Normalcy: Securing Our Homeland, Protecting Our Lib-
erty’’, and officially disbanded on February 17, 2004: 
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) recognizes the exemplary accomplishments 
and contributions of the Gilmore Commission to im-
provements to the homeland security of the United 
States; 
(2) urges Congress—
(A) to implement the remaining rec-
ommendations by the Gilmore Commission, in-
cluding the 20 additional recommendations 
made in its 5th annual report, published in De-
cember 2003; 
(B) to establish an advisory panel to report 
to the President and Congress on the adequacy 
of State, local, and private sector entities to re-
spond to terrorist, environmental, and acci-
dental catastrophes and the coordination of the 
response of these entities with that of Federal 
agencies; and 
(C) to establish an advisory panel to report 
to the President and Congress on deficiencies in 
protection of the Nation’s critical infrastruc-
•HRES 537 IH 
tures and strategies to protect those infrastruc-
tures; and 
(3) urges the President to establish an inde-
pendent, bipartisan oversight board to provide coun-
sel on the effects on civil liberties of homeland secu-
rity efforts.
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