Comm-Link:Congress Now - 2942-02-05

UEE Congress (396.32)

2942.2.5 SET

Session AutoScript

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1:37pm – Session Begins

SPEAKER MARSHALL MADRIGAL (U-Magnus Sys): Good afternoon everyone. Session 32 of the 396th UEE Congress is hereby called to order. If you will take your seats, the clerk will run a roll.

I have been informed that we have a quorum and may now conduct business. We will begin with the introduction of new legislation; please stand and be recognized.

The Chair recognizes the honorable Senator Hartwell.

SENATOR PETER B. HARTWELL (C-Vega Sys): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If it pleases the Chamber, I have posted a copy of my proposed bill into the hopper, Legislation #14467-BL, if you would like to see the exactly how I plan to implement the changes … Excuse me, I’m getting ahead of myself.

When our civilization began to push out into the universe, there was a healthy fear of the unknown. That fear grew when we discovered that we weren’t alone, louder still when we learned that there were things out there to be rightfully afraid of.

So we built sentry systems, carriers and checkpoints to ease that fear. To keep a careful eye on the borders into our territory to make sure that the fear couldn’t get in. Somewhere along the line, we stopped being afraid. I think that was a mistake.

A healthy fear can be a sign of pragmatism. It’s an acknowledgement that there is danger out there. It leads to a desire to maintain and improve the security measures that we’ve installed so we can continue to keep the danger at bay.

Legislation #14467, or First Line as my staff has titled it, earmarks a higher percentage of the next budget cycle to be allocated towards a complete overhaul of our border security protocols. There are two main sections to the bill: Current Systems and Future Endeavors.

Current Systems examines the various countermeasures already in place along Vanduul, Xi’An and Banu borders to assess how and if each system should be improved.

For example, in 2925, the Chimera TX-4 CommAlert Nets were a revelation in our ability to monitor systems for roving Vanduul flagships. These nets of drones have remained more or less unchanged since then. The Vanduul, and even local criminal elements, have learned how to access and dismantle the systems, forcing the military to repeatedly hand-check each one to make sure it is still capable of sending an alert.

That’s such a compromise of security that one could hardly call these countermeasures with a straight face.

SENATOR WARDEN VOL (T-Goss Sys): Shouldn’t this fall under the military’s jurisdiction?

SPEAKER MARSHALL MADRIGAL (U-Magnus Sys): Please refrain from questions during the introduction of the bill.

SENATOR PETER B. HARTWELL (C-Vega Sys): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To quickly address the honorable Senator’s question, the cost and maintenance is an infrastructure issue but technically it’s a joint line in the budget.

Moving on, the Future Endeavors section of the bill calls for an increased allocation of funds to go towards developing new communication and scanning technology. Few would argue that one of the main reasons that the Vanduul are still effectively raiding settlements in our territory is our inability to quickly respond to their attacks.

On the other side of the UEE, pirates and smugglers are beating our systems as they successfully transport contraband. Again, if a system only catches the amateur or the ill-informed, it hardly qualifies as a security measure.

We’re proposing investments to the R&D departments of corporations that specialize in the communication and scan technology. We found that in a cost-analysis, it was cheaper to look to the private sector compared to setting up facilities of our own.

In summary, there are many aspects of our government that are up for healthy and vigorous debate, but the safety of our populace is not one of them. Right now our current system is failing them. We could do better. We need to do better.

If it pleases you, Mr. Speaker, I would like to limit the questions to give the Congress the opportunity to read and process the intricacies of the bill.

SPEAKER MARSHALL MADRIGAL (U-Magnus Sys): Any opposition to the Senator’s request?

SENATOR WARDEN VOL (T-Goss Sys): I’m sorry, Mr. Speaker, if I may ask one question. Is there a section in this bill that outlines where you expect to obtain the money for the implementation of the bill? Not only that, does the honorable Senator outline a method on how to unveil this new plan to the public? A public, I might add, that has become more and more vocal about their discontent, especially regarding the current economic strain.

SENATOR PETER B. HARTWELL (C-Vega Sys): Mr. Senator, that is not a simple or quick answer, hence my request. In short, it requires restructuring the budgetary allotments for a variety of other government services, but I beg you to save your entirely valid questions until the legislation is presented for debate in earnest.

SPEAKER MARSHALL MADRIGAL (U-Magnus Sys): Will you defer you question, Senator Vol?

SENATOR WARDEN VOL (T-Goss Sys): I defer.

SPEAKER MARSHALL MADRIGAL (U-Magnus Sys): Legislation #14467 will be entered into the registry and a date will be set to open debate on the floor. Are there any more presentations of new legislation? Stand and be recognized.

SPEAKER MARSHALL MADRIGAL (U-Magnus Sys): Moving on, we will now hear reports of standing commissions.

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