Political Quotes

“The Environmental Protection Agency spends as much as $50 million a year to employ nearly 200 armed agents at an average cost of $216,000 per year, per agent. In total, over the period from fiscal year 2006 to 2015, the EPA spent an estimated $715 million for its criminal enforcement program. This money could have been better spent on such things as improvement of our water systems. These 200 special agents were equipped with guns and ammunition up to 30-millimeter, camouflage and other deceptive equipment, night vision, unmanned aircraft, and other military-style equipment. A 2015 report by Open the Books, noted that EPA spent $24,700 on ammunition between 75-millimeter and 125-millimeter, and $23,000 on ammunition over 125-millimeter. It is difficult for me to imagine that the EPA has a legitimate use for ammunition of that size. The EPA is just one of more than 70 Federal agencies that employ armed personnel, many of which most Americans would never associate with law enforcement. These include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the Federal Reserve Board, and the National Institutes of Health, among others. I think we need to take a step back and reevaluate whether arming the bureaucracy is the best way to ensure that our laws are enforced. Federal agencies should be able to demonstrate their need for armed personnel and, absent such a demonstration, should rely on local or State law enforcement when there is a need for armed protection.…”