Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, first, I want to commend my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), for his and his colleagues on Appropriations' work on this bill. Mr. Chairman, the Environmental Protection Agency spends as much as $50 million per 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 fiscal year 2015, the EPA spent an estimated $715 million for its criminal enforcement program. These 200 agents are equipped with guns and ammunition up to 30 millimeter in caliber, camouflage and other deceptive equipment, night vision, unmanned aircraft, and other military-style equipment. A 2015 report noted that the EPA spent $24,700 on ammunition between 75 millimeter and 125 millimeter and $23,000 on ammunition over 125 millimeter. If this is true, what possible use could the EPA have for purchasing rounds of that size? The EPA is just one of more than 67 Federal agencies that employ armed personnel, many of whom most Americans would never associate with law enforcement. These include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federal Reserve Board, and the National Institutes of Health, among others. Federal agencies should be able to clearly demonstrate their need for armed personnel and, absent such a demonstration, should rely on local law enforcement when there is a need for armed protection.…”