Bill Clinton: “nearly 5 years ago, as we all remember, on September 11, 2001, terrorists murdered 2,819 Americans, including 2,752 in…”

“nearly 5 years ago, as we all remember, on September 11, 2001, terrorists murdered 2,819 Americans, including 2,752 in New York; 343 firefighters and paramedics and 608 police officers lost their lives. It was the single deadliest attack on American soil in our history. We are here debating how much money our country is ready, willing, and able to spend to protect our homeland. What is clear, what has been clear, is that the threat posed by terrorism requires a great mobilization of American might, muscle, resources, and ingenuity. I do not believe that mobilization has yet occurred. Just in last December, the 9/11 Commission, a bipartisan commission, reported that we should get failing grades for how we are responding to the challenges of homeland security. Governor Tim Kaine said when it comes to protecting America, it is not a priority for the Government right now. The urgency may have faded, but the threat has not. We only need to look at the news and see what happened in Mumbai, India, yesterday to be reminded that terrorists strike anywhere, at any time, at innocent people. There are many problems with the strategy, or lack thereof, that we have been pursuing on behalf of homeland security. I regret that we have not done more, we have not had a comprehensive strategy, we have not put the money to work in smart, effective ways, and we have witnessed dangerous incompetence with respect to the failed response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.…”