Barbara Boxer: “I know that each of us wants to do everything we can to help our first responders--the men and women who are called to…”

“I know that each of us wants to do everything we can to help our first responders--the men and women who are called to duty as a result of a Federal action. Well, one of the areas where our local people have just been left out to dry all through of the years--this is not a partisan issue, whether in a Democratic administration or a Republican one--is that they have to pay the costs of security details when a leader comes into the State, be it a domestic leader like the President, a Presidential candidate, the Vice President, or their families, or a foreign dignitary. It is really critical, it seems to me, particularly in light of the rough economic times that our States are seeing, that we begin to address this issue. I was a little stunned when I got into this after a constituent talked to me about this. I was stunned to learn that there is really no place in the Federal Government where we have this information. The Secret Service does its job brilliantly. They don't worry about the cost to the local people. They call up the local people and say that a Cabinet Secretary is coming, or a foreign dignitary, or the President, or a candidate, and this is what they need. They need A to Z and they lay it out. Guess what. The cost is borne by our local agencies at home. So simply, my amendment requests a report from the Department of Homeland Security on expenses incurred by local police as a result of Secret Service requirements.”