Dianne Feinstein: “It is my understanding, certainly Senator Kyl, Senator Brownback, and I, along with the Republicans with whom the…”

“It is my understanding, certainly Senator Kyl, Senator Brownback, and I, along with the Republicans with whom the Senator was concerned at our subcommittee meeting, will support the appropriation. It is my understanding that roughly $743 million of this amount is covered in the administration's fiscal year 2003 budget request. Therefore, the amount not covered is $440 million. It is also my understanding the administration has allocated all but $327 million of the $10 billion that was previously allocated for homeland security in last year's emergency supplemental. I, for one, would certainly support my chairman on the Appropriations Committee to take whatever is required from the unspecified $10 billion additional fund in the defense budget that was put in by the President. I think as part of defense, homeland defense is the most vital part of it, and this certainly provides for that.”