Lynn C. Woolsey: “providing our police forces, firefighters, emergency medical service personnel, and public health personnel with the…”

“providing our police forces, firefighters, emergency medical service personnel, and public health personnel with the resources they need to effectively confront and overcome the threats posed by terrorism, natural disasters, and other emergencies requires our continued commitment and dedication. Our first responders work tirelessly to protect and aid victims of disasters across our country. It's our responsibility to make sure they have the support necessary to perform their jobs. The dedicated men and women who serve the people of California's 6th District understand the importance of adequate homeland security resources. Each day, ships arrive to dock in ports throughout the Bay Area, commuters travel across the Golden Gate Bridge and the Richmond- San Rafael Bridge, and travelers fly all over the world. In order to best utilize the well-trained first responders in my District, we need to enhance the security of the Bay Area's waterways, expand our ability to better prepare for disasters, and improve our ability to mitigate their effects once they occur. In 2004, Congress provided $4.92 billion in grants for port security and our first responders. Since then, the Bush Administration and the last Republican Congress cut funding for these programs every year, despite the fact that the costs of preparing for new homeland security threats have steadily increased.”