C. W. Bill Young: “I was happy to yield to my friend from Wisconsin, but I would point out the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) and I…”

“I was happy to yield to my friend from Wisconsin, but I would point out the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) and I sat down with our counterparts in the Senate and we produced a bill of $40 billion that was, I think, passed unanimously in the House and I believe in the Senate as well, to make money immediately available to the first responders, to FEMA, to police, to firemen, to whoever needed the money after September 11th. As a matter of fact, we did something very unusual... We allowed the executive branch to use immediately $10 billion with no strings attached to respond to September 11th, to respond to terrorism, and to do what had to be done immediately. Then we gave them an additional $10 billion that they could basically do whatever they wanted to with, but there were a few congressional strings. We just required that they report to us on what they were doing with that $10 billion. So the Congress responded rapidly. The Administration moved quickly. Then the other $20 billion, the second half of the $40 billion, we allocated through the appropriations process; but we asked the executive branch to suggest to the Congress how that money should be used. We did have some differences, but we worked out a plan that I think worked fairly well. Now, there is a lot more that needs to be done. September 11 was something that many people in this country had never seen before.”