Cord Byrd: “the Senate has before it a $32 billion homeland security appropriations bill. Chairman Cochran has put together a fair…”

“the Senate has before it a $32 billion homeland security appropriations bill. Chairman Cochran has put together a fair and balanced bill. Regrettably, the allocation that is available for homeland security programs is simply inadequate. This is not a criticism of Chairman Cochran, nor is it a criticism of full committee Chairman Ted Stevens. The fact is that the overall levels in the allocation constrain our ability to address known threats to the safety of the American people. In response to the threats so often invoked by the President, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the FBI Director, one might anticipate that the President would not be satisfied with a bill that cuts funds for first responders, that leaves first responders unable to communicate, that leaves airline passengers worrying about whether a fellow passenger has brought explosives on board, or that fails to adequately invest in securing our ports and trains. To address these shortcomings, I offered an amendment last week to add $2 billion to the bill. The amendment would have funded authorizations signed by the President; it would have funded 9/11 Commission recommendations; and it would have addressed known vulnerabilities not funded in the committee bill. The amendment was defeated. The principal argument made against the amendment was that it was not paid for. So today, I offer an amendment that provides $470 million for homeland security, and it is fully paid for.”