Cord Byrd: “I thank the truly distinguished and able chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Mr. Cochran, for all of his…”

“I thank the truly distinguished and able chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Mr. Cochran, for all of his hard work on this bill. He is so diligent, so fair, so honorable. I am proud to serve with him. Mississippi is so well represented in the Senate by this man. As a matter of great pride, I call him my friend, my colleague, my chairman. The President has asked the Congress to approve over $92 billion of emergency spending, including $72.5 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and $19.8 billion for the Federal response to the terrible hurricanes that struck the Gulf States in August and September of 2005. When the committee opened its hearings on the supplemental on March 7, I stated my belief that it is our duty to scrutinize the President's request not only for what is in the bill but also for what is not in the bill. I said to the distinguished chairman and to Senator Landrieu and others that I would help them in every way I could in responding to the terrible storms that hit their States. My State of West Virginia is often hit by floods and other damaging disasters, such as the recent accidents in West Virginia's coal mines. I am very sensitive to the ability of our Federal Government to prepare for and respond to disasters promptly and with competence, which is what our citizens need and what our citizens deserve. Sadly, many of our Federal agencies are no longer up to these fundamental tasks. Mr.…”