Cord Byrd: “The Senator is correct. Why wait? Why toy with ``wait''? Why gamble? Why not act now? The Senator knows we have wrapped…”

“The Senator is correct. Why wait? Why toy with ``wait''? Why gamble? Why not act now? The Senator knows we have wrapped a ribbon around this homeland defense package which says, in essence: Mr. President, you may use this or you may not use it. So we have an emergency designation. It is an emergency, Mr. President, and you have the key. You have the key. So it is your call, but here are the tools. If you need them, you won't have to wait until next spring. The thing about waiting until next spring is we are really waiting until next summer or next autumn because the supplemental request doesn't come up on one day and end up being signed by the President on the next day; there have to be hearings and so on. We have had the hearings now that indicated a dire need for these emergency items. So we are putting this ribbon, this blue ribbon that says emergency, E-M-E-R-G-E-N-C-Y, on it. Why? Of what are we afraid? Why don't we want the President to have this so he can carry out his commitment to protect the American people from the attacks of terrorism? He made that promise.”