Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of increased funding for important state and local grant programs which have been irresponsibly slashed in this bill. This bill consolidates nine distinct grant programs into one and cuts the overall funding level by 55 percent from FY 2011 levels. This bill cuts programs that our communities rely on to detect and prevent terrorism, train emergency responders, secure transit and ports, and address other critical needs. Have the threats our communities face diminished by 55 percent in the past year? No. In fact, in the past few months we have dealt with numerous natural disasters--tsunamis, tornadoes, and floods. Early today, 40 Honolulu Firefighters were called to extinguish a fire that damaged three businesses in Hawaii--which they did successfully. And even with the death of Osama Bin Laden, we all know that we must remain vigilant against the likelihood of possible terrorist attacks. If anything, we should be increasing funding for detecting, preventing, and responding to these types of threats. Instead, the majority's cut and consolidate proposal will undermine Hawaii's preparedness. This bill will prevent Hawaii from receiving Urban Area Security Initiative funds, which have been crucial to our ability to detect and guard against terrorist attacks, and prepare for natural and man-made disasters. Additionally, port and transit security funds received a combined $500 million in FY 2011.…”