Political Quotes

“The success of Boston law enforcement in responding to the marathon bombing is due to the skill and coordination of their law enforcement community. Boston's law enforcement agencies also have the benefit of membership in the Urban Area Security Initiative, or UASI, program. The security program was created to develop capabilities to prevent and respond to attacks just like this one in our most vulnerable cities. Unfortunately, funding shortfalls in recent years have cut the number of cities included in this program from 64 to 32. The Buffalo-Niagara region which I represent was among the eliminated regions. Madam Speaker, the eliminated cities are still vulnerable, and, in fact, it was recently revealed that a Canadian terror plot may have targeted the border in Niagara Falls. The Federal Government made an investment in these communities, and a sudden exclusion from this security program threatens to render that investment wasted. The increased security and response capabilities that have been developed must be preserved, and we have an obligation to restore eligibility to these excluded communities. ____________________”