Barney Frank: “First, I want to address this notion that police officers in our local streets pale in significance to the military. We…”

“First, I want to address this notion that police officers in our local streets pale in significance to the military. We have troops in Western Europe where our Western European allies are cutting their military budgets. And yes, I do think that funding police officers and firefighters in our cities is more important than allowing Germany and England and our European allies to reduce their military budgets because we subsidize them. Secondly, I will say to the gentleman from California that I am somewhat disappointed. He did say there were no amendments offered. We have now just heard three were offered. If he meant that there were none on paper previously submitted, maybe he should have said that, because it would have been of real great relevance. The fact is amendments were offered, and they were rejected.”