Martin Sabo: “When it comes to homeland security, the rhetoric flies fast and furious. Everyone wants a safer, better-prepared America…”

“When it comes to homeland security, the rhetoric flies fast and furious. Everyone wants a safer, better-prepared America against both terror threats and natural events like Hurricane Isabel. But our actions do not always match rhetoric. In most respects, this conference report does a responsible job of allocating funds within the budget constraints we face. I commend the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) and the staff for their hard work and the many thoughtful decisions that are reflected in this bill. It is a clear and substantial improvement over the administration's request. It is a simple fact, however, that the United States is not as well prepared as we can and should be to meet our homeland security challenges. We should do more.”