Norvell Emerson: “I wish to thank the chairman, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), for the tremendous job that he and his staff…”

“I wish to thank the chairman, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), for the tremendous job that he and his staff have done in putting together the inaugural Homeland Security appropriations bill and also for the honor of allowing me to serve on that subcommittee as well. This bill does make a large investment in our Nation's first responders. We have added $888 million above the President's request for the Office of Domestic Preparedness, Firefighters and Emergency Management. This also includes another $750 million in firefighter grants, which has greatly been appreciated in Missouri and, in my judgment, is one of the most successful programs that FEMA and DHS have undertaken. The bill also makes another important investment in intercity bus security by adding $10 million for this critical initiative. We also include over $5 billion for various transportation security initiatives to ensure that not only our airports continue to run smoothly but also our ports and our highways. We make a large investment in the future by investing $900 million for science and technology. The funds will target research, development and deployment of innovative technologies that will help us protect the Nation well into the future.”