Eliot Engel: “everyone knows that on September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 New Yorkers were killed in the attack on the World Trade Center…”

“everyone knows that on September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 New Yorkers were killed in the attack on the World Trade Center and, of course, several hundred as well here in Washington at the Pentagon. Yet the Department of Homeland Security has chosen to cut both New York and Washington by 40 percent of Homeland security funds for this year. It is absolutely mind-boggling and unbelievable and outrageous that New York and Washington would face these cuts. New York's money is scheduled to go down from $207.6 million in 2005 to $124.5 million in 2006. Now, to add insult to injury, we hear that the Department of Homeland Security is cutting New York's bioterrorism money 15 percent as well, so that in New York, per capita New York would receive $2.99 per resident to fight bioterrorism, while the good people of Wyoming would receive $9.72 cents per person to fight bioterrorism, and the good people of North Dakota would receive $8.09 per person to fight terrorism. We all know the threat in North Dakota and Wyoming is not nearly as great as New York. What is Secretary Chertoff thinking? What are they thinking over there? Their policies and their thoughts need to change. ____________________”