Political Quotes

“I had hoped to introduce two amendments tonight that I think go to the core of what is our fundamentally greatest challenge as it relates to protecting the homeland, and that is to provide a proper structure within which the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Government can properly and appropriately respond to the threats and risks that are presented out there unbiased, focused on the idea that the resources we have have to be directed to the places that are of greatest threat and at greatest risk. The first amendment that I attempted to offer would have changed the formula, a formula that is pre-September 11, a formula that provides funding to jurisdictions regardless of the risk and the threat that it faces. I will quote one of my colleagues, one of the great members of the committee. The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp) said this bill, this funding proposition is not about cost sharing with local and State governments because we cannot meet all of those needs. I agree with him. We cannot meet all of those needs. But this is about meeting the legitimate, precise and efficient needs of this Nation to protect its citizens. Our enemies, al Qaeda, the terrorist network, have something in common with us: They have finite resources, as do we. But one of the advantages that they have had is they are specifically targeted and are targeting their efforts to maximize the impact on the American people and the threat they present to us.”