On the recordSeptember 9, 2011
My amendment will very simply help the intelligence community prioritize its funding and ensure that we direct it toward securing our borders from many threats--terrorists as well as drug dealers. I want to be clear that support for my simple amendment, which is a statement of our priorities, will ensure that our intelligence community cooperates fully to protect our borders against terrorists as well as the scourge of drug dealers. If support for my amendment is passed, we can also vote on the underlying bill immediately following. So my amendment does not harm the bill, and I want to make that very clear. Last night, as we sat in this Chamber, we all became aware of the continued threat that we all face as intelligence reports were coming out about unspecified threats in New York City and in Washington, perhaps putting us in danger. And while the President so eloquently laid out his comments on how we need to get our country back to work and people off the unemployment lines, I will tell you today there are groups of individuals I'd like to see on the unemployment lines--the terrorists and the drug dealers, who are trying to do harm to this country. My amendment is simply a statement of our priorities. {time} 1110 Just 2 days ago in my district in Upstate New York, we had the largest drug bust come over from Canada in our history. It equated to 9 million doses of cocaine that was going to be spread through our community. Mr. Speaker, that is intolerable.…
