Tom Coburn: “this is an amendment to start us down the way of reprioritizing our spending in this country. With the events of the…”

“this is an amendment to start us down the way of reprioritizing our spending in this country. With the events of the last 2 weeks, the tremendous deficit we face already, and the significant problems we face in this country, especially in terms of methamphetamine, the Weather Service, and the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, this is an amendment that will eliminate the Advanced Technology Program. There is no question that the ATP has done some good in its history. It has $140 million in budget authority and has, this year, $22.4 million in outlays. But there has come a time when we need to make decisions. One of the things I have been consistent on in terms of my time in the Senate is insisting that we start reprioritizing the things that work and the things that do not work. The Advanced Technology Program was scrutinized at a hearing of the Federal Financial Management Subcommittee of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this year and had good testimony. I will not demean some of the positive things that have come from this program. There is no question certain positive things have come from it. However, GAO and the Comptroller General noted that 63 percent of the requests for grants through ATP never sought funds anywhere else. ATP is supposed to be the source of last resort on technology. I have put up a chart to show the American people who has actually been getting the funding. It has not been small businessmen.…”