Political Quotes

“Along with my colleagues--Mr. Grimm, a former FBI agent; Mr. Pascrell, the cochair of the Law Enforcement Caucus; and Mr. King, the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee-- I'm offering this bipartisan amendment to increase funding for the COPS hiring program in order to bring such funding in line with the fiscal year 2012 enacted level of $166 million. The base bill provides only $40 million for this program, which is clearly not sufficient. Forty million dollars is $126 million below the fiscal year 2012 enacted level, over $217 million below the President's request, and $175 million below the amount proposed by the Senate companion bill. The COPS program was created by title I of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. I was Attorney General of Puerto Rico at the time, and I'm proud to have worked with my fellow AGs to help secure passage of that bill. As someone whose own family has been deeply touched by violent crime and who has spent countless hours talking with families that have been similarly affected, I am unyielding in my belief that the most solemn duty of government is to safeguard its citizens. Whether you live in Staten Island, South Orange or San Juan, you deserve to feel safe in your home and in your community. The COPS program is rooted in this simple premise and has done much to make it a reality. The mission of the COPS program is to enhance the security of our citizens.…”