Thomas Daschle: “Let me repeat that because people ought to be cognizant of the gravity of the bill we are considering. It is the…”

“Let me repeat that because people ought to be cognizant of the gravity of the bill we are considering. It is the supplemental appropriations act for further recovery from and response to terrorist attacks on the United States. It includes $14 billion requested by the President of the United States for the Department of Defense; $8 billion for homeland security efforts. It includes $5 billion for recovery in New York City. It includes money for the global AIDs trust fund, and a number of very high priorities. This legislation passed on a unanimous basis in the Appropriations Committee. We are told by some of our colleagues on the other side that--I think the phrase was--they wanted to ``slow walk'' this. For the life of me, I don't understand why our colleagues would want to slow walk a request by the President of the United States to address the supplemental needs on an emergency basis for homeland defense and for the defense of our country under these circumstances.”