Political Quotes

“I rise to comment on the fiscal year 2006 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill. I supported this bill when it passed the House in May, and I will vote in favor of the conference report, but I want to state for the record the serious deficiencies in this legislation. My home State of North Carolina has been the victim of a number of devastating natural disasters including Hurricanes Floyd and Fran, as well as floods, tornadoes and ice storms. In many cases these natural disasters overwhelmed local and state resources, and the Governor asked for help from the Federal Government which, in most cases, responded appropriately. The U.S. Congress established the Department of Homeland Security to address all hazards faced by our Nation--both natural and man-made. However, since the creation of the Department, we have seen the focus and funds shift from preparing for and responding to all hazards to a narrow, short-sighted focus on terrorism. Again and again the administration and Republican leadership have pushed through cuts in pre-disaster mitigation efforts, emergency management performance grants, and even annual funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina exposed the erosion of our Nation's response capabilities and its horrendous results.…”