Kay Bailey Hutchison: “I will speak for a couple of minutes about the big State formula in the Department of Homeland Security. It is very…”

“I will speak for a couple of minutes about the big State formula in the Department of Homeland Security. It is very important we address the issue of the formula in the bill just passed. The formula is not fair to the large States where the greatest risk is. The large States generally have the larger population centers which generally have the highest risk for homeland security. Yet the formula under which we are proceeding is a formula that takes away from our 13 largest States because of a floor put in for the smaller States. I don't think any of the large States want to be totally whole but the large States would like to have more of a fair shake than the formula underlying in this bill. I hope the Senate will agree to hear the bill that has come out of the Committee on Governmental Affairs which does authorize new formulas and will seek to change the formulas in a way that is more fair. To give a couple of examples, the State of California on a strict population basis would get $216 million; the State of California has a long coastline, they have major cities, they certainly have a high-risk designation. Under the bill, they will get $146 million for a deficit to California of $64 million.”