Sylvester Turner: “Mr. Chairman, all of us in this Chamber know that we have to work together in a bipartisan way to make the homeland as…”

“Mr. Chairman, all of us in this Chamber know that we have to work together in a bipartisan way to make the homeland as safe as it needs to be from the threat of terrorism. We also know that we are a country at war against al Qaeda and related groups. It is a war that demands we fight the terrorists wherever they exist. It is a war that demands we commit ourselves through our actions abroad to prevent the rise of future terrorists. And it is a war that requires us to ensure that our homeland is fully protected. This cannot be business as usual. We must act with the same sense of urgency that we all had after September 11. As we look at these appropriations for the next year, our actions will demonstrate to the American people whether we are moving with the degree of speed that we need and the sense of purpose that we must have to protect our country. The proposed increase for the Department of about $1 billion above the President's request is important and necessary, but we must put that $1 billion in perspective. We spend $1 billion a week in Iraq. We have committed our troops to winning that war. But we must also win the war against terrorism here at home. The cost of failure here at home would far exceed the investments we should be making to ensure that America is as secure as it needs to be.”