Sylvester Turner: “I am pleased that the report contains more funding than was requested by the President. However, it is clear that this…”

“I am pleased that the report contains more funding than was requested by the President. However, it is clear that this conference report does not contain the level of resources needed to ensure that the Department of Homeland Security, our Border Patrol agents, our airport security workers, our port directors, and our first responders urgently need in order to make America safe. This failure has occurred despite vigorous efforts to strengthen the bill. The ranking member of the House Committee on Appropriations, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), and the ranking member of the Senate committee, Senator Byrd, attempted to add $2 billion to the conference report for critical homeland security needs; but, regretfully, they were defeated on a 9 to 8 vote. We are at war against al Qaeda. Osama bin Laden declared one year after 9/11 that his goal is to kill 4 million Americans. Business as usual is not an option. Our terrorist enemies are not waiting. We must do all we can as fast as we can to protect this country.”