Patty Murray: “there are few bills that we deal with in Washington, DC, that are more critical to the safety and well-being of our…”

“there are few bills that we deal with in Washington, DC, that are more critical to the safety and well-being of our communities than the bill we are considering on the floor today. This legislation is going to help fund Federal law enforcement and justice programs that are absolutely essential if we are going to keep our neighborhoods safe, keep our justice system strong, and make sure our communities are healthy. At a time when our budgets are very tight and our needs are very great, I believe this bill invests in the right priorities. I thank Senator Mikulski and Senator Shelby for their leadership and their very hard work to put this bill together. But as all of us in this Chamber know, despite their hard work and leadership at their subcommittee to make a sound investment in the health of our communities, the President has said he will veto this bill. According to the administration, the additional funding in this bill is "irresponsible and excessive." That is very hard to fathom when this administration is asking for over $190 billion in emergency appropriations to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for 1 year. While this President easily is spending our money overseas, local communities in my home State and around the country are going without the money they need for very critical programs. The increases this legislation calls for are a fraction of what this President spends on the wars in a year.”