David Obey: “I think strengthening inspections on the Canadian border is something that should happen now, not later. I think that…”

“I think strengthening inspections on the Canadian border is something that should happen now, not later. I think that port security personnel should occur now. I think that upgrading computers at the FBI ought to occur now, not 6 or 8 months from now. I think that providing additional security for a number of classified facilities around the country that have severe security lapses ought to be corrected now, not later. The problem with the supplemental is that we have no guarantee that it will not take months to get through. We can try to push it through this House very quickly. That is no guarantee it will go quickly in the other body. Secondly, if you do it on a supplemental, it will cost more. I have never in my life seen a supplemental pass through the Senate where we were able to get a Senator to vote for it by taking something out. Almost always they want to add something; and in the end, especially in an election year, the costs rise. So it seems to me the most fiscally disciplined way to proceed is the way we have outlined in this amendment.”