David Obey: “let me point out that the President will send to this Congress tomorrow a request for $2 billion, not 12 million dollars…”

“let me point out that the President will send to this Congress tomorrow a request for $2 billion, not 12 million dollars but $2 billion to combat disease-related potential attacks from any source. I would urge the House not to fall into the trap of using our concern over the incident that happened a month ago to screw up every other program that the government is engaged in. I mean, that is essentially what would happen if this amendment is adopted with respect to our obligation to help finance the mandate that the Federal Government created with respect to digitalization. If the Members want to support a real effort to help CDC prepare this country, they will support that $2 billion request. They will not cut in half what we are trying to do here for digitalization for public television in order to create the appearance that we have done something significant which, in fact, would be a thimbleful in an ocean in terms of its impact.”