David Obey: “the last comments I think demonstrate that this debate is in danger of descending into something that resembles a high…”

“the last comments I think demonstrate that this debate is in danger of descending into something that resembles a high school debate, and we appear to be edging toward having a dictionary debate, arguing about whether something is a ``cut'' or an ``increase''. With all due respect, in an adult world, that's not the issue. In an adult world, the question is what is the size of the problem you're trying to attack, and is our response to it sufficient? And with all due respect to those on the other side of the aisle who are objecting to this bipartisan product, with all due respect, we think we have a serious problem that requires a serious response. In the area of law enforcement, we have seen our support for law enforcement grants drop by $1.6 billion since fiscal 2001. That is almost a 36 percent drop. That isn't a dictionary problem. That's a problem on the street for every community in America. We also see at the same time we have a rise in the crime rate, which requires a response, regardless of our dictionary definition, and we also have an explosion of meth use. Have you ever seen how screwed up a kid can be after meth has gotten done with him? It's a god-awful sight, and I've seen plenty of it.…”