Russ Feingold: “I want to add my thoughts to the debate on the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill for fiscal year 2004.…”

“I want to add my thoughts to the debate on the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill for fiscal year 2004. First, I want to take this opportunity to thank the distinguished chairman and distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security for working so diligently on this bill before us. These leaders had the difficult job of allocating a very limited amount of money for one of the Nation's most pressing needs and they have done an admirable job. I also thank this Nation's first responders. They are the ones who are on the front lines of this fight against terrorism. They are the ones who will be the first to react to any future attack upon our Nation. These brave men and women must, at a moment's notice, be ready to respond to a host of possible horrifying scenarios, including those involving nuclear, radiological, biological, and chemical devices. Congress has been working hard to support our first responders, including providing almost $3.9 billion in this appropriations bill. I am particularly pleased that the committee chose to maintain the successful firefighter assistance grants and fund them at $750 million rather than the President's requested $500 million. I thank the committee for their wisdom in this matter. Although this bill does a lot to help our first responders, it does not do enough.”