[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 19, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H2105-H2106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE BUDGET RESOLUTION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, the last few weeks have been a time 
of solemn reflection and debate in this country. It has been an 
impassioned and peaceful process with many voices heard, which have 
again reinforced the United States as the world's greatest democracy.
  We owe our system of democracy and self-concern to America's 
veterans, who have given so much to ensure its legacy. Today our 
military is once again on the brink of a great sacrifice in the name of 
security and freedom for America and the rest of the world. Without 
reservation, it is time for all Americans to come together to support 
our men and women in uniform and their families back home. Our 
country's focus must now be on the success of their mission.
  I urge every American to join with the Congress and our President to 
wish our Armed Forces Godspeed and safe return from abroad. However, we 
must not lose sight of our mission at home, the mission of our police 
officers, firefighters, and emergency personnel, our first-line 
responders, in the event of a terrorist attack that might occur.
  While our Armed Forces have our full support, the front lines of our 
homeland and hometown security are our cities, counties, and towns. We 
must equip our first-line responders the same as we equip our military 
abroad.
  Since the fall of 2001, local governments all over America have had 
to bear the burden of equipping and training all of our first 
responders against an unknown threat. My district, which is the Second 
Congressional District in Maryland, is home to two Army bases, the Port 
of Baltimore, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, and

[[Page H2106]]

the 17th largest city in the country. This lack of funding directly 
affects every community in our metropolitan area.
  Last year the Baltimore region alone spent more than $14 million to 
protect itself. Cities, counties, and towns cannot do it by themselves; 
they need Federal funding to equip our first-line responders. We must 
train our first-line responders. We must give them the equipment to 
protect themselves so that they can protect us in the event that there 
is a terrorist attack.
  Put against a tax cut that equals $117 billion, $3.5 billion is not 
asking for too much to protect and to give the resources to our front-
line responders. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to reconsider 
their budget priorities so that they better reflect the priorities of 
the American people as it relates to our protection and our security. 
We must provide the tools necessary to our first responders that would 
protect our citizens.
  In today's Washington Post, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom 
Ridge, said that the President plans to propose a supplemental Federal 
budget to pay for more counterterrorism measures. I applaud that; 
however, for the sake of our country, our citizens, our hometown, our 
homeland, I hope these counterterrorism measures include more resources 
for local governments and first responders.

                          ____________________