[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 94 (Friday, July 9, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H5405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H5405]]
            MIAMI IRRESPONSIBLE ON HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING

  (Mr. SHAW asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise again today to protest the unfair 
allocation of urban area security funding by the city of Miami. Miami 
is unfairly withholding the essential funds that my district needs to 
improve antiterrorism measures.
  The city of Miami wants to keep the lion's share of the urban area 
security funding and to buy a helicopter, a helicopter, when Broward is 
receiving an embarrassing 10 percent of the money and Palm Beach County 
is receiving zero dollars.
  It is ridiculous for Miami to be buying a helicopter with tax dollars 
of hard-working Americans. That is just plain egregious. All Broward 
and Palm Beach counties want is a fair share of what we need to protect 
our citizens against a terrorist attack.
  One month after the 9/11 attack, anthrax was used to kill Robert 
Stevens, a 63-year-old photo editor in Palm Beach. And it is well known 
that the 
9/11 terrorists made south Florida their base of operation. How much 
more evidence do we need to prove that Broward and Palm Beach counties 
are at risk and that we need some Federal assistance to help us address 
these very real threats.
  The city of Miami cannot be trusted to spend in money on behalf of 
the region. President Bush, Secretary Ridge, Attorney General Ashcroft, 
Governor Bush, on down to the American taxpayers ought to be livid at 
what is going on. I know I am and so are my constituents.

                          ____________________