[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16824]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING

  (Mrs. MALONEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, no one talks a better game than the 
Department of Homeland Security. But beyond the bluster, there is 
reason to feel deeply insecure about this administration's efforts to 
protect America.
  Although we hear a great deal about the war on terror, no competent 
general in any war would leave his home defenses with so many holes. 
Every line of critical homeland defense is underfunded and unprepared 
for an attack on American soil, and we are going in the wrong 
direction.
  Unbelievably, the administration essentially froze homeland security 
spending in 2003. The President's budget cut port security grant 
funding by 63 percent, cut first responder funding within the 
Department of Homeland Security by 15 percent, and provided no 
dedicated funding whatsoever for rail security or protecting chemical 
plants and nuclear power plants.
  My question is, when is this administration going to get serious 
about funding homeland security.

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