[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20174]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  HOMELAND SECURITY VERSUS FOREIGN AID

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, it is the desire to be frugal that led the Base 
Closure Commission to recommend the retirement of the 147th Fighter 
Wing from Ellington Field in Houston, Texas.
  The removal of these aircraft would severely weaken the military's 
ability to protect the City of Houston, NASA, the Port of Houston, the 
Port of Beaumont, and Port Arthur. It is for that reason that I have 
introduced House Resolution 412 which calls for the President to work 
with the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that any base 
closings do not affect homeland security inadvertently.
  Mr. Speaker, we should reevaluate our foreign giveaway programs if we 
want to save money. When homeland security is at stake and the energy 
capital of the world is potentially without fighter protection, the 
penny pinchers need to reevaluate their priorities.
  Like every mother tells her child, ``safety first.'' So we need to 
keep the F-16s flying over Southeast Texas and the energy capital of 
the world.

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