[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8556]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            DON'T GUT HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING FOR NEW YORK

  (Mr. MEEKS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MEEKS. The Homeland Security appropriations bill, which will be 
on the floor in just a few minutes, is a bad bill for America and an 
especially bad bill for New York, but it cuts funding for New York 
substantially.
  Almost 10 years after the attack on New York, we tracked down and 
killed Osama bin Laden, but the threat to the city of New York has not 
dissipated. New York is a prime target for terrorists because of what 
it symbolizes, a vibrant economic atmosphere where entrepreneurs can 
flourish, and a land of opportunity and freedom that serves as a 
gateway for the ``poor and the huddled masses.'' Unfortunately, this 
bill takes a hacksaw to the city's counterterrorism and security 
efforts.
  According to Mayor Bloomberg, this bill would jeopardize the 
continuity and operations of counterterrorism programs in New York City 
that New York City has under way. Cutting more than $100 million in 
Homeland Security funding for New York is not only nonsensical, it is 
dangerous. As my friend Peter King has said, this bill puts New York 
``at risk.''
  These cuts place an unconscionable burden on New York, and I will 
therefore vote against the bill.

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