Speech #1100058142

Mr. Chairman. in total. the bill before us contains $36.3 billion in discretionary funding. which is $2.5 billion. 01 more than 7 percent. above the funding appropriated in 2007. including funding given an emergency designation in the 2007 bill. That socalled "emergency"~ funding was primarily for border security needs that have necessarily been absorbed into the baseline for fiscal year 2008. The bill contains $2 billion. or 5 percent. more than the amounts requested by President Bush. I hope my colleagues will agree that the countrys outstanding homeland security vulnerabilities. including border security. more than justify this level of funding. This bill does four important things: First. it provides funding to address our countrys most pressing security vulnerabilities with a new emphasis on our ports and on rail and transit systems. Secondly. the bill provides critically needed funding to our States and communities to confront not only the threat of terrorist activity but also natural disasters and the emergency situations that must be dealt with in our community every day.