OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007

Date: June 6, 2006
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Government Budget and Spending


DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007 -- (House of Representatives - June 06, 2006)

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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, first, let me say that, as written, this amendment does not accomplish what the gentleman, I think, has described, but I do understand the intent of the amendment, and I agree with the gentleman's concerns about the various allegations that have been made about this service.

However, I would like to point out that the Inspector General's office is investigating this 5-year contract to see if there is any impropriety. If there is, the contract will be terminated.

The intent of this amendment is to bar DHS employees from using ``limousine services.'' But it does not define what that means. It could have some wide-ranging impacts if it is not defined.

For example, with no definition, it could be perhaps used to stop FEMA crews from contracting buses to get to disaster areas. It could shut down bus shuttle service between the various DHS campuses in the D.C. area. And it could prevent employees from taking taxis from airports while they are on official travel. These are very impractical limitations for a department we expect to act quickly in time of emergency.

So I would hope at some point in time, if this amendment passes, that there could be some way to define what is prohibited. But even with these concerns and these reservations, I am willing to accept the gentleman's amendment.

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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Now that pretty much everything is said and done on this appropriations bill, according to CBO scoring, the bill is now under its section 302(b) allocation by $4 million. My amendment simply takes that $4 million and makes modest funding adjustments to two accounts: FEMA's Readiness Mitigation Response and Recovery program and the U.S. Secret Services Protection Administration and Training program.

Mr. Chairman, the FEMA dollars will be used to continue work to upgrade the National Response Plan. For the Secret Service, funds will be used to support critical protective operations.

This amendment has been cleared by both sides of the aisle, and I ask that it be agreed to.

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