Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (House of Representatives - June 13, 2007)

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Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

I came to Washington, D.C. on January 4 and was sworn in, took a solemn pledge to go to work on behalf of the citizens of this great Nation. We went to work, this side of the aisle, and even with some of our brothers and sisters from the other side of the aisle, we passed legislation. We did things for the least of these, such as the minimum wage. Since then we have taken care of our veterans.

Everything that we have done has ended up being objected to by either our Chief Executive or by our friends on the other side of the aisle. It seems like there is no interest in effectuating good legislation on behalf of the people of this country. It seems as if there is a conspiracy to hold things up now that there has been a change in power. It seems there is a conspiracy to throw monkey wrenches in the plans of those on our side who would do things to pull this country out of morass that it has been in for the last 6 years.

Last night, Mr. Chairman, was a culmination of that conspiracy. It resulted in us being here until 2 a.m. handling trivial motions which were designed to obstruct the progress of the Homeland Security bill which has made its way through committee and has found itself now in a state for final passage.

This is a bill that has no earmarks in it, yet we have got the other side claiming that there is something bad about earmarks happening. The thing is the American people want us to pass this bill. It is going to provide moneys for Customs and Border Patrol and border protection. It is going to help reduce lines at airports by helping fund the Transportation Security Administration, TSA. It will fund the Coast Guard. It will even provide funds for FEMA. And it will provide funding for State and local formula grants. Are we going to pass this bill? Yes, it is going to pass overwhelmingly when the other side finishes playing their games. But the American people see through this.

It is deeply disappointing that we would treat these appropriations bills as a means by which we exercise futile, meaningless and deeply partisan tactics instead of doing the hard work that the American people put us here to do.

I need to remind Members present here today that this debate that we are having about earmarks is really no debate at all, and it is putting needed funds at risk to combat terrorism, and it hurts us in keeping our promises to our veterans and all of the important other issues that this bill addresses.

My home State of Georgia in particular will be better prepared with needed funding delivered to the Urban Area Security Initiative and first responders.

The Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, the busiest airport in the world, should not suffer because the minority side chooses to hold the Transportation Security Administration funding hostage.

But instead of debating the merits of the bill, they choose to play political games. I choose to work. I ask my friends to please drop the political showmanship and let's proceed to do what the American people want us to do and what they expect us to do and that is to go to work and allow ourselves to be guided by the mandate that the American people have given us.

They clearly told us to gather on this sacred floor to find solutions to the problems that they are confronted with on a daily basis and not to engage in the spectacle like what we did last night.

My friends on the other side of the aisle, you decided to take this vital bill that would provide us with needed protection and turn it into a political exercise. Now is not the time and here is not the place to do that. Let's get on with the business and move this bill forward.

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