Don't Gut Homeland Security Funding for New York

Floor Speech

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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