Committee Approves FY15 Homeland Bill

Statement

U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement:

"I want to commend Senator Landrieu and Senator Coats for their outstanding work on this bill and their commitment to first responders, our anti-terrorism efforts, emergency preparedness initiatives and cybersecurity programs. They worked the way this entire committee works, which is with a spirit of bipartisanship and dedication to finding common ground. They did not allow budget constraints to limit our ability to get our work done on behalf of the American people.

"The resources provided in this bill are so important and touch the lives of Americans every day, especially in times of disaster. That's one reason why I feel strongly that the bill funding the Department of Homeland Security is one of our most important bills, providing for our domestic defense and public safety. The bill funds our first responders, who help protect us from homegrown terrorism, aids communities recovering from devastating weather events and trains cyber warriors to prevent hacking attacks against government and the private sector. This bill also includes resources for us to address the humanitarian crisis along our Southern border, which has seen tens of thousands of young children, often unaccompanied by any adult, making the dangerous journey into the United States. We need to help these children and address this situation, both in the long term and short term. I look forward to working with my colleagues to bring this bill to the floor."

Source