Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Hillary Clinton, Charles Schumer Voted to Slash NYC Terror Funds
Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer have been complaining for a week now about an $80 million cutback in New York City's anti-terrorism funding by the Department of Homeland Security.
But it turns out that they both voted to make substantial cuts in the city's terrorism funding last year.
According to Newsday, the Democratic duo backed a $95 million cut last December in funding from the Centers for Disease Control for bioterrorism programs around the nation. Of that amount, approximately $3 million would have gone directly to New York City.
Mrs. Clinton and her Democratic cohort actually wanted to cut bioterrorism funding even more. In October, they both backed a preliminary proposal that would have slashed the CDC grant by $123 million.
On Sunday, Sen. Schumer staged a press conference to complain about a proposed $7 million cut from the CDC in the city's bio-terror programs, saying it was like "rubbing salt in the wound" after DHS announced cutbacks in the city's terror funding last week.
But Schumer failed to mention his own votes in favor of cutting bioterror funding.
He told Newsday that he "stands by" his earlier decision to slash terror funding for the city, saying he did so because the cuts were attached to a bill that funded health care and education.
Sen. Clinton, who has launched a letter writing campaign to force a restoration of DHS's terrorism funding for New York, has had no comment on her own votes to back cuts in anti-terror programs.
Senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer have been complaining for a week now about an $80 million cutback in New York City's anti-terrorism funding by the Department of Homeland Security.
But it turns out that they both voted to make substantial cuts in the city's terrorism funding last year.
According to Newsday, the Democratic duo backed a $95 million cut last December in funding from the Centers for Disease Control for bioterrorism programs around the nation. Of that amount, approximately $3 million would have gone directly to New York City.
Mrs. Clinton and her Democratic cohort actually wanted to cut bioterrorism funding even more. In October, they both backed a preliminary proposal that would have slashed the CDC grant by $123 million.
On Sunday, Sen. Schumer staged a press conference to complain about a proposed $7 million cut from the CDC in the city's bio-terror programs, saying it was like "rubbing salt in the wound" after DHS announced cutbacks in the city's terror funding last week.
But Schumer failed to mention his own votes in favor of cutting bioterror funding.
He told Newsday that he "stands by" his earlier decision to slash terror funding for the city, saying he did so because the cuts were attached to a bill that funded health care and education.
Sen. Clinton, who has launched a letter writing campaign to force a restoration of DHS's terrorism funding for New York, has had no comment on her own votes to back cuts in anti-terror programs.
