Sept. 9, 2006
 
BYRD’S EYE VIEW: One Lesson of a Tragic Anniversary
 
From the desk of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-WV
 
Washington, DC (HNN) -- Five years ago, on September 11, the sun was shining in New York City and over the Pentagon. People were going about their day, not knowing that, in a matter of minutes, thousands of lives would be lost and our country would be changed forever.
 
That day, more than any other, reinforced in our minds the bravery of our first responders. That morning crystallized for us the quiet courage of our emergency personnel. These men and women are always ready to place their lives on the line. They hold constant watch over us, always ready to respond.
 
Amazingly, too many people in Washington have not learned a key lesson of 9/11: We must give our first responders the tools and money they need to do their jobs. But instead of making sure that our police officers and firefighters receive the training and equipment that they need, the White House has put forward budget after budget that shortchanges our emergency response teams.
 
The President, in his latest budget plan, proposed to cut firefighter equipment and training grants by 46 percent and to eliminate the program to hire more firefighters. He also wanted to cut grants to state and local law enforcement by more than $1 billion. Neither cut made sense to me, and I went to work to make sure that our emergency response teams did not feel the pain of the budget axe. I am proud to report that we were able to defeat every dollar in firefighter and law enforcement cuts that the White House proposed.
 
I will continue my efforts for our police officers and firefighters. Just last year, I worked to provide more than $10 million for West Virginia's local law enforcement and emergency response teams. Those dollars are at work today, protecting communities and saving lives.
 
America cannot afford to short change our communities’ safety. The lives of thousands more people could be placed in jeopardy with another terrorist attack or natural disaster. The Congress and the White House share a responsibility to invest in our police departments and fire departments and rescue teams and hospitals. Without that critical network in place, trained and equipped, any disaster could be magnified with confusion, chaos, and an even greater loss of life.
 
I will continue to do all that I can to invest in our community protections. Our police officers, firefighters, and rescue squads have always stood for us, and I will always stand for them.