proposals by the administration for the increase in homeland security funding about a tradeoff between flexibility and accountability. And I think you are hearing the dynamics of that, that on the one hand there is really a call, an active call for bringing the money directly to us, fewer strings, less tying of our hands on what we want to do. On the other hand, there are issues of what are we going to accomplish, what are the priorities, where are the greatest needs and what are the greatest risks. So there are really tradeoffs and the administration proposal has some interesting elements to it about how the money would be disbursed and we are happy to work with your committee, the Appropriations Committee on analyzing some of the tradeoffs of the block grant approach and some of the other tools and the tradeoffs of going through States or direct to communities, because we have some experience with different programs that have worked different ways. So I think some important issues have been played out and it was really a wonderful opportunity for the committee to have done this and brought this dialog so clearly out in the front. Thank you. Mr. HORN. And I will say to the panel do you have any additional thoughts after you have heard all this dialog, anything we have missed? [No response.] Mr. HORN. Well, good, it shows all my three questioners here have done a great job. I want to thank all of you for taking your time. I think this is very important and we are going to see around the country if Nashville should be the standard, why we will need to see who is the standard west of the Mississippi. [Laughter.] I want to thank the following staff that have been involved with this very fine hearing, and that is J. Russell George, staff director and chief counsel to the Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management and Intergovernmental Relations. Mr. George is right behind me. Bonnie Heald had a lot to do with putting the pieces together for this hearing and she is the deputy staff director. And we have a new member of our staff, Justin Paulhamus, clerk. And from Atlanta came Bill Warren to be the court reporter and we are glad to have you here again. Then the following people from the Tennessee delegation and the Vanderbilt University: Caroline Nielson is the chief of staff to Congressman Bob Clement; and Helen Hardin, chief of staff to Congressman Zach Wamp. Paulina Madaris, scheduler to Congressman Zach Wamp, Polly Walker, Scheduler to Congressman Ed Bryant and Mel Bass, director of Federal affairs for Vanderbilt University in the Washington office. Colette Barrett of Vanderbilt here and Brian Smokler, Vanderbilt University also. It is a lovely place to have this hearing. I wish we had them all across the country, but Vanderbilt is a great university and we are glad to be here. And a lot of people have helped on this and I know a lot of your staffs have helped on this. So my colleague who is very eloquent wants a 30 second- I just want to thank the chairman again and his wonderful staff, Bonnie and Russell and Justin, and I want to thank my staff too. You mentioned Caroline Nielson but also Court Rolleson and Christie Ray, Bill Mason, Jason Spain and all of them for helping coordinate this. I want to thank the witnesses, this was most helpful and I assure you we will take it back to Washington, DC, and study it and evaluate it and try to do something with it. And thank you all in the audience today for being here. This is a most important hearing and as we mentioned earlier, this is the first of many that Chairman Horn will have over the country and I thank my colleagues again for being here and participating in such an active way. Mr. HORN. Thank you all and have a nice week. [Whereupon, the meeting was adjourned at 1:07 p.m.] |