unless we can determine that mother nature somehow finds those districts represented by appropriaters and sends more floods, more earthquakes, more natural disasters somehow to those districts or to the districts of powerful people on powerful committee, then we have a spoil system. that is an example here. when we look at this year's predisaster mitigation earmark, we see of the $150 million appropriated for the grant program altogether in this year's bill, more than $24 million is earmarked. there are a total of 58 predisaster earmarks near -- nearly 30% of them go to members of the appropriations committee. when you consider the dollar value of these 58 earmarks, the picture becomes bleaker. nearly 40% of the funds earmarked are going to districts represented by members on the propings committee. again, unless mother nature knows which districts are represented by appropriators, we've got a problem here. appropriators make up 13% of the legislative body, 13% of the house will take home 40% of predisaster mitigation spoils. homeland security earmarks as a whole favor members who ser

i think well know the alignment of appropriaters and members in powerful propositions does not align with the golf course or any other position. mr. culberson: gulf coast. mr. flake: gulf coast, golf course, whatever. mr. culberson: we do not live on golf courses. mr. flake: back to the chart, 45% went to those in powerful positions, 45% went to 25%. this year it's starker. 71% of earmarked dollars are going to 25% of this body. that is a spoil system. i don't know how else that you can claim otherwise. unless, as i said, i'll yield simply for the purpose if somebody can stand up and say, mother nature target this is group more than others that spoil system. when we have here an earmark that's been over and over and over awarded, $74 million in taxpayer funding, $12 million in 2005, $20 million in 2006 and 2007, $11 million -- i will yield to the gentleman only if he'll answer the question yes or no, does mother nature target districts populated by appropriaters? . mr. culberson: when it comes to floods and hurricanes, they target the gulf coast. the chair: the question now occurs on

look at the overall bill we're considering today, homeland security earmark dollars secured by appropriaters, leadership, committee chairs and ranking members. fy-2009, 45%. 45% of the total in earmarked dollars in the bill went to this group. this group represents just 25% of the bhoddy.

i would like to continue to work with appropriaters as we -- as this bill moves toward conference and moves toward the senate. i would ask the chairman, i would like to yield to him, that we have a focus on the authorizing language that we need to do more with security for surface transportation, rail, buses, trains, and other resources and work with him to ensure that we would have collars to increase the number of transit security inspectors. i yield to the gentleman. mr. price: i thank my colleague for her work on this issue and her very effective pointing out of our unmet needs in the area of surface transportation and of surface transportation and security.