mr. chairman , this is the second year that we have attempted to do this . 
that is pretty good time for eliminating a program . 
we had a big debate about this last year . 
we had a big debate about it this year . 
there is nobody who spends any time around here that does not think this place is secure . 
it is not going to be made any more secure by having a few people riding horses around here . 
now , for the aesthetic part of it , it might be lovely ; but for the security part of it , it is nonsense . 
it is a waste of money . 
they will be better used by the park service , certainly , than they will be around here . 
vote down the gentlewoman 's amendment . 
ms. millender-mcdonald . 
mr. chairman , as ranking member of the committee on house administration , which has jurisdiction over the united states capitol police , i rise to oppose the amendment offered by my friend from virginia ( ms. jo ann davis ) . 
the uscp mounted unit was not authorized by either the committee on house administration nor the senate 's committee on rules and administration . 
it reportedly came into existence as the brainchild of a senator from colorado , now retired , without any formal examination of the merits and demerits of using horses in the capitol police environment . 
unlike the u.s. park police , which must patrol thousands of acres of wooded parkland in northwest washington , the capitol police patrols a confined area readily accessible to non-mounted officers , and much of which is not even accessible to the public at all . 
some argue that the mounted unit is especially useful in crowd control , and maybe that is so . 
however , on those occasions where crowds needing control may develop on the capitol grounds -- and these occasions are usually well anticipated -- the capitol police can easily ask for assistance from their park police colleagues , who are well trained in the use of horses and can also be trained about the capitol and working here . 
finally , some offer the intangible value of public relations as a justification for spending the hundreds of thousands to maintain the horses and train their handlers . 
maybe there is value in that , when elsewhere on and around the grounds , other capitol police officers are routinely brandishing automatic weapons . 
but what about the public relations cost of the horse manure deposited across the grounds , and the tens of thousands it costs to clean it up ? 
i urge a `` no '' vote on the amendment . 
