Leahy Fights for State First-Responder Money
The Senate was to vote late Tues. on an amendment to restore funds allocated to states for a homeland security grant program for first responders, including for emergency communications, proposed for removal from an omnibus 9/11 security bill (S-4). The first responder program is a small part of the 13-title bill, whose whistleblower and labor elements have brought partisan splits. Leahy’s amendment would restore allocation of federal funds to 0.75%, from the Senate bill’s proposed 0.45%; the House (HR-1) seeks 0.25%.
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S-4 would reduce the guaranteed amount for each state 40%, Leahy said. Based on FY 2007 levels, the per-state loss would amount to $2.7 million, “a real blow for our first responders,” he said. The program provides grants for states to prepare for terror attacks and disasters; funds can go for training, planning or equipment. A separate part of the bill covers interoperable emergency communications, funded at 0.75%, said committee staffers speaking on background.
“The money should go where the threat is,” Sen. Feinstein (D-Cal.) said, arguing on the floor for a formula she endorses that would that would allocate funds based on where attacks are likeliest. “I understand that there’s a basic conflict between small states and big states,” she said. Disagreeing, Leahy proceeded to list, state by state, who would lose under the bill’s funding formula. Sens. Thomas (R-Wyo.), Stevens (R-Alaska) and a handful of others backed Leahy’s amendment.
Smaller states couldn’t fulfill their duties on top of ordinary responsibilities without federal support, “especially given that the Department of Homeland Security is currently suggesting that states will pay for Real ID implementation an estimated $16 billion implementation, with first responder grants,” Leahy said. Real ID is a proposed national identification program.