March 14, 2006
GOP Puts First Responders Last
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT
From the DNC:
Washington, DC - As the Senate begins consideration of President Bush's FY 2007 budget today, Republicans in the Senate are continuing to stand in the way of Democrats' efforts to properly fund our nation's first responders. The President's budget for the Homeland Security Department slashes funding for first responders by 25 percent. The highly successful COPS program would be cut by 79 percent. And, over the last four years, Senate Republicans have blocked repeated attempts by Democrats to improve emergency preparedness and response.And, just last week, an Democratic amendment by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to get $5 billion to our first responders to buy equipment so that they can effectively communicate with one another in the event of a terrorist attack or natural disaster, was defeated by Senate Republicans in the Budget Committee.
“The Republican Party is weak on security,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. “Homeland security begins with hometown security. But, the Republicans and President Bush in Congress are cutting first responder programs here at home by 23 percent from 2006 and 50 percent down from 2004 -- enormous cuts in the very security that this President brags about. The Republican Party is weak on financial matters; they are weak when it comes to health care; they are weak when it comes to education, but the worst thing of all is they have not protected America. And on the same day the President talks about a stronger defense he is cutting the first responder funding that keeps us safe here at home. This is wrong.”
President Bush's FY 2007 Budget Leaves First Responders Behind
Bush's FY 2007 Budget: Only Increases Homeland Security Budget By 1 Percent, When Fee-Related Items Are Excluded. The budget requests $35.6 billion in discretionary funding for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) programs in FY 2007 - which represents an increase of $2.3 billion or 7 percent over this year's level. However, if you subtract out all of the fee-related items in the budget, the increase is 1 percent - less than the expected rate of inflation of 2.4 percent. [Office of the House Democratic Leader, 3/1/06]
Cuts Funding For First Responders By 25 Percent. Police departments nationwide do not have the protective gear to safely secure a site after the detonation of a weapon of mass destruction and fire departments have only enough radios for half the firefighters on a shift. And yet the budget includes a net cut in first responder funding within the Department of Homeland Security of $573 million, or 25 percent. Within this total, the budget slashes the Firefighter Grant program by $355 million and eliminates all funding for law enforcement terrorism prevention, a reduction of $385 million. These cuts are partially offset by an $87 million increase for first responder formula-based grants and an $80 million increase for specific high-threat urban areas. [Office of the House Democratic Leader, 3/1/06]
Slashes Aid To State And Local Law Enforcement. The budget slashes aid to state and local law enforcement in the Justice Department, including the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program and the COPS program. President Bush proposes completely eliminating the newly-created $327 million Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program (which consolidated the Byrne Grant program with the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant). In addition, the Bush budget proposes slashing the COPS program by $376 million or by 79 percent. The budget also permanently reduces unobligated balances in the COPS program by $128 million in FY 2007, thus setting the program on the path for elimination. [Office of the House Democratic Leader, 3/1/06]
Eliminates COPS Interoperable Communications Grant program. Hurricane Katrina exposed that, four years after 9/11, little progress has been made in creating a system where police, fire and emergency medical service departments can communicate with each other. And yet the budget would eliminate the very popular and successful COPS Interoperable Communications Grant program which is charged with awarding technology grants to law enforcement agencies for enhancing interoperability. The Republican Congress gutted the program last year (reducing its funding from $93 million in FY 2005 to $10 million in FY 2006) and now the President is proposing eliminating it. [Office of the House Democratic Leader, 3/1/06]
Republicans Consistently Blocked Democratic Efforts To Improve Emergency Preparedness And Response
Senate Republicans Voted Against Funding for First Responders. In 2005, Republicans voted against an amendment that would increase funding for first responder programs by $1.6 billion in fiscal 2006 and reduce the federal debt by $1.6 billion. [S Con Res 18, 3/15/05, #50, Failed 46-54, D: 44-0, R: 1-54, I: 1-0]
Senate Republicans Opposed Additional First Responder Funding. In 2004, Republicans voted against an amendment that would have created a reserve fund that would allow up to $11.2 billion in additional spending. A portion of these funds would have gone to law enforcement and first responder grants. [S Con Res 95, 3/11/04, #48, Failed 43-53, D: 42-3, R: 0-50, I: 1-0]
Senate Republicans Opposed $15.8 Billion for First Responders. In 2004, Republicans voted against increasing funding for police, firefighters and other state and local emergency personnel by $15.8 billion. [HR 4567, 9/9/04, #170, Failed 41-53, D: 39-5, R: 1-48, I: 1-0]
Senate Republicans Voted Against Firefighter Assistance Grants. In September 2004, Republicans voted against an amendment that would increase funding for firefighter assistance grants by $150 million. [HR 4567, 9/14/04, #175, Failed 50-45, D: 44-1, R: 5-44, I 1-0]
Senate Republicans Voted Against Increasing Firefighter Assistance Grants by $150 Million. In 2003, Republicans voted against an amendment that would provide $900 million for firefighter assistance grants, $150 million more than the underlying bill. The amendment failed 48-49 (the motion required 60 votes). [HR 2555, 7/23/03, #296, Failed 48-49, D: 45-1, R: 2-48, I: 1-0]
Senate Republicans Voted Against Increasing Funding For Fire Fighters And First Responders By $3 Billion. In 2003, Republicans voted against increasing spending for firefighters and other first responders, and offset the spending by reducing tax cuts. The vote was on an amendment that would increase spending for fire departments and other first responders by $3 billion and provide another $3 billion for deficit reduction. [S Con Res 23, 3/25/03, #88, Failed 47-51, D: 46-1, R: 0-50, I: 1-0]
Senate Republicans Voted Against Increasing Spending On First Responders By $3.5 Billion. In 2003, Republicans voted against increasing spending on first responders by $3.5 billion and providing $4.5 billion for deficit reduction, with the spending offset by reductions in tax cuts. The vote was on an amendment that would provide for increased spending on first responders by $1 billion in fiscal 2003 and $2.5 billion in fiscal 2004. It would increase funding for Byrne Grants and Local Law Enforcement Block Grants by $500 million each. [S Con Res 23, 3/25/03, #92, Failed 49-50, D: 47-0, R: 1-50, I: 1-0]
Senate Republicans Voted Against $2.33 Billion For First Responders In States And Localities. In 2003, Republicans voted against an amendment that would appropriate $2.33 billion for first responders in states and localities. [S 762, 4/3/03, #123, Motion to table passed 51-46, D: 1-45, R: 50-0, I: 0-1]
Senate Republicans Opposed Increasing Funding by $93.2 Million to Train Bio-Terrorism Workers. In 2003 Republicans voted against an amendment to increase funding by $93.2 million to train members of the bio-terrorism workforce, including funding "to double the number of outbreak specialists in the Epidemic Intelligence Service," in accordance with the recommendation of the Center for Disease Control's National Advisory Committee on Children and Terrorism. [HR 2660, 9/5/03, #328, Failed 41-47, D: 40-1, R: 0-46, I: 1-0]
A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT