[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 103 (Monday, July 31, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S8448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, recently the Senate approved the fiscal 
year 2007 Homeland Security appropriations bill. As a member of the 
Senate Appropriations Committee, I voted in favor of this measure.
  The bill allocates a total of $32.8 billion in discretionary spending 
for the Department of Homeland Security. This funding will increase the 
current number of detention beds and Border Patrol agents, and during 
floor consideration, the Senate supported additional funding for border 
infrastructure upgrades and port security.
  While this funding will help secure our borders and protect our 
homeland, President Bush's continued insistence on maintaining tax 
breaks for the extremely wealthy has made it incredibly difficult to 
fund important first responder grant programs.
  The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program provides critical 
funding to our local fire departments for training, equipment, and 
facility improvements. In his fiscal year 2007 budget request, 
President Bush recommended only $293 million for this important 
program--a dramatic reduction from the previous fiscal year's funding 
level of $545 million. If this request had been enacted, it would have 
undermined the efforts of local fire departments in meeting their 
training and equipment needs.
  As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I was pleased the 
committee provided $680 million for firefighter assistance grants, of 
which $127.5 million will be allocated for the Staffing for Adequate 
Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters, SAFER, Act grant program. 
These grants help communities hire firefighters, and in turn, local 
governments are responsible for providing funds to match a portion of 
each grant. Regrettably, President Bush requested no funding for this 
important program. As a result, the money appropriated by the Senate 
will go a long way toward helping our first responders.
  Finally, first responders also rely upon the Emergency Management 
Performance Grant Program. This program provides funding to State and 
local governments for all-hazards emergency management including 
natural disasters, accidents, or terrorist threats. Unfortunately, the 
President requested only $170 million for this program in his fiscal 
year 2007 budget proposal--$15 million less than what Congress 
appropriated the previous year. As a member of the Senate 
Appropriations Committee, we restored this important funding and 
recommended $205 million for this program.
  In a post-September 11 world, we must make homeland security one of 
our top priorities. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, 
I will continue my efforts to ensure that our first responders have the 
resources and tools necessary to respond to threats against our 
homeland.

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