Untitled Document

News Release
Congressman Bob Etheridge
North Carolina

February 4, 2004

Contact: Sara Lang
Phone: (202) 225-4531

Etheridge: Budget Leaves the 'Home' Out of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON - As the nation faces continuing terrorist threats, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), the only North Carolina member of the U.S. House Select Committee on Homeland Security, today condemned the President's budget for homeland security for failing to address the basic security needs of North Carolina. While overall funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is increased 10 percent from fiscal year 2004, the budget cuts more than $600 million, or 15 percent, from grants to state and local first responders.

"I am appalled and outraged that this budget shortchanges North Carolina's first responders," Etheridge said. "The President left the 'home' out of homeland security, forgetting that homeland security begins in our hometowns with our local first responders. Threats are not only to large, urban areas, but to all America. The federal government has a responsibility to protect all of America from potential terrorist attacks."

Under the budget request submitted by the Bush Administration to Congress on Monday, the State Homeland Security Grant Program is cut nearly 60 percent from fiscal year 2004, from $1.7 billion to $750 million. This grant program provides funds to enhance the capability of State and local agencies to prevent and respond to incidents of terrorism involving the use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive weapons. For fiscal year 2004, North Carolina received $41 million under this program. If the cuts were enacted and assuming cuts are distributed evenly, North Carolina would receive only about $18 million for fiscal year 2005.

Many of the funds cut from the State Homeland Security Grant Program have been shifted to the Urban Area Security Initiative, which targets funds to high population areas. In fiscal year 2004, this program funded the nation's 50 largest Metropolitan Service Areas (MSAs), but DHS has released no criteria on the selection of these cities for fiscal year 2005. In North Carolina, Charlotte is the only city that ranks as one of the top 50 MSAs, standing at 44th.

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (FIRE Grants), which sends money to fire departments for basic equipment such as trucks and hoses, would be cut by a third, from $750 million in fiscal year 2004 to $500 million in fiscal 2005. In the fiscal year 2003 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which is ongoing, North Carolina fire departments received more than $20 million. In fiscal year 2002, North Carolina fire departments received more than $10 million. The program would also be changed to give priority to terrorism preparedness, as opposed to basic firefighting needs.

The President submitted his $2.4 trillion budget request for FY 2005 to Congress Monday. Each year, the President submits his budget request, and the House and Senate begin work on a concurrent budget resolution. The budget resolution sets forth total spending and revenue levels, and functional levels of spending, for the upcoming fiscal year. As a concurrent resolution, it is not presented to the President for his signature, and, thus, does not become law. The passage of the budget resolution triggers the annual appropriations process, which provides about one-third of all federal spending.