WASHINGTON-The Senate Homeland-Security Committee Wednesday passed legislation to streamline the first-responder grant program, setting up an almost certain clash with the House of Representatives over minimal state funding.
Many senators, including Maine Republican Susan Collins, who chairs the Senate Homeland-Security Committee, believe that each state deserves at least some funding-0.55 percent for each state in the Senate bill-because a terrorist attack could hit at any time anywhere.
“Representing Oklahoma shows that you don’t have to be a big state to have a terrorist attack. The Oklahoma City bombing certainly proved that,” said Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).
Many members of the House believe that grants should be allocated based on risk and that the greatest risk is to large urban areas. This point of view had one champion on the Senate Homeland-Security Committee.
“The whole country is at risk, but the question is who is at the largest risk, and the largest risk is the cities with the highest population,” said Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). He attempted to amend the bill, but his attempt failed. In fact he was the only one to vote for his change.
Collins stressed the change in a formula that she said will double the amount of money awarded based on risk. Others believe it could actually mean that less money is awarded based on risk.
The Homeland-Security Grant Enhancement Act now goes to the full Senate for consideration.
Identical legislation was passed as part of the intelligence reform legislation, but because the House of Representatives also included first-responder grant reform in its intelligence reform bill and both reflected the ideological separation, the issue was put off.
Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Homeland-Security Committee, told reporters following an appearance at the American Enterprise Institute Thursday, that he believes the final version will “have some vestiges” of a formula system but that he “hopes that is all it is-vestiges.” The House bill currently allocates 0.25 percent to each state with the rest being awarded based on risk.
