Landrieu Chairs Hearing On Homeland Security Budget
WASHINGTON – United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today for the first time chaired a hearing of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, where she questioned U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano on the cuts to DHS’ budget included in the House-passed long-term Continuing Resolution (CR). Sen. Landrieu also again pushed Sec. Napolitano, for the second time in two weeks, on the need to fully replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund (DRF).
“Do you believe that the president is going to send up a supplemental to request this funding?” questioned Sen. Landrieu at today’s hearing. “And, if so, when? Because if we have to cut $1.6 billion out of the base Homeland Security budget, that will cut the Coast Guard, that will cut FEMA, that will cut grants to state and local responders and basically we will be cutting current disaster response teams to pay for past disasters. To me, that doesn’t make any sense.”
The DRF is FEMA’s general fund to support disaster response, recovery and mitigation projects. Sen. Landrieu is chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which oversees the DHS’ budget, including funding for FEMA. Sen. Landrieu has continually requested emergency funding from Congress to cover at least the existing shortfall of $1.565 billion for FY11.
Sen. Landrieu has also pressed President Barack Obama on this issue, urging him to immediately request from Congress $1.565 billion in emergency supplemental funding for the DRF. To read the full letter to President Obama, please visit: http://landrieu.senate.gov/mediacenter/upload/02162011lettertopotus.pdf
Sec. Napolitano responded to Sen. Landrieu, saying: “We anticipate that the administration will submit a supplemental for the DRF. This has been the historical practice, under Republican and Democratic administrations…I think it’s fair to say, Madam Chair, that a supplemental will be necessary.”
Next Tuesday, Sen. Landrieu will continue to press this issue when Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Jack Lew testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Sen. Landrieu also expressed her concerns about the House-passed cuts to DHS’ budget.
“My goal is to produce a bipartisan, fiscally responsible Homeland Security bill for Fiscal Year 2012 that provides the department with the resources it needs to prepare for, respond to, and recover from all threats, both manmade and natural,” Sen. Landrieu said at today’s hearing. “Sec. Napolitano, you have stated that the terrorism threat is at its highest level since 9/11. We will be mindful of those statements as we consider the president’s request for Fiscal Year 2012. I am supportive of reducing spending where we can, obviously, eliminating mediocre programs or duplicative programs, but I do not believe that reducing spending arbitrarily to the 2008 level for this department makes any sense. “
While Sen. Landrieu does agree that spending needs to be lowered to be fiscally responsible, she believes that a return to the 2008 spending levels would be reckless, jeopardizing security and operational capabilities along our borders, at our ports of entry and our first responder readiness. The House-passed cuts to DHS’ budget raise serious concerns, such as the cut to the Port Security Grant program, which the House slashed by two-thirds.
Also during the hearing, Sen. Landrieu questioned Sec. Napolitano on the following issues: the Coast Guard’s progress in replacing its aging fleet, border violence and the safety of our federal security officers, aviation security, cyber security, flood maps, collection of penalties for seafood products illegally sold in the U.S., and International Adoption.
More From News Talk 96.5 KPEL
