Threat and Vulnerability to Dictate Antiterrorism Funding
Threat and Vulnerability to Dictate Antiterrorism Funding
If Congress adopts the proposed distribution changes in the $2.6 billion federal antiterrorism funding for fiscal 2006, the end of per-capita antiterrorism funding stands to greatly affect states such as Wyoming and New Jersey. Sparsely populated states flush with security dollars may surrender resources to states that are home to large amounts of critical infrastructure and dense populations.
The budget proposal, presented by President Bush on February 7, would restructure state and local grants for first responders, targeting money to areas that face the greatest threats and are the most vulnerable. The budget would:
• Require states to compete for money by demonstrating how their homeland security needs are in line with national preparedness goals.
• Create a new grant program to supplement state, local, and private critical infrastructure protection efforts.
• Increase funding for the Urban Area Security Initiative, which targets 50 cities that face a high risk of a terrorist attack.
The State Homeland Security Grant Program and the Urban Area Security Initiative each would receive roughly $1 billion. The proposed Targeted Infrastructure Protection program would provide $600 million in grants to state, local, and regional entities for seaport, mass-transit, railway, and energy-facility protection.
The proposed $2.6 billion in grants to state and local governments is an increase from the $2.5 billion Congress approved for fiscal 2005. Of the $34.2 billion proposed for the entire U.S. Department of Homeland Security, state and local grants make up approximately 7.6 percent.
A nationwide vulnerability assessment, due out in late March, would guide future funding decisions.
“We’ve restructured our grant process to help expedite the flow of funding and, at the same time, ensure that resources are getting to those with the greatest security need,” Acting U.S. Homeland Security Secretary James Loy said. “Risk and vulnerability—those are the [areas] that need to be addressed as part of delivery of those dollars to the local areas.”
The proposed changes to the State Homeland Security Grant Program, through which most of the $11.5 billion to state and local governments has been appropriated, would address some of the distribution concerns.
They include a reduction—from three-quarters to one-quarter of 1 percent—in the minimum amount each state would receive. The change would mean that about 14 percent—rather than roughly 39 percent—of total funds would be distributed equally to each state. *
Also, this change would have to be adopted by Congress as an amendment to the USA Patriot Act.
President Bush’s proposed budget addresses concerns in the distribution of antiterrorism funding. Favorably, funding would be increased in areas of great concern. The big question now is whether members of Congress will approve reducing funding to areas of the country that appear less vulnerable, particularly if their states would receive fewer dollars.
* Source: Stateline.org.