The U.S. House has passed the 2012 appropriations bill for the Deparment of Homeland Security, H.R. 2017, and in doing so reduced funding for state and local programs by more than $1.5 billion from the current fiscal year.
Along with reduced funding levels, the bill also merges many key grant programs, including the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) and the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), and directs the department to distribute those funds a discretionary basis rather than by formula, as is currently the case.
Two amendments favorable to communities were adopted. One partially restored funding for firefighter grants and another, offered by Michigan Congressman Hansen Clarke (Detroit), removed language that would have limited UASI grants to the 10 "highest risk areas" in the nation. Without the adoption of this amendnment, the number of areas eligible for grants would ahve dropped from 31 this year to 10 next year. As a comparison 64 areas received grants in 2010.
The passage of this bill is again another indication of the severity of the cuts being sought in order to reduce the federal deficit. Recall that House Republicans have set targets $47 billion below what was enacted for the 2011 fiscal year which saw reductions of $39 billion.
It remains vital for members to speak with their federal representatives and remind them how funding for Homeland Security programs helps you keep residents safe and maintain quality of life.
Arnold Weinfeld is Director of Strategic Initiatives and Federal Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at 517-908-0304 or by e-mail.
3813a669-c854-4081-ad37-73c8f16757be|1|1.0
