PHOTO: Sen. Schumer said that the previously released White House budget wrongly cut critical Homeland Security funds by half, putting NYPD anti-terror operations in jeopardy. File Photo
By Forum Staff
Congress is set to pass a Homeland Security budget that restores $600 million in anti-terrorism funds, according to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Earlier this year, Schumer vowed to fight against the White House’s budget proposal because it cuts to funding for critical anti-terrorism programs that enable New York law enforcement to prevent and respond to terror attacks.
The Urban Area Security Initiative, which according to Schumer helps cities to prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism, was recommended for a funding level of only $330 million in the president’s request for Fiscal Year 2017, after being funded at $600 million in FY2016.
“From the moment these ill-advised cuts were proposed, we earnestly worked to overturn them,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “We successfully pushed to fully fund the vital anti-terror programs, like UASI, that help keep New York City safe in an era of rising and mutating terror threats.”
Schumer called UASI the “cornerstone of effective preparedness and prevention against terror attacks and in an era of rising terror threats, our support for anti-terror programs should not be falling. With this increase in funds, the NYPD can continue to do all it does to keep New Yorkers safe and secure.”
Schumer noted that President Barack Obama has been strong on security in general but this funding cut by bureaucrats was a mistake. Overall, the President’s FY2017 Budget requested $40.6 billion for the Department of Homeland Security. An additional $6.7 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund is requested separately from discretionary amounts.
According to DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, the request provides funding to sustain and strengthen the country’s critical programs and capabilities in each of our mission areas—preventing terrorism and enhancing security, securing and managing our borders, enforcing and administering our immigration laws, safeguarding and securing cyberspace, and strengthening national preparedness and resilience.
The Homeland Security Grant Program plays an important role in the implementation of the National Preparedness System, Schumer said, and is comprised of three interconnected grant programs: UASI, the State Homeland Security Program, and Operation Stonegarden. Together, they fund a range of preparedness activities, including planning, organization, equipment purchase, training, exercises, and management and administration. Schumer said he has long advocated for robust UASI funding for New York City through the Congressional appropriations process.
Schumer explained that urban cities like New York City rely on UASI funds to maintain terrorism prevention and response infrastructure. For instance, the Empire State’s senior senator said that New York City uses a portion of UASI funds to support First Responder Training efforts, including the Fire Department’s Tiered Response Training and the NYPD Counter-Terrorism Training, such as the active shooter course. UASI funds also pay for coordinated regional planning exercises throughout the New York City Metropolitan area. The exercises are designed to prepare and coordinate multi-jurisdictional emergency response related to a large and catastrophic event. UASI funds have been used on Ground Law Enforcement Security Measures, which includes heavy-weapons teams that conduct ongoing patrols at transit hubs, airports, bridges, subways, waterways and highly visited landmarks.
