Lieberman, Lautenberg Introduce New Homeland Security Bill

By Celia Canon- Talk Radio News Service

On Wednesday, Senators Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) presented the 2010 Homeland Security Bill which would allocate $42.9 billion of federal funds to the Department of Homeland Security. This figure represents a 7% increase from last year’s Homeland Security Bill.

Lierberman said “it’s absolutely necessary to keep Americans safe and secure, not only from terrorist attacks but other man-made disasters and just plain natural disasters as well. There is no inexpensive way to defend the safety and security of the American people.”

The bill also places emphasis on supporting local first response units from around the country.

“We want to highlight this is the support we are giving to our first responders around the country: our firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency medical personnel…” Lieberman said, adding that “This bill would double funding for instance for the safer grant program that helps local fire departments defray the cost of hiring new firefighters.”

Increased funding would go to the Urban Area Security Initiative Grant Program, which according to Lieberman, “sends money to the nation’s high risk metropolitan areas, [thus totaling] a bump up of $50 million dollars over last year’s $187 million.”

Lautenberg added that a $25 million increase from the previous bill would be appropriated to securing “high risk chemical facilities.”