WASHINGTON – Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., issued the following statement Thursday on funding for the Department of Homeland Security contained in the Fiscal Year 2008 budget resolution approved by Congress Thursday:
“Congressional passage of the Fiscal Year 2008 budget resolution marks a victory for homeland security funding, particularly since we restored key cuts President Bush had proposed for first responders in his budget blueprint. The budget resolution therefore remains at FY2007 levels plus inflation.
“Most significantly, the budget resolution adds $400 million for a dedicated interoperability grant program and an additional $331 million for the Emergency Management Performance Grants, as I had proposed in an earlier amendment.
“These critical resources will help first responders talk to one another across jurisdictional and geographic lines at the scene of a disaster and will help state and local governments better prepare for all hazards – whether a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.”
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