For Immediate Release
February 12, 2003
Please Contact: Colin Durrant (617)722-1650 or
Dalié Jiménez, 617-722-1650

Toomey, Walsh, and Barrios Announce Special Hearing to Investigate Federal Cuts to Homeland Security Spending and Impact on Prevention and First Responders

Representative Tim Toomey and Senator Jarrett Barrios, Chairmen of the Joint Committee on Public Safety, and Representative Martin Walsh, Chair of the House Committee on Financial Affairs and Homeland Security, announced an oversight hearing on anticipated federal cuts to homeland security, including cuts to security at Logan Airport, reductions to First Responder grants, as well as elimination of grants to enhance municipal police and fire departments.

“Despite intelligence agencies’ reports that terrorist threats are on the rise, President Bush has submitted a budget for Fiscal Year 2004 that freezes funding for urgent homeland security and cuts several critical areas of security for our state and our cities,” Senator Barrios said.

“Massachusetts has been waiting for federal dollars for over a year. Our towns and cities are making difficult cuts that reduce their ability to respond in times of need. It is imperative we understand how Bush’s cuts will impact our current initiatives, and how they may curtail new priorities in terrorism preparedness and planning,”

The Bush Administration fiscal year 2004 budget request cuts support to state and local law enforcement “first responders” by $1.7 billion – 42% - from fiscal year 2002 levels. The Bush Administration’s budget will cut $557 million in funding for aviation security and other transportation security, and virtually eliminates the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which awards grants to municipalities to hire and redeploy police officers.

“Given the Commonwealth’s fiscal crisis, we need the federal government to step in and do its fair share,” Rep. Toomey said. “There’s been a disconnect between Bush’s terrorism alerts and local town and cities’ ability to comply with those alerts – some communities simply don’t have the money to support enhanced security measures that are needed in this time of terrorism threats.”

The Bush Administration’s budget compromises the country’s efforts to strengthen perimeter security, calling to cut $500 million from the Immigration and Naturalization Service; $72 million from the Customs Service, effectively eliminating 1,600 Customs inspectors; and $113 million from the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

“There is a national bipartisan agreement that homeland security should be at the forefront of our domestic agenda,” Senator Barrios said. “I fear that given federal and local aid cuts to our first responders, we are not at where we should be regarding preparedness in the case of future acts of terrorism.”

The Governor, the Secretary of Executive Office of Public Safety, Congressional leaders, and local city and town officials will be invited to testify at the hearing. The hearing will take place on Thursday, February 27 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in Room 222 at the State House.

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