Subject: RELEASE: Senator Clinton Assails Bush Administration's Proposal To Slash Homeland Security Funding For First Responders
From: "Clinton, Press Office (Clinton)" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2007 17:21:30 -0500

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           

December 1, 2007

 

CONTACT: Press Office

(212) 688-9780

SENATOR CLINTON ASSAILS BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSAL TO SLASH HOMELAND
SECURITY FUNDING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

Clinton: President's Cuts Would Have Drastic Impact On New York's
Homeland Security Efforts

Washington, DC - Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today, amid recent
reports the Administration plans to drastically slash homeland security
funds for first responders, called on the President to reconsider these
cuts, and to provide information regarding how any reduction to homeland
security funding would make our nation safer. In a letter today to
President Bush, Senator Clinton cited the importance of federal homeland
security dollars for our nation's police, firefighters, and other first
responders, and the effect such drastic budget cuts would have on port
and transit security and local emergency management operations in New
York and through the country. 

"With the Administration's own findings in their National Intelligence
Estimate that our homeland is under a 'heightened threat environment,'
and that Al Qaeda is undiminished in its goal in attacking us here at
home, it is unconscionable that the President's budget would seek to
slash the federal funding for homeland security by more than half," said
Senator Clinton. "While large urban areas like New York continue to
remain high profile targets, we must do everything possible to ensure
that our first responders are provided with the funding and resources
that are critical to their success on the frontline of our homeland
security efforts. I am profoundly disappointed in the President's plan,
and will continue to press this issue until our nation's first
responders receive the funding necessary to get the job done."

Senator Clinton's letter to President Bush is attached - 

December 1, 2007

The Honorable George W. Bush

President of the United States

Washington, D.C.  20500

Dear Mr. President:

Recent reports indicate that in your Fiscal Year 2009 budget, you intend
to drastically slash homeland security funds for our first responders.
A recent National Intelligence Estimate could not have been clearer when
it said that our homeland is under a "heightened threat environment" and
that Al Qaeda is undeterred and determined to attack us here at home.
In October of this year, you issued the National Strategy for Homeland
Security, which detailed many of the threats against our nation.

In light of these facts, it is unimaginable to hear that you would cut
funding for our nation's law enforcement, firefighters, and other first
responders by more than half.  According to news accounts, your plan for
the coming year includes the elimination of programs for port security,
transit security and local emergency management operations.  Reductions
like this to some of the core functions of our homeland security would
be extremely irresponsible.  Your budget outlines the fiscal priorities
for the coming year.  If these news reports are correct, then I believe
you have greatly underestimated the threats we face.  Securing our
homeland requires constant vigilance and we must do everything within
our power to improve our level of preparedness.  These reported cuts
undermine those efforts.  As a Senator from New York, I know first hand
the importance of these critical programs and the drastic impact any
funding reductions would have to New York's, as well as to our nation's
homeland security efforts.

For the sake of our nation's homeland defense I implore you to
reconsider any proposed cuts to our critical homeland security programs.
Before any proposed reductions in funding for our homeland security, I
respectfully request that you provide a detailed plan on how any
reduction in critical homeland security funds would make our country
safer.  Homeland security funding decisions should be completely based
on the threats facing our homeland, not any political considerations.

I look forward to hearing your response.

 

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

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