[StBernard] Landrieu Comments on Reduction in Louisiana Homeland Security Funding

[Westley Annis]

Landrieu Comments on 

Reduction in Louisiana 

Homeland Security Funding
Louisiana to receive significantly less funding 

despite need to protect critical infrastructure.

 

WASHINGTON - United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., today released a
statement on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announcement
that Louisiana would suffer a significant reduction in homeland security
grant funding.  Through the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP),
Louisiana will this year receive $16.22 million, which is a 21% reduction
from last year's $20.76 million in funding.

Through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), New Orleans was awarded
$4.38 million, cut from $4.69 million last year.  Baton Rouge was ruled
ineligible for UASI grant funding this year due to an arbitrary reduction in
the number of eligible urban areas by DHS.  Sen. Landrieu wrote to the
agency earlier this year to take issue with the urban area reduction and the
formula used by the agency to consider risk.

In the new Public Safety Interoperable Communications (PSIC) program, which
Sen. Landrieu worked to create, Louisiana will receive $19.67 million,
comprising 2% of the nearly $1 billion in funding being rewarded nationally.

Sen. Landrieu said:

"Louisiana is home to one of America's most important ports and provides
much of the oil and gas infrastructure that fuels the rest of the country.
Just as yesterday's National Intelligence Estimate suggests that America is
vulnerable to future terrorist attacks, the Department of Homeland Security
has stripped vital funding to secure America's only energy coast.

"It is essential that we protect Louisiana's critical infrastructure,
including our military bases, ports and levees.  It is particularly
upsetting and shortsighted for DHS to reduce essential funding and make
Baton Rouge entirely ineligible to receive UASI grants.  I will continue to
fight to ensure that the federal government contributes its share to
safeguarding Louisiana from natural and manmade disasters.

"Louisiana suffered an insurmountable blow to our communications system
during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and the Public Safety Interoperable
Communications grant I fought to create is designed to avoid such failures
in the future.  But the funding allocation demonstrates a lack of foresight
by DHS.  We must ensure that Louisiana has the full resources we need to
effectively communicate in the event of a future disaster."

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