Senate Approps boosts DHS funding for disaster relief
The bill more than doubles the Disaster Relief Fund operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
By Jolie Lee
Federal News Radio
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed a $41 billion Homeland Security Department funding bill on Wednesday for fiscal year 2012 that more than doubles the Disaster Relief Fund operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In the Senate bill, the relief fund is funded at $6 billion — $3.35 billion above the FY2011 appropriations. Overall, FEMA would receive $4.2 billion above the President’s request for the new fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.
Recent natural disasters have depleted the current balance of the relief fund to $592 million. The Appropriations Committee will review whether more money is needed for the fund as information becomes available about damage from Hurricane Irene and other disasters.
In a conference call last week, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said the agency would stop repair work considered “permanent from previous, older disasters.” And any long-term repair work not already approved will not be funded immediately, Fugate added.
Fugate said on the call that there is “uncertainty of how much we’re going to spend on Irene and what we’re going to have to work with the White House on to look at our funding.”
If the Disaster Relief Fund runs out of money, recovery projects for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike and Irene would come to a halt, said Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, in a statement.
“There is no more appropriate time than the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the aftermath of several devastating natural disasters to send a message to our citizens and to those who seek to do us harm that protecting our homeland is more important than partisan politics,” Landrieu said in a statement.
Overall, Senate Appropriations has set DHS spending levels at $666 million below the current year’s levels and $408 million above funding passed by the House in June.
Highlights from the bill:
- Transportation Security Administration: A five-year strategic investment plan will explore passenger screening technologies.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection: The bill provides $400 million for border fencing and technology. It also adds $36 million for air and marine procurements.
- Research and Development: The bill provides $800 million for the development of new technology in areas such as biological attack detection, IED detection, Internet vulnerabilities, interoperability for first responders. According to the committee, the House version of the bill would effectively end such development.
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