Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Ranking Member Joe
Lieberman, D-Conn., has proposed $8.4 billion more in
homeland security funding than the President’s requested
increase of $3.9 billion for fiscal 2006, to meet spending
levels recommended by “independent analysts.”
In a letter to Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H.,
and Ranking Member Kent Conrad, D-S.D., Lieberman proposed
$4.2 billion — rather than the White House’s $1.7 billion
decrease – for first responder and prevention training
and equipment that according to Lieberman is needed to
put in place equipment that would allow first responders
of different jurisdictions to communicate with one another,
according to a committee statement.
It said the letter warned that some of the administration’s
proposed increases would require raising the price of
airplane ticket prices, which would likely meet
congressional opposition.
Other funding increases above the President’s request
would include: $1.1 billion for transit, port, rail, and
general critical infrastructure security, $1 billion to
help the public health community respond to a bio-terror
attack, $900 million to hasten the modernization of the
Coast Guard fleet and to sustain research and development,
$800 million for aviation security, including improved
explosives detection, cargo security, and access control,
and $360 million for border security.
