Letter to the Hon. Shelley Moore Capito, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, and the Hon. Jon Tester, Ranking Member - Blumenthal, Murphy Push for Funding to Strengthen Security at Places of Worship
Letter
Dear Chairman Capito and Ranking Member Tester:
As you continue to finalize the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 appropriations bill for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, we write urging you to maintain funding at the FY 2018 level of $60 million for Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP).
In light of the tragic attack at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it is essential for places of worship to have access to grant funding to strengthen their security. The recent shooting is one in a long history of violence against places of worship and unfortunately there is no indication that these heinous attacks will end. NSGP plays an important role in helping secure places of worship and at-risk nonprofits and could be the difference between a close call and yet another tragedy.
NSGP provides funding support to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of a terrorist attack to make physical security upgrades. The program also promotes emergency preparedness coordination and collaboration activities between responders at the state and local level, as well as public and private community representatives. Implementing the core capabilities of the National Preparedness System is essential to achieving success in the five mission areas -- to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond, and recover -- and is critical to a secure and resilient nation. For some communities, success may only be possible to achieve with funding provided by NSGP.
The current Senate FY 2019 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill includes cuts to nonprofit security grants by more than 40 percent at $35 million, thereby significantly limiting access to resources for at-risk nonprofit institutions. It is imperative to bolster security for our religious communities in the face of persistent threats of violence. We strongly urge the committee to reverse course and maintain funding at $60 million for FEMA's Nonprofit Security Grant Program in FY 2019.
We thank you for your attention to this critical matter.
Sincerely,
Source