Department Of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008

Floor Speech

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 -- (Senate - July 26, 2007)

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, shortly the Senate will vote on an amendment Senator Lieberman and I have offered to provide $100 million in badly needed funding for a new emergency communications grant program. This program is about to be authorized in the Homeland Security bill we have recently completed the conference negotiations on, and which I anticipate will be cleared either tonight or tomorrow morning.

When we look at the needs of our first responders, interoperability of communications equipment is at the top of their list. We saw on 9/11 that firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel lost their lives because of an inability to communicate due to incompatible equipment. We saw it again in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, where police could not communicate with firefighters, who could not communicate with emergency medical personnel.

Unfortunately, achieving interoperability is an expensive, lengthy, and difficult process, and it is one our State and local governments need assistance in meeting. The proposal Senator Lieberman and I have put forth is a pretty modest proposal. The Homeland Security conference report authorizes a $400 million program. The budget resolution did as well for this year. What we are asking for is a modest downpayment of $100 million. It is offset by a modest reduction in other accounts.

Let me say that this amendment does have the strong support of our first responder community. It has been endorsed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the Congressional Fire Services Institute, the International Association of Firefighters, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials International.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that endorsement letters from those organizations be printed in the Record.

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, again, I hope our colleagues will take a hard look at this amendment and will decide it warrants their support to address one of the major problems that has hampered emergency response, decreased the effectiveness of those who are putting their lives on the line, and truly can be a matter of life and death.

Let me end my comments by applauding, nevertheless, the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee for their hard work. Senator Byrd, Senator Murray, and Senator Cochran have done a terrific job on a very difficult issue, but this is an attempt to make their good work even better.

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