Today: Horsford Announces Anti-Terror Funding for Las Vegas
Press Release
Today, Representative Steven Horsford (NV-4) will announce that the City of Las Vegas has been included in the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) 2014 list of funded urban areas for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and will receive $1 million in UASI funding. Las Vegas was excluded from funding in last year's budget.
"I am extremely happy we were able to work together at the local, state, and federal levels to have this critical funding restored," Horsford said. "Las Vegas and other high-tourism destinations need this funding to keep our cities safe, and I commend Secretary Johnson for listening to our appeals to review the current risk assessment model."
In fiscal year 2013, the number of UASI-funded cities was capped by statute at 25, which did not include Las Vegas. For FY14, the cap did not apply and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is providing 39 cities with $578 million in UASI funding.
As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security's (CHS) authorizing committee, Representative Horsford has advocated for DHS to reinstate UASI funding for Las Vegas. During a number of CHS hearings, Horsford criticized the risk assessment model that DHS uses to determine UASI funding, urging Secretary Jeh Johnson to review it.
Last year, Representative Horsford was joined by Representative Joe Heck (NV-3) in introducing an amendment to H.R. 2217, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, to prevent Las Vegas from losing its Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) funding.
Most of the Las Vegas' UASI funding will be directed toward its Fusion Center, the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center.
Today at 1:30 PM (PST), Representative Horsford will be joined by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Clark County Sheriff Douglas C. Gillespie, Las Vegas Fire Department Chief William McDonald, Clark County Fire Department Deputy Chief Erik Newman, and Clark County Commissioner Steven Sisolak at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters to announce at a press conference the restored UASI funding for Las Vegas.
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