Congressman Thompson Supports Homeland Security Funding For Rural America: First Responder Bill Passes 409-10

Congressman Thompson Supports Homeland Security Funding For Rural America: First Responder Bill Passes 409-10
Thursday, May 12, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, United States Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued the following statement on the committee's first responder bill, H.R. 1544, "The Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responder's Act," which would guarantee funding for first responder's in America's heartland. Congressman Thompson stated:

"As a former mayor and volunteer firefighter from Mississippi, I am very concerned that the needs of rural America are not adequately

being considered when DHS allocates homeland security funding. My district is very rural, but it has nuclear power plants, levees, and other infrastructure that is at high risk of terrorist attack. This bill will make sure that the risk of attack on rural districts, like mine, will be assessed for the first time ever.

"The current system for distributing funding to first responders is fundamentally broken. H.R. 1544 would make certain that all communities, whether urban, suburban or rural, received adequate funding for first responders.

"This bill helps target funding to meet the needs of first responders in order to help them prevent, prepare for, and respond to acts of terrorism."

The Faster and Smarter Funding for First Responders Act of 2005 was passed by the House by a vote of 409-10.

http://benniethompson.house.gov/HoR/MS02/News/Press+Releases/2005/05-12-05+Congressman+Thompson+Supports+Homeland+Security+Funding+For+Rural+America.htm