WASHINGTON DIGEST: Senate OKs Homeland Security Bill

By SAMANTHA YOUNG

STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON — The Senate approved a $31.8 billion homeland security bill last week but declined to boost funding even more for mass transit, first responders, cargo security and border patrols.

A week after the London subway bombings, senators rejected amendments that would have increased rail security funding by amounts ranging from $100 million to $1.5 billion.

The bill for fiscal 2006 allots $100 million for transit programs, a $50 million cut from this year.

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., authored an amendment that drew the most support. He proposed to add $1.2 billion for bus and subway safety at 6,000 transit systems.

Shelby and his supporters argued the Department of Homeland Security has allocated only $250 million to transit security grants compared to $18 billion for aviation security.

Opponents said additional spending would do little to boost security on massive transit systems with thousands of entry and exit points. Instead taxpayer dollars should be spent on intelligence to track down terrorists before they strike, they said.

Senators voted 53-45 for the Shelby amendment. Although it gained majority support, it failed to reach the 60 votes needed to overcome congressional budget caps.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., voted to boost transit funding. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., voted against it.

First responder funding

Senators defeated a move by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, to restore a proposed $586 million cut in grants to firefighters, police and other local law enforcement agencies.

Opponents said the money would be better spent in higher threat areas like detecting weapons of mass destruction and protecting the nation’s borders. They added that states could tap $7 billion in unspent first responder grants accrued in the past two years.

Advocates of the state grants asserted Congress should not reduce first responder funding while the country continues to boost its defenses against terrorism and maintains traditional local emergency response services.

The Akaka amendment failed 42-55.

Reid voted for the first responder funding. Ensign voted against it.

Grant program revised

The Senate revamped how the government should award homeland security grants, saying funds should be targeted to high-threat areas, including the nation’s largest cities.

The new formula would ensure each state receive a guaranteed 0.55 percent of homeland security grant dollars, with the remaining funds awarded to regions determined most at risk or most vulnerable. Current law provides that states receive at least 0.75 percent of the funds.

Supporters of the change said the government should spend money where it is most needed, in urban areas most susceptible to a terrorist attack.

Rural state senators said the formula change would shortchange their first responders.

The amendment was touted as a compromise between urban and rural states. The House has formed a bill that would further scale back guaranteed state funding.

The bill passed 71-26.

Reid and Ensign voted to redirect funding to high-threat areas.

House defeats China bill

The House rejected a bill that would have imposed trade sanctions on European companies that sell military technology to China.

Supporters contend the Chinese military stands to benefit from European technology. They warned American troops could someday be called to defend the Taiwan strait or other areas in Asia.

Opponents expressed concern the measure would indirectly penalize U.S. businesses . They also said the measure could cool diplomatic relations between China and the United States.

Republican leaders had expected the measure to easily pass, but in a surprise move, roughly 30 lawmakers reversed their votes in response to a last-minute campaign by opponents.

The bill had been considered under a fast-track process that required a two-thirds majority for passage. Lawmakers voted 215-203 for the measure, short of the needed majority.

Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Jon Porter, R-Nev. voted for the sanctions. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., voted against them.