Washington – The two cities targeted in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks will receive far less counterterrorism money this year in what the Homeland Security Department described Wednesday as an effort to spread funding to other communities facing threats.
Officials noted a $119 million cut in the total funds available for fiscal 2006 from last year. In all, 46 cities will share $710 million in Homeland Security grants to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks and, to a lesser extent, other catastrophic disasters, such as hurricanes.
The department said the total does not reflect an additional $25 million for nonprofit groups and other minor costs.
“Our job is to make sure that we apply resources in an appropriate manner across the full breadth of this nation so that we get the maximum benefit out of those dollars,” Homeland Security Undersecretary George Foresman told reporters in Washington.
State and local officials also need to budget for disaster preparations, Foresman said, calling the federal grants “designed to help us address the extraordinary, not the ordinary.” The money generally pays for training and equipment for emergency first responders.
The funding is part of a $1.7 billion Homeland Security grant program, down from $2.5 billion last year.
Overall, Colorado will lose more than 40 percent of its federal grants for homeland security as the department cuts back. Colorado will receive $21 million in fiscal 2006 compared with $36.8 million in fiscal 2005.
The department said it allocated the money based on risk.
Denver will get $4.3 million, down from $8.7 million.
The overall cut was criticized by the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, who represents the New York suburbs and vowed to hit back at the department.
“It’s absolutely indefensible, it’s disgraceful. As far as I’m concerned, the Department of Homeland Security and the administration have declared war on New York,” said Republican Rep. Peter King.
Homeland Security assistant secretary Tracy Henke said the biggest share of the dollars still would go to the nation’s largest cities, with New York City winning the largest share – $124 million, down from $207 million in 2005. The capital region, including Washington and its Maryland and Virginia suburbs, will receive $46 million, compared with $77.5 million last year.
Denver Post staff writer Anne Mulkern contributed to this report.
