Washington, DC - Representative Ed Towns (D-Brooklyn), along Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan), and Rep. Major Owens (D-Brooklyn), is urging the Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security to reconsider the formula for distributing homeland security funds in light of a major recommendation by the 9/11 Commission.  The New York members of Congress wrote to the Chairman asking him to revise his legislation to ensure that all funds are disbursed “strictly on an assessment of risks and vulnerabilities” as emphatically suggested by the Commission.  

"While this bill may be an improvement over current funding formulas, the American public, especially those in high threat areas like New York, will be best served if critical funding goes to places in the greatest need," said Towns.  "Congress needs to put its regional interests aside and do what is right for the security of our country."

As part of its recommendations, the 9/11 commission urged the federal government not to treat homeland funding as “pork barrel items,” and instead provide funds based on threat levels.  However, the current draft of the bill would provide a minimum allocation to each state, at a rate of 0.45%, so that the equivalent of nearly one-quarter of all homeland security funding would be distributed without any regard to threat or vulnerability. 

"A minimum allocation, blind to the threats posed by radical terrorists, could not possibly serve to enhance the national interest," the letter states. We challenge you to redefine the funding mechanism in your bill before it reaches the Floor [for a vote], to distribute ALL the money based strictly on threat and vulnerability, just as the Commission recommended.  Further echoing the Commission's recommendation, we respectfully request that, 'those who would allocate money on a different basis should then defend their view of the national interest.'"

The letter also raises concerns about the ability of regions to characterize themselves as an high threat area instead of charging the Department of Homeland Security(DHS) as the only entity to define this designation.  The letter also notes that the bill does not mandate that the federal government require each state receiving federal preparedness funds to justify its distribution of funds as the Commission suggested.

"Once again, the recent terrorist warnings show that the New York metropolitan area and Washington, DC, which represent the center of finance and government for our country are on the top of the list for potential attacks," said Towns.  "The funding for homeland security must reflect that reality.  Anything less, makes our City and country less secure."     

The homeland security funding bill is expected to voted on by the House Representatives in early September.

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