STATEMENT OF CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL C. BURGESS, M.D.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings,

and Emergency Management

March 18, 2004

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding today’s hearing about the Administration’s Fiscal Year 2005 budget request to fund the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

I appreciate the willingness of Secretary Brown for testifying before our subcommittee today. I am concerned that the Administration’s FY 2005 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) emergency preparedness and response capabilities will not address the needs and concerns of the first responders on the front lines of the War on Terrorism.

It is my understanding that the Administration’s budget reduces funding for the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program and port security grants. I have been told that the use of the Emergency Management Performance grants for personnel costs could be limited to only 25 percent of the total grant amount. In addition to a possible funding shortfall, this could result in a 60 percent reduction in professional emergency management positions which could affect the critical resources needed and used by state and local governments to effectively develop emergency preparedness plans.

It is also my understanding that the Administration’s budget request consolidates the FIRE Grant Program. It further includes language that would provide a preference for FIRE grant applications that address terrorism rather than traditional firefighting training and activity. I believe our country needs to continue to address the threats of terrorism, but we must also ensure we maintain resources available to first responders in our communities who confront traditional firefighting threats and incidents.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have met with several police, sheriff, and firefighting organizations in my Washington office. Their concerns are largely the same as mine:

1.) More local law enforcement funding is needed to meet the mandated needs of all first responders;

2.) Increased coordination between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security on all first responder programs; and,

3.) Do not provide a specific preference for FIRE grant applications that address terrorism rather than traditional firefighting training and activity.

These concerns have also been expressed to me when I am traveling around my congressional district in North Texas. For example, the City of Plano officials expressed concerns in 2003 that because first responder funding continues to be decreased and the needs are increased, local jurisdictions will be faced with significant decisions about how to fund emergency preparedness in the future. Less federal funds, state budget crunches, and the local governments’ own budget woes mean that difficult decisions lie ahead in the years to come. I am concerned that the delay of counterterrorism equipment to firefighters and police officers as well as funding constraints will be the local government’s problem and the federal and state governments will not be held accountable. I believe that we need to truly assess the needs of first responders at the federal level to ensure that the state and local governments can execute essential homeland security operations.

Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for holding today’s hearing and I look forward to listening to your testimony, Mr. Secretary. I also look forward to working with you and DHS to find ways to sufficiently fund these important emergency preparedness programs in order for our communities’ first responders to execute the jobs they have been mandated to do – keeping our communities, families, and friends safe.