| July 18, 2007 |
| Caitlin Carroll/Steve Dutton (202) 225-5071 |
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-Fort Worth) made the following statement regarding the announcement of an increase of 51.5 percent in homeland security funding for North Texas.
“As a member of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Subcommittee, I understand the critical need to provide our first responders with all the resources they require. The more prepared our local communities are to respond to security threats, the safer our country will be in the long run.
“Protecting our communities against acts of terrorism is our number one priority and I am pleased that North Texas will receive an increase in funding to adequately fund our homeland security programs.
“North Texas is one of the fastest growing areas in the country and it can’t be overstated how important this funding is. With so much critical infrastructure and transportation systems in North Texas, the additional funds will provide the critical assistance our communities need.”
The funding will be issued through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), which is under the Department of Homeland Security. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area will receive $20.95 million for 2007, which is a 51.5 percent increase from 2006 funding levels when it received $13.83 million. The grants are awarded directly to cities from DHS for preparedness initiatives. Congresswoman Granger serves on the Subcommittee on Appropriations for Homeland Security, which provides the overall funding levels for the UASI grant program.
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