House Panel Hikes Homeland Security Funds for 2005
In one of the first congressional signals on spending for fiscal 2005, a House appropriations subcommittee has approved $30.8 billion for the Dept. of Homeland Security, a 5% increase from the 2004 level, but the bill's funding for transit and seaport security falls far short of what officials in those sectors are seeking.
The bill, approved June 3, includes a minimum of $100 million for rail security out of a $1 billion allocation for "high-density urban areas." But the American Public Transportation Association has requested $2 billion in security aid for 2005. The subcommittee's measure also provides $125 million for seaport security grants, but the American Association of Port Authorities has been lobbying for $400 million.