In keeping with the intention of House and Senate leaders to complete action this summer on at least the Defense and Homeland Security appropriation bills, both sides of the Capitol have reported the Homeland Security bill from their respective committees. The bills are virtually identical in aggregate spending, but differences exist in providing grants for first responders.

Both bills reduce funding for first responders from last year’s levels with the House providing $1.2 billion, 26 percent less than FY 2004. The Senate bill provides $940 million, a 45 percent decrease.

The Senate bill provides $100 million more than the House in firefighter grants, but both bills reduce spending from last year’s level of $750 million. The Senate also provides higher funding for Urban Area Security Initiative grants of $1.4 billion compared to $1 billion in the House. House members have engaged in heated debate over urban versus rural area funding and defeated an amendment directing an additional $450 million to urban areas considered most susceptible to terrorist activities. This urban versus rural debate continues in the authorizing committees as well, where four different House committees have adopted three competing bills to restructure the grant distribution system.

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams can also expect reduced funding from levels of the past two years, which provided appropriations of $60 million each year. The Senate bill halves that amount. The House bill does not provide a specific line item for USAR but is likely consistent with the Administration’s budget request of $7 million. Both bills express concern about and set priority for completing funding for dual response caches. The House bill also asks for a report from DHS about the prospect of expanding the number of existing USAR teams beyond 28.