Federal spending bill maintains funding for key homeland security programs

The federal spending bill signed into law by President Donald Trump on Friday maintains or increases funding for a number of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant programs that help protect against and respond to terrorist threats and natural disasters at the state and municipal levels.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, H.R. 1625, would maintain $630 million in funding for the Urban Securities Initiative (UASI) and $100 million in funding for both the Transit Security Grant Program and the Port Security Grant Program. Funding for the National Pre-disaster Mitigation Fund will also be increased from $149 million to $249 million under the spending bill.

U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY), chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Communications, lauded the inclusion of homeland security funding in the federal spending bill.

“As the lone Republican congressman from New York City, I feel a great responsibility to fight for the resources that keep New Yorkers safe,” Donovan said. “The NYPD is the greatest police force in the world, but they depend on the federal government to deploy the tools necessary to protect us. The omnibus bill that I voted to pass today is a huge win for New York City, and I’m proud to have advocated successfully for it.”

H.R. 1625 also includes $3.4 million in funding for the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) in New York City. Operated by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s First Responders Group, the federal laboratory tests radiological detection and other equipment for the NYPD and the New York Fire Department.