SENATOR COLLINS ANNOUNCES NEARLY $17 MILLION FOR HOMELAND SECURITY IN MAINE

Washington, DC – Senator Susan Collins today announced that Maine will receive $16,680,547 for homeland security efforts in the state. The funding is awarded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It includes money for State Homeland Security Program grants, Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program grants, Citizen Corps grants, and Emergency Management Performance Grants.

Senator Collins released the following statement:

"This funding is important to bolster the State of Maine's preparedness efforts to protect against terrorism. The funding goes to first responders who would be the first to react to any terrorist disaster in our state and who are the eyes and ears of our communities. These grants help to strengthen and coordinate security efforts of our airports, seaports, and along the international border. This funding will also provide half of the State of Maine''s Emergency Management funds for non-homeland security disaster prevention, mititgation, and response with the State matching the other half.

"I am concerned that the amount of funding DHS has allocated for Maine represents a reduction from the amount that the state received last year. This reflects a trend within the agency to provide more money to urban areas and less to more rural states like Maine, in spite of the significant homeland security vulnerabilities like extensive borders and coastline. Maine is home to major shipping ports, more than 3,000 miles of continuous coastline, important public natural resource assets, international airports, international border crossings and a remote border with Canada. And we cannot forget that terrorists have already targeted smaller cities like Portland as staging grounds for deadly terrorist attacks.

"I will continue to work in the coming year to get full Congressional approval for legislation that I authored, that would ensure that rural states like Maine will receive their fair share of federal homeland security dollars These dollars are essential for Maine to achieve and maintain a baseline level of preparedness."

Senator Collins authored the Homeland Security Grant Enhancement Act, which was approved this year by the Senate. The legislation redefines the federal homeland security funding formula to ensure that all states receive a fair share of funding. It establishes a baseline level of funding that every state will receive to help prepare for, prevent, and react to terrorist attacks.

Senator Collins' legislation also streamlines the homeland security grant process in order to deliver federal homeland security grants to local first responders more efficiently and expeditiously.

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