Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) has specific ideas in mind for part of an expected $3.5 billion request from the President for a homeland security initiative targeted to meet the needs of communities and front line responders to terrorist threats.  Larsen joined colleagues in sending a letter to President Bush today encouraging him to address critical issues in his final proposal before he presents his budget requests to Congress next week.

Larsen said, “Our local police officers, firefighters and emergency medical response teams are at the heart of successfully combating terrorist threats.  Our homeland defense begins with our local communities.  This heavy responsibility is a strain on resources, which is why I’m working with Congress and the President to provide assistance for these duties.”

Larsen co-sponsored the Municipal Preparation and Strategic Response Act (H.R. 3161) last October and hopes President Bush will consider some of the issues addressed in the bill.  Specifically, the bill would expand funding for strategic planning for communities and would eliminate the local fund matching requirements that prevent many communities from receiving federal funding for their efforts.

Larsen explained in the letter, “the threat to our communities is now, and we cannot give those at war with the United States the opportunity to strike while our communities spend years saving enough money to pay the local match for federal grants to provide the training and equipment necessary to safeguard the American people today.”

“We respectfully request that you work to ensure that the majority of planning funds proposed by this initiative go directly to local communities including cities, counties, towns,” he wrote.  “We appreciate your initiative on this issue, and we stand ready to work with you in Congress as this proposal moves forward.”

Issues that community leaders are being asked to address include developing comprehensive strategic preparation and response plans; conducting local threat assessments; coordinating interdepartmental, interagency and multi-jurisdictional operational agreements; and providing a common communications platform between emergency first responders.