Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter today to Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano expressing her strong concern with the disproportionate reduction in fiscal year 2012 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) preparedness funding to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Among the highest risk urban areas, the Department’s allocation places a disproportionate cut on the Bay Area – slashing funding by 38.3 percent, from $42.8 million to $26.4 million.
Below is the full text of the letter.
March 9, 2012
The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Secretary of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
245 Murray Lane Southwest
Washington, D.C. 20528
Dear Madam Secretary:
Thank you for your deep commitment to upholding our oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I am writing to express my strong concern with the disproportionate reduction in fiscal year 2012 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) preparedness funding to the San Francisco Bay Area.
I recognize the difficult task faced by your Department as State and Local Grants programs were cut by nearly 50 percent. As you know, Congressional Democrats fought House Republican efforts that would have even more drastically reduced these critical funds that equip our state and local partners to stand prepared to effectively respond to a disaster or emergency.
Among the highest risk urban areas, the Department’s allocation places a disproportionate cut on the Bay Area – slashing funding by 38.3 percent, from $42.8 million to $26.4 million. This reduction occurred at the same time as the Department increased our Relative Risk rating. Indeed, the next lower ranked Relative Risk urban area incurred a much smaller cut, 12.7 percent, and received nearly double the funding as San Francisco, despite its lower Relative Risk score.
As our nation’s hub for innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, a center for international commerce, trade and finance, and the home to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Bay Area is one of our nation’s most at-risk regions and, as such, deserves the appropriate investment of federal resources to ensure our region’s security and the safety of our citizens.
Thank you, Secretary Napolitano, for your full and fair consideration of this concern.
best regards,
Nancy Pelosi
Democratic Leader
