WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today voted for in the House Appropriations Committee for the 2012 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which includes a number of provisions and amendments that directly impact Montana.  The bill saves nearly $3 billion more than the President’s request, but with Rehberg’s input, also prioritizes important programs for Montana.

“This bill simultaneously addresses our national spending crisis while also providing critical funding for Homeland Security priorities that have real and immediate impacts across our country,” said Rehberg.  “Montanans are facing emergency flood situations and that’s why I voted to increase critical funding for disaster relief.  I also crossed party lines to vote for the restoration of funding for the FEMA fire grant programs.”

Among the provisions Rehberg supported:

Disaster Relief

Rehberg voted for an amendment to add $1 billion dollars to the FEMA Disaster Fund, in addition to the $850 million increase already included in the bill.  This provides full funding for disaster relief efforts from natural disasters like the flooding happening in Southeastern Montana and the recent devastating tornadoes in Joplin, MO.

In previous years, a lack of funding has left FEMA unable to meet disaster relief needs that occur later in the fiscal year.  These additional monies will help FEMA meet  the needs of local communities devastated by natural disasters.

The additional $1 billion was offset by the reallocation of unspent funds from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program.

The Committee also included language in the bill asking FEMA to work with rural populations to improve disaster response and mitigation efforts in rural communities.  The Committee understands that rural, hard to reach communities often do not have the infrastructure or the communications capabilities needed to adequately and efficiently respond to a disaster.  The Committee directs FEMA to provide additional outreach to these rural areas and develop solutions to the unique issues that these rural communities face.

Fire Grants

Rehberg was one of only two Republicans on the Committee to vote to restore $460 million for fire grant programs. 

Northern Border

The bill Rehberg supported also includes $45 million for Northern Border Technology Investment.  Given the vastness and remote nature of the Northern Border, developing technology to help improve security is essential.  This bill dedicates critical funding for the development and deployment of new technologies along the Northern Border.

The bill also provides $55 million for Operation Stonegarden grants. The Operation Stonegarden grant program assists local authorities with operational costs and equipment purchases that contribute to border security and enhances coordination between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. 

Unlike the President’s budget that would have limited these critical security dollars to Southern Border communities, the Rehberg backed bill recognizes that this funding must also be spent along the Northern Border as well.  Rehberg, Chairman of the Northern Border Caucus, previously sent a letter to Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano asking her to reconsider the Administration’s ill-conceived plan to limit these grants to the Southern Border area.

Screening Partnership Program (SPP)

In 2004, the TSA established a program to allow small airports to employ private security screeners instead of TSA officials if the Department of Homeland Security deemed it more cost effective to do so. This program was based on a pilot program started in 2001.

This program, known as the Screening Partnership Program (SPP), has been successfully deployed at 16 airports across the country, including all seven EAS airports in Montana.  But when four other Montana airports (Butte, Missoula, Kalispell/Glacier, West Yellowstone) attempted to join the program, TSA denied their applications without ever visiting the site or discussing their security needs or meeting with airport officials.  This is egregious given that many of these airports submitted their applications almost two years before they received a decision. 

At Rehberg’s request, language was added to the bill that will provide these airports with a complete accounting of why their original applications were denied, give them the opportunity to reapply if they choose to do so, and give the TSA 90 days to issue a decision on their reapplication.