June 21, 2006
The Honorable Judd Gregg
Chairman
Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Senate Committee on Appropriations
135 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
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Dear Chairman Gregg:
I write on behalf of the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) more than 1,600 member organizations regarding consideration of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill, H.R. 5441. In light of clear and critical transit security needs, we urge that more funding be made available for public transportation security in that bill.
Since September 11, 2001, transit authorities have spent over $2 billion of their own resources for transit security with very little federal assistance. In light of the attack last summer on bus and rail transit in London and the many other terrorist attacks on transit around the world, APTA believes there is a need for significant increases in federal funding for transit security in the areas of communication, surveillance, detection systems, personnel, and training. Indeed, an APTA survey has identified $6 billion in additional transit security needs.
It is critically important that the federal government, in its national security role, lead the effort to protect its citizens. In 2002, the Government Accountability Office found that more than one-third of terrorist attacks worldwide were against transportation systems, with the majority of those against transit. While we understand and support the federal government's commitment to aviation security, we believe that more should be done to protect public transportation which is used 32 million times every day by Americans. With over $20 billion in federal funds spent on aviation security since 9/11, clearly more than $400 million in federal security funding, the amount appropriated since 9/11, needs to be spent on transit security.
Last summer, the Senate achieved a 53-45 bipartisan majority on a procedural vote to increase transit security funding to $1.2 billion. Your amendment, if passed, would have provided $200 million for transit and rail security. Earlier this March, the Senate approved an amendment by Senators Susan Collins and Joseph Lieberman which provided $200 million in funding for transit security in the Senate budget resolution. Last month, the House approved an amendment which would provide an additional $50 million, raising the level of funding in the House version of the FY 2007 bill to $200 million by a vote of 225-197.
Clearly, a majority of members feel that the federal government should be spending more to address the transit security needs of this country, and we urge the Senate to increase funding for transit security beyond the House funding level of $200 million.
In addition, we recommend that the subcommittee provide $500,000 to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for grant funding for the APTA security standards program which includes participation with our federal partners to assist in the development of transit security standards. In addition, we respectfully urge the Senate to provide $600,000 to maintain the Public Transit Information Sharing Analysis Center (ISAC).
We appreciate your support on this important matter. If you have any questions about these issues, please have your staff contact Tom Yedinak of APTA's Government Affairs Department at (202) 496-4865 or email tyedinak@apta.com.
Sincerely yours,
William W. Millar
President
WWM/tjj
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