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Dodd Slashes Airport Security Funds For Friendly Firemen


Mark Hemmingway of the Washington Examiner tells us that Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd in July proposed an amendment that moved $4,500,000 from airport security to firefighters, a favorite constituency. The firefighter’s union backed the senator during his failed presidential bid in Iowa.


This is the text of the Dodd amendment:

"(Purpose: To provide additional funds for FIRE grants under section 33 of the Federal FirePrevention and Control Act of 1974)
          "On page 77, between lines 16 and 17, insert the following:
"SEC. X (a) The amount appropriated under the heading "firefighter assistance grants'' under the heading "Federal Emergency Management Agency'' under by title III for necessary expenses for programs authorized by the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 is increased by $10,000,000 for necessary expenses to carry out the programs authorized under section 33 of that Act (15 U.S.C. 2229).

"(b) The total amount of appropriations under the heading "Aviation Security'' under the heading "Transportation Security Administration'' under title II, the amount for screening operations and the amount for explosives detection systems under the first proviso under that heading, and the amount for the purchase and installation of explosives detection systems under that heading, and the amount for the purchase and installation of explosives detection systems under the second proviso under that heading are reduced by $4,500,000.

"(c) From the unobligated balances of amounts appropriated before the date of enactment of this Act for the appropriations account under the heading "state and local programs'' under the heading "Federal Emergency Management Agency'' for "Trucking Industry Security Grants'', $5,500,000 are rescinded."
The money removed by the Dodd amendment was targeted specifically "for screening operations and the amount for explosives detection systems."

Needless to say, it is not firemen but airport security that is charged with preventing terrorists from blowing up airlines with the use of shoe bombs and exploding underwear.

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Dross said…
Dodd can seem to do no right lately.

Or is it just for the first time we are really watching?

You have to wonder about the political instincts of someone who diverts funds from an agency that has such a high profile, especially when its in the failure mode.

Often as I go through airport security I marvel at how easy it would be to circumvent the "safeguards". Yes, my 35$ bottle of hair silk lotion was obviously a risk to plane and nation and had to be trashed.

Yet I've never ever been fisked, I could have been carrying that container of hair lotion in my pants.
9:23 PM
Unknown said…
Don, you're not a "big picture" guy are you?

Think of all the fire emergency personnel and equipment we'll need after we fail to detect all those aviation explosives.

Senator Christopher John "Chris" Dodd. Super. Genius.

Buying votes with your money since 1974.
11:16 AM
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