• Blog
• Our Party
  • What We Stand For
  • The 50-State Strategy
  • About the DNC
  • Party Organizations
  • Democratic Leaders
  • Party History
  • Delegate Selection
• Action
  • Get Your Democracy Bond
  • Write a Letter to an Editor
  • Create or Find an Event
  • Create a Fundraising Page
  • Start a Blog
  • Write to Congress
  • Find Local Democrats
  • Join an Online Group
  • Get on the Email List
  • Invite Your Friends to Join
  • Volunteer
  • Register to Vote
  • Make a Contribution
• Agenda
  • Honest Government
  • Real Security
  • Energy Independence
  • Economic Prosperity
  • Affordable Health Care
  • Retirement Security
  • Protecting Our Environment
  • Civil Rights & Justice
  • Election Reform
  • Immigration Reform
• Local
• People
  • African Americans
  • Asian Amer./Pacific Islanders
  • Disability Community
  • Faith in Action
  • Hispanics
  • LGBT Community
  • Native Americans
  • Rural Americans
  • Seniors & Retirees
  • Small Business Community
  • Union Members & Families
  • Veterans & Military Families
  • Women
  • Young People & Students
• Press
  • Latest Releases
  • Radio Addresses
• Contact
• Español

Alaska's Bush Republicans Block Help to First Responders

September 14, 2006

In the same week Americans commemorated the fifth anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, and less than two weeks after the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Congressional Republicans in Washington are again blocking Democratic efforts to fund improved communications for our nation's first responders. The Washington Post reported today that Congressional Republicans are blocking the $3.1 billion in funding for our first responders, despite well documented accounts of how "the inability of police and firefighters to talk by radio was a critical factor" on 9/11 "according to the Sept. 11 commission."

According to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 23 percent of the nation's 60,000 police and fire departments still cannot communicate with each other over the radio, one-third cannot talk to county sheriffs, and most cannot talk to state or federal agencies. [Washington Post, 9/14/06] As the Post reports, "Governors and state homeland security advisers say the issue is their top priority."

This stunning failure comes despite the fact that the 9/11 commission cited this as a key failure in the response to the September 11th attacks, and after the same problem contributed to the disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina. But Republicans dropped the "$3.3 billion over five years in interoperable communications grants" earlier this year from a Senate bill to overhaul FEMA, and Congressional Republicans are now fighting to stop the funding and "over jurisdictional" matters.

"Congressional Republicans ought to be ashamed of themselves," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "This stunning report shows how Alaska's Bush Rubberstamps in Congress have made America less safe by failing to stand up to the President and his failed agenda. After twelve years in control of Congress, after the 9/11 commission recommendations, and after the failed response to Hurricane Katrina, Republicans shouldn't need another national catastrophe to give our first responders the tools they need to save American lives. Democrats offer a new direction that offers real security, and real support for our first responders."