WASHINGTON, DC – Today President Bush is expected to sign the spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which appropriates $30.8 billion in discretionary spending for the operations and activities of the Department for fiscal year 2006, which began on October 1. This funding level is only about 4.5 percent greater than the amount provided last year, just slightly higher than the rate of inflation.  Rep. Markey voted against the bill when it was considered in the House.

Representative Edward Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the Committee on Homeland Security, made the following remarks about President Bush signing the Homeland Security appropriations bill into law:

“Republicans continue to nickel and dime homeland security while writing a blank check for the war in Iraq and pushing for more tax breaks for corporate giants and millionaires,” said Rep. Markey.  “More than four years after the 9/11 attacks, this President has failed to close dangerous homeland security loopholes that put Americans at risk.

“The bill President Bush is signing into law today is missing vital security upgrades. It requires no additional protection for chemical facilities – in fact, there are nightclubs in New York City that are harder to get into than some of our chemical plants.  This is unacceptable.  It allows extremely hazardous materials to travel through densely populated cities without being rerouted, even if a safer route exists, and it does nothing to require that new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities be built in remote locations far away from population centers. And it leaves a loophole in our aviation security by allowing almost all commercial cargo loaded onto passenger planes to travel uninspected.

“On issue after issue, President Bush chooses to fight for the nuclear industry, the chemical industry and the cargo industry against security upgrades that would make America safer,” said Rep. Markey who has offered amendments to strengthen security at nuclear and chemical facilities, require 100 percent of cargo carried on passenger planes to be inspected before it is loaded onboard, mandate that new LNG terminals are built away from population centers, and improve transit security.