House panel receives 'first responder' extension

The House Judiciary panel on Monday received an extension from GOP leaders to amend a bill that would revamp the grant process for emergency 'first responders.'

A deadline to act on the legislation was set for Monday, but Speaker Dennis Hastert's office agreed to grant the committee an extension to June 14 in order to mark up the bill this week.

Following canceled legislative work to commemorate former President Ronald Reagan, the panel canceled Wednesday's mark up and anticipates receiving a second extension to June 21 to take up the bill next week, according to a committee spokesman.

Earlier this year, Hastert relented to lobbying from House Homeland Security Chairman Christopher Cox, R-Calif., who drafted the bill, to set a June 7 deadline for the other committee chairmen with jurisdiction over the issue to mark up the legislation.

A senior adviser to Cox on Monday said the chairman understands that under the circumstances the panel should be allowed an extension, but said the Homeland panel is "anxious" for Judiciary to "wrap things up as quickly as possible so we can get our bill out of the House before the August break."

However, it may not be Cox's bill that is offered on the House floor. The Rules Committee -- and ultimately GOP leaders -- will decide which version of the legislation lawmakers will vote on.

And while the bill has bipartisan support, lawmakers may divide along regional lines. Lawmakers from urban areas, who support Cox's bill, have complained that their high-risk districts do not receive adequate funding under the current system to adequately prepare and prevent for a terrorist attack. Under current law, there is a minimum sum allocated for each state and the rest is divided among states based on population and other factors.

Cox's original legislation, which was unanimously approved by his panel in March, would eliminate baseline funding for every state and distribute more funding to higher-risk urban areas.

Wisconsin Republican James Sensenbrenner, chairman of the Judiciary panel, plans to add language to guarantee a certain minimum of grant funding for every state.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young, R-Alaska, also included a provision to guarantee baseline funding for every state and broadened the legislation to fund an "all hazards preparation strategy," arguing that tornadoes and other disasters require assistance from first responders, as well as do acts of terrorism.

Young, with the support of ranking Democrat James Oberstar of Minnesota, drew a line in the sand on the bills, saying if leadership only allowed Cox's version to the floor they would ask their panel members to vote against the measure.

The Energy and Commerce Committee approved Cox's version of the bill last week.