Senator fights to keep state and local security grants

Susan Collins, R-Maine, chairwoman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, will not back President Bush's funding proposal for homeland security grants, and she is actively pushing her own recommendations.

"She has made it pretty clear that she thinks the administration's budget proposal is insufficient," said Elissa Davidson, a spokeswoman for the committee. "She would not support the funding formula as outlined by the White House budget proposal."

At issue is the baseline level of funding for state and local governments. Collins objects to the White House proposal to cut funding levels for the State Homeland Security Grant Program and the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program.

On March 7, Collins sent a letter to Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H., and ranking member Kent Conrad, D-N.D., urging the committee to keep funding baseline levels in place. That letter was co-signed by 14 senators, including Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii; Norm Coleman, R-Minn.; Russ Feingold, D-Wis.; Jim Jeffords, I-Vt.; Ben Nelson, D-Neb.; Pat Roberts, R-Kan.; and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine.

Congressional officials said there are significant similarities between the Collins' proposal and the projected White House budget.

"No one argues against a great deal of the funding being allocated based on threat and risk," said a Republican congressional staffer. "There is a lot of common ground, a lot of agreement. The question is what the minimum level of state funding should be."

Davidson noted that the Senate passed Collins' version of the bill last year.

"There is significant support for it in the Senate," Davidson said of Collins' spending plan.

Officials at the Republican office of the Senate Budget Committee said, however, that they were unfamiliar with the letter from Collins. A spokeswoman at the office said that Gregg is committed to maintaining fiscal discipline while supporting President Bush's homeland security plans.