Chairman of Homeland Security panel advocates risk-based funding strategy
Senate bill making it easier for rural areas to capture grants is unacceptable, leader of House committee says.
House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King, R.-N.Y., on Tuesday advocated a risk-based approach for distributing funds to enhance security against terrorist attacks.
At the RailwayAge Security Forum and Expo, King said funds needed to be allocated to areas based on their threat levels, endorsing a policy begun by the Homeland Security Department earlier this month.
"We don't have the luxury of being able to waste money," King said. A bill written by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Susan Collins, R-Maine, and ranking member Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., that makes it easier for rural areas to receive grants is not acceptable, according to King.
He also said protecting ports and railways should be a financial priority for the Homeland Security Department because of their importance to the economy. King said technological investment in railway security was crucial, noting the role security cameras played in the investigation after attacks on London's subway system last summer.