March 4, 2008 -- Leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure sent a letter today to the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency regarding the agency’s failure to follow statutorily mandated procedures regarding the Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program.

The letter sent by Rep. James L. Oberstar (Minn.), the Committee’s Chairman, and Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, to David Paulison raised concerns about FEMA’s announcement of the Fiscal Year 2008 grant application period for FIRE Grants without first publishing notification of the availability of funds in the Federal Register, as required by law.

The letter also addresses the Bush Administration’s proposal to deeply cut funding for the FIRE Grant program in its Fiscal Year 2009 budget proposal.

"Fire departments and EMS organizations across the nation rely on this grant program to build up their firefighting and response capabilities. The Administration proposes slashing FIRE grants by 46 percent from the FY 2008 level and 70 percent below the funding level authorized by Congress for FY 2009. Additionally, the Administration is targeting the FIRE grant program for terrorism-related purposes, rather than fire-related purposes – which was the reason the grant program was created in the first place,” said Oberstar. “This Administration has repeatedly ignored the critical need for communities across the country to be adequately prepared to respond to all hazards – not just terrorist threats. Yet again, Congress will have to restore funding levels for this program and ensure that grants are used for all authorized purposes.”