A group of New York Democrats on Capitol Hill is warning that President Donald Trump’s proposed budget would leave New York City “woefully unprepared to prevent and respond to a second 9/11.”
In a letter sent Monday to the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Appropriations Committee, the members of Congress urged them to reject the president’s “draconian” recommended cuts to federal grants. Those cuts, they warn, would “all but dismantle the FDNY’s capacity for emergency management and would reduce the NYPD’s post 9/11 counterterrorism apparatus to a shell of its former self.”
The letter, led by Rep. Ritchie Torres of the Bronx, was shared first with Spectrum News NY1. Reps. Yvette Clarke, Dan Goldman, Jerry Nadler, and Gregory Meeks also signed on.
The letter singles out proposed cuts to the Urban Area Security Initiative, the State Homeland Security Grant Program, the Transit Security Grant, and the Port Security Grant, which the lawmakers say currently provide a combined $190 million annually to New York City. They warn the proposed cuts could cost the city an estimated $45 million.
An analysis by the International Association of Fire Chiefs says that overall, the president’s proposal would see the State Homeland Security Grant program reduced to $351 million from $468 million in fiscal year 2025. The Urban Areas Security Initiative would be cut to $415.5 million from $553.5 million.
Both the Public Transportation Security Assistance and Port Security Grants would see overall cuts of more than 40 percent compared to the prior year.
“At a time when terrorism, cyberattacks, and extreme weather events are converging to create an increasingly complex threat environment, the Trump budget would gut the very systems we depend on to detect, deter, and respond to those threats effectively,” the lawmakers wrote.
Reached for comment, a White House spokesperson referred Spectrum News NY1 to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In a statement, a spokesperson for the department said, “Claims that DHS is reducing focus on terrorism prevention are unequivocally false. Allegations of weakening these programs are baseless, DHS is enhancing intelligence and infrastructure protection to keep cities secure. We remain fully dedicated to preventing another 9/11 with robust, targeted investments.”
Last month, the White House unveiled the president’s budget plan for the next fiscal year — a starting framework as lawmakers begin to craft spending bills. Congress can and often does overhaul the proposal.
Read the letter here: