Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Bud Cramer (Ala.-05) announced today that the House approved the Fiscal Year 2008 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. 

Representative Cramer, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, said the bill provides a total of $36.2 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, which is $2.5 billion more than the FY 2008 funding levels.  Cramer’s Appropriations Committee approved this funding prior to today’s consideration.

Included in this legislation is increased funding for FEMA’s state and local programs, which assists local communities prepare for emergency situations.  The House bill provided $950 million for state homeland security and law enforcement terrorism prevention grants and $800 million for fire grants.  The bill also includes $300 million for emergency management performance grants (EMPG) and $100 million to support interoperable communication grants.

Through his seat on the Appropriations Committee, Representative Cramer has worked for years to increase funding for the fire grants and the EMPG programs.  He has continually advocated the critical need of these programs for North Alabama’s first responders and has urged House leaders to support them in Congress.

“These grant programs have enabled our state and local law enforcement and emergency responders to obtain new tools to better protect our communities,” said Cramer.  “It is critical that we provide Alabama’s first responders everything they need to keep us safe.”

Representative Cramer has been a member of the House Appropriations Committee since 1998.  It is one of four exclusive committees in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is responsible for providing funds for all areas of the federal government as well as vital programs that help meet the needs of the nation.