The Honorable Judd Gregg
Chairman
Subcommittee on Homeland Security
Senate Committee on Appropriations
135 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
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Dear Chairman Gregg:
I write on behalf of the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) more than 1,500 member organizations regarding the conference on the Fiscal Year 2007 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill, H.R. 5441.
It is important to note at the outset that since September 11, 2001, transit authorities have spent significant amounts of their own resources for transit security with very little federal assistance. An APTA survey has identified $6 billion in additional transit security needs. In light of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, London, Madrid and the many other terrorist attacks on transit, our transit system members have identified a need for significant increases in federal funding for transit security in the areas of communication, surveillance, detection systems, personnel, and training. We believe it is critically important that the federal government, in its key national security role, lead the effort to protect its citizens. In 2002, the Government Accountability Office found that about one-third of terrorist attacks worldwide target transportation systems, and transit systems are the mode most commonly attacked. While we understand and support the federal government's commitment to aviation security, we believe that more should be done to protect public transportation which is used thirty-two million times every day by Americans. With over $20 billion in federal funds spent on aviation security since 9/11, clearly more than $386 million needs to be spent on transit security.
In May, when the House considered H.R. 5441, it approved an amendment to increase funding for transit and rail security to $200 million by a vote of 225-197. In July, when the Senate considered H.R. 5441 50 Senators voted for an amendment that would have set funding at $450 million in the bill for transit and rail security. Last summer, following the attack on London, 53 Senators supported a procedural vote to increase transit security funding to $1.2 billion. Clearly, many members feel that the federal government should do more to address the transit security needs of this country. We urge the conferees to fund transit and rail security at no less than the House passed level of $200 million
Sincerely yours,
William W. Millar
President
WWM/tjj
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