"Bush to Seek More Security Funds"

Saturday, December 22, 2001

Bush to Seek More Security Funds


WASHINGTON (AP)-- President Bush is expected to seek at least $15 billion in
new spending for domestic security needs in his 2003 budget, to fund
everything from local police to baggage screening equipment.

The budget may include money for vaccines and items such as communications
equipment for hospitals and public health agencies to better coordinate
their response to a terrorist attack, congressional aides say.

In Congress, ``there will be a strong desire to spend more than that,'' said
Rich Meade, Republican staff director of the House Budget Committee.

Congress approved $20 billion in spending earmarked for domestic security in
the 2002 budget. About half of that was requested prior to the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks.

Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge told The Washington Post for a story in
Saturday's editions that the White House has settled on ``substantial
increases in spending'' for domestic security. The budget request will focus
on helping police and health care professionals respond to possible attacks,
Ridge said.

Ridge ``is developing a national strategy for homeland security,'' a White
House spokesman said Saturday. ``As part of that, Governor Ridge is
assessing our needs for combatting terrorism, and responding to any attacks
that may come.''

Bush is to release his 2003 budget proposal after his State of the Union
address to Congress next month.

The House committee's staff surveyed government agencies for their
anti-terrorism budget requests and came up with at least $15 billion in
proposals, said Meade.

There is broad agreement that hospitals and public health agencies need help
getting communications equipment and other technology so that they can
quickly identify an attack victim and respond appropriately, said Bill
Hoagland, the GOP staff director of the Senate Budget Committee.

``Everything we've looked at indicates the resources in our public health
system have not been kept up to speed,'' Hoagland said.

Another big-ticket item: baggage screening equipment for airports. The
government would need $6 billion to buy all the machines that are necessary,
Hoagland said.

Bush's budget request is expected to set off a struggle in Congress to
increase the spending and to define what can be classified as a security
need.

``That's going to be the toughest challenge, identifying the true needs
related to homeland security and funding those first,'' said Meade.

Congressional Democrats wanted $15 billion more in anti-terrorism spending
this year, but the White House refused to go along. The administration said
the money wasn't needed until next year and promised to put it in the 2003
budget.

``We've known for a long time that that was about the amount of additional
resources that were needed for homeland defense,'' said Senate Budget
Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D.

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