Senate Announces First Farm Bill Hearing: Counties Encouraged to Comment – Action Needed
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, announced the Committee’s first Farm Bill field hearing will be held on May 31 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan at the Kellogg Center. The hearing, “Opportunities for Growth: Michigan and the 2012 Farm Bill,” will focus on the upcoming reauthorization of the Farm Bill, examining agriculture as well as energy, conservation, rural development, research, forestry and nutrition policies.
NACo members are encouraged to attend and can RSVP by calling 202-224-2035 or by emailing aghearing@ag.senate.gov. Chairwoman Stabenow is also accepting written testimony, which will be included in the official record. Send your testimony no later than June 7, 2011 to aghearing@ag.senate.gov. You may also submit questions for possible consideration by the panel members during a limited question and answer period before May 26, 2011.
Click here for NACo’s Farm Bill priorities fact sheet which can be used as a guide for your comments. http://www.naco.org/legislation/policies/Documents/Agriculture%20and%20Rural%20Affairs/ecj%20%20–%20%20Farm%20Bill.pdf
Action Needed! Homeland Security Assistance to Counties At Risk of Being Eliminated in 2012
Action Needed! Homeland Security Assistance to Counties At Risk of Being Eliminated in 2012
Today, Friday, May 13, 2011 at 11am, the House of Representatives Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Homeland Security is scheduled to markup the FY2012 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Bill. The legislation proposes massive reductions in grants, technical assistance and programs important to States, local governments and public safety agencies nationwide. Additionally, the legislation proposes a major change to the current formula for distributing State and local grants; and many counties would presumably be at risk of not receiving any future State and local grant assistance from the DHS.
Specifically, the legislation proposes only $1 billion dollars for DHS Grants, Exercises, and Technical Assistance important to States, local governments and public safety agencies. This is a decrease of $1.2 billion compared to the current year, and the legislation also proposes major reductions in DHS’ Fire Grants ($350 million), FEMA Flood Mapping ($120 million), and PreDisaster Mitigation Grants ($40 million).
Additionally, the legislation proposes a major consolidation of programs important to States, local governments and public safety agencies. Specifically, the legislation proposes combining DHS’ State Homeland Security Grant Program, Urban Area Security Initiative Grant Program, Metropolitan Medical Response System, Citizen Corp Program, Rail and Transit Grants, Intercity Bus Security Grants, Port Security Grants, Interoperable Emergency Communications Grants and DHS/FEMA Training, Technical Assistance and Exercises into one single line item; and awarding future grants to States, local governments and public safety agencies at the discretion of the DHS Secretary.
For many years, Counties have been strongly opposed to any effort to reduce funds to DHS’ State and Local Programs and asserted that a minimum level of preparedness must be provided to all communities.
The Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Homeland Security is scheduled to markup the FY2012 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Bill at 11am on Friday, May 13, 2011. The Full Appropriations Committee is expected to markup the legislation next week. Call your Members of Congress today and oppose efforts to eliminate homeland security assistance to counties.
To see the alert and take action, click here.
