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A Daily Chronicle of Bush Administration Distortion July 26, 2004
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BUSH MISLEADS ON HOMELAND SECURITY EFFORT



In a speech before the Urban League last Friday, President Bush said that his administration is "trying to do everything we can to protect our homeland."1 But the reality is that the Bush administration has underfunded critical domestic security programs and failed to address key vulnerabilities.

The Coast Guard said it needed $8.8 billion over the next 11 years - and $1.5 billion in immediate funding - to secure the nation's ports from terrorist attacks.2 In 2005, the administration has proposed spending just $46 million on port security.3

William Milner, the executive director of the American Public Transportation Association, said that the nation's public transit systems - including subways, commuter rail, buses, ferries and light rail - need $6 billion for security improvements.4 Since 2001, the Bush Administration has provided just $115 million to secure public transit systems.

Meanwhile, an estimated 2.5 million tons of uninspected cargo is loaded into the bellies of passenger planes each year. The Bush administration has failed to designate a federal agency to monitor the cargo or track who is sending it. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration says it does not have "enough money or big enough machines to scan enough cargo fast enough without impeding commerce."5



Sources:
  1. "Bush Address to Urban League," 07/23/04.
  2. "Maritime Security: Overview of Issues," Congressional Research Service, 12/5/03.
  3. "Lack of Funding Slows Port Security Measures," Boston Globe, 06/30/04.
  4. "Spain Blast Prompts Demands For Funds," Washington Post, 03/22/04.
  5. "Jets' Cargo a Threat to Security," Denver Post, 04/04/04.



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