Heck Helps Ensure Nevada's Eligibility for UASI Grants

Today, Congressman Heck voted yes on the Clarke amendment to the FY ‘12 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill to ensure Nevada’s eligibility for Urban Areas Security Initiative grants, and made the following statement:

“The amendment I voted for today is critical to the safety of Nevada families. This amendment restores a competitive Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grant process based on Department of Homeland Security Risk Assessments, and removes an arbitrary cap on the number of cities eligible for UASI grants.

“I spent a great deal of my career in the anti-terrorism field developing threat assessments and plans for counterterrorism measures on the local, state and federal level. I’ve seen the destruction terrorism causes, and we must prevent it at all costs. As Chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, I worked to ensure Nevada’s eligibility for these grants.

“One of the failures identified after the 9/11 attacks was the lack of coordination between local first responders and federal counter-terrorism specialists. Our Fusion Centers fill this vacuum. The UASI grants are critical to mission of Fusion Centers and the safety of Nevada families.

“I understand the need to prioritize dollars and scarce resources, but limiting funding to an arbitrary cap of ten cities threatens our national preparedness. A competitive grant process based on Department of Homeland Security Risk Assessments provides a greater level of security for Nevadans and all Americans.”

BACKGROUND:

·         The Las Vegas area is home to 17 of the world’s 20 largest hotels, with almost 149,000 hotel rooms.

·         At the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Boulevard, there are more hotel rooms than in the entire city of San Francisco.

·         The Department of Homeland Security reports Nevada has 221 elements of critical infrastructure and key resources

o   Including the Hoover Dam, the new dam bypass bridge – the second highest in bridge in the United States – and the Las Vegas Strip

·         The hospitality and tourism industry has become the soft target of choice for terrorists since 9/11 with nine attacks against international hotel/resorts over the last nine years – including the coordinated attacks in Mumbai in 2008.