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8A Page 7 The League thanks Sen. Lowenthai and Assembly Member Cabaflero for carrying these bilis and continuing to advocate for incentive-based approaches to housing and land use issues. Despite this disappointment,the outlook for iocal govemment resources in 2007 remains bright with the anticipated release of infrastructure and housing funds approved by the state's voters. °This Week in Congress'Continued from Page 1... Below is a partiaE summary of the funding levels for programs under the bill. For a comp[ete Ol�pNl@�1:�,VISlf htfp://8qpro�riat�ans.house.qav!edf/HomelandFG pdf. Key lnvestments First Responder and Port Security Grant Programs: $4,52 biilion, $1.97 billion above the president's request and$863 million above 2007. These grants were funded at$4.92 billion in 2004 and have been cut every year since even as homeland security costs have continued to rise. Included within this total are the following: • State Grants(including law enforcement}: $950 million,$50 mitlion above 2007 and$700 million above the president's request for grants used#o plan, equip and train local first responders ta respond to terrorist attacks and catastrophic i�cidents. • Urban Area Grants: $800 million, $30 million above 2007 and equal to the president's request to help high risk urban areas improve their abifity to prevent, protect, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism. • Transit Grants: $400 million, $225 milfion above 2007 and the president's request,to protect criticaf transit infrastructure, including rail and ferry systems, in high-threat areas. • Emergency Management Performance Grants: $300 million, $100 milfion above 2007 and the president's request,for all-hazard grants for State and local emergency managers. The National Emergency Management Agency's 2006 Performance Grant Report estimates a $287 million shartfall in this program. • Fire Grants(including Staffing forAdequate Fire and Emergency Response[SAFER]): $800 millian, $138 million above 2007 and$500 miifion above the president's request, fo address the communication, equipment and staffing problems facing local fire departments. • Metropolitan Medical Response System: $5d million, $17 million above 2007, eliminated in the president's request,to help high threat c�mmunities respond to mass casualty incidents incfuding terrorism, epidemics, natural disasters and hazardous materials incidents. • lnteroperable Communications Grants: $5D mi(iion to continue a program funded by the Depar�ment of Commerce in 2Q07 to help local police,firefighters and emergency responders to talk to each other during a crisis. • Port Security Grants; $404 million, �190 million above 2007 and the president's request,for grants to protect critical port facilities and infrastructure, meeting the level authorized in the Safe Ports act. This is the largest single investment Congress has made to implementing the security requirements of the Maritime Transportation Security Act. Transportation Security Administration:$6,62 billion, $307 million above 2007 and$219 mil;ion above the president's request. This includes: • Explosive Detection System: $849 million for procurement, instalfation and maintenance of equipment to protect commerciai aircraft, allowing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA�to address the most pressing needs identified in their recent aviation baggage screening study. 3