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Home > Leadership > Mayor > Archive Press Releases > 2006 Archives > July 2006 > MAYOR BROWN TESTIFIES BEFORE THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAYOR BROWN TESTIFIES BEFORE THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY


Source/Contact
Office of the Mayor
Peter K. Culter
Director of Communications
716-851-4841

Opposes Decrease in Funding to the Buffalo Urban Region

BUFFALO— Mayor Byron W. Brown today testified before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security and expressed his opposition to the recent reduction of Buffalo’s Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) funding for 2006.

Under the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed 2006-07 funding, the Buffalo Urban Area’s UASI funding will decrease by 50 percent from the previous year, shrinking from $7.2 to $3.7 million. The region’s funding has decreased annually since 2003, when the Buffalo Urban Area received $10.3 million from UASI.

Mayor Brown spoke of numerous reasons why the Buffalo area should be considered a high threat area and receive full funding. The long border the area shares with Canada, the many international bridges and the high volume of commercial activity that travels across the border were all cited as reasons for maintaining or even increasing funding. Energy and utilities from Niagara Falls that affect the entire Northeast region were mentioned as another risk factor for the area. Other reasons mentioned were the area’s many industrial facilities that produce hazardous materials, Buffalo’s status as a major transportation hub for the Western New York region, Erie County’s high residential population and the area’s international tourist attractions such as Niagara Falls.

Mayor Brown also reminded the Committee that members of an al-Qaida cell, known as the Lackawanna 6, were arrested in Lackawanna, Erie County, just minutes away from downtown Buffalo. These individuals pleaded guilty to providing materials to al-Qaida. 

Finally, Mayor Brown spoke on his opposition to the proposed Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), saying “It is our opinion, shared by many other concerned border communities and organizations, that any new identification requirements should use existing and accepted forms of identification with technological enhancements that can ensure new security requirements can be met. The potential requirement of new Department of Homeland Security identification cards simply doesn’t make sense, when existing passports, drivers licenses, Nexus cards and other forms of identification already work.”

Mayor Brown opposes WHTI because of its potential negative impact on tourism and commerce throughout the Buffalo region.