US lawmakers vote to restore firefighter grant funding

By Herb Jackson
The Herald News

WASHINGTON — The House voted Wednesday to restore grant programs that support local fire and police departments around the country, as some Republicans joined Democrats in opposing parts of the spending bill drafted by the most conservative lawmakers.

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-Paterson, had argued for both changes, even waiting until past 1 a.m. Wednesday for the chance to bring up his amendment to restore $510 million for fire department grants. He'd also argued at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday for restoring $298 million for police grants. Votes were postponed until Wednesday.

The police funding, for a program called Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS, was approved in a 228-203 vote. Pascrell's firefighter measure, which restored the Assistance to Firefighters Grants and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, was approved 318-113.

"These votes definitively prove that there is broad bipartisan support for the COPS, AFG and SAFER programs, which is no surprise to me because I've always worked across party lines to improve public safety," Pascrell said.

He said members of Congress "banded together" to defy the measure put forward by the House Republican leadership.

An amendment offered by Rep. Rush Holt, D-Hopewell Township, to cut $1.5 million from the United States subsidy of Iraq's police force was defeated in a 299-133 vote.

"Would taxpayers want their dollars to go to pay for Iraqi police on the streets of Baghdad when we are cutting funding for police in Trenton?" Holt asked during debate Tuesday night.

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