Chairman Thompson Applauds Increase in Counterterrorism Grant Funding to Protect Houses of Worship and Nonprofits in Omnibus
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement on the bipartisan Omnibus Appropriations Agreement for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 including a dramatic increase in funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which helps secure nonprofits and houses of worship against terrorism. In recent years, there has been a surge in threats against nonprofits, most recently including the January 15 attack on Congregation Beth Israel in Texas and an ongoing spate of bomb threats to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
FY2022 funding for the program will be $250 million, a 39% increase from last year. Last month, Committee Democrats requested the additional funding for the program and last week, the Committee advanced bipartisan legislation – the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act of 2022 (H.R. 6825) – sponsored by Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Katko that would dramatically increase funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program after FY2022, to $500 million annually.
“Across the country, synagogues, churches, and mosques and other nonprofit institutions – such as HBCUs – face a complex, diffused, and dynamic terrorism threat landscape. I commend the Appropriations Committee for coming together to provide robust funding for this critical program given the dramatic increase in need for this assistance to keep spaces safe for their community members and the public. While this increase in funding is welcomed, there are some administrative changes included in the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act that need to be made for the program to succeed and reach at-risk nonprofits. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get H.R. 6825 considered in the House.”
In addition to the increase for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, the Omnibus also increases funding for the State Homeland Security Grant Program to $645 million, a 55% increase over last year and increases funding for the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) to $740 million, a 20% increase over last year.
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