Copyright 2002 The Seattle Times Company The Seattle
Times
August 15, 2002, Thursday Fourth Edition
SECTION: ROP ZONE; Local News; Pg. B8
LENGTH: 188 words
HEADLINE:
Murray warns that Bush's action imperils security improvements
BYLINE: Katherine Pfleger; Seattle Times Washington bureau
DATELINE: Washington
BODY: WASHINGTON A day after President Bush
announced he was withholding $5.1 billion for homeland security and other
spending, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., wrote the administration to complain his
actions could threaten baggage-screening deadlines, port
security and other issues close to Washington state.
"The president in a most irresponsible manner has done real and
unnecessary damage to your ability to protect the American public," Murray,
chairwoman of the transportation-spending panel, wrote Transportation Secretary
Norman Mineta yesterday.
Approved by Congress last
month, the money was part of a $29 billion anti-terrorism bill.
Murray said the cut could endanger the Transportation Security
Administration's ability to meet deadlines in November and December to screen
airline passengers and baggage.
She said Bush's
decision would eliminate $273 million for the Coast Guard, and she worried that
officials may decide to slice $125 million in grants for ports and $30 million
to improve container-shipping security at a time many consider ports one of the
greatest vulnerabilities.
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