Funding Formulas

Just yesterday I revisited Sen. Collins's sorry tenure as Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental affairs--during which time she successfully beat back a White House attempt to allocate homeland security funds on the basis of risk.

Well, today we learn from Congress Daily that Collins is at it again:

The Senate is planning to move legislation to implement unfulfilled recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, but with provisions that appear to put the chamber on a collision course with the House.

[...]

The Lieberman-Collins bill does have some controversial provisions...For example, it would guarantee each state receive more guaranteed funding than the House bill...

The 9/11 Commission recommended doing away with state guarantees, saying all grants should be based on risk...

"I have concerns with the first responder funding formulas," House Homeland Security ranking member Peter King (R-NY), said. "I believe the Senate should follow the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, which gave the House formula an 'A.'"

So there you have it: Collins is once again teaming up with Sen. Joe "three way tie for third place" Lieberman (CFL-CT) to put pork barrel politics ahead of the security of the nation.

Collins may say that 9/11 changed everything, but she clearly doesn't believe it. Like so many of her fellow Republicans, she's still got a pre-9/11 mindset.