The International Association of Fire Fighters say President Bush's proposed FY 2009 budget short changes first responders. Cuts in grant funding prompted IAFF General President Harold A. Schaitberger to call the president no friend of firefighters.

“A president interested in protecting Americans would not cut funding for the Homeland Security Department’s first responder grant programs," Schaitberger said. "President Bush is surprisingly ignorant of the value that the FIRE Act and SAFER grants provide to the smallest towns and the largest cities across this country.

“It shouldn’t come as a surprise that President Bush is no friend of fire fighters because is a repeat offender. The president’s budget proposal for fiscal 2009 proposes merely $300 million for the FIRE Act — the same amount he proposed in his fiscal 2008 budget. He also proposes eliminating SAFER grant programs — just as he did in his fiscal 2008 budget.

“With his short-sighted budget proposal, President Bush has ignored the wishes of Congress, which made a very strong bipartisan statement last year when it saved the SAFER grant program and boosted funding for the FIRE Act. In the end, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle understood the value of the first responder grant programs, appropriating $560 million for the Fire Act and $190 million for SAFER grants.

“The IAFF will again work with Congress to restore funding to the Homeland Security Department’s first responder grant programs and protect Americans, despite President Bush’s attempt to eviscerate our nation’s security.”