WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-MA), a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, today announced that the House of Representatives passed legislation setting policy for the Department of Homeland Security which contains authorization for $63 million annually for the only federal program that helps first responders, medical personnel, emergency management workers and local stakeholders coordinate their responses in the case of a terrorist attack, public health crisis or natural disaster. Rep. Markey led the effort to save this program, the Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS), from elimination by the Bush Administration. The program provides funds to 125 municipal authorities in 43 states – including in Boston, Worcester and Springfield, Massachusetts - for local first responder planning, training, exercises, equipment, and pharmaceutical caches.

Rep. Markey said, “Despite the Bush Administration’s repeated efforts to eliminate this unique and effective program, Congress has wisely and consistently funded MMRS over the years, including $33 million for the program this year. Local responder and medical receiver teams are our first line of defense in any disaster situation, and they need and deserve the best training and coordination support possible. While preservation of the MMRS program is paramount, expanding its scope to include responding to new threats such as an avian flu pandemic, requires additional funding. That is why I worked to ensure that today’s authorization bill contains $63 million per year for MMRS over the next five years.”

MMRS was established in the wake of the deadly release of sarin nerve gas in a Tokyo subway and the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. MMRS is designed to enhance local capabilities for coordinating local fire, police, hospital, and public health agencies in the event of a terrorist attack using a weapon of mass destruction - be it nuclear, biological, chemical, or radiological - a public health crisis such as a pandemic flu or a natural disaster such as a hurricane. Today’s bill, H.R. 1684, the Department of Homeland Security’s authorization bill for Fiscal Year 2008, includes authorization for $63 million in funding per year for MMRS for fiscal years 2008 through 2011.

Rep. Markey continued, “As demonstrated by the Bush Administration’s failed response to Hurricane Katrina, our country has a dangerous ‘Preparedness Gap.’ In the post 9/11 era, there can be no doubt that Al Qaeda is willing and capable of launching attacks on the United States. Moreover, the ongoing potential for severe hurricanes and flooding remind us of the urgent need to be prepared to respond in an organized, effective way to all hazards. The MMRS program is an essential part of our preparedness capability.”

“Our MMRS personnel across the nation are hometown heroes, but even heroes need help. With passage of this bill today, we are providing some much-needed help that will improve our country’s ability to respond to a major attack or natural disaster,” Rep. Markey concluded.