Joe re-endorsed by IAAF and AFSCME Local 15

(posted on October 11, 2006; click on link to see images)

Joe was joined by two leading Connecticut first responder unions today as they announced their continued support for him in his bid for reelection. Joe was re-endorsed for the general election by the International Association of Firefighters (IAAF), and AFSCME Local 15, the Connecticut Council of Police Union.P1020284.JPG

These unions, who represent 8,000 first responders throughout Connecticut, endorsed Joe because of his proven record of strong support for police and firefighters.

Lieberman has been a consistent and effective advocate for increased funding for Connecticut’s first responders. Since 9-11, Connecticut has received more than $163 million in homeland security funds to support first responders – including assistance for the prevention activities of law enforcement under the Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program and money for equipment and training for firefighters under the Fire Assistance Grant program.

P1020149.JPG Joe authored and led the fight to pass legislation to guarantee Connecticut a significant minimum level of homeland security funding each year, and to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to employ a risk-based grant system that takes into account the factors that make Connecticut vulnerable to terrorism. Joe said:

The recent anniversaries of 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina reminded us all of the round-the-clock heroism we depend on you for in a disaster – whether at the hands of nature or of terrorists. And the recent school shootings in Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Wisconsin remind us of the life-and-death decisions we ask you to make in split seconds under crisis conditions. Those of us who serve in Congress or in state government can never make your jobs risk-free. But we can give you the support you need to get the hard job you do done for us.

Throughout his career, Joe has fought for first responders:

* Joe Has Been a Leader in Promoting and Fighting for Funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services Program. Joe played a substantial role in shaping major provisions of the historic 1994 Crime Bill. This law created the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program that has put 100,000 new police officers on America’s streets and brought violent crime rates down to their lowest levels in years.
* Joe Has A Long History Trying to Stop Juvenile Violence. Joe has strongly supported Democratic efforts to reform the juvenile justice system, cosponsoring, for example, the Youth Violence, Crime, and Drug Abuse Control Act. This bill would, among other things, authorize funding for a number of crime prevention programs, reform the juvenile justice system and provide enhanced penalties for gang activities.
* Joe Lieberman Worked Across Party Lines for Homeland Security Funding that Benefited First Responders. When the President and Congress cut homeland security funding this year, Joe joined with Senator Collins (R-ME) to pass an amendment in the Senate to restore $986 million in funding for first responder and other homeland security needs.

Joe will continue his fight for first responders in Connecticut and throughout the country by:P1020147.JPG

* Fighting for increased funding for DHS first responder grant programs, DOJ COPS funding and pursuing reinstatement of the Cops in Schools program;
* Enacting legislation improving the DHS risk-based grant system;
* Fighting for effective implementation of the Information Sharing Environment;
* Renewing the ban on assault weapons and close the gun show loophole.

More photos from today on our Flickr page.

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Posted by: Eric Blankenbaker on 10/11/2006 at 6:05 PM