WASHINGTON — New York lawmakers put the squeeze on President Obama yesterday to restore the city’s anti-terror funding after the administration announced it was slashing $53 million in security aid.
Both Mayor Bloomberg and Sen. Charles Schumer phoned White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to push for restoring the funds, in light of the ongoing terror threat to the Big Apple underlined by the recent Times Square attempted car bombing.
“I made it clear that it’s critically important that we get our fair share of homeland security funding,” Bloomberg said yesterday before he toured One Police Plaza with Obama during his visit to the city. “We are the target.
“The truth of the matter is, when you catch a terrorist they’ve got a map of New York City in their pocket, not a map of any other place.”
Schumer wants the administration to boost New York’s funding under the Urban Area Security Initiative, or UASI.
During his visit, to thank cops for stopping the Times Square bomber, Obama made a point to say he wants to “make sure you’re getting what you need to protect this great city.”
The administration has informed Schumer that the city is slated to get $151 million this year, but the Democratic senator is seeking an additional $57 million, or 25 percent increase. That would bring the percentage back to its high-water mark in 2006.
The White House argues that New York got $100 million through the stimulus.
The push for anti-terror cash came as Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) grilled Attorney General Eric Holder for the administration’s decision to try terror kingpin Khalid Sheik Mohammed in New York, even though the venue is likely to move.
“I, frankly, think that sooner or later you should stop the kabuki dance and tell us where that trial is going to be held,” said Weiner.
“We are not ruling anything in or ruling anything out at this point,” Holder replied.