One Month after Tree Of Life Shooting, Carper, Bipartisan Senators Push to Protect Worship Centers

Lawmakers Call For Robust Community Safety Funding 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the nation continues to grieve the deadliest attack on the American Jewish community in United States’ history, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), along with a group of bipartisan senators, is pressing for robust community safety funding in any FY19 appropriations package. Specifically, the lawmakers have called for adequate allocations to the DHS Nonprofit Security Grant program which helps nonprofit organizations like religious institutions, schools, and community centers make security improvements.

“We regret that nonprofit organizations – especially religious institutions, schools, and community centers – have become targets for violent attacks and believe we have a responsibility to address the motivating factors behind these threats,” wrote the Senators. “But as long as the threat remains, we must take steps to ensure these facilities have the necessary resources to improve their security if they wish to do so. While we recognize much more remains to be done beyond investing in security, we urge your strong support for robust funding of the Nonprofit Security Grant program in the FY19 appropriations cycle and stand ready to work with you on this issue.”

Senator Carper was joined by U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Angus King (I-Maine), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Gary C. Peters (D-Mich.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), M. Mike Rounds (D-S.D.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.).

A full copy of the letter can be found here and more on the DHS Nonprofit Security Grant program is available here.

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