It could unleash hell
The feds are threatening get rid of the bomb-sniffing dogs that patrol Big Apple airports and train stations as a cost-cutting measure, potentially risking the lives of millions of New Yorkers, Sen. Chuck Schumer warned on Sunday.
At a press conference outside Penn Station, Schumer slammed the Trump administration for proposing to eliminate the $12.6 million Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) program from the Transportation Security Administration’s 2019 budget — while including in the budget proposal $1.6 billion for a wall along the US border with Mexico.
“Canine teams are not a luxury. In New York City, canine dog teams can mean life or death,” Schumer said, demanding the TSA “immediately reverse course.”
There are about 30 VIPR dogs patrolling New York City’s airports and train stations, according to Schumer, who said the canines also lend a paw for public events such as parades and marathons.
TSA Administrator David Pekoske defended the president’s budget proposal during a congressional budget hearing last week.
That was a reversal for Pekoske, who last year told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he planned to advocate for more canine funding in the fiscal-year 2019 budget.
After a smooth Thanksgiving 2017 travel season, Pekoske crowed to the Los Angeles Times that bomb- sniffing dogs helped expedite travelers’ passage through security.
Schumer has repeatedly credited the dogs and VIPR teams with helping Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico bounce back after a crippling 2017 hurricane season.
“A number of VIPR teams contributed significantly to hurricane relief in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico,” Pekoske told the House Committee on Homeland Security in December.
He also lauded their efforts during a “2018 State of TSA” speech.
If the VIPR program is cut, state and local governments would be left picking up the tab for the hounds, according to Schumer, who was incensed that New York pays for increased security at Trump Tower when the president or members of his family are there.
“Now they say, ‘We’ll let the localities cough up the money,’ ” Schumer said. “I would remind the administration, New York is coughing up a ton of money several blocks north of here to guard Trump Tower.”
Commuters in Penn Station on Sunday bristled at the possibility the feds would yank funds for the program.
“That sounds like a serious safety concern,” said Viviane Gracia, 53, of Flushing.
“We need them. I think they do an important job,” she said of the dogs. “And they’re so cute!”
Trump tried to cut $43 million from the program last year, but Congress pitched in $58 million to save it, Schumer noted.