Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is continuing his work to strengthen security at religious institutions and HBCUs.
In a U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing this week, Sen. Ossoff secured a commitment from U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to work with him and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ensure the Nonprofit Security Grant Program is allocated an appropriate level of funding.
FEMA’s Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program provides funding for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at higher risk of attacks, such as religious institutions and universities.
Georgia religious institutions, HBCUs, and other nonprofit organizations can learn more about the Nonprofit Security Grant Program aquí. FEMA is offering a series of webinars for eligible institutions to learn more about the Federal grant program. Eligible institutions can sign-up for those webinars here.
This is the latest step in Sen. Ossoff’s work to improve safety for Georgia’s HBCUs and religious institutions.
Last year, during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Ossoff called on the Justice Department to do everything in its power to investigate the threats, ensure those responsible are held accountable, and to be available 24/7 to Georgia’s HBCUs to ensure they are protected.
Amid a rise in hate crimes nationwide, Sen. Ossoff worked last year with Federal law enforcement to help protect Jewish communities in Georgia and nationwide from antisemitic attacks.
Click here to watch Sen. Ossoff’s line of questioning.
Please find a transcript below:
SEN. OSSOFF: “Secretary Mayorkas, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program — for synagogues, for mosques for HBCUs — it’s clear to me that there’s a need for more resources because we have institutions in Georgia who are applying, their applications have merit, there’s a real need, the program’s oversubscribed. That’s not your fault. We allocate the funds.
“But will you please commit to working with the OMB and the Congress to try to right size that program so that there are sufficient resources for the institutions who require that additional security support?”
SEC. MAYORCAS: “Yes, I will, Senator.”
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