During consideration of the war supplemental spending measure, Congressman McGovern (D-MA) offered an amendment that would have increased funding for the Office of Domestic Preparedness by $34 million and reduced spending for counter-drug activities in Colombia by $61 million. The mission of the Office of Domestic Preparedness is to improve the capacity of state and local first responders to handle terrorist acts involving weapons of mass destruction. In the wake of 9/11, the responsibilities of police, fire, and other first responders have increased; they must now meet their regular law enforcement and public safety duties while also being prepared to handle the possibility of responding to a terrorist attack. State governments across the country, however, are facing severe budget deficits and are unable to provide the necessary level of funding for first responders. Progressives supported the McGovern amendment as a way to improve public safety at home while reducing the amount spent on counter-drug activity in Colombia. Curtailing the drug trade, progressives argue, requires an effort to reduce the demand for drugs through treatment programs rather than military operations attacking the supply chain in foreign countries. Democrats voted overwhelmingly in support of the McGovern amendment but the measure failed to attract majority support in the chamber and was defeated 209-216.