Lt. Gov. Michael Steele has joined the chorus of complaints against the cuts in homeland security grants for urban areas announced Wednesday by the Bush administration.

Steele, a Republican whom the president and his advisers recruited to run for U.S. Senate, objected to the 40 percent cut in the grant to the Washington area and the 60 percent cut to New York City. Baltimore?s grant was only reduced by 15 percent, as was the overall funding for counter-terrorism efforts in cities.