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06 February 2006

Homeland Security Activities Would Receive 6 Percent Increase

32 U.S. agencies would receive homeland security budget support

Washington -- The fiscal year 2007 homeland security portion of the proposed federal budget has been designed to help enhance the security of the nation's borders and improve the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, according to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

The fiscal 2007 budget provides $58.3 billion -- a $3.4 billion, 6 percent increase over 2006 -- to support the homeland security activities of 32 government agencies, including the Department of Defense, in areas such as improving nuclear detection and defense; safeguarding critical infrastructure; establishing interoperability standards for first responders; and improving terrorism information sharing among all levels of government, OMB says.

The budget proposal is only a first step in the long and often arduous process in which Congress sets spending priorities and crafts specific appropriations bills.  Final figures often differ from levels of spending requested by the president.

Specifically, the president budget request for security-related items would increase funding over fiscal year 2006 levels for:

• Intelligence and warning by $176 million (41 percent);

• Homeland security activities (10 percent) focused on border and transportation security by more than $1.8 billion;

• Domestic counterterrorism by more than $100 million (3 percent);

• Protection of critical infrastructure and key assets by nearly $500 million (3 percent); and

• Defense against catastrophic threats by $240 million (3 percent).

Another important component of the proposed fiscal 2007 budget also deals with defending America's borders, coastlines and ports of entry.  It seeks:

• More than $3 billion for the Border Patrol, an increase of 29 percent over 2006, providing funding for 1,500 new agents, including $100 million for new technology at U.S. borders and $100 million for new technology to build smarter and more secure borders; and

• $399 million in continued funding to implement the US-VISIT program at DHS, which includes a $60 million increase for DHS for deploying 10-fingerprint collection technology and for interoperability with the FBI's fingerprint system, a $71 million increase for FBI to upgrade its Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, and $10 million increase for the Department of State to begin implementing 10-print collection.

PORT SECURITY

More than $2 billion has been requested for port security across the Department of Homeland Security, primarily for Coast Guard port security activities such as Maritime Safety and Security Teams and harbor patrols.

In addition, ports are among the infrastructure assets protected through DHS Targeted Infrastructure Protection (TIP) grants.  Overall, the proposed budget seeks $2.7 billion for the Coast Guard's homeland security programs, a 16 percent increase over the 2006 level.

AVIATION SECURITY

Improvements in Aviation Security also are sought in the president’s proposed budget.  The request seeks $4.7 billion for the Transportation Security Administration's aviation security work, including:

• $440 million for the purchase, installation, and maintenance of baggage screening devices, including in-line systems intended to increase baggage throughput by up to 250 percent;

• Nearly $700 million for the federal air marshals program;

• $40 million for the secure flight program, which pre-screens airline passengers; and

• More than $80 million for emerging technology at passenger checkpoints. That technology is intended to enhance the detection of prohibited items, especially firearms and explosives, through the use of additional sensors such as whole body imaging, automated explosive sampling and cast and prosthesis scanners.

THE RADIOLOGICAL AND NUCLEAR THREAT

Funding also has been requested for fiscal year 2007 to safeguard the United States from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

This includes $536 million, a 70 percent increase from the level funded in 2006, for the new Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), created in 2005 to coordinate the nation's nuclear detection efforts.  Together with the departments of State, Energy, Defense and Justice, the DNDO will develop and deploy a comprehensive system to detect and report any attempt to import, assemble or transport a nuclear device and fissile or radiological materials within the United States.

The DNDO proposed budget also includes $178 million for the deployment of both fixed and mobile radiation portal monitors at strategic points of entry throughout the country.  In 2007, DNDO plans to spend $100 million on transformational research and development aimed at enhancing U.S. ability to detect, identify and track down the origins of nuclear and radiological materials.

Additional information (PDF, 14 pages) on the Homeland Security budget request can be found on the OMB Web site.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)