Homeland Security could receive $3.7 billion in additional funding

The Homeland Security Department's budget for the next fiscal year includes funding increases for several agencies and programs, but reduces funding for state and local first responders.

The department's $40.2 billion fiscal 2005 budget request is an increase of almost 10 percent over the fiscal 2004 budget, said DHS Secretary Tom Ridge.

"When you prepare a budget, nothing means more than getting a raise," Ridge said. "At home it means you can replace something that is old or worn out, or purchase something new that you've always wanted. For homeland security, a raise means we can take additional steps to increase and improve measures that we already have in place, and add to them additional programs that rely on the most advanced technology to keep us safe."

The Bush administration granted several key agencies and programs funding increases under the fiscal 2005 budget.

For example, the budget calls for an additional $411 million for Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Coast Guard to support programs that pre-screen cargo containers in high-risk areas and finding identify people trying to illegally enter the country. Overall, ICE got a 10 percent budget increase and the Coast Guard received an 8 percent increase.

The Transportation Security Administration request is $5.3 billion-an $890 million, or 20 percent-increase. The budget includes funds to improve integration of explosive detection systems for baggage screening at the nation's airports.

The administration also requested $2.5 billion for Project BioShield to encourage the development and purchase of medical resources and strengthen biosurveillance monitoring in cities.

Additionally, the budget provides $133.5 million for implementation of a DHS performance-based human resources system.

Homeland Security officials, however, is overhauling its funding formula for state and local first responders. Under a plan submitted to Congress last week, homeland security officials asked for authority to provide grants to geographic regions in the country based on population, infrastructure and threats. These grants would be dispersed through the Urban Area Security Initiative Grants program within the Office for Domestic Preparedness.

The total amount of funding available to first responders through the program would be about $1.5 billion if approved by Congress.

"There is a shift of considerable resources from the basic formula program to a more targeted approach based on threats and potential catastrophic economic or human loss," Ridge said.

The budget, however, reduces funding for other grant programs, such as Citizen Corps, Fire Act Grants, state and local training initiatives, training exercises and technical assistance. Overall, the amount of grant funding available to state and local governments decreases by $805 million from fiscal year 2004.

Ridge said the reduction in funding for first responders is justified because the government has provided $8 billion in grants since March 1, 2003. He said the amount of funding that has gone to first responders during the last two fiscal years is 900 percent greater than funding in fiscal 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., criticized the budget request, saying it shortchanges first responders.

"President Bush has been seriously underfunding homeland security for the past two years, even as several expert commissions have said there is an urgent need for significant new investments in almost every area of our domestic defenses, including $100 billion in critical needs for first responders," Lieberman said. "I am dumbstruck by the president's proposed, governmentwide cut of more than 30 percent for first responders. It is ill-considered, and the brave men and women working under intolerable circumstances, risking their lives everyday to protect the rest of us, will be hamstrung by it."

Ridge said the department is trying to create a "one-stop shop" for state and local governments, and will disperse money based on strategic plans submitted to the department this week by each state.

"One of our challenges now that we have in this administration and around the country is to make sure that we're getting a return on the investment," Ridge added. "We now begin the notion this year of following those dollars and making sure that the strategic security return on them is met."