FY 2010 DHS Budget Request

Last week Secretary Napolitano announced the release of the DHS FY 2010 Budget Request. A copy of the Budget in Brief can be found on the DHS web site. The $55.1 Billion dollar budget request is a 4.77% increase over the 2009 budget (less supplemental spending). While I haven’t seen the actual budget request with line item listings (and I’m not sure that I actually want to) the Budget in Brief does provide a quick look at how some of the programs of interest to the chemical security community would be affected by the budget request. Transportation Programs Two DHS agencies have programs that affect the security of chemicals in transport, the TSA and the Coast Guard. Both agencies are seeing projected increases in both manpower and funding for these programs. This is not a breakout of the specific chemical protection spending, but for the programs that include that protection. The TSA Surface Transportation Security program (pg 77) will receive $128 Million in the budget request an increase of 102%. This reflects a substantial increase in the emphasis on surface transportation security in the new administration. The budget request includes 192 additional full-time employees to support this program. This is a 54% increase in manpower. The House Homeland Security Committee is looking at increasing that manpower increase even further, they are including 200 additional Surface Transportation Security Officers in their draft authorization bill (HR 2200). The Coast Guard Port, Waterways & Coastal Security program (pg 88) will receive $1.9 Billion, an increase of 7.67%. The headcount will increase by 507 personnel, an increase of 5.4%. There is no explanation in the Budget in Brief of where the additional spending and manpower are going. Infrastructure Protection The CFATS program falls under the National Protection and Programs Directorate under the heading of Infrastructure Protection. The Budget in Brief actually mentions the CFATS program in its description of the NPPD operations (pg 100):

“IP also ensure CIKR [Critical Infrastructure/Key Resources] elements are not exploited for use as weapons of mass destruction against people or institutions though its Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards regulatory program.”

NPPD will get $1.96 Billion in the 2010 budget request, a 69% increase over the 2009 budget. More than half of that money ($0.918 Billion) will go to Infrastructure Protection and Information Security (IPIS) (pg 104) along with an increase of 395 full time employees. This is an annual increase of 17% in funding and 62% in manpower. Two chemical programs, CFATS and the pending Ammonium Nitrate rules (pg 105), account for $19 Million and 23 new employees of the IPIS increase. The bulk of the manpower and money this year will go to “the hiring, training, equipping and housing of additional inspectors” for CFATS. Some cyber security funding is also included in the IPIS program under NPPD. According to the Budget in Brief (pg 105):

“An increase of $15.0M will enhance the Control Systems Security, Cyber Exercises and Critical Infrastructure Protection-Cybersecurity programs. Funding will be used to: conduct 50 Site Assistance Visits across the 18 critical infrastructure and key resources sectors to identify vulnerabilities in Industrial Control Systems; implement the Coordination Strategy for Securing Control Systems and the Control Systems Security Protection Framework; and develop sector-specific, regional, and state-level risks mitigation activities”.

The Way Forward Budget requests by the Executive Branch have become less important over the years. The last two years saw a lot of partisan squabbling with the White House under Bush and the Congress under control of the Democrats. It will be interesting to see how well the White House and the Congress work together at getting a budget worked out this year. For DHS the first hearing to look at the budget request will come before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs this week on May 12th. Secretary Napolitano will have chance to explain her reasoning behind the Department’s budget request. The Secretary will then appear before the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday at 10 a.m. EDT.