By Calvin Biesecker
A Senate panel that oversees spending for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday approved an FY ’10 budget of $42.9 billion, shaving $145 million from the Obama administration’s request, and adding funds for the Coast Guard’s Deepwater program and the Customs and Border Protection Secure Border Initiative (SBI).
The bill was approved without objection by the Senate Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee and is slated to be marked-up by the full committee this afternoon.
The proposed legislation provides $1.2 billion for Deepwater, $144 million above the administration’s request and $176.5 million more than House appropriators approved. The House Appropriations bill, which must still be approved by the full House, cut a flight simulator from the HC-144 maritime patrol aircraft program under Deepwater.
The Senate panel provides funding for the simulator as well as $389 million to complete construction of the fourth Northrop Grumman [NOC]-built National Security Cutter (NSC) and long-lead materials for the fifth vessel, $175 million for two European Aeronautical Defence and Space Co. HC-144s and related mission systems that are provided by Lockheed Martin [LMT], and $243 million for four Fast Response Cutters being built by Bollinger Shipyards. The House appropriators didn’t provide long-lead funding for the fifth NSC.
The Senate bill also provides $123 million for the Coast Guard’s Response Boat Medium, $20 million more than the House. The boat, which will replace aging 41-foot utility boats, is being built by Marinette Marine.
For the SBI program, the Senate panel provides $800 million, $20.5 million more than requested and $68 million higher than the House appropriators. The funding includes $40 million for technology investments for Northern Border security, same as the House. Boeing [BA] is the prime contractor for SBI.
Overall, CBP would get $10.1 billion from the Senate panel, $120.6 million higher than the administration request and $100 million more than the House is proposing. Included in the request is $80 million for the new Southwest Border program aimed at countering the flow of drugs into the United States and the counter flow of drug money and guns into Mexico. As part of the new initiative, the Senate mark-up includes $40 million for scanning systems in southbound lanes, $14 million more than requested. The House version of the bill provides $10 million for the scanning systems.
The Transportation Security Administration would receive $7.7 billion from the Senate legislation, $83.8 million below the request, the same level as provided by the House. The Senate bill includes $806.7 million in discretionary spending for the purchase and installation of explosives detection systems (EDS) at airports. Another $250 million is provided for this purpose through mandatory fees. The House version of the bill includes $1 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding for the purchase and installation of EDS systems, over $40 million less than the Senate. EDS systems are currently provided by General Electric [GE], L-3 Communications [LLL] and Reveal Imaging Technologies.
The Senate bill also provides $128.7 million for checkpoint security technologies and $115 million for air cargo security activities, which is $6.9 million above the request. The additional air cargo funds are for 50 additional inspectors to help meet the August 2010 mandate of 100 percent screening for explosives on all cargo bound for passenger planes. The House provided $123 million for air cargo activities.
The Senate bill also provides TSA $143 million for surface transportation security inspectors and canine teams to support 15 additional Visible Intermodal Protective Response teams. The House provided $61 million for the additional inspectors, a cut from the request due to a long delay in hiring previously funded inspectors.
For cyber security, the Senate bill provides $398.7 million, $17 million more than the House. The Senate measure goes toward the reduction in Trusted Internet Connections (TICs) at DHS and its components. DHS is trying to reduce its number of TICs, which are external access points to the Internet and thus potentially vulnerable channels to cyber threats.
DHS Science and Technology would receive $994.9 million from the Senate, $27 million more than was requested and what the House provides. The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office would receive $374 million from the Senate, $7.9 million more than requested. The bill provides $10 million for the Securing the Cities (STC) initiative that the administration isn’t funding any longer because of what it says are unobligated program balances. The House didn’t provide funding for STC but there is interest in doing so. STC is an ongoing pilot program to purchase and test a nuclear detection architecture in the New York City region.
A summary of the proposed Senate bill doesn’t provide a breakout for DHS operations although the language is more favorable than the House bill summary. The House cut $135 million from the $1.3 billion request for DHS operations. The Senate bill would provide an additional $31 million for 144 positions for the Chief Procurement Officer, including funds for better oversight of major acquisition programs. Another $22.5 million is provided for a new biometric-enabled credential for DHS employees.