Proposed FY 2013 Homeland Security Budget Tops $59 Billion
The Department of Homeland Security’s budget for fiscal 2013 is just over $59 billion, a little less than the current budget but almost $5 billion more than the 2011 budget, according to government figures.
In a statement announcing the new spending plan, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that more than $850 million had been moved “to front-line operations” from administrative functions like “information technology, travel, [and] overtime.”
Among other efficiencies, Homeland Security is consolidating its various state and local government grant programs, which will dole out $2.9 billion next year if the budget is approved.
Cybersecurity efforts would receive $769 million to improve security of federal civilian information technology networks while enhancing work relations with state and local governments. The request also includes a $650 million allocation to fund research and development advances in cybersecurity, explosives detection, and chemical-biological response systems
Napolitano said the funding blueprint supports the department's FY 2013 goals of preventing terrorism and enhancing security; securing and managing the nation's borders; enforcing and administering immigration laws; safeguarding and securing cyberspace; disaster assistance; and providing support to national and economic security.
The blueprint supports 21,186 Customs and Border Protection officers and 21,370 Border Patrol agents to facilitate legitimate travel and the shipment of goods across borders while strengthening border security, Napolitano said.
A little more than $10 billion of the agency’s budget comes from user fees paid by immigrants, air travelers and others, and from separate, mandatory funding such as the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund. The other $48 billion comes from taxpayer funds.
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