Homeland Security Requests $57 Billion, Claims $800 Million In
Savings
Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano unveiled the
Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) $57.0 billion fiscal
year 2012 budget request Monday, prioritizing efforts to protect
the Nation from terrorism and other threats while making what she
says is an unprecedented commitment to fiscal discipline, including
the identification of over $800 million in efficiency and
administrative savings.
Secretary Napolitano
“On a daily basis, the Department of Homeland Security
secures U.S. air, land, and sea borders; safeguards lawful trade
and travel; secures federal networks; and disrupts and dismantles
transnational criminal and terrorist organizations that engage in
cross-border criminal activity,” said Secretary Napolitano.
“The Department’s FY 2012 budget request allows us to
continue to meet these evolving threats and challenges responsibly
by prioritizing our essential operational requirements –
while reflecting an unprecedented commitment to fiscal discipline
that maximizes the effectiveness of every security dollar we
receive.”
The secretary says that all DHS Components identified reductions
associated with the Efficiency Review initiatives currently
underway as well as administrative savings to strengthen mission
critical activities across the Department. Savings were
accomplished through efficiencies in acquisition, asset and real
property management as well as employee vetting/credentialing,
hiring/on-boarding and information technology; and administrative
savings through reductions to professional services contracts,
printing, supplies and materials, travel, and training. The
Department also proposes a delay in construction of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters at St. Elizabeths
as well as the deferral of other office co-locations, and building
maintenance and enhancements to preserve essential frontline
security operations.
Napolitano says the department's FY 2012 budget request is the
culmination of a major, first of its kind effort undertaken by the
Department to align DHS resources with a comprehensive strategy to
meet our Nation’s homeland security needs. Last year, DHS
completed the first ever Quadrennial Homeland Security Review,
which established a unified, strategic framework for homeland
security missions and goals, as well as the Department’s
first ever Bottom-Up Review, which aligned DHS’s programmatic
activities and organizational structure to better serve those
missions and goals. The third and final step of this process is the
FY 2012 budget submission, which begins the next phase in
strengthening DHS efforts to ensure a safe, secure, and resilient
homeland.
DHS says guarding against terrorism was the founding mission of
the agency, and that remains its top priority. Of particular
interest to the aviation community is funding for a layered
detection system including the deployment of additional
Transportation Security Officers, Behavioral Detection Officers,
canine teams and Advanced Imaging Technology screening machines at
domestic airports and continues surge deployments of Federal Air
Marshals on both domestic and international flights that began
after 12/25/2009. Further, Napolitano says the budget expands
watchlist vetting and enhances screening and targeting of
international travelers through the Immigration Advisory
Program. Additionally, the budget request strengthens
transportation security by providing funding for 12 new multi-modal
Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response Teams, which conduct
random operations throughout the transportation sector to prevent
and deter potential terrorist activity.