Economic Recovery Money Will Create Jobs While Making America Safer

Press Release

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today released some details of the projects being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, recently passed in both houses of Congress and signed into law by President Obama.

The total amount going to DHS and to the General Services Administration (GSA) in support of DHS programs is $3.5 billion. Funded projects include a combined $650 million to begin construction of a consolidated headquarters for the department at the former site of St. Elizabeths Hospital in southeast Washington, D.C.; a combined $720 million for renovation and construction at land ports of entry and $1 billion for explosive detection systems and enhanced checkpoint screening equipment at airports.

"The primary responsibility of this department is as clear as it is sobering: protect our people from attacks," said Secretary Janet Napolitano. "The funds in the President's recovery package for Department of Homeland Security projects will not only make the country safer and more secure, but will create new jobs and in some cases save the jobs of men and women who do the hard and often unglamorous and thankless work of staying ahead of those who would seek to do us harm."

The Department of Homeland Security has also launched a website that will monitor and track the stimulus money coming in to the department and going out to DHS-related projects. The website can be found at www.dhs.gov/recovery.

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