Department Of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise to say a few words about the fiscal year 2010 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security.

First, let me thank my colleagues who have worked to develop this legislation, especially Senators Byrd and Voinovich, the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Appropriations subcommittee on Homeland Security. I also thank Senators Inouye and Cochran, the chairman and ranking member of the full Appropriations Committee. Finally, thanks also to Senator Murray for her skilled management of the appropriations bill in Senator Byrd's absence.

The bill before us is a fair, carefully balanced, and well-considered spending plan for the Department of Homeland Security. The resources provided in the bill are sufficient to carry out the Department's core missions of protecting the homeland against the threat of terrorism, securing our borders, enforcing our immigration laws, and preparing for and responding to terrorist attacks and natural disasters. While there are many programs and activities at DHS deserving of funding above the level provided in this bill, we are in a time of serious economic challenge, and obviously tough choices had to be and were--made in putting this legislation together.

This bill reflects the priorities of a department that has made great strides in the last 6 years but still faces many hurdles before we can say it has fulfilled the mission Congress laid out for it in 2002. Senator Collins and I have worked together since DHS was created--alternating as chairman and ranking member of the primary authorizing committee for the Department--to strengthen the Department's ability to carry out its many national security missions, to strengthen its management, facilitate its integration, and to hold its leadership accountable to an American public that has a right to be safe and secure within the borders of our own nation.

In May, I wrote to Chairman Byrd and Ranking Member Voinovich setting forth what I believed to be the most significant appropriations priorities for the Department, and I am grateful that a number of my recommendations have been incorporated into this bill. Let me briefly discuss a few sections of this bill that I believe are particularly important to our homeland security.

First, I am pleased the Appropriations Committee recognized that the Department's management and operations accounts need adequate funding if DHS is to succeed as it must. Secretary Napolitano has emphasized the need to create ``One DHS'' where the Department's many components are working closely together. To accomplish this, the offices for policy, human capital, acquisition, and information technology need additional resources, and all received significant increases in their budgets. The additional investments in acquisition oversight is particularly gratifying, as it will improve the Department's ability to oversee the $12 billion it spends each year on contracts with the private sector to better ensure our tax dollars are not wasted on bloated or ineffective programs.

In previous years, these management and operations accounts have often been used as offsets for amendments. I would urge my colleagues to refrain from offering amendments that would take away funds from management and operations; these funds are critical to the success of the entire Department.

Second, this bill, together with the funding provided in the fiscal year 2009 supplemental, significantly increases resources for combating violence on our southern border and includes the bulk of the $500 million in border security funding Senator Collins and I successfully added to the Senate budget resolution in March. The FBI has said that the Mexican drug cartels are the No. 1 organized crime threat in America today, replacing the Mafia, and now DHS will be able to send over 500 additional law enforcement officers to ports of entry. Almost half will help conduct southbound inspections to interdict the illegal flow of cash and guns into Mexico that is fueling the cartel-driven violence.

The funding will also add hundreds of ICE investigators to work on drug, currency, and firearms cases in the border region and will expand the Border Enforcement Security Task Force fusion centers that ICE has established along the southwest border. This funding was badly needed to help Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies take down these sophisticated and dangerous drug-and-human smuggling networks. The Mexican drug cartels represent a clear and present threat to homeland security, and I remain fully committed to working with the administration to support our Federal law enforcement agencies in this crucial fight.

Third, this bill continues funding for the Homeland Security Grant Programs that our first responders need to prepare for acts of terrorism and natural disasters at the State, local, and tribal levels. Funding for the State Homeland Security Grant Program, which provides basic preparedness funds to all States and is the largest of DHS's grant programs, remains steady from last year at $950 million, including $60 million for grants focused on border security, essentially the full level authorized by Congress in the implementing recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. Funds for Urban Area Security Initiative, UASI, grants, which provide resources to the Nation's highest risk metropolitan areas, are increased by nearly $50 million over last year.

I am also pleased that funding for SAFER grants , which assist local fire departments with the cost of hiring new firefighters, was doubled to $420 million for fiscal year 2010. In this era of budget constraints, this funding will help ensure that communities are able to continue to staff their local fire houses. The Appropriations Committee has also wisely restored a significant portion of the funding cut from the President's budget for assistance to firefighter grants. These grants fund essential equipment, vehicles and training for firefighters. However, the $380 million for these grants represents a cut of nearly one-third below the fiscal year 2009 appropriation.

Fourth, this bill wisely supports the administration's request for a significant increase in funding for cybersecurity at DHS, which has been identified as one of our top national security priorities. The Department needs resources to protect Federal civilian networks from cyber-related threats and to work with the private sector to protect their networks and infrastructures. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is currently working to develop legislation that strengthens the government's authorities with respect to cybersecurity, so this funding decision is particularly important.

This bill makes other essential homeland security investments in port security, transit security, science and technology, and biosecurity, all of which are critical to the overall security of the Nation.

I am concerned that the bill cuts funding for FEMA's main operating account, making it difficult for FEMA to continue implementing the critical improvements necessary for it to become, nearly 4 years after Hurricane Katrina, the ``new FEMA.''

Also, insufficient funding has been appropriated for the Secret Service to make necessary improvements to its information technology systems, and, in particular, to complete essential work to allow secure communications between the Secret Service's White House detail and its field office.

Despite these particular concerns, however, I believe that overall this is a strong and essential piece of legislation. I thank the leadership and the members of the Appropriations Committee for their work on this bill and strongly urge my colleagues to support its passage.

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