Homeland Security
Along with the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security was one of the few federal departments to see a boost in discretionary funding in the President’s FY08 budget. The budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) represents $46.4 billion in funding, an increase of 8 percent over the FY07 level, excluding funds provided in emergency supplemental funding.

Failing to secure transit systems
The increase in funding called for the Administration’s budget will not benefit transit security. The Bush budget chose to freeze security funding for transit, passenger rail, and freight rail security at $175 million, the same amount appropriated by Congress for FY07. The Administration’s proposed budget for the Targeted Infrastructure Capability Grants Program (port, mass transit, bus, and trucking) is the same as the FY07 enacted levels.

The Administration’s budget requests a slight increase of $30 million to $800 million in FY08 for the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) program, which addresses the unique planning, operations, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-threat, large population urban areas.