Chertoff's Testimony on Homeland Security Appropriations
Posted Apr 25, 2008
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Michael Chertoff testified on April 10, 2008 before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Homeland Security Appropriations, in support of the DHS budget request of $50.5 billion for FY2009. In his testimony, Mr. Chertoff reported to the House Subcommittee on the progress made in FY2008 with regard to U.S. border security, protecting the country's infrastructure, and enforcement of immigration laws. He also emphasized the importance of continued funding to ensure that the DHS "continues to efficiently align resources to lead a unified national effort in securing America."
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Current and Ongoing Priorities Established in 2007
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Secretary Chertoff specified that the DHS has made significant progress toward meeting the top priorities established in 2007. These priorities include the DHS's goals to "protect our nation from dangerous people; protect our nation from dangerous goods; protect critical infrastructure; build a nimble, effective emergency response system and a culture of preparedness, [and] strengthen and unify DHS operations and management." In order to continue making progress in these areas, Secretary Chertoff requested $50.5 billion in funding, which is a seven percent increase over FY2008.
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Specific DHS Accomplishments Made in FY2008
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In his testimony, Secretary Chertoff outlined the key accomplishments of FY2008. Among them are those aimed at the top priority of protecting our nation from dangerous people.
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The first accomplishment reported by Mr. Chertoff with regard to this goal is the erection of 287 miles of fencing at the southern U.S. border. It is projected that, by the end of 2008, the total fencing will cover 670 miles. The U.S. border is also now protected by increased air and marine support with a new branch of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in North Dakota and another to open soon in Michigan.
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The budget request would support a joint CBP / Coast Guard program and a continuation of existing marine patrol aircraft which, according to Mr. Chertoff, are "critical to intercepting drug traffic in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific." In addition, the DHS has instituted a new and secure documentation standards system, which is known to regular MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers as the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), as reported in a number of articles, including Temporary WHTI Accommodation Ends Sep 30, 2007 (Sep 14, 2007).
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The DHS has also signed agreements with a few states to enhance security of their state drivers' licenses to serve as alternatives for entry at land and sea borders; instituted better biometrics collection systems; removed 240,000 undocumented foreign nationals and made hundreds of arrests as a result of criminal or work-enforcement operations; enhanced aviation security and data-sharing databases on potentially dangerous individuals seeking entry to the U.S., and worked on protection of U.S. and world leaders, as well as U.S. presidential candidates. In addition, Mr. Chertoff outlined current accomplishments with regard to the remaining four priorities mentioned above.
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Conclusion
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Mr. Chertoff indicated that, in order not to jeopardize the successes already made by the DHS, it is imperative that the DHS have sufficient resources to develop its many programs to keep our country safe. The $50.5 billion funding would be spent on developing the current programs as well as new programs that are planned. As of the time of this writing, the budget allocation has not been made and it remains to be seen if Congress approves a significant increase in the DHS budget request for FY2009.