Both
the Senate and House versions of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) appropriations bill provide over $29 billion in
discretionary spending for fiscal year (FY) 2004 and are generally
consistent with the President's strategic priorities for dealing
with global terrorism. In reconciling the two measures, Congress
must ensure that key initiatives are not shortchanged. Conferees
also should resist the urge to "over help" with unnecessary
earmarks that limit the DHS's ability to focus on the most critical
needs or "overload" it with additional dollars for programs that
cannot profitably use them.
Overall, federal homeland security
spending increased by some 240 percent after the September 11
attacks. To harness these resources, the Homeland Security Act of
2002 consolidated a plethora of agencies, programs, and facilities
into a single department. This year, the DHS was funded by the
budgets of these agencies. In February, the President proposed the
department's first consolidated budget, requesting about as much
for homeland security as he did for FY 2003. Stabilizing funding at
current levels appears prudent. While enormous security challenges
remain, allowing the many agencies involved some time to absorb
these large increases makes sense.
Though the Senate and House bills are
consistent with the President's request, conferees should take the
following actions to build a better homeland security
architecture:
- Increase
spending on Coast Guard modernization
The U.S. Coast Guard has emerged as a key homeland
security instrument, and the demand for its assets is far greater
than previously appreciated. Even before September 11, its fleet
was old, expensive to operate and maintain, and ill-suited for some
homeland security missions. The Coast Guard intended to replace its
equipment through Integrated Deepwater, a long-term modernization
program requiring a budget of $579 million for FY 2004, but the
House has proposed only $530 million. Meanwhile, the service's
increasing operational tempo and expanding mission are likely to
wear out the fleet faster than anticipated, slowing modernization
even further. To keep the Coast Guard's acquisition program on
track, the conferees should adopt the Senate's proposal to spend
$702 million on Deepwater in FY 2004.
- Consolidate
funding for state and local governments
The President's budget proposal would consolidate several
disparate federal grant programs under a single organization within
the DHS, reducing the number of entry points and requirements for
state and local governments. Bundling grants would also allow the
DHS to focus resources on reducing the greatest risks and
vulnerabilities. Both bills, however, disperse grants and
management authority to different directorates. This is a mistake.
Separate programs, such as firefighter or emergency management
planning grants, should be abolished, and the entire grant program
should be placed under the Office of State and Local Government
Coordination.
- Target critical
needs
It is essential to get federal assistance promptly to the
local emergency responders and counterterrorism assets that are
protecting the nation's priority high-risk and most vulnerable
targets. Both bills have different measures that recognize this.
The compromise legislation should adopt the most stringent
requirements for quickly announcing grants, mandating that 80
percent of funds given be allocated to local governments and
distributed as rapidly as possible. It should also contain a strong
sense of the Congress that money should be targeted against the
greatest threats and primarily support areas of high population
density. Congress should also express its intent that the DHS
create national standards for emergency preparedness, adopt a
performance-based system, and establish the means to measure
readiness and the effectiveness of funds spent.
- Support robust
research and development
The technology needs of homeland security are enormous,
and unlike research in defense, there is virtually no
infrastructure to bring technologies from development to
deployment. In some areas, the DHS will have to create new research
and development (R&D) capabilities. The conferees should adopt
the House proposal for a DHS R&D portfolio of $1.1 billion
rather than dumping all of the R&D workload on the newly
created Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency.
- Give the TSA
time
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was
established shortly after the September 11 attacks and almost
immediately was transferred to the DHS. The TSA has many demanding
priorities and needs time to establish solid operational practices
and stabilize its organization and workforce. The House should
follow the Senate's lead and remove unnecessary earmarks from the
TSA appropriation.
- Take a cautious
approach to information technology
Cutting-edge information technology (IT) is key to getting
the most out of the new department. But buying too much technology
too fast, without an established information architecture and a
clear understanding of requirements as well as safeguards for
security and privacy, could cause IT costs to balloon out of
control. Many of the reporting provisions and restrictions in both
bills are appropriate, but overly restrictive measures, like the
Senate restraint against testing the CAPPS II program that will
screen airline passengers for terrorists, should be removed because
they are counterproductive and could prevent efficient development
of critical new capabilities.
Conclusion
The FY 2004 appropriations bill is critical to the
nation's security. Providing sufficient funding for homeland
security efforts over the next year is important, but equally
essential are the policies, procedures, and precedents in the
legislation that will shape the evolution of the nation's domestic
security architecture in the years ahead. Beefing up key
initiatives such as Coast Guard modernization and R&D funding
and better managing support for state and local governments can
improve the appropriations bill. Resisting imprudent add-ons and
unnecessary earmarks is also crucial.
Once
a firm foundation for the nation's homeland security architecture
is established, increased funding may be needed in future years.
There is little room for complacency in the face of global
terrorism in the 21st century.
James Jay
Carafano, Ph.D., is Senior Research Fellow for National
Security and Homeland Security in the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom
Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage
Foundation.