Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008

Appropriations

(name redacted), Coordinator

Analyst in Domestic Security

February 15, 2008

Congressional Research Service

7-....

www.crs.gov

RL34004

CRS Report for Congress

Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

Summary

This report describes the FY2008 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security

(DHS). The Administration requested a net appropriation of $35.5 billion in net budget authority

for FY2008. The requested net appropriation for major components of the department included

the following: $8,783 million for Customs and Border Protection (CBP); $4,168 million for

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); $3,608 million for the Transportation Security

Administration (TSA); $8,457 million for the U.S. Coast Guard; $1,399 million for the Secret

Service; $1,047 for the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPP); $5,042 million for

the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); $30 million for US Citizenship and

Immigration Services (USCIS); $799 million for the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T);

and $562 million for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO).

The House passed H.R. 2638 on June 15, 2007. H.R. 2638 included $37.4 billion in net budget

authority for DHS for FY2008. H.R. 2638 contained the following in net budget authority for

major components of DHS: $8,923 million for CBP; $4,192 million for ICE; $3,842 million for

the TSA; $8,352 million for the U.S. Coast Guard; $1,396 million for the Secret Service; $1,035

million for the NPP; $7,239 million for FEMA; $30 million for USCIS; $777 million for S&T;

and $556 million for the DNDO.

On July 26, 2007, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 2638. The Senate bill included $40.6

billion in net budget authority, including $3 billion in emergency funding; not including the

emergency funding, Senate-passed H.R. 2638 included $37.6 billion in net budget authority for

DHS for FY2008. The bill contained the following amounts of net budget authority for major

components of DHS: $8,841 million for CBP; $4,433 million for ICE; $3,685 million for the

TSA; $8,559 million for the U.S. Coast Guard; $1,396 million for the Secret Service; $914

million for the NPP; $7,019 million for FEMA; $50 million (plus and additional $60 million in

emergency funding) for USCIS; $838 million for the S&T; and $550 million for the DNDO.

Senate-passed H.R. 2638 also included a $3,000 million emergency supplemental appropriation

for border-security purposes.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-161) was signed into law by the President

on December 26, 2007. The DHS Appropriations Act of 2008 was included as Division E of P.L.

110-161. The Act provides $38.7 billion in net budget authority for FY2008. P.L. 110-161

contains the following amounts of net budget authority for major components of DHS: $9,423

million for CBP; $4,734 million for ICE; $4,021 million for the TSA; $8,521 million for the U.S.

Coast Guard; $1,386 million for the Secret Service; $1,177 million for the NPP; $6,807 million

for FEMA; $81 million for USCIS; $830 million for the S&T; and $485 million for the DNDO.

This report will not be updated.

Congressional Research Service

Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

Contents

Most Recent Developments ............................................................................................................. 1

FY2008 Enacted: Division E—P.L. 110-161 ...................................................................... 1

Continuing Resolutions ....................................................................................................... 1

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................... 2

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ..................................................................................................... 2

President’s FY2008 Budget Submitted (and Revised) ........................................................ 2

Note on Most Recent Data .................................................................................................. 3

Background ...................................................................................................................................... 3

Department of Homeland Security ............................................................................................ 4

302(a) and 302(b) Allocations ................................................................................................... 4

Budget Authority, Obligations, and Outlays .............................................................................. 5

Discretionary and Mandatory Spending .................................................................................... 6

Offsetting Collections ................................................................................................................ 6

Appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security.............................................................. 8

DHS Appropriations Trends ...................................................................................................... 8

Summary of DHS Appropriations ............................................................................................. 9

Title I: Departmental Management and Operations ....................................................................... 13

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 13

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 13

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 13

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 14

Analysis and Operations .......................................................................................................... 21

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 22

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 22

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 23

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 24

Title II: Security Enforcement and Investigations ......................................................................... 25

Customs and Border Protection (CBP).................................................................................... 29

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 29

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 29

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 29

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 29

Issues for Congress............................................................................................................ 30

International Registered Traveler Program and Related Screening Systems .................... 34

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ........................................................................ 36

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 37

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 37

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 38

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 39

Issues for Congress............................................................................................................ 40

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 44

House-passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 44

Senate-passed H.R. 2638................................................................................................... 44

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 44

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) ....................................................................... 45

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 45

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House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 49

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 50

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 52

TSA Issues for Congress ................................................................................................... 53

United States Coast Guard ....................................................................................................... 59

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 59

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 59

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 60

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 60

Issues for Congress............................................................................................................ 61

U.S. Secret Service .................................................................................................................. 65

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 67

House-passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 67

Senate-passed H.R. 2638................................................................................................... 67

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 67

Title III: Preparedness and Response ............................................................................................. 67

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ................................................................ 70

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 70

House Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 71

Senate Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 71

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 71

FEMA Issues for Congress................................................................................................ 72

Office of Grant Programs ........................................................................................................ 76

President’s Request ........................................................................................................... 77

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 77

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 77

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 78

Issues for Congress............................................................................................................ 78

Office of Health Affairs ........................................................................................................... 80

National Protection and Programs Directorate ........................................................................ 81

U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT).................................... 82

President’s Request ........................................................................................................... 82

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 82

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 82

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 83

Issues for Congress............................................................................................................ 83

Infrastructure Protection and Information Security ................................................................. 84

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 85

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 85

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 86

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 86

Issues for Congress............................................................................................................ 87

Title IV: Research and Development, Training, Assessments, and Services ................................. 88

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) .............................................................. 90

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 90

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 91

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 92

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 92

Issues for Congress............................................................................................................ 93

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Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) ............................................................. 94

President’s Request ........................................................................................................... 94

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 95

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 95

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 95

Science and Technology (S&T) ............................................................................................... 95

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 95

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 96

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 96

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 96

Issues for Congress............................................................................................................ 96

Domestic Nuclear Detection Office......................................................................................... 97

President’s FY2008 Request ............................................................................................. 97

House-Passed H.R. 2638 ................................................................................................... 97

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638 .................................................................................................. 97

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E) ..................................................................... 98

Issues for Congress............................................................................................................ 98

FY2008 Related Legislation ........................................................................................................ 100

Budget Resolution—H.Con.Res. 99/ S.Con.Res. 21 ............................................................. 100

Tables

Table 1. Legislative Status of Homeland Security Appropriations .................................................. 3

Table 2. FY2007 302(b) Discretionary Allocations for DHS .......................................................... 5

Table 3. FY2008 Request: Moving From Gross Budget Authority to Net Appropriation—

Fee Accounts, Offsetting Fees, and Trust and Public Enterprise Accounts .................................. 7

Table 4. DHS Appropriations, FY2003-FY2008 ............................................................................. 9

Table 5. DHS: Summary of Appropriations ................................................................................... 10

Table 6. Title I: Department Management and Operations ............................................................ 15

Table 7. Office of Human Capital (OHC) Appropriations ............................................................. 17

Table 8. Title II: Security, Enforcement, and Investigations .......................................................... 26

Table 9. CBP S&E Sub-account Detail .......................................................................................... 30

Table 10. ICE S&E Sub-account Detail......................................................................................... 40

Table 11. TSA Gross Budget Authority by Budget Activity .......................................................... 46

Table 12. Coast Guard Operating (OE) and Acquisition (ACI) Sub-account Detail ..................... 60

Table 13. U.S. Secret Service Appropriations................................................................................ 66

Table 14. Title III: Preparedness and Response ............................................................................. 68

Table 15. State and Local Homeland Security Programs ............................................................... 76

Table 16. FY2008 Budget Activity for the Infrastructure Protection and Information

Security Appropriation ............................................................................................................... 87

Table 17. Title IV: Research and Development, Training, Assessments, and Services ................. 89

Table 18. USCIS Budget Account Detail ....................................................................................... 91

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Table 19. Research and Development Accounts and Activities, FY2007-FY2008 ....................... 98

Table C-1. Federal Homeland Security Funding by Agency, FY2002-FY2008 .......................... 109

Appendixes

Appendix A. Emergency Funding for Border Security in The Consolidated

Appropriations Act, 2008 (P.L. 110-161).................................................................................. 101

Appendix B. FY2007 Supplemental Appropriations and Rescissions......................................... 106

Appendix C. DHS Appropriations in Context ............................................................................. 109

Contacts

Author Contact Information......................................................................................................... 111

Key Policy Staff: Homeland Security .......................................................................................... 111

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

Most Recent Developments

FY2008 Enacted: Division E—P.L. 110-161

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-161) was signed into law by the President

on December 26, 2007. The DHS Appropriations Act of 2008 was included as Division E of P.L.

110-161. The Act provides $38.7 billion in net budget authority for FY2008. It should be noted

that the totals for FY2008 include $2,710 million in emergency funding for border security

purposes. These amounts are shown in the last column of the funding tables in this report, and are

described in detail in Appendix A. It should also be noted that the funding tables in this report do

not include $2,900 million in FY2008 emergency funding for the Federal Emergency

Management Administration (FEMA) enacted by P.L. 110-116, The Department of Defense

Appropriations Act, 2008.

Continuing Resolutions1

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had been operating under a continuing resolution

(CR) during the period between the end of FY2007 and the passage of P.L. 110-161. Congress

had passed three sequential CRs extending budget authority for DHS (and the rest of the federal

government) at FY2007 levels.

First Continuing Resolution (P.L. 110-92)

The first CR, P.L. 110-92, extended funding from October 1, 2007, through November 16, 2007.

In addition to extending funding at FY2007 levels, P.L. 110-92 contained several provisions

specifically pertaining to DHS and its component agencies. These provisions are summarized as

follows:

•

Sec. 131 authorized the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

to obligate funds under the CR to support hiring and training new border patrols

agents to sustain the numbers of new border patrol agents hired in the last quarter

of FY2007, and would require the Commissioner to report to Congress each time

the authority under this section is utilized.

•

Sec. 132 authorized the Secretary of DHS to continue to obligate funds to sustain

the average monthly number of detention bed spaces in use at detention facilities

operated or contracted by DHS, during September of 2007.

•

Sec. 133 specified that during the period the CR is in effect, that Sec. 517(b) of

P.L. 109-295 will not be in effect (provisions relating to the provision of Secret

Service protection to certain individuals, and reimbursement for such protection).

1

For more information, see CRS Report RL30343, Continuing Resolutions: Latest Action and Brief Overview of

Recent Practices, by (name redacted).

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Second Continuing Resolution (P.L. 110-116)

The second CR amended the first by changing the expiration date of November 16, 2007, to

December 14, 2007. The provisions summarized above remained in effect until December 14,

2007, when Congress enacted the third CR (P.L. 110-137). In addition to extending the authority

provided by P.L. 110-92, P.L. 110-116 added a new provision that provided an additional $2.9

billion in emergency no-year funding to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

for disaster relief. This amount is not included in the funding tables in this report.

Third Continuing Resolution (P.L. 110-137)

Congress passed the third CR on December 14, 2007. P.L. 100-137 would have extended the

budget authority provided by P.L. 110-92, through December 21, 2007. However, P.L. 110-161

was passed by Congress December 19, 2007.

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638

On July 26, 2007, the Senate passed H.R. 2638. On July 19, 2007, the Senate had taken up the

House bill and substituted its text with Senate-reported S. 1644. Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would

have provided a total of $40.6 billion in net budget authority (including $3 billion in emergency

appropriations) for DHS for FY2008. This is $5.1 billion, or 14%, more than was requested and

$5.8 billion, or 17%, more than was enacted for FY2007. Not including the emergency funding,

the Senate-passed version of H.R. 2638 contains a total of $37.6 billion in net budget authority

for DHS for FY2008. This is $2.1 billion more than the $35.5 billion net appropriation requested

by the Administration for FY2008 and a $2.8 billion, or 8%, increase compared with the FY2007enacted net budget authority of $34.8 billion. Senate-passed H.R. 2638 also included an

additional $3,000 million emergency funding that was attached during floor debate; this funding

would have been used to help secure the southern border with Mexico, and for other purposes.

House-Passed H.R. 2638

On June 15, 2007, the House passed H.R. 2638 which contains a total of $37.4 billion in net

budget authority for DHS for FY2008. This is $1.9 billion more than the $35.5 billion net

appropriation requested by the Administration for FY2008. Not including supplemental

appropriations, the House-passed H.R. 2638 amount of $37.4 billion is a $2.6 billion or nearly 8%

increase compared with the FY2007 enacted net budget authority of $34.8 billion (as passed by

P.L. 109-295).

President’s FY2008 Budget Submitted (and Revised)

The President’s budget request for DHS for FY2008 was submitted to Congress on February 5,

2007. The Administration requested $46.4 billion in gross budget authority for FY2008 (including

mandatories, fees, and funds). The Administration’s request includes gross appropriations of

$42.8 billion, and a net appropriation of $35.5 billion in budget authority for FY2008, of which

$34.3 billion is discretionary budget authority, and $1.2 billion is mandatory budget authority.

The FY2007 enacted net appropriated budget authority for DHS was $34.8 billion ($40.6 billion

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

including supplemental appropriations). The Administration subsequently amended the FY2008

budget request and submitted these revisions to Congress on November 6, 2007.2 The revised

FY2008 request included $43.0 billion in gross budget authority for DHS and $35.5 billion in net

budget authority for DHS for FY2008. The funding tables included in this report reflect the

revised budget request totals.

Table 1. Legislative Status of Homeland Security Appropriations

Consolidated

Appropriations Act,

H.R. 2764

Subcommittee

Markup

House Senate

5/18

(vv)

6/13

(uc)

H.Rept.

110-181

House

Passage

S.Rept.

110-84

Senate

Passage

Confr.

Report

House

Senate

Public

Law

6/5

(vv)

6/15

268-150

6/14

29-0

7/26

89-4

—a

12/19

272-201

12/18

76-17

110-161

Note: (vv) = voice vote, (uc) = unanimous consent.

a.

Following initial passage of H.R. 2764, the FY2008 State-Foreign Operations bill, became the Consolidated

Appropriations Act through an exchange of amendments. To see this exchange of amendments, see

http://www.congress.gov/cgi-lis/bdquery/z?d110:HR02764:@@@X:dbs=n. H.R. 2638 was incorporated into

H.R. 2764 and was enacted by the President on December 26, 2007.

Note on Most Recent Data

Data used in this report include data from the President’s Budget Documents, the FY2008 DHS

Congressional Budget Justifications, and the FY2008 DHS Budget in Brief, the House Report to

H.R. 2638, H.Rept. 110-181 as well as the bill itself, Senate Report to S. 1644, S.Rept. 110-84,

Senate-passed H.R. 2638, Division E of P.L. 110-161, and the tables published in the

Congressional Record of December 17, 2007, in the Explanatory Statement for Division E (pp.

H16107-H16121). Data used in Table 19 are taken from the Analytical Perspectives volume of

the FY2008 President’s Budget. These amounts do not correspond to amounts presented in

Tables 4-18, which are based on data from tables supplied by the Appropriations Subcommittees

and from the FY2008 DHS Congressional Budget Justifications. Except when discussing total

amounts for the bill as a whole, all amounts contained in this report are rounded to the nearest

million.

Background

This report describes the President’s FY2008 request for funding for DHS programs and

activities, as submitted to Congress on February 5, 2007. It compares the enacted FY2007

amounts to the request for FY2008, and tracks legislative action and congressional issues related

to the FY2008 DHS appropriations bills with particular attention paid to discretionary funding

amounts. The report does not follow specific funding issues related to mandatory funding—such

as retirement pay—nor does the report systematically follow any legislation related to the

authorization or amendment of DHS programs.

2

See, The White House, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, Estimate No. 7 110th

Congress, 1st Session, November 5, 2007, accessed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/amendments/

amendment_11_6_07.pdf.

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Department of Homeland Security

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296) transferred the functions, relevant funding,

and most of the personnel of 22 agencies and offices to the new Department of Homeland

Security created by the act. Appropriations measures for DHS have been organized into five

titles: Title I Departmental Management and Operations; Title II Security, Enforcement, and

Investigations; Title III Preparedness and Recovery; Title IV Research and Development,

Training, Assessments, and Services; and Title V general provisions.

Title I contains appropriations for the Office of Management, the Office of the Secretary, the

Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Analysis and Operations (A&O), the Office fo the Chief

Information Office (CIO), the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and the Office of the

Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding.

Title II contains appropriations for Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and

Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard

(USCG), and the Secret Service. The U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology

(US-VISIT) program was appropriated within Title II through the FY2007 appropriation. The

President’s FY2008 request for US-VISIT has proposed moving the program to the proposed

National Protection & Programs Directorate (NPPD) in Title III. Both the House and Senate bills

have adopted this same organization.

Through the FY2007 appropriation Title III contained appropriations for the Preparedness

Directorate, Infrastructure Protection and Information Security (IPIS) and the Federal Emergency

Management Administration (FEMA). The President’s FY2008 request includes a proposal to

shift a number of programs and offices to eliminate the Preparedness Directorate, create the

NPPD, and move several programs to FEMA. Title III in the FY2008 request includes

appropriations for NPPD, FEMA, and the Office of Health Affairs (OHA).

Title IV contains appropriations for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),

the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), and the Federal Law Enforcement Training

Center (FLETC).

302(a) and 302(b) Allocations

The maximum budget authority for annual appropriations (including DHS) is determined through

a two-stage congressional budget process. In the first stage, Congress sets overall spending totals

in the annual concurrent resolution on the budget. Subsequently, these amounts are allocated

among the appropriations committees, usually through the statement of managers for the

conference report on the budget resolution. These amounts are known as the 302(a) allocations.

They include discretionary totals available to the House and Senate Committees on

Appropriations for enactment in annual appropriations bills through the subcommittees

responsible for the development of the bills. In the second stage of the process, the appropriations

committees allocate the 302(a) discretionary funds among their subcommittees for each of the

appropriations bills. These amounts are known as the 302(b) allocations. These allocations must

add up to no more than the 302(a) discretionary allocation and form the basis for enforcing

budget discipline, since any bill reported with a total above the ceiling is subject to a point of

order. 302(b) allocations may be adjusted during the year as the various appropriations bills

progress towards final enactment.

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The annual concurrent resolution on the budget sets forth the congressional budget. The House

passed H.Con.Res. 99 on March 29, 2007 which would have provided $955 billion in

discretionary budget authority for FY2008. The Senate passed S.Con.Res. 21 on March 23, 2007

which would have provided $942 billion in discretionary budget authority for FY2008. The

House and Senate appointed conferees to resolve the differences between the two resolutions and

adopted a conference agreement on May 16, 2007. The House and Senate adopted the conference

report (H.Rept. 110-153) on May 17, 2007. The conference report provides $954 billion in

discretionary budget authority for FY2008. Table 2 shows DHS’ 302(b) allocations for FY2007

and the current appropriations cycle.

Table 2. FY2007 302(b) Discretionary Allocations for DHS

(budget authority in billions of dollars)

FY2007

Comparable

$34.0

FY2008 Request

Comparable

$35.5

FY2008 House

Allocation

FY2008 Senate

Allocation

$36.3

$36.4

FY2008 Enacted

Comparable

$38.7

Source: CRS analysis of the FY2008 DHS Congressional Budget Justifications; House and Senate Appropriations

Subcommittee FY2008 Allocation tables, Division E of P.L. 110-161.

Budget Authority, Obligations, and Outlays

Federal government spending involves a multi-step process that begins with the enactment of a

budget authority by Congress in an appropriations act. Federal agencies then obligate funds from

the enacted budget authority to pay for their activities. Finally, payments are made to liquidate

those obligations; the actual payment amounts are reflected in the budget as outlays.

Budget authority is established through appropriations acts or direct spending legislation and

determines the amounts that are available for federal agencies to spend. The Antideficiency Act3

prohibits federal agencies from obligating more funds than the budget authority that was enacted

by Congress. Budget authority may be indefinite, however, when Congress enacts language

providing “such sums as may be necessary” to complete a project or purpose. Budget authority

may be available on a one-year, multi-year, or no-year basis. One-year budget authority is only

available for obligation during a specific fiscal year; any unobligated funds at the end of that year

are no longer available for spending. Multi-year budget authority specifies a range of time during

which funds can be obligated for spending; no-year budget authority is available for obligation

for an indefinite period of time.

Obligations are incurred when federal agencies employ personnel, enter into contracts, receive

services, and engage in similar transactions in a given fiscal year. Outlays are the funds that are

actually spent during the fiscal year.4 Because multi-year and no-year budget authorities may be

obligated over a number of years, outlays do not always match the budget authority enacted in a

given year. Additionally, budget authority may be obligated in one fiscal year but spent in a future

fiscal year, especially with certain contracts.

3

31 U.S.C. §§1341, 1342, 1344, 1511-1517.

Appropriations, outlays, and account balances for government treasury accounts can be viewed in the end of year

reports published by the U.S. Treasury titled Combined Statement of Receipts, Outlays, and Balances of the United

States Government. The DHS portion of the report can be accessed at http://fms.treas.gov/annualreport/cs2005/c18.pdf.

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In sum, budget authority allows federal agencies to incur obligations and authorizes payments, or

outlays, to be made from the Treasury. Discretionary agencies and programs, and appropriated

entitlement programs, are funded each year in appropriations acts.

Discretionary and Mandatory Spending

Gross budget authority, or the total funds available for spending by a federal agency, may be

composed of discretionary and mandatory spending. Of the $46.4 billion gross budget authority

requested for DHS in FY2008, 82% is composed of discretionary spending and 18% is composed

of mandatory spending.

Discretionary spending is not mandated by existing law and is thus appropriated yearly by

Congress through appropriations acts. The Budget Enforcement Act of 19905 defines

discretionary appropriations as budget authority provided in annual appropriation acts and the

outlays derived from that authority, but it excludes appropriations for entitlements. Mandatory

spending, also known as direct spending, consists of budget authority and resulting outlays

provided in laws other than appropriation acts and is typically not appropriated each year.

However, some mandatory entitlement programs must be appropriated each year and are included

in the appropriations acts. Within DHS, the Coast Guard retirement pay is an example of

appropriated mandatory spending.

Offsetting Collections6

Offsetting funds are collected by the federal government, either from government accounts or

the public, as part of a business-type transaction such as offsets to outlays or collection of a fee.

These funds are not counted as revenue. Instead, they are counted as negative outlays. DHS

net discretionary budget authority, or the total funds that are appropriated by Congress each

year, is composed of discretionary spending minus any fee or fund collections that offset

discretionary spending.

Some collections offset a portion of an agency’s discretionary budget authority. Other collections

offset an agency’s mandatory spending. They are typically entitlement programs under which

individuals, businesses, or units of government that meet the requirements or qualifications

established by law are entitled to receive certain payments if they establish eligibility. The DHS

budget features two mandatory entitlement programs: the Secret Service and the Coast Guard

retired pay accounts (pensions). Some entitlements are funded by permanent appropriations,

others by annual appropriations. The Secret Service retirement pay is a permanent appropriation

and as such is not annually appropriated, whereas the Coast Guard retirement pay is annually

appropriated. In addition to these entitlements, the DHS budget contains offsetting Trust and

Public Enterprise Funds. These funds are not appropriated by Congress they are available for

obligation and included in the President’s budget to calculate the gross budget authority.

Table 3 tabulates all of the offsets within the DHS budget as enacted for FY2007 and in the

FY2008 request.

5

6

P.L. 101-508, Title XIII.

Prepared with assistance from (name redacted), Analyst in American National Government.

Congressional Research Service

6

Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

Table 3. FY2008 Request: Moving From Gross Budget Authority to

Net Appropriation—Fee Accounts, Offsetting Fees, and Trust and

Public Enterprise Accounts

(budget authority in millions)

FY2007

Enacted

FY2008

Request

44,590

46,523

516

613

2,420

2,210

TWIC

20

27

Hazmat

19

19

Registered Traveler

35

35

FEMA/EPR

National flood insurance fund

129

145

CBP

Small airports

7

7

3,146

3,056

Immigration inspection

529

535

Immigration enforcement

2

3

Land border

28

30

COBRA

388

392

APHIS

214

300

Puerto Rico

99

117

Immigration inspection

108

114

SEVIS

54

56

Breached bond detention fund

90

64

Aviation security capital fund

250

250

Checkpoint screening security fund

—

250

Alien flight school background checks

2

2

1,760

2,495

44

44

3,568

4,652

Account/Agency

Account Name

DHS gross budget authoritya

(gross discretionary + fees+ mandatory + funds)

Account level discretionary offset

ICE

Federal Protective Service

Aviation security fees

TSA

Subtotal account level discretionary offsets

Agency level discretionary offset

CBP

ICE

TSA

USCIS

Immigration examination fee

H1b, and H1b & L fees

Subtotal agency level discretionary offsets

Mandatory budget authority

Secret service

Secret service retired payb

200

210

Coast guard

Coast guard retired payc

(1,063)

(1,185)

200

210

Subtotal mandatory budget authority

Congressional Research Service

7

Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

FY2007

Enacted

FY2008

Request

6

6

2,631

2,833

Boat safety

117

122

Oil spill recovery

127

147

Miscellaneous revolving fund

—

—

Account/Agency

Account Name

Trust funds and public enterprise funds

CBP

Customs unclaimed goods

FEMA

National Flood Insurance Fundd

Coast Guard

Subtotal trust and public enterprise funds

2,881

3,108

DHS gross budget authoritya

44,590

46,523

Total offsets

-9,795

-11,026

DHS net appropriated BA (Mandatory + Discretionary)

34,795

35,497

Source: CRS analysis of the FY2008 President’s Budget, and the DHS Budget in Brief, H.Rept. 110-181, and

S.Rept. 110-84, Division E of P.L. 110-161, and tables in the Joint Explanatory Statement for Division E, published

in the Congressional Record, December 17, 2007, pp. H16107-H16121 (incorporating amendments to the

budget request).

Notes: Totals may not add due to rounding.

a.

DHS gross budget authority is the total budget authority available to the Department in a given fiscal year.

This amount includes both appropriated and non-appropriated funding.

b.

Secret Service Retired Pay is permanently and indefinitely authorized, and as such is not annually

appropriated. Therefore it is offset in Table 3.

c.

In contrast to Secret Service Retired Pay, Coast Guard Retired pay must be annually appropriated, and

therefore is not offset in Table 3.

d.

This fund is comprised of both discretionary and mandatory appropriations; thus its component parts

appear twice in this table.

Appropriations for the Department of

Homeland Security

DHS Appropriations Trends

Table 4 presents DHS Appropriations, as enacted, for FY2003 through the FY2008. The

appropriation amounts are presented in current dollars and are not adjusted. The amounts shown

in Table 4 represent enacted amounts at the time of the start of the next fiscal year’s appropriation

cycle. Thus, the amount shown for FY2003 is the enacted amount shown in the House Committee

report attached to the FY2004 DHS Appropriations bill. FY2008 is from the Joint Explanatory

Statement for Division E of P.L. 110-161.

Congressional Research Service

8

Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

Table 4. DHS Appropriations, FY2003-FY2008

(budget authority in millions of dollars)

FY2003

FY2004

FY2005

FY2006

FY2007

FY2008

Enacted

29,069a

30,175b

30,554c

31,679

35,311d

38,747

Sources: FY2003 enacted taken from H.Rept. 108-169; FY2004 enacted taken from H.Rept. 108-541; FY2005

enacted taken from H.Rept. 109-79; FY2006 enacted taken from H.Rept. 109-476; FY2007 appropriation

amounts are from the H.Rept. 110-181; and FY2008 enacted amounts are from Division E of P.L. 110-161, and

tables in the Joint Explanatory Statement for Division E, published in the Congressional Record, December 17,

2007, pp. H16107-H16121 (incorporating amendments to the budget request).

Notes: Amounts do not include supplemental appropriations or rescissions that were enacted subsequent to

the enactment of each appropriations bill.

a.

S.Rept. 108-86 reported the FY2003 enacted amount as $29,287 million. CRS was unable to identify the

reason for this discrepancy. For the purposes of this table the House number was used to maintain

consistency with other fiscal years.

b.

Amount does not include $4,703 million in advance appropriations for Project Bioshield.

c.

Amount does not include $2,508 million in advance appropriations for Project Bioshield.

d.

Amount includes $1,829 million in emergency budget authority that was enacted as a part of the FY2007

DHS Appropriations Act (P.L. 109-295).

Summary of DHS Appropriations

Table 5 is a summary table comparing the enacted appropriations for FY2007 and the requested,

recommended by the House and Senate, and enacted for FY2008. The Administration requested

$46.4 billion in gross budget authority for FY2008 (including mandatories, fees, and funds). The

Administration’s request includes gross appropriations of $43.0 billion and a net appropriation of

$35.5 billion in budget authority for FY2008. The total FY2007 enacted net appropriated budget

authority for DHS was $40.6 billion including supplementals and rescissions. House-passed H.R.

2638 included $37.4 billion for DHS for FY2008; Senate-passed H.R. 2638 included $37.6

billion for DHS in FY2008. Senate-passed H.R. 2638 also included an additional $3,000 million

in emergency supplemental appropriations. Division E of P.L. 110-161 provides $38.7 billion in

net appropriated budget authority for FY2008. This amount includes $2,710 million in emergency

funding, but does not include $2,900 million in supplemental funding for Disaster Relief that was

included in P.L. 110-116.

Congressional Research Service

9

Table 5. DHS: Summary of Appropriations

(budget authority in millions of dollars)

FY2007 Appropriation

FY2008 Appropriation

FY2008

Senate

Passed

FY2008

Enacted

FY2008

Emergency

P.L. 110161

FY2007

Enacted

FY2007

Supp.

FY2007

Resc.

FY2007

Total

FY2008

Request

FY2008

House

Passed

1,024

13

-6

1,030

1,092

779

1,104

983

—

—Customs and Border Protection

8,036

147

—

8,183

8,765

8,922

8,841

9,423

1,531

—Immigration and Customs Enforcement

3,958

6

—

3,964

4,168

4,192

4,433

4,734

527

—Transportation Security Administration

3,561

402

-2

3,962

3,771

3,843

3,685

4,021

—

—U.S. Coast Guard

8,292

180

-26

8,447

8,457

8,352

8,559

8,522

166

—U.S. Secret Service

1,276

—

—

1,276

1,399

1,396

1,396

1,385

—

Net subtotal: Title II

25,123

735

-28

25,833

26,560

26,705

26,914

28,085

2,224

—Total fee collections

4,779

—

—

4,779

5,025

5,025

5,025

5,025

—

Gross subtotal: Title II

29,902

735

-28

30,612

31,585

31,730

31,939

33,110

2,224

—National Protection & Programs Directorate

934

24

-1

957

1,161

1,035

914

1,177

275

—Office of Health Affairs

99

8

—

107

118

118

115

117

—

—Counter Terrorism Fund

-16

—

—

-16

—

—

—

—

—

—Federal Emergency Management Administration

5,935

4,887

—

10,821

5,042

7,239

7,017

6,807a

110

Net subtotal: Title III

6,952

4,919

-1

11,869

6,322

8,392

8,046

8,100a

385

Operational Component

Title I: Departmental Operations

Subtotal: Title I

Title II: Security, Enforcement, and Investigations

Title III: Preparedness and Recovery

CRS-10

FY2008 Appropriation

FY2007 Appropriation

Operational Component

FY2007

Enacted

FY2007

Supp.

FY2007

Resc.

FY2007

Total

FY2008

Request

FY2008

House

Passed

FY2008

Senate

Passed

FY2008

Enacted

FY2008

Emergency

P.L. 110161

Title IV: Research and Development, Training, Assessments, and Services

—Citizenship and Immigration Services

182

8

—

190

30

30

50b

81

80

—Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

275

3

—

278

263

263

266

289

21

—Science and Technology

758

5

-1

762

799

777

838

830

—

—Domestic Nuclear Detection Office

481

135

—

616

562

556

550

485

—

Net subtotal: Title IV

1,696

151

-1

1,846

1,654

1,626

1,704

1,685

101

—Total fee collections

1,804

—

—

1,804

2,539

2,539

2,539

2,539

—

Gross subtotal: Title IV

3,500

151

-1

3,650

4,193

4,165

4,243

4,224

101

Title V: General Provisions

—Rescissions

-[232]c

—

-2d

-2

-132

-55

-145e

-106

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

3,000f

—

—

Emergency Supplemental

—Border Security First Act of 2007f

Department of Homeland Security Appropriation (not including Title V rescissions)

Gross DHS budget authority

41,378

5,698

-37

47,161

42,965

44,911

48,088

46,311

2,710

—Total fee collections

-6,583

—

—

6,583

-7,465

-7,465

-7,465

-7,564

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

-3,000

—

—

-37

40,578g

35,497

37,446

37,623

38,747

2,710

—Border Security Supplemental

Net DHS budget authority

34,795

5,698

Source: CRS analysis of the FY2008 President’s Budget, and the DHS Budget in Brief, H.Rept. 110-181, and S.Rept. 110-84, Division E of P.L. 110-161, and tables in the Joint

Explanatory Statement for Division E, published in the Congressional Record, December 17, 2007, pp. H16107-H16121 (incorporating amendments to the budget request).

Notes: Totals may not add due to rounding. Italicized amounts in parentheses are non-adds. For a more detailed analysis of the supplemental appropriations, refer to

Appendix A.

a.

Amount does not include $2,900 million in emergency FY2008 funds for Disaster Relief enacted by P.L. 110-161.

b.

Senate passed H.R. 2638 also includes an additional $60 million in emergency funding (SA 2518) for USCIS’ Employment Eligibility Verification System, that was to be

taken from the $3,000 million emergency appropriation included in Senate passed H.R. 2638 as a part of the Border Security First Act of 2007.

CRS-11

c.

Rescissions from Title V of P.L. 109-295 are shown here as non-adds, because they have been incorporated into the accounts throughout the tables in this report.

d.

Sec. 6404 of P.L. 110-28 includes 4 rescissions that are not shown in Table 5 because they are of amounts that fall below $500,000 and would round to less than $1

million dollars. These 4 rescissions round to a total approximately $2 million and are presented in aggregate on Table 5 under General Provision Rescissions.

e.

Includes an across-the-board rescission (percentage unspecified) of discretionary budget authority totaling $100 million to be used for interoperable communications.

f.

Senate-passed H.R. 2638 included a $3,000 million emergency supplemental appropriation that was attached during floor debate (originally S.Amdt. 2480). This

appropriation would have been used to fund the following overall level of resources: 23,000 U.S. Border Patrol Agents; 300 miles of vehicle barriers; 700 miles of

fencing; 105 camera and radar towers; four unmanned aerial vehicles; and 45,000 detention beds. The Senate adopted two amendments (S.Amdt. 2518 and S.Amdt.

2524) that would have designated portions of the $3,000 million in emergency funding for specific activities. S.Amdt. 2518 would direct $60 million of the emergency

funding for USCIS’ Employment Eligibility Verification System, and S.Amdt. 2524 would make $100 million of the emergency funding available for state and local law

enforcement entities for security and related costs associated with the Democratic and Republican National Conventions ($50 million for Denver, Colorado; and $50

million for St. Paul Minnesota).

g.

Amount does not match the total listed in the tables to the Joint Explanatory Statement for Division E of P.L. 110-161. Subtotals for agencies and account match, but

the final total does not match the sum of the subtotals in the tables. Congressional Record, December 17, 2007, p. H16121.

CRS-12

Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

Title I: Departmental Management and Operations7

Title I covers the general administrative expenses of DHS. It includes the Office of the Secretary

and Executive Management (OS&EM), which is comprised of the immediate Office of the

Secretary and 12 entities that report directly to the Secretary; the Undersecretary for Management

(USM) and its components, such as the offices of the Chief Administrative Services Officer,

Chief Human Capital Officer, and Chief Procurement Officer; the Office of the Chief Financial

Officer (OCFO); the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO); Analysis and Operations

Office (AOO); Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding (OFCGCR); and

Office of the Inspector General (OIG). Table 6 shows Title I appropriations for FY2007 and

congressional action on the request for FY2008.

President’s FY2008 Request

FY2008 requests relative to comparable FY2007 enacted appropriations were as follows:

OS&EM, $103 million, an increase of $10 million (+10% ); USM, $278 million, an increase of

$124 million (+81%); OCFO, $33 million, an increase of $7 million (+ 27%); OCIO, $261, a

decrease of $88 million (-25%); AOO, $315 million, an increase of $15 million (+5%);

OFCGCR, $3 million, the same level as previously provided (0%); and OIG, $99 million, almost

the same level as previously provided. The total FY2008 request for Title I was $1,092 million.

This represents an increase of $68 million (+6%) over the FY2007 enacted level.

House-Passed H.R. 2638

The House would have provided $779 million for DHS management and operations entities

funded in Title I, $313 less (-28%) than the amount requested. The allocations for entities within

the title, as approved by the House, were as follows: OS&EM, $85 million, a decrease of $18

million (-17%); USM, -$8 million8, a decrease of $270 million (-97%); OCFO, $30 million, a

decrease of $3 million (-9%); OCIO, $259 million, a decrease of $2 million (-1%); AOO, $302

million, a decrease of $13 million (-4%); OFCGCR, $3 million, the same level as requested (0%);

and OIG, $100 million, $1 million more than requested.

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638

The Senate approved the Title I allocations recommended by the Committee on Appropriations in

Senate-reported S. 1644. The Senate approved $1,104 million for Title I accounts, slightly more

than the President’s request. The Senate allocations for the title were as follows: OS&EM, $100

million, a decrease of $3 million (-2%); USM, $235 million, a decrease of $43 million (-15%);

OCFO, $30 million, a decrease of $3 million (-9%); OCIO, $321 million, an increase of $60

million (+23%); AOO, $306 million, a decrease of $9 million (-3%); OFCGCR, $3 million, the

7

Prepared by (name redacted), Specialist in American National Government, Government and Finance Division.

During the House floor debate on H.R. 2638 a number of amendments were adopted reducing funding provided for

the Office of the Undersecretary for Management. The sum total of these amendments totaled $8m less than was

initially proposed for that activity. This negative amount (-$8 million) is not reflected in the tables accompanying the

Joint Explanatory Statement to Division E of P.L. 110-161, and therefore is not included in Table 6.

8

Congressional Research Service

13

Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

same level as requested (0%); and OIG, $95 million, a decrease of $4 million (-4%), but increased

by a $14 million proposed transfer of funds from FEMA’s Disaster Relief account, resulting in a

recommended total appropriation of $109 million, an increase of $10 million (+10%).

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E)

The amount ultimately appropriated for Title I accounts was $975 million ($983 million including

$16 million in transfers in, and an $8 million rescission), $2 million less (-2%) than the $1,097

million requested by the President and $129 million less (-12%) than the $1,104 million approved

by the Senate, but somewhat more (+21%) than the $771 million approved by the House. The

final allocations for the title were as follows: OS&EM, $97 million, a decrease of $6 million

(-6%) compared with the requested amount; USM, $150 million, a decrease of $128 million

(-46%); OCFO, $31 million, a decrease of $2 million (-6%); OCIO, $295 million, an increase of

$34 million (+13%); AOO, $297 million, a decrease of $18 million (-6%); OFCGCR, $3 million,

the same level as requested (0%); and OIG, $109 million, a increase of $10 million (+10%).

Congressional Research Service

14

Table 6. Title I: Department Management and Operations

(budget authority in millions of dollars)

FY2007 Appropriation

Operational Component

FY2007

Enacted

FY2007

Supp.

FY2008 Appropriation

FY2008

SenatePassed

FY2008

Emergency

FY2008

P.L. 110Omnibus

161

FY2007

Resc.

FY2007

Total

FY2008

Request

FY2008

HousePassed

-1a

93

103

85

100

97

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

149

278

—b

235

150

—

Office of the Secretary and Executive Management

94

Office of Screening Coordination and Operations

—

Office of the Undersecretary for Management

154

Office of the Chief Financial Officer

26

26

33

30

30

31

—

Office of the Chief Information Officer

349

349

261

259

321

295

—

Analysis and Operations

300

308

315

302

306

297

—

Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast

Rebuilding

3

3

3

3

3

3

—

Office of the Inspector General

99

4

103

99

100

109c

109c

—

Net Budget Authority: Title I

1,024

13

1,030

1,092

779

1,104

983

—

1

-5

8

-6

Source: CRS analysis of the FY2008 President’s Budget, and the DHS Budget in Brief, H.Rept. 110-181, and S.Rept. 110-84, Division E of P.L. 110-161, and tables in the Joint

Explanatory Statement for Division E, published in the Congressional Record, December 17, 2007, pp. H16107-H16121 (incorporating amendments to the budget request).

Notes: No FY2007 funding for Title I was designated as emergency spending. Totals may not add due to rounding. Amounts in parentheses are non-adds.

a.

Rescissions per Sec. 6404 of P.L. 110-28.

b.

During the House floor debate on H.R. 2638 a number of amendments were adopted reducing funding provided for the Office of the Undersecretary for Management.

The sum total of these amendments totaled $8m less than was initially proposed for that activity. This negative amount (-$8 million) is not reflected in the tables

accompanying the Joint Explanatory Statement to Division E of P.L. 110-161, and therefore is not included in Table 6.

c.

Includes a $14 million proposed transfer of funds from FEMA’s Disaster Relief account.

CRS-15

Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

Personnel Issues9

The activities of the Office of Human Capital (OHC) may be of interest to Congress during the

current appropriations cycle. The OHC reports to the Under Secretary for Management, and its

appropriation is included in that of the Under Secretary. The OHC appropriation has two parts.

The first part, formerly labeled “HR Operations” and now labeled “OHC,” includes funding for

the office, which is responsible for the overall management and administration of human capital

in DHS. As such, the office establishes policy and procedures and provides oversight, guidance,

and leadership for the department’s human resources functions. The second part, formerly labeled

“MaxHR” and now labeled “OHC—Operational Initiatives and HR Management System,”

includes funding for the OHC organization, which “is responsible for creating, implementing, and

operating DHS’ new human resources system,10 ensuring that organizational goals and individual

work performance are linked, and that employees are compensated based on their contributions to

agency performance.” The OHC organization also “is responsible for ensuring that DHS recruits,

hires, trains, and retains the very best workforce, provides the highest quality leadership

development, and creates a performance culture in the workforce to ensure DHS succeeds in its

mission.”11 Table 7 below shows the funding and staff for the OHC as enacted in FY2007, as

requested for FY2008, as passed by the House and Senate for FY2008, and as enacted in P.L.

110-161 for FY2008.

9

Prepared by (name redacted), Analyst in American National Government, Government and Finance Division.

Title VIII, Subtitle E, Section 841 of P.L. 107-296, enacted on November 25, 2002 (116 Stat. 2135, at 2229-2234),

established the new human resources system. DHS and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) jointly published

final regulations to implement the system, which, at the time, was referred to as “Max-HR,” in the Federal Register on

February 1, 2005. (U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Office of Personnel Management, “Department of

Homeland Security Human Resources Management System,” Federal Register, vol. 70, no. 20, February 1, 2005, pp.

5271-5347.) The regulations provided new policies on position classification, pay, performance management, adverse

actions and appeals, and labor-management relations for DHS employees. The system was expected to cover about

110,000 of the department’s 180,000 employees and be implemented in phases. (See CRS Report RL32261, DHS’s

Max-HR Personnel System: Regulations on Classification, Pay, and Performance Management Compared With

Current Law, and Implementation Plans, by (name redacted); and CRS Report RL32255,

Homeland Security:

Final Regulations for the Department of Homeland Security Human Resources Management System (Subpart E)

Compared With Current Law, by (name redacted).) On October 5, 2007, the Merit Systems Protection Board

published an interim rule in the Federal Register to reconcile its regulations with the OPM and DHS final regulations

on adverse actions and appeals under the new personnel system. See U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, “Interim

Regulatory Changes Regarding Department of Homeland Security Personnel System,” Federal Register, vol. 72,

October 5, 2007, pp. 56883-56889. On January 17, 2008, DHS provided a status report to the U.S. District Court for the

District of Columbia stating that the department had not made a decision on whether to revise or abandon the proposed

rules on labor management relations under the new personnel system. For an analysis of the court decisions on the

adverse actions and appeals and labor management relations policies, see CRS Report RL33052, Homeland Security

and Labor-Management Relations: NTEU v. Chertoff, by (name redacted) and (name redacted).

11

FY2008 DHS Justifications, Departmental Management and Operations, Undersecretary for Management,

p. USM-2.

10

Congressional Research Service

16

Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

Table 7. Office of Human Capital (OHC) Appropriations

(budget authority in millions of dollars)

FY2008

SenatePassed

FY2008

Omnibus

FY2008

Emerg.

P.L. 110161

FY2007

Enacted

FY2008

Request

FY2008

HousePassed

“OHC” (formerly “HR Operations”)

$9

$10

$10

$9

$9

—

“OHC—Operational Initiatives

and HR Management System”

(formerly “MaxHR”)

$25a

$15

$3b

$5

0

—

Human Resources

—

—

—

—

$10

—

$34

$25

$13

$14

$19

—

53

60

53

53

53

—

Account

Total

Staffing (full time equivalent,

FTE, positions)

Sources: P.L. 108-334, Oct. 18, 2004, 118 Stat. 1298; P.L. 109-90, October 18, 2005, 119 Stat. 2064; P.L. 109295, Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1355, at 1356; FY2008 DHS Justifications, Departmental Management and

Operations, Undersecretary for Management, Office of Human Capital, and Office of Human Capital—Max-HR,

pp. USM-39 - USM-44; Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 153, June 15, 2007, p. H6501; H.Rept. 110-181;

S.Rept. 110-84; P.L. 110-161, December 26, 2007; and Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 153, December 17,

2007, p. H16107.

a.

This amount does not reflect the transfer of $5 million from “MaxHR” to the Transportation Security

Administration as provided by Section 21101 of P.L. 110-5. The numbers in the table are rounded.

b.

This amount is for human resources activities, including a human capital survey. Funding is not provided for

MaxHR, as Section 531 of H.R. 2638, as passed by the House, prohibits the use “of the funds provided by

this or any other Act” to be “obligated for the development, testing, deployment, or operation of any

system related to the MAX-HR project, or any subsequent but related human resources management

project, until any pending litigation concerning such activities is resolved, and any legal claim or appeal by

either party has been fully resolved.”

As directed by the conference report12 accompanying P.L. 109-295, the Department of Homeland

Security Appropriations Act for FY2007, the Under Secretary for Management submitted an

expenditure plan for the DHS Human Resources Management System (HRMS) (formerly

“MaxHR”) for FY2007 to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations on February 1,

2007. The report’s cover letter states that in FY2007 the HRMS “will be broadened ... to

encompass additional aspects of FY2007 Human Capital Operational Plan (HCOP), including an

increased focus on employee recruiting and advanced homeland security related education.”13

Among other data, the report states that the contractor Northrop Grumman Information

Technology (NGIT) received a contract worth almost $3 million dollars to provide services

through January 31, 2007, related to program management; pay, performance, and classification;

and training, communications, and organizational change management at DHS. According to the

report, NGIT is being awarded another contract, worth more than $16 million, to provide

12

U.S. Congress, Conference Committees, 2006, Making Appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security For

the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2007, and For Other Purposes, conference report to accompany H.R. 5441,

109th Cong., 2nd sess., H.Rept. 109-699 (Washington: GPO, 2006), p. 119.

13

Letter to Representative David E. Price, Chairman, House Subcommittee on Homeland Security of the House

Committee on Appropriations from Paul A. Schneider, Under Secretary for Management, U.S. Department of

Homeland Security, February 1, 2007.

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

services to the department through September 30, 2007, in the same areas identified above and

labor relations.14

The transfer of the Office of Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA) from the

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) to the OHC accounts for the increase of $1

million and 7 full-time equivalent employees over the FY2007 appropriation for the “OHC”

account. Almost 93% of the money requested for FY2008 under this account is for salaries and

benefits ($8 million) and advisory and assistance services ($2 million) that includes services

acquired by contract from non-federal sources.15 The appropriation will fund continued

implementation of the Human Capital Operational Plan for FY2007 to FY2009, development of

an employee talent bank for use throughout the department, creation of standards to assess and

evaluate learning and development programs, and participation of all new DHS employees in a

department-wide orientation program.16 Some 76% of the money requested for FY2008 under the

“OHC—Operational Initiatives and HR Management System” account is for advisory and

assistance services ($11 million). No funding is requested for salaries and benefits.17 The

appropriation will fund continued training of the DHS workforce in pay for performance and a

new pay system pilot project that will cover employees in the department who work in the

intelligence area. The pilot will be implemented jointly with the Director of National Intelligence

who is developing a pilot pay system for employees of the intelligence agencies. It also will fund

investment in recruitment and retention programs along with learning and development

initiatives to address gaps in skills and competencies, and deployment of career paths and

rotations to facilitate the mobility of DHS employees through various leadership positions in

the department.18

In January 2007, the Culture Task Force of the Homeland Security Advisory Council issued a

report to the DHS Secretary. Among its recommendations were that DHS staff be referred to as

“employees” or “members” of DHS and not as “human capital,” and that “members of the

headquarters” be required to visit and listen “to employees and engage and support groups outside

the headquarters” and respond within 30 days on actions taken to address their concerns.19 The

task force believes that “there can be no hierarchically imposed ‘single culture’ within the

Department,” but that “an overarching and blended culture can be developed that is based on

threads of common values, goals, and focus of mission among DHS headquarters and its

component organizations.” With regard to developing and sustaining such a culture, the task force

14

Report to Congress, Spend Plan for MaxHR, Office of Human Capital, Department of Homeland Security, January 4,

2007, p. 7. Accompanied the letter cited in footnote 5.

15

FY2008 DHS Justifications, Departmental Management and Operations, Undersecretary for Management, Office of

Human Capital, pp. USM-39 - USM-41.

16

FY2008 DHS Justifications, Under Secretary for Management, Strategic Context, p. USM-3.

17

FY2008 DHS Justifications, Departmental Management and Operations, Undersecretary for Management, Office of

Human Capital—Max-HR, pp. USM-42 - USM-44.

18

FY2008 DHS Justifications, Under Secretary for Management, Strategic Context, p. USM-4. On January 23, 2007,

27 employees in General Schedule grades 14 and 15 and representing various components of DHS began a year-long

fellowship program designed to prepare them for future leadership positions in the department. The program is

intended to establish a common culture at DHS and encourage cooperation among the different agencies that make up

the department.

19

Homeland Security Advisory Council, Report of the Culture Task Force, January 2007, pp. 2-3. Section 871 of P.L.

107-296 (116 Stat. 2243) authorized the council, which provides advice and recommendations to the DHS Secretary on

homeland security matters. In June 2006, Secretary Chertoff directed the council to establish the task force “to provide

observations and recommendations for achieving and maintaining an empowering, energetic, dedicated, missionfocused culture within the Department....”

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

advised that “There are organizations in the Private Sector that will deploy and embed within

DHS qualified, objective, emotionally and organizationally detached personnel to help develop

the leadership’s vision and strategic goals of creating a Homeland Security (rather than DHS)

Mission Culture and then monitor, objectively test, and support progress in achieving, continually

improving and sustaining an operationally focused, innovation and people rewarding culture.”20

The task force recommended that such contract employees work under the direction of a senior

(preferably career) DHS employee and with staff from the department’s component agencies. The

morale of employees in the department has come under scrutiny because DHS placed last or

almost last for the categories of job satisfaction, leadership, and workplace performance in the

2006 Federal Human Capital Survey administered by the Office of Personnel Management.21

Section 511 of H.R. 1684, the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for FY2008,

as passed by the House, would have repealed the authority for the department’s new personnel

system (MaxHR) at 5 U.S.C. Chapter 97 and would render void any regulations prescribed

thereunder.22 The House Committee on Homeland Security report that accompanied the bill stated

that DHS “employees must be afforded the same protections as other civil service employees.”23

No further action has occurred on H.R. 1684.

The Senate Committee on Appropriations report that accompanied S. 1644 noted that the DHS

regulations governing employee appeal rights and labor relations were struck down in federal

court and that other elements of the personnel system have been delayed. For these reasons, the

report stated that the committee recommended an appropriation of $5 million for human capital

operational initiatives, formerly “MaxHR,” rather than the requested amount of $15 million.

According to the report, the committee retains the funding for the training accreditation of law

enforcement officers with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center rather than providing it

to the Chief Human Capital Officer. Additionally, Section 507 under the General Provisions of

H.R. 2638, as passed by the House and the Senate, would have provided that the Center will lead

the accreditation process. This language was included in P.L. 110-161, the Consolidated

Appropriations Act of 2008.

The Senate report also directed the Secretary to submit an updated Human Capital Operational

expenditure plan to the committee within 90 days of the act’s enactment. The plan must include

the following elements: definitions for all activities, milestones, and yearly costs for all

initiatives; a list of all contract obligations by contractor, year, and purpose; efforts to improve the

“dismal results” for the department in the 2006 Federal Human Capital Survey; performance

metrics for measuring the attainment of goals for human capital; funds spent in support of

employee recruitment, retention, and training; and an analysis of all internship programs within

the department designed to recruit young professionals. With regard to these internship programs,

the committee report noted that coordination is needed and directs the Chief Human Capital

Officer to “review goals for the programs, milestones, needs of the components, and the capacity

to accept these employees.”

20

Ibid., pp. 5-6.

The survey results are available at http://www.fhcs2006.opm.gov, visited January 24, 2008.

22

H.R. 1684 passed the House of Representatives on a 296-126 (Roll No. 318) vote on May 9, 2007.

23

U.S. Congress, House Committee on Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for

Fiscal Year 2008, report to accompany H.R. 1684, 110th Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 110-122 (Washington: GPO, 2007), p.

83.

21

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

In a statement of Administration policy on S. 1644, OMB stated its strong opposition “to any

effort to reduce, limit, or delay funding for DHS human resources initiatives,” because such

“would severely impact support to basic human resource services and development of practices

designed to meet the Department’s diverse personnel requirements.”24

P.L. 110-161, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, does not provide any funding “for

MAX-HR or any follow-on personnel system.” A general provision at Section 533 “prohibits the

obligation of funds for the development, testing, deployment, or operation of any system related

to MAX-HR or any subsequent, but related human resources management project, until pending

litigation, legal claims or appeals have been fully resolved.” The law provides $10 million to an

account labeled “human resources.” According to the explanatory statement accompanying the

omnibus, DHS is directed to ensure that this appropriation is used for “programs that directly

address the shortcomings identified in [the 2006 Federal Human Capital Survey] or in a

subsequent DHS survey that the Department plans to conduct.” These programs could include the

“planned DHS survey, gap analysis of mission critical occupations, hiring and retention

strategies, robust diversity programs, and Department-wide education and training initiatives.”

The Secretary must submit a plan for expending the funds prior to their obligation.25

Section 538 of the law relates to a general provision that reduces by $5 million the cumulative

amount of the appropriation provided to the Office of the Secretary and Executive Management

and the Office of the Under Secretary for Management. The amount reflects management

efficiencies and, within 30 days of the act’s enactment, the Secretary must notify the House and

Senate Committees on Appropriations “of these efficiency savings by account and within the

account, by program, project and activity.”26

The law also includes a general provision at Section 526 that requires the Chief Financial Officer

to submit reports on the execution of the budget and staffing, including the number of contract

employees by office, within 45 days after the close of each month. The House-passed bill

included the general provision at Section 524 and would have provided that within 45 days after

the close of each month, the Chief Financial Officer must submit to the House and Senate

Committees on Appropriations a monthly budget and staffing report that includes total obligations

and on-board versus funded full-time equivalent staffing levels. The provision was included as

Section 526 of the Senate-passed bill and provided that the report also would have included the

number of contract employees by office. A July 2007 evaluation prepared by the Government

Accountability Office found that DHS employees in permanent positions (excluding Senior

Executive Service and presidential appointments) left their positions at an attrition rate of 7.1% in

2006. When the 14% to 17% attrition rate for transportation security officers at the Transportation

Security Administration was excluded, the department’s average attrition rate was 3.3%. (The

average attrition rate for all Cabinet-level departments was roughly 4%.)27

P.L. 110-161 continues four general provisions related to FLETA and FLETC—Section 507

provides that the accreditation board will lead the accreditation process; Section 509 requires the

24

U.S. Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget, Statement of Administration Policy, S.

1644—Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2008, July 25, 2007, p. 4.

25

Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 153, December 17, 2007, p. H16079.

26

Ibid., p. H16102.

27

U.S. Government Accountability Office, Homeland Security, DHS’s Actions to Recruit and Retain Staff and Comply

With the Vacancies Reform Act, GAO Report GAO-07-758 (Washington: July 2007).

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

advance approval of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations before any additional

law enforcement training facilities can be purchased, constructed, or leased; Section 510 directs

FLETC to “schedule basic and advanced law enforcement training at all four training facilities ...

to ensure that these training centers are operated at the highest capacity”; and Section 529

classifies the functions of the FLETC instructors as inherently governmental.28

Several executive positions related to the overall administration and management of DHS have

new incumbents. Michael Jackson resigned his position as Deputy Secretary of Homeland

Security effective on October 26, 2007. The department’s Under Secretary for Management, Paul

Schneider, is serving as the acting deputy secretary. Mr. Schneider had assumed the Under

Secretary position on February 1, 2007, and during his confirmation hearing on December 6,

2006, told the members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental

Affairs that he would make sure that DHS officials create an effective method of evaluating

employees’ job performance. Reportedly, Mr. Schneider is assisting with the department’s

transition to a new Administration by tracking critical jobs with a goal “to make sure that either

the No. 1 or No. 2 in each post is a career civil service employee.”29 As for the Human Capital

Officer (HCO) position, Marta Brito Perez, who assumed the position on September 18, 2006,

resigned effective on January 6, 2008. Gregg Pelowski is currently serving as the acting HCO.30

Analysis and Operations31

The DHS intelligence mission is outlined in Title II of the Homeland Security Act of 2002

(codified at 6 U.S.C. 121). Organizationally, and from a budget perspective, there have been a

number of changes to the information, intelligence analysis, and infrastructure protection

functions at DHS. Pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Information Analysis and

Infrastructure Protection (IAIP) Directorate was established. The act created an Undersecretary

for IAIP to whom two Assistant Secretaries, one each for Information Analysis (IA) and

Infrastructure Protection (IP), reported. The act outlined 19 functions for the IAIP Directorate, to

include the following, among others:

•

To assess, receive, and analyze law enforcement information, intelligence

information, and other information from federal, state, and local government

agencies, and the private sector to (1) identify and assess the nature and scope of

the terrorist threats to the homeland, (2) detect and identify threats of terrorism

against the United States, and (3) understand such threats in light of actual and

potential vulnerabilities of the homeland;

•

To develop a comprehensive national plan for securing the key resources and

critical infrastructure of the United States;

•

To review, analyze, and make recommendations for improvements in the policies

and procedures governing the sharing of law enforcement information,

intelligence information, and intelligence-related information within the federal

28

Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 153, December 17, 2007, p. H16101.

Stephen Barr, “Homeland Security Prepares for Its First Transition, Washington Post, January 21, 2008, p. D01.

30

The department’s executive positions are listed at http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/gc_1157655281546.shtm,

visited January 24, 2008.

31

Prepared by (name redacted), Specialist in Domestic Intelligence and Counterterrorism, Domestic Social

Policy Division.

29

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

government and between the federal government and state and local government

agencies and authorities.32

Secretary Chertoff’s Second Stage Review of the Department made numerous changes in the

DHS intelligence structure. For example, the erstwhile IAIP disbanded, and the Office of

Information Analysis was renamed the Office of Intelligence and Analysis and became a stand

alone entity. The Office of Infrastructure Protection was placed within the Directorate for

Preparedness. The Assistant Secretary for Intelligence Analysis was also provided the title of the

Department’s Chief Intelligence Officer.33 Pursuant to the Implementing Recommendations of the

9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-53, signed August 3, 2007), a number of amendments to

the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (codified at 6 U.S.C. 201) related to homeland security

intelligence were made. Among these changes, the law provided statutory standing to the Office

of Intelligence and Analysis and the Office of Infrastructure Protection. The Office of Intelligence

and Analysis is to be headed by an Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, who will also

serve and the Department’s Chief Intelligence Officer.34

President’s FY2008 Request

The FY2008 request for the Analysis and Operations account was $315 million, an increase of

$15 million (+5%) over the enacted FY2007 amount. It should be noted that funds included in

this account support both the Office of Intelligence and Analysis (OIA) and the Office of

Operations Coordination. The Office of Intelligence and Analysis, the successor to the “IA”

element of the erstwhile IAIP, has as its primary responsibility the integration and analysis of

DHS information, state and local information, and Intelligence Community intelligence into

finished intelligence products, such as threat assessments and other indications and warning

documents. As a member of the Intelligence Community, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis’s

budget is classified. The Office of Operations Coordination formally houses the National

Operations Center which, among other functions, disseminates OIA assessed threat information,

provides domestic situational awareness, and performs incident management on behalf of the

Department.

House-Passed H.R. 2638

The House Appropriations Committee recommended $302 million, a decrease of $13 million

(4%) from the President’s requested amount of $315 million, and $2 million above the amount

provided in FY2007 ($300 million). In the report accompanying the legislation, the Committee

noted with respect to both the Office of Operations Coordination and the Office of Intelligence

and Analysis that they:

32

See Title II, Subtitle A, Section 201(d), Responsibilities of the Undersecretary (of IAIP), codified at 6 U.SC. §121.

See also Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General, Survey of the Information Analysis and

Infrastructure Protection Directorate, Office of Inspections, Evaluations, and Special Reviews, OIG-04-413, February

2004, p. 26.

33

See DHS Management Directive 8110, Intelligence Integration and Management, January 30, 2006.

34

See P.L. 110-53, Title V, “Improving intelligence and information sharing within the federal government, and with

State, local and tribal governments,” Subtitle D, “Homeland security intelligence offices reorganization.”

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

...carried over significant unobligated balances at the end of fiscal year 2006, and (have)

shown no signs of an increased pace of obligations during the current fiscal year.35

The Committee also expressed concern about the potential movement of the Homeland Security

Operations Center (HSOC) (also known as the National Operations Center) and/or its

combination with the Transportation Security Operations Center, from its current location at the

Nebraska Avenue Complex (NAC) to two possible other locations. The Committee noted that:

...over $137 million has been appropriated for improvements to the (NAC) since 2004, and a

large portion of these funds have gone toward upgrades to the HSOC.... The Committee is

concerned by the apparent DHS attitude that costly capital investments are disposable, and

will provide no further appropriations for HSOC capital improvements until the Department

submits a coherent and cost-effective plan for consolidating its operations centers.36

With respect to DHS support for State and local information and intelligence fusion centers, the

Committee “...recommends doubling the requested funding level for establishing DHS presence

at these centers in 2008 and directs the (OIA) to review all unobligated balances available...at the

start of (FY) 2008 and submit a reprogramming request for those amounts that could be

reasonably reallocated to fusion center implementation.”37 Moreover, the Committee directed

DHS to provide “ongoing quarterly updates...that detail the progress in placing DHS homeland

security intelligence professionals in State and local fusion centers.”38 Among other elements, the

report requires DHS to detail progress on: (1) qualification criteria used by DHS to decided where

and how to place DHS intelligence analysts and related technology, (2) total Federal expenditures

to support each center to date, and (3) the location of each fusion center, both operational

and planned.39

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638

The Senate recommended $306 million, a decrease of $9 million (2.9%) to the President’s

requested level of $315 million and a $6 million (2%) increase over the amount provided in

FY2007 ($300 million). The Senate provided that no more than $5,000 of appropriated funds

shall be for official reception and representation expenses. In the Senate report accompanying the

bill, the Committee expressed concern about the possible movement of the National Operations

Center and “...directs the Office of Operations Coordination to provide a briefing to the

Committee justifying this relocation....”40 The Committee also required a “DHS Intelligence

Expenditure Plan” from the Secretary for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, that would

35

See House of Representatives, DHS Appropriations Bill, 2008, H. Report. 110-181, p. 23.

Ibid.

37

Ibid., p. 24. Given that DHS’s intelligence budget is classified, the amount of funding requested specifically to

support the deployment of DHS personnel to fusion centers is not available. The “U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’

Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007,” (P.L. 110-28) provided an additional $8

million for DHS “Analysis and Operation,” to be used for support of the DHS State and Local Fusion Center Program.

38

Ibid. It should be noted that DHS currently has approximately 15 intelligence professionals detailed to 15 fusion

centers. According to DHS Chief Intelligence Officer Charles Allen, DHS has plans to embed 35 intelligence

officers at fusion centers by the end of FY2008. See House Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on

Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment, hearing on “Information Sharing and Civil

Liberties,” March 14, 2007.

39

See House of Representatives, DHS Appropriations Bill, 2008, H. Report. 110-181, p. 24.

40

See U.S. Senate, DHS Appropriations Bill, 2008, S. Report 110-84, p. 23.

36

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

include, among other items: (1) FY2008 expenditures and staffing allotted for each (OIA)

program..., (2) all funded versus on-board positions, including Federal full-time equivalents

(FTE), contractors, and reimbursable and non-reimbursable detailees, and (3) an explanation for

maintaining contract staff in lieu of government FTE....”41 Lastly, the Committee included

language similar to that provided by the House Appropriations Committee with respect to

requiring quarterly reports on the progress DHS is making in “...placing DHS homeland security

intelligence professionals in State and local fusion centers.”42 Moreover, the Senate provided that

the Director of Operations “...shall encourage rotating State and local fire service representation

at the National Operations Center.”43

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E)

According to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, an amount of $306 million shall be

allocated to Analysis and Operations. This amount represents a decrease of $9 million (2.9%) of

the President’s requested level of $315 million and a $6 million (2%) increase over the amount

provided in FY2007 ($300 million). The bill includes a statutory restriction on the obligation of

funds for operation of either the National Immigration Information Sharing Office or the National

Applications Office until the Secretary “... certifies these programs comply with all existing laws,

including all applicable privacy and civil liberties standards, with the certification reviewed by

the Government Accountability Office.”44 Three other elements related to Analysis and

Operations funding were included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008. First, the Under

Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis is “directed to provide the Committees on Appropriations

an expenditure plan for the Office of Intelligence and Analysis ... that report is to include an

analysis of all new requirements enacted in the 9/11 Act, as well as the estimated costs and

available resources to implement those requirements in fiscal year 2008 and subsequent fiscal

years.”45 Second, while the amount that Congress appropriates for state and local fusion centers

remains part of the classified national intelligence program budget, the bill adopted the Senate

level of funding for these centers, “... instead of doubling the requested amount as proposed by

the House.”46 Finally, with respect to the National Operations Center (NOC), the Committees “do

not require information about the relocation of the NOC, since the reprogramming proposal to

affect such a move was denied by the House. The amended bill rescinds $8.7 million in

unobligated balances from prior-year appropriations made for Analysis and Operations, which is

an amount equal to the levels that had been proposed for reallocation to fund the NOC move.”47

The Committees also encourage the “rotation of State and local fire service representation”48 to

the NOC.

41

Ibid. p. 24.

Ibid.

43

See H.R. 2638 Engrossed Amendment as Agreed to by Senate (EAS), Title I, Analysis and Operations,

July 26, 2007.

44

See Congressional Record, December 17, 2007, p. H16080.

45

Ibid.

46

Ibid.

47

Ibid.

48

Ibid.

42

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

Title II: Security Enforcement and Investigations

Title II contains the appropriations for the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Transportation Security

Administration (TSA), the US Coast Guard, and the US Secret Service. Table 8 shows the

FY2007 enacted and FY2008 appropriation action for Title II.

Congressional Research Service

25

Table 8. Title II: Security, Enforcement, and Investigations

(budget authority in millions of dollars)

FY2007 Appropriation

FY2008 Appropriation

FY2007

Enacted

FY2007

Supp.

FY2007

Resc.

FY2007

Total

FY2008

Request

FY2008

House

Passed

FY2008

Senate

Passed

FY2008

Omnibus

FY2008

Emergency

P.L. 110-161

—Salaries and expenses

5,562

72a

—

5,634

6,592

6,630

6,601

6,803

323

—Automation modernization

451

—

—

451

447

477

477

477

—

—Air and Marine Operations

602

75

—

677

477

477

489

570

94

—Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure,

and Technology

1,188

—

—

1,188

1,000

1,089

1,000

1,225

1,053

Operational Component

Customs & Border Protection

—Construction

233

—

—

233

250

250

275

348

61

—Fee accountsb

1,265

—

—

1,265

1,385

1,385

1,385

1,385

—

Gross total

9,301

147

—

9,449

10,150

10,307

10,226

10,808

1,531

—Offsetting collections

-1,265

—

—

-1,265

-1,385

-1,385

-1,385

-1,385

—

Net total

8,036

147

—

8,183

8,765

8,922

8,841

9,423

1,531

—Salaries and expenses

3,887

6

—

3,893

4,162

4,155

4,402

4,688

516

—Federal Protective Services (FPS)

516

—

—

516

613

613

613

613

—

Immigration & Customs Enforcement

—Automation & infrastructure modernization

15

—

—

15

—

31

15

31

—

—Construction

56

—

—

56

6

6

16

17

11

—Fee accountsc

252

—

—

252

234

234

234

234

—

Gross total

4,727

6

—

4,733

5,015

5,039

5,279

5,581

527

—Offsetting FPS fees

-516

—

—

-516

-613

-613

-613

-613

—

—Offsetting collections

-252

—

—

-252

-234

-234

-234

-234

—

Net total

3,958

6

—

3,964

4,168

4,192

4,433

4,734

527

4,732

397d

—

5,129

5,042

5,199

5,043

4,809

—

Transportation Security Administration

—Aviation security (gross funding)

CRS-26

FY2007 Appropriation

FY2008 Appropriation

FY2007

Enacted

FY2007

Supp.

FY2007

Resc.

FY2007

Total

FY2008

Request

FY2008

House

Passed

FY2008

Senate

Passed

FY2008

Omnibus

FY2008

Emergency

P.L. 110-161

—Surface Transportation Security

37

—

—

37

47

41

41

47

—

—Transportation Threat Assessment

and Credentialing

40

—

-2e

38

98

64

67

83

—

—Credentialing Feesf

76

—

—

76

83

83

83

83

—

—Transportation Security Support

525

—

—

525

525

527

522

524

—

—Federal Air Marshals

714

5

—

719

770

722

722

770

—

—Aviation security capital fundg

250

—

—

250

—

—

—

250

—

—Checkpoint screening security fund

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

250

—

—Rescission

-67

—

—

-67

—

—

—

—

—

Gross total

6,307

402

-2

6,707

6,564

6,636

6,478

6,814

—

—Offsetting collections

-2,420

—

—

-2,420

-2,710

-2,710

-2,710

-2,210

—

—Credentialing/Fee accounts

-76

—

—

-76

-83

-83

-83

-83

—

—Aviation security capital fund

(mandatory spending)

-250

—

—

-250

—

—

—

-250

—

Operational Component

—Checkpoint screening security fund

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

-250

3,561

402

-2

3,962

3,771

3,843

3,685

4,021

—

5,478h

120i

-26

5,572

5,894

5,885

5,931

5,891

70

—Environmental compliance & restoration

11

—

—

11

12

15

12

13

—

—Reserve training

122

—

—

122

127

127

127

127

—

834j

991j

993j

96

16

16

16

—

Net total

U.S. Coast Guard

—Operating expenses

—Acquisition, construction, & improvements

1,306

30

—

1,336

949j

—Alteration of bridges

16

—

—

16

—

—Research, development, tests, & evaluation

17

—

—

17

18

18

26

25

—

—Retired pay (mandatory, entitlement)

1,063

30

—

1,093

1,185

1,185

1,185

1,185

—

—Health care fund contribution

279

—

—

279

272

272

272

272

—

Gross total

8,292

180

-26

8,447

8,457

8,352

8,559

8,522

166

CRS-27

FY2007 Appropriation

FY2008 Appropriation

FY2007

Enacted

FY2007

Supp.

FY2007

Resc.

FY2007

Total

FY2008

Request

FY2008

House

Passed

FY2008

Senate

Passed

FY2008

Omnibus

FY2008

Emergency

P.L. 110-161

—Salaries and expenses

961

—

—

961

1,095

1,393

1,392

1,382

—

—Investigations and field operations

311

—

—

311

300

—

—

—

—

—Acquisition, construction, improvements, and

related expenses

4

—

—

4

4

4

4

4

—

Gross total

1,276

—

—

1,276

1,399

1,396

1,396

1,385

—

Gross Budget Authority: Title II

29,902

735

-28

30,612

31,585

31,730

31,939

33,110

2,224

Offsetting collections:

-4,779

—

—

-4,779

-5,025

-5,025

-5,025

-5,025

—

Net Budget Authority: Title II

25,123

735

-28

25,833

26,560

26,705

26,914

28,085

2,224

Operational Component

U.S. Secret Service

Source: CRS analysis of the FY2008 President’s Budget, and the DHS Budget in Brief, H.Rept. 110-181, and S.Rept. 110-84, Division E of P.L. 110-161, and tables in the Joint

Explanatory Statement for Division E, published in the Congressional Record, December 17, 2007, pp. H16107-H16121 (incorporating amendments to the budget request).

Notes: Totals may not add due to rounding. Amounts in parentheses are non-adds.

a.

Includes $3 million transfer to FLETC per P.L. 110-28.

b.

Fees include COBRA, Land Border, Immigration Inspection, Immigration Enforcement, and Puerto Rico.

c.

Fees include Exam, Student Exchange and Visitor Fee, Breached Bond, Immigration User, and Land Border.

d.

Includes transfer of $7 million per Sec. 21101 of P.L. 110-5, and $390 million in supplemental appropriations per P.L. 110-28.

e.

Transfer of -$2 million per Sec. 21101 of P.L. 110-5

f.

Fees include TWIC, HAZMAT, Registered Traveler, and Alien Flight School Checks.

g.

Aviation Security Capital Fund, used for installation of Explosive Detection Systems at airports.

h.

Includes $90 million transfer from Department of Defense per P.L. 109-289.

i.

$120 million transfer in emergency FY2007 supplemental funding enacted by P.L. 110-28, transfer from Defense, O&M, Navy.

j.

FY2008 request and House-passed H.R. 2638 include a proposed rescission of $49 million. Senate-passed H.R. 2638 includes a proposed rescission of $57 million of

funds previously appropriated by P.L. 109-90 and P.L. 109-295. Division E of P.L. 110-161 includes a rescission of $133 million in funds previously appropriated by P.L.

108-334, P.L. 109-90, and P.L. 109-295.

CRS-28

Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)49

CBP is responsible for security at and between ports-of-entry along the border. Since

September 11, 2001, CBP’s primary mission is to prevent the entry of terrorists and the

instruments of terrorism. CBP’s ongoing responsibilities include inspecting people and goods to

determine if they are authorized to enter the United States; interdicting terrorists and instruments

of terrorism; intercepting illegal narcotics, firearms, and other types of contraband; interdicting

unauthorized travelers and immigrants; and enforcing more than 400 laws and regulations at the

border on behalf of more than 60 government agencies. CBP is comprised of the inspection

functions of the legacy Customs Service, Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), and the

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); the Office of Air and Marine Interdiction,

now known as CBP Air and Marine (CBPAM); and the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP). See Table 8

for account-level detail for all of the agencies in Title II, and Table 9 for sub-account-level detail

for CBP Salaries and Expenses (S&E) for FY2007 and FY2008.

President’s FY2008 Request

The Administration requested an appropriation of $10,150 million in gross budget authority for

CBP for FY2008, amounting to an $849 million, or 9%, increase over the enacted FY2007 level

of $9,301 million. The Administration requested $8,765 million in net budget authority for CBP

in FY2008, which amounts to a $729 million, or 9%, increase over the net FY2007 appropriation

of $8,036 million.

House-Passed H.R. 2638

House-passed H.R. 2638 included $8,922 million in net budget authority for CBP for FY2008,

amounting to a $886 million, or 11%, increase over the FY2007 enacted amount of $8,036

million (not including supplemental appropriations), and a $157 million or 1% increase over the

FY2008 request.

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638

Senate-passed H.R. 2638 included $8,841 million in net budget authority for CBP for FY2008,

amounting to an $805 million, or 10%, increase over the FY2007 enacted amount of $8,036

million (not including supplemental appropriations), and a $76 million or nearly 1% increase

compared to the FY2008 request. The Senate-passed bill also included a $3,000 million

emergency appropriation (adopted by S.Amdt. 2480) that would be used, among other things, by

CBP for hiring additional U.S. Border Patrol agents and deploying infrastructure and technology

to the border.

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E)

Division E of P.L. 110-161 provides $9,423 million in net budget authority for CBP for FY2008.

This amounts to an increase of $658 million, or 7%, over the FY2008 request and an increase of

49

Prepared by (name redacted) and (name redacted), Analysts in Domestic Security, Domestic Social Policy Division.

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$1,387 million, or 17%, over the enacted amount for FY2007. P.L. 110-161 also includes $2,710

million in emergency funding for border security purposes, of which $1,531 million is provided

to CBP (see Appendix A for details).

Table 9. CBP S&E Sub-account Detail

(budget authority in millions of dollars)

FY2008

Senate

Passed

FY2008

Enacted

FY2008

Emerg.

P.L. 110161

FY2007

Enacted

FY2008

Request

FY2008

House

Passed

Headquarters Management and

Administration

1,248

1,277

1,277

1,236

1,221

—

Border Security Inspections and

Trade Facilitation @ POE

1,860

2,069

2,107

2,101

2,279

271

Inspections, Trade & Travel Facilitation

@ POE

1,327

1,622

1,655

1,676

1,854

271

139

156

156

156

156

—

Other International Programs

9

9

9

11

11

—

C-TPAT

55

56

61

62

62

—

FAST/Nexus/SENTRI

11

11

11

11

11

—

Inspection and Detection Technology

241

136

136

105

105

—

Systems for Targeting

27

28

28

28

28

—

National Targeting Center

24

24

24

24

24

—

Training at POE

25

25

25

25

25

—

Harbor Maintenance Fee

3

3

3

3

3

—

Border Security and Control

Between POE

2,278

3,037

3,037

3,037

3,075

38

Border Security and Control

Between POE

2,240

2,984

2,984

2,984

3,022

38

Training Between the POE

38

53

53

53

53

—

176a

208

208

227

227

14

5,562a

6,591

6,630

6,601

6,803

323

Activity

Container Security Initiative (CSI)

Air and Marine Operations Salaries

CBP Salaries and

Expenses Total:

Source: CRS analysis of the FY2008 President’s Budget, and the DHS Budget in Brief, H.Rept. 110-181, and

S.Rept. 110-84, Division E of P.L. 110-161, and tables in the Joint Explanatory Statement for Division E, published

in the Congressional Record, December 17, 2007, pp. H16107-H16121 (incorporating amendments to the

budget request)..

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding.

a.

Does not include $75 million in supplemental appropriations provided by P.L. 110-28.

Issues for Congress

Several issues arose during the congressional debate over appropriations for CBP. This issues

included, but were not limited to the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), border fencing; staffing

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levels, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), covered law enforcement officer status

for CBP Officers, and cargo and container security issues.

SBInet

The Administration requested $1,000 million for the deployment of SBInet50 related technologies

and infrastructures in FY2008; however, the Administration’s request does not identify how that

funding will be apportioned between the fencing, infrastructure, and technology components of

the account. According to the DHS budget submission, SBInet will initially focus on the

southwest land border between POE and will deploy a mix of personnel, technology,

infrastructure, and response assets in order to “provide maximum tactical advantage in each

unique border environment.”51 CBP plans to construct an SBInet command center that will

provide a common operating picture for all DHS agencies and external stakeholders.

In FY2007, DHS announced that it had awarded a prime integrator contract to Boeing to oversee

the deployment of SBInet; P.L. 109-295 required that any contract action related to SBI valued at

over $20 million be reviewed by the DHS Inspector General to ensure it adheres to applicable

cost requirements, performance objectives, and program milestones. Possible issues for Congress

could include whether the contracting associated with SBInet is being carried out responsibly and

effectively, and how funding is apportioned between the technology, infrastructure, and fencing

components of the account.

H.R. 2638 fully funds the President’s request for SBInet, but withholds $700 million pending the

submission of an expenditure plan that would, among other things, identifies: the activities,

milestones, and costs associated with implementing the program, including the maximum

foreseeable investment and the life-cycle costs; the funding and staffing requirements of the

program by activity; how SBInet will address the security needs of the northern border; and, for

each segment of the border where fencing or tactical infrastructure will be constructed, an

analysis of alternative means of achieving operational control over those areas.

Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would also fully fund the President’s request for SBInet; the bill also

included a $3,000 million emergency supplemental appropriation that could be used, among other

things, to deploy four unmanned aerial vehicles and 105 camera and radar towers to the border as

part of the SBInet initiative. The Senate Committee on Approriations asserted, however, that

“[t]he Department’s track record on major development programs is spotty at best” and noted that

it “will be closely watching to ensure that SBInet meets performance objectives, is delivered on

time, and on budget.”52

Division E of P.L. 110-161 expresses concern with the overall coordination of the SBI program

and directs DHS to provide a briefing within 120 days of enactment on how the program is being

effectively coordinated and how the FY2007 funds that were appropriated for the Office of

50

SBInet is the technological and infrastructure component of the Secure Border Initiative (SBI), a multifaceted

approach to securing the border. In its FY2007 budget submission, DHS asserted that it had “developed a three-pillar

approach under the SBI that will focus on controlling the border, building a robust interior enforcement program, and

establishing a Temporary Worker Program.” DHS FY2007 Justification, p. CBP S&E 4.

51

DHS FY2008 Justification, p. CBP BSFIT 3.

52

S.Rept. 110-84, p. 37.

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Secure Border Coordination in FY2007 were obligated. The bill would provide $1,225 million for

SBInet, but would withhold $650 million until an expenditure plan is received and approved.

Fencing

In the 109th Congress, the Secure Fence Act (P.L. 109-367) directed DHS to construct two-layered

reinforced fencing and additional physical barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors along

five stretches of the southwest border. CBP has estimated that these stretches of fencing will total

roughly 850 miles53 of the southern border. DHS has stated that its FY2008 request, when

combined with prior year appropriations, will fund the completion of 370 cumulative miles of

fencing along the southern border.54 However, DHS has not identified what the actual amount of

funding that will be used for border fencing is, or how much it will cost to maintain the fencing in

future fiscal years. According to CBP Congressional Affairs, this fencing will be a combination of

primary and two layer fencing, will be constructed along areas of the border where DHS

determines fencing will provide a tactical advantage, and will be constructed by some mix of

private contractors and the National Guard (supervised by the Army Corps of Engineers).55 As of

FY2007, border fence construction has been included within the Border Security, Fencing,

Infrastructure and Technology account. Possible issues for Congress as it considers the issue of

border fencing could include whether DHS is complying with the legislative mandates set out in

P.L. 109-367, what the total costs associated with building and maintaining the border fencing

will be, and oversight of the contracting involved if private contractors are used to build the

fencing.

Both the House and Senate passed bills fully funded the President’s request for border fencing.

Senate-passed H.R. 2638 also included a $3,000 million emergency supplemental appropriation

that could be used, among other things, for constructing 700 miles of fencing along the southern

border. P.L. 110-161, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, strikes the five specific

stretches of fencing required by the Secure Fence Act in the 109th Congress and instead requires

DHS to construct not less than 700 miles of reinforced fencing at the border. This new language

gives DHS discretion as to where this fencing will be constructed, and mandates that 370 miles of

fencing be completed by December 31, 2008. The Act also requires DHS to consult with the

Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, states, local governments, Indian tribes, and

property owners along the border in order to minimize the potential impact that fencing may have

on border communities and the environment.

CBP Staffing

Staffing issues have long been of interest to Congress, and there has been considerable debate

concerning the appropriate level of staffing that CBP needs to effectively carry out its mission.

CBP’s staffing needs include not only Border Patrol Agents (discussed in the following section),

but also officers stationed at the nation’s ports of entry, import and trade specialists, pilots, and a

variety of other positions. In addition to the debate over the appropriate level of staffing, other

issues such as training resources, infrastructure demands, absorption of new staff, attrition, and

hiring are also important. In an effort to address the concerns regarding CBP’s staffing, the

53

From CBP Congressional Affairs, September 25, 2006.

DHS FY2008 Justification, p. CBP BSFIT 12.

55

From CBP Congressional Affairs, January 26, 2007.

54

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Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-347), and the

conference report to the FY2007 DHS Appropriations bill H.R. 5441, H.Rept. 109-699, required

CBP to submit a resource allocation model (RAM) to the Congress no later than January, 23,

2007. This report (the RAM) was required to address staffing levels at all ports of entry, and to

provide the complete methodology for aligning staff across mission areas. The House

Appropriations Committee noted in its report (H.Rept. 110-181) to the FY2008 DHS

Appropriations bill that CBP had yet to submit the staffing model, and that staffing allocation

remains a concern for the committee particularly at airports. H.Rept. 110-181 directed CBP to

submit its staffing model to the committee by October 15, 2007.

The Explanatory Statement56 to Division E of P.L. 110-161 notes that CBP has satisfied the

requirements laid out in H.Rept. 110-181 through its briefings and letters regarding the Workload

Staffing Model (WSM). Division E of P.L. 110-161 also directs DHS to make every effort to

comply with previous congressional mandates concerning increasing the number of Border Patrol

agents and CBP officers deployed to the northern border, and directs CBP to provide quarterly

hiring briefings on the progress they have made in this regard.

Hiring U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) Agents

The Administration requested an increase of $481 million to hire 3,000 new USBP agents in order

to bring the total number of agents to 17,819 by the end of calendar year 2008.57 This would

roughly double the size of the USBP from the time the President took office in 2001. One

potential issue for Congress may include whether this hiring goal is attainable. In FY2006,

Congress appropriated funding for 1,500 additional agents; however, at the end of FY2006 the

border patrol had increased by 1,051 agents to 12,319.58 This means that DHS fell roughly 30%

short of their goal for agents hired in FY2006; additionally, the USBP experienced an attrition

rate of 7% in FY200659 making their hiring goals more difficult to attain. The FY2007

appropriation for DHS included an increase of 2,500 agents for the USBP. A potential issue for

Congress may involve whether some incentives should be offered to help DHS recruit additional

agents or keep existing agents from leaving the agency. House-passed H.R. 2638 fully funded the

President’s request, but would direct DHS to deploy an additional 500 USBP agents to the

northern border in FY2008. Senate-passed H.R. 2638 also fully funds the Administration’s

request, and directed DHS to ensure that 20% of the increase in agents during FY2008 be

assigned to the northern border as per P.L. 108-458. In addition, Senate-passed H.R. 2638

included a $3,000 million emergency supplemental appropriation that could be used, among other

things, to bring the overall USBP workforce to 23,000 agents. Division E of P.L. 110-161 fully

funds the President’s request.

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)

The Administration requested an increase of $252.4 million for WHTI. WHTI will require U.S.

citizens, and Canadian, Mexican, and some island nation nationals to present a passport, or some

other document or combination of documents deemed sufficient to denote identity and citizenship

56

Congressional Record, December 17, 2007, p. H16081.

DHS FY2008 Justification, p. CBP S&E 49.

58

From CBP Congressional Affairs, February 8, 2007.

59

From CBP Congressional Affairs, December 12, 2006.

57

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations

status by the Secretary of Homeland Security, as per P.L. 108-458 §7209. DHS announced that it

is requiring all U.S. citizens entering the country at air and sea POE to present passports as of

January 18, 2007; the current legislative mandate for expanding the program to all POE is the

earlier of the following two dates: June 1, 2009 or three months after the Secretaries of

Homeland Security and State certify that a number of implementation requirements have been

met.60

The FY2008 request for WHTI included funding to hire 205 CBP officers and to deploy WHTI

pilot programs to 13 POE.61 Possible issues for Congress may include whether DHS is on track to

meet its implementation deadlines, how the WHTI program will interface with existing registered

traveler programs (i.e., Nexus and SENTRI), and whether any POE infrastructure modifications

or expansions will be required to accommodate WHTI technology. House-passed H.R. 2638

included $225 million for WHTI, $27 million less than the President’s request. H.R. 2638 also

includes language that would withhold $100 million of this funding until CBP reports on the

findings of the 13 WHTI pilot programs that are currently being conducted. This report should

include, among other things, the infrastructure and staffing required by POE, confirmation that

the radio frequency technology being used has been adequately tested, and updated milestones for

implementing the program. Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would fully fund the WHTI program and

would push back its implementation date to the later of the following two dates: June 1, 2009, or

three months after the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security certify that a series of

implementation requirements have been met.62 H.R. 2764, the Consolidated Appropriations Act,

2008, includes $225 million for WHTI but withholds $75 million of this total until the report

mentioned above is submitted. The bill would also prohibit DHS from implementing the program

before the later of the following two dates: June 1, 2009, or three months after the Secretaries of

State and Homeland Security certify that a series of implementation requirements have been met.

Covered Law Enforcement Officer Status for CBP Officers

House-passed H.R. 2638 (Sec. 533) included a provision directing DHS to extend federal law

enforcement officer status to CBP officers for retirement purposes. Citing concern that CBP is

losing valuable officers to other agencies due to the disparity in retirement pay, the House

Appropriations Committee directed DHS to offer voluntary conversions of all eligible CBP

officer positions to federal law enforcement officer status no later than July 1, 2008. Housepassed H.R. 2638 included $50 million to cover the FY2008 costs associated with this

conversion. Senate-passed H.R. 2638 did not include a similar provision. Division E of P.L. 110161 (Sec. 535), contains language similar to that found in the House bill.

International Registered Traveler Program and Related Screening Systems

Division E of P.L. 110-161 authorizes CBP to develop an international registered traveler

program and to enhance the screening of incoming international air passengers, and $45 million is

appropriated to develop the needed technologies and infrastructure to provide for real time

screening of incoming international air travelers. In addition, CBP has been provided $36 million

60

P.L. 109-295 §546.

FY2008 DHS Congressional Budget Justification, pp. CBP S&E 61-62.

62

These implementation requirements are specified in 8 U.S.C. 1185 note.

61

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to implement the electronic travel authorization program for visa-waiver countries, and would be

directed to coordinate the program’s development with the US-VISIT office.

Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT)

The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) is a public-private partnership

program aimed at improving supply chain security. DHS requested no funding increases for

C-TPAT in the FY2008 budget request. During the debate surrounding both the Dubai Ports issue

and the SAFE Port Act (P.L. 109-347), several questions were raised regarding the vigor of the CTPAT validation process and the pace at which CBP was able to conduct the validations. An issue

for Congress might be why no additional funds were requested for C-TPAT given that the SAFE

Port Act (P.L. 109-347) requires DHS to launch a pilot program to test 3rd party validations of CTPAT certified applicants. The SAFE Port Act also now requires CBP to re-validate already

validated C-TPAT members once every four years. Senate report S.Rept. 110-84 notes the

concerns of GAO and other experts regarding C-TPAT security inspections and validations, and

further notes that as of March 1, 2007, CBP has 157 supply chain security specialists (SCSS) on

board. Senate-passed H.R. 2638 contained $62 million for C-TPAT; an additional $7 million

above the request for CBP to hire an additional 50 SCSS to bring the total number of SCSS to 207

FTE. House-passed H.R. 2638 included $61 million for C-TPAT, $5 million more than requested

for FY2008. Division E of P.L. 110-161 provides $62 million for C-TPAT, including funding to

hire 50 SCSS as included in the Senate-passed version of H.R. 2638.

Container Security Initiative (CSI)

CSI is a program by which CBP stations CBP officers in foreign ports to target high-risk

containers for inspection before they are loaded on U.S.-bound ships. CSI is operational in 50

ports as of October 2006. Current plans are to have CSI operational in 58 ports by the end of

FY2007 and to continue to expand CSI to strategically important ports throughout FY2008. The

CBP Budget Justifications indicate a requested increase of nearly $17 million for the CSI

program for FY2008. However, $15 million of this increase is for the Secure Freight Initiative

(SFI) program. The rest of the increase for CSI is for non-programmatic increases (pay and nonpay inflation). An issue for Congress might be why additional funding for CSI was not requested

given that DHS anticipates expanding CSI in FY2008 to additional strategically important ports.

Questions could also arise concerning the impact (at 6 foreign ports, see below) the first iteration

of the SFI will have on CSI operations at SFI pilot ports. SFI represents a change in cargo

security strategy from targeting high-risk containers for scanning and inspection under CSI, to

performing an integrated scan (radiation detection, image, and information risk factors) on all

U.S.-bound containers. Both House-passed H.R. 2638 and Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would have

fully funded the request for CSI at $156 million for FY2008. Division E of P.L. 110-161 provides

$156 million for CSI.

Secure Freight Initiative (SFI)

The Secure Freight Initiative (SFI) is a DHS program aimed at securing the cargo on its journey

from its origin in a foreign country to its final destination in the United States. The first iteration

of SFI is being operated by CBP in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), and

several foreign governments. The current iteration of SFI is being operated as a part of CSI and

involves several CSI ports. Under SFI, DHS plans to deploy scanning, imaging, and secure

communications equipment to selected ports to develop a so-called integrated scan (radiation

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detection, image, and information risk factors) of all U.S.-bound containers leaving the port. SFI

at Port Qasim, Pakistan; Puerto Cortes, Honduras; and at Southampton in the United Kingdom

will be fully operational scanning all U.S.-bound containers from these ports. SFI will gradually

be deployed in more limited capacities at Port Salaleh, Oman; the Port of Singapore; and at the

Port of Busan, South Korea. Additionally, Hong Kong officials have agreed to allow DHS to

continue testing the existing integrated cargo inspection system (ICIS) at the port of Hong

Kong. Approximately 24.5% of U.S.-bound containers originate from these test ports, including

Hong Kong.63

Under a fully operational SFI scenario, all U.S.-bound containers from that port would be

scanned with the integrated scanning system. This will require additional resources on the part of

the host country governments and on the part of CBP. The FY2008 request for CBP includes $15

million for SFI within the CSI program. Currently under CSI, high-risk containers are inspected

before they are loaded on U.S.-bound ships, while SFI envisions all U.S.-bound containers being

subject to the “integrated scan” prior to loading. This SFI strategy raises a number of questions,

including issues concerning: workload (switching from a targeted approach to scanning all

containers will require more resources); resolving alarms (the more containers that are scanned

the more alarms will have to be resolved); equipment (who is operating and providing the

equipment); and funding (is $15 million sufficient to cover the initial phase of the program). As

previously mentioned, both House-passed H.R. 2638 and Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would fully

fund the request for CSI (which includes $15 million for SFI) at $156 million for FY2008.

Division E of P.L. 110-161 fully funds the request for CSI and includes an additional $13 million

for the “competitive procurement of commercially available technology” to support SFI and the

proposed Global Trade Exchange.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)64

ICE focuses on enforcement of immigration and customs laws within the United States. ICE

develops intelligence to reduce illegal entry into the United States and is responsible for

investigating and enforcing violations of the immigration laws (e.g., alien smuggling, hiring

unauthorized alien workers). ICE is also responsible for locating and removing aliens who have

overstayed their visas, entered illegally, or have become deportable. In addition, ICE develops

intelligence to combat terrorist financing and money laundering, and to enforce export laws

against smuggling, fraud, forced labor, trade agreement noncompliance, and vehicle and cargo

theft. Furthermore, this bureau oversees the building security activities of the Federal Protective

Service, formerly of the General Services Administration. The Federal Air Marshals Service

(FAMS)65 was returned from ICE to TSA pursuant to the reorganization proposal of July 13,

2005. The Office of Air and Marine Interdiction was transferred from ICE to CBP, and therefore

the totals for ICE do not include Air and Marine Interdiction funding, which is included under

CBP. See Table 8 for account-level detail for all of the agencies in Title II, and Table 10 for subaccount-level detail for ICE Salaries and Expenses (S&E) for FY2007 and FY2008.

63

Eric Kulisch, “Secure Freight Debuts: DHS to follow automated cargo scanning pilot with private sector data

warehouse,” American Shipper, vol. 49, no. 2 (February, 2007), p.10.

64

Prepared by (name redacted), Specialist in Immigra

tion Legislation, Domestic Social Policy Division.

65

FAMS transferred to ICE from TSA in August of 2003.

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President’s FY2008 Request

The Administration requested $5,015 million in gross budget authority for ICE in FY2008. This

represented a 6% increase over the enacted FY2007 level of $4,727 million. The Administration

requested an appropriation of $4,168 million in net budget authority for ICE in FY2008,

representing a 5% increase over the FY2007 enacted level of $3,958 million. Table 10 provides

activity-level detail for the Salaries and Expenses account. The request included the following

program increases:

•

$7 million (19 FTE) for the Office of Professional Responsibility to investigate

allegations of criminal and serious misconduct involving ICE and CBP

employees;

•

$11 million (32 FTE) for BEST Task Forces;

•

$5 million (15 FTE) for ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and

Employers (IMAGE), an initiative with private employers to improve worksite

enforcement;

•

$2 million (4 FTE) for the Trade Transparency Unit to coordinate investigations

with foreign governments and law enforcement to combat trade-based money

laundering;

•

$5 million (18 FTE) to enhance ICE’s anti-gang initiative (Operation Community

Shield);

•

$26 million for 287(g) agreements;66

•

$16 million (2 FTE) for information technology investments;67

•

$31 million (28 FTE) for 600 additional detention beds and support personnel;

•

$29 million (110 FTE) for the Criminal Alien Program (CAP), which includes the

Institutional Removal Program (IRP) and the Criminal Alien Apprehension

Program (ACAP);68 and

•

$11 million for centralized ticketing operation and additional air transportation

(including use of the Justice Prisoners and Alien Transportation System [JPATS])

for alien removals.

House-Passed H.R. 2638

House-passed H.R. 2638 would have appropriated $4,192 million in net budget authority for ICE,

which would have represented an increase of $24 million over the Administration’s requested

amount. In addition, House-passed H.R. 2638 would have appropriated $4,155 million for

Salaries and Expenses, $7 million less than the Administration’s request, but this decrease,

66

This increase includes money for training 250 state and local law enforcement officers, 350 detention beds and

associated staff, and $8 million for T-1 data transmission lines, computers with IDENT/ENFORCE capabilities and

connectivity to ICE databases.

67

This increase includes $11 million for Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) IT modernization; $2 million for

mobile IDENT/ENFORCE devices; and $2 million for upgrading immigration enforcement systems.

68

The increase for CAP will fund 22 additional 10-person CAP teams replacing an estimated 360 Special Agents

performing CAP duties.

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according to H.Rept. 110-181 would have been due to a reallocation of funds to the

“Automatization Modernization” account. Table 10 provides activity-level detail for the Salaries

and Expenses account.

Of the appropriated amount, $10 million would have been for special operations under §3131 of

the Customs Enforcement Act of 1986; $11 million would have been designated to fund or

reimburse other federal agencies for the cost of care, and repatriation of smuggled aliens; and $16

million would have been targeted for enforcement of laws against forced child labor. Additionally,

H.Rept. 110-181 recommended an increase over FY2007 funding of:

•

$43 million for the Criminal Alien Program (CAP), which includes the

Institutional Removal Program (IRP) and the Criminal Alien Apprehension

Program (ACAP);

•

$11 million for the Alternatives to Detention program;

•

$7 million for the Office of Professional Responsibility, $1 million of which

should have been used for a third-party compliance review pilot program to

ensure that standards are met at detention facilities managed by private

contractors;

•

$111 million for Border Enforcement Security (BEST) Task Forces;69

•

$32 million for the three ICE programs that support State and local law

enforcement: Law Enforcement Support Center (LESC), Forensic Document

Laboratory (FDL), and to facilitate agreements under the 287(g) program of the

INA; and

•

$4 million for the Trade Transparency Unit.

The report also recommended funding to increase detention space by 950 beds.

Senate-Passed H.R. 2638

Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would have appropriated $4,433 million in net budget authority for ICE,

which represented an increase of $265 million, 6% over the Administration’s requested amount.

Of the appropriated amount, nearly $8 million would have been for special operations under

§3131 of the Customs Enforcement Act of 1986; $1 million would have provided compensation

awards to informants; $102,000 would have been used to promote public awareness of the child

pornography tipline; $203,000 would have funded project alert;70 $5 million would have been

used to facilitate agreements under §287(g) of the INA; $11 million would have been designated

to fund or reimburse other federal agencies for the cost of care, and repatriation of smuggled

aliens; and $16 million would have been targeted for enforcement of laws against forced child

labor.

69

ICE-led BEST task forces coordinate federal, state, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement and intelligence entities

to disrupt cross-border criminal organization to mitigate border security vulnerabilities. This increase would fund the

existing BEST task force in Laredo, TX, and establish six additional task forces.

70

Project ALERT was launched by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 1992, and consists of

retired law enforcement agents who volunteer to provide assistance, as requested, to law enforcement agencies.

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In addition, Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would have appropriated $4,402 million for Salaries and

Expenses, $240 million or 6% more than the Administration’s request. Table 10 provides activitylevel detail for the Salaries and Expenses account. Additionally, S.Rept. 110-84 recommended an

increase over the Administration’s request of:

•

$147 million for 3,050 additional detention beds and 248 detention and

removal positions;

•

$33 million for transportation and removal activities;

•

$2 million, including 4 FTE, to establish an “Office of Policy and Planning”

within the Detention and Removal Office (DRO);71

•

$9 million for Fugitive Operations Teams;72

•

$11 million (146 positions) for additional CAP teams;73

•

$240 million for more than 700 immigration enforcement and detention and

removal positions;

•

$3 million including 4 positions for development of an ICE-wide training

program for new and mid-career level managers;

•

$3 million (10 FTE) for BEST Task Forces;

•

$10 million (63 positions) for to enhance ICE’s anti-gang initiative (Operation

Community Shield);

•

$15 million (50 FTE) for worksite enforcement efforts; and

•

$11 million (63 positions) to fully staff the Document and Benefit Fraud

Task Forces.

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E)

Congress appropriated $4,734 million in net budget authority for ICE, which represented an

increase of $566 million, 14% over the Administration’s request, and $776 million, 20% more

than the FY2007 appropriation. Of the total appropriated amount, nearly $8 million is for special

operations under §3131 of the Customs Enforcement Act of 1986; $1 million is to provide

compensation awards to informants; $305,000 is to promote public awareness of the child

pornography tipline; $203,000 is to fund project alert;74 $5 million is to be used to facilitate

agreements under §287(g) of the INA; $11 million is designated to fund or reimburse other

federal agencies for the cost of care, and repatriation of smuggled aliens; and $16 million is for

the enforcement of laws against forced child labor. Furthermore, of the total amount appropriated,

P.L. 110-161 specifies that at least $2,381 million is to be used for detention and removal

71

The Office of Policy and Planning assesses existing policy for suitability given the growth in detention, ensures

adherence to detention standards, and is responsible for the development and modification of new policies as they relate

to DRO-wide programs.

72

Fugitive Operations Teams would be expanded from the Administration’s request of 75 teams to 81 teams.

73

With the additional monies, CAP teams would be expanded from the Administration’s request of 22 teams to

30 teams.

74

Project ALERT was launched by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 1992, and consists of

retired law enforcement agents who volunteer to provide assistance, as requested, to law enforcement agencies.

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operations, and $200 million is to improve and modernize efforts to identify and remove criminal

aliens.

In addition, P.L. 110-161 appropriated $4,688 million for Salaries and Expenses, $526 million or

13% more than the Administration’s request, and $801 million or 21% more than the FY2007

appropriation. Table 10 provides activity-level detail for the Salaries and Expenses account.

Table 10. ICE S&E Sub-account Detail

(budget authority in millions of dollars)

FY07

Enacted

FY08

Request

HQ & Administration

274

314

299

317

316

4

Legal Proceeding

187

208

208

208

208

—

Investigations - Domestic

1,285

1,372

1,370

1,411

1,422

50

Investigations - International

105

108

108

108

108

—

1,390

1,480

1,478

1,519

1,530

50

51

52

52

52

52

—

DRO - Custody Operations

1,382

1,460

1,451

1,606

1,647

186

DRO - Fugitive Operations

183

186

183

195

219

33

DRO - Criminal Alien Program

137

168

180

179

179

—

DRO - Alternatives to

Detention

44

44

55

44

54

10

DRO - Transportation and

Removal Program

238

249

249

283

282

33

DRO Total:

1,984

2,107

2,118

2,306a

2,381

262

Comprehensive

Identification and Removal

of Criminal Aliens

—

—

—

—

200

200

ICE Salaries and Expenses:

3,887

4,162

4,155

4,402

4,688

516

Activity

Investigations Total:

Intelligence

FY08

Senate

Passed

FY08

Enacted

FY2008

Emerg.

P.L. 110161

FY08

House

Passed

Sources: DHS FY2008 Congressional Budget Justifications, p. PBO-55, and the conference report (H.Rept. 109476) to H.R. 5441. The ICE justifications distributed funding for HQ and Administration throughout the agency’s

other accounts. In order to be more precise, this table presents the HQ and Administration account as specified

in the Performance Budget Overview section of the DHS FY2008 Congressional Budget Justifications.

Unspecified supplemental from P.L. 109-234, H.Rept. 110-181, and S.Rept. 110-84, Division E of P.L. 110-161,

and tables in the Joint Explanatory Statement for Division E, published in the Congressional Record, December

17, 2007, pp. H16107-H16121 (incorporating amendments to the budget request).

Note: Totals may not add due to rounding.

a.

This amount does not include an unspecified amount of emergency funding for additional detention beds

from the $3,000 million emergency funding for border security activities included in the bill.

Issues for Congress

ICE is responsible for many divergent activities due to the breath of the civil and criminal

violations of law that fall under ICE’s jurisdiction. As a result, the allocation of resources in a

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manner in which to best achieve their mission is a continuous issue. In addition, part of ICE’s

mission includes locating and removing deportable aliens, which involves determining the

appropriate amount of detention space, as well as which aliens should be detained. Another issue

is the ability of ICE to identify criminal aliens while they are incarcerated for their criminal

activity so that the aliens can be removed prior to being released into the community. Also, there

has been debate concerning the extent to which state and local law enforcement should aid ICE

with the identification, detention, and removal of deportable aliens.

Office of Investigations/Immigration Functions

The Office of Investigations (OI) in ICE focuses on a broad array of criminal and civil violation

affecting national security such as illegal arms exports, financial crimes, commercial fraud,

human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, child pornography/exploitation, worksite enforcement,

and immigration fraud. ICE special agents also conduct investigations aimed at protecting critical

infrastructure industries that are vulnerable to sabotage, attack, or exploitation. The Homeland

Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296) abolished the INS and the United States Customs Service,

and transferred most of their investigative functions to ICE effective March 1, 2003. There are

investigative advantages to combining the INS and Customs Services, as those who violate

immigration laws often are engaged in other criminal enterprises (e.g., alien smuggling rings

often launder money). Nonetheless, concerns have been raised that not enough resources have

been focused on investigating civil violations of immigration law and that ICE resources have

been focused on terrorism and the types of investigations performed by the former Customs

Service.75 For FY2008, Congress appropriated $1,530 million for OI, while the President’s budget

requested $1,480 million. Comparatively, for OI, House-passed H.R. 2638 would have

appropriated $1,478 million and Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would have appropriated $1,519

million.

Detention and Removal Operations

Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) in ICE provide custody management of aliens who are

in removal proceedings or who have been ordered removed from the United States.76 DRO is also

responsible for ensuring that aliens ordered removed actually depart from the United States.

Many contend that DRO does not have enough detention space to house all those who should be

detained. A study done by DOJ’s Inspector General found that almost 94% of those detained with

final orders of removal were deported, whereas only 11% of those not detained, who were issued

final orders of removal, left the country.77 Concerns have been raised that decisions on which

aliens to release and when to release the aliens may be based on the amount of detention space,

not on the merits of individual cases, and that the amount of space may vary by area of the

country leading to inequities and disparate policies in different geographic areas. The Intelligence

Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-458, §5204) authorized, subject to

appropriations, an increase in DRO bed space of 8,000 beds for each year, FY2006-FY2010. P.L.

75

Based on CRS discussions with ICE personnel in New York City, August 27, 2003.

For more information on detention issues see CRS Report RL32369, Immigration-Related Detention:

Current Legislative Issues, by (name redacted). Under the INA aliens can be removed for reasons of health, criminal

status, economic well-being, national security risks, and others that are specifically defined in the act.

77

Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, The Immigration and Naturalization Service’s Removal of

Aliens Issued Final Orders, Report I-2003-004, February 2003.

76

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110-161 appropriated $2,381 million for DRO and an additional $200 million to “improve and

modernize efforts to identify aliens convicted of a crime, sentenced to imprisonment, and who

may be deportable, and remove them from the United States once they are judged deportable.”

The President’s budget requested a total of $2,107 million for DRO, including an additional $31

million for 600 detention beds and support personnel, and $10.8 million for transportation for

alien removals. Notably, included in the request is an increase in funding for 350 beds and

necessary personnel to carry out 287(g) agreements.78 House-passed H.R. 2638 would have

appropriate $2,118 for DRO. Senate-passed H.R. 2638 contained appropriations for detention

beds in Title II and in an emergency supplemental that was attached to the bill during floordebate. Title II of Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would have appropriated $2,306 for DRO including

increases of $147 million over the Administration’s request for 3,050 additional beds. The

emergency supplemental included in Senate-passed H.R. 2638 specified that within two years

ICE should have the resources to detain 45,000 aliens per day (i.e., 45,000 detention beds), and

would have appropriated $3,000 million for, among other things, the additional detention beds.

Alternatives to Detention

Due to the cost of detaining aliens, and the fact that many non-detained aliens with final orders of

removal do not leave the country, there has been interest in developing alternatives to detention

for certain types of aliens who do not require a secure detention setting. In 2004, ICE began a

pilot program, the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, for low-risk, nonviolent

offenders.79 In addition, ICE uses electronic monitoring devices as another alternative to

detention. For FY2008, Congress appropriated $54 million for alternatives to detention, $1

million less than House-passed H.R. 2638 would have appropriated, and $10 million more than

President’s budget request and would have been appropriated by Senate-passed H.R. 2638.

Criminal Alien Program (CAP)

Criminal aliens are aliens who have committed crimes that make them removable. The potential

pool of removable criminal aliens is in the hundreds of thousands. Some are incarcerated in

federal, state, or local facilities, while others are free across the United States, because they have

already served their criminal sentences.80 DHS’ CAP attempts to locate criminal aliens who have

been released after serving their criminal sentences so that the aliens can be removed from the

United States. In addition, CAP is directed at identifying criminal aliens in federal, state, and

local prisons, and assuring that these aliens are taken into ICE custody at the completion of their

criminal sentences. Although federal prisons have a system to notify ICE when there is an alien in

custody, notification from state and local prisons and jails is not systematic, and many criminal

aliens are released after their criminal sentences are completed rather than taken into ICE custody,

making it more difficult to locate the aliens for deportation and raising the concern that the

released aliens will commit new crimes. Like ICE, INS had historically failed to identify all

78

287(g) agreements allow state and local police forces to undertake some immigration law enforcement functions

under ICE’s supervision. For more information about the 287(g) program, please refer to CRS Report RL32270,

Enforcing Immigration Law: The Role of State and Local Law Enforcement, by Lisa M. Seghetti, (name redacted), and

(name redacted).

79

Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “Public Security: ICE Unveils New

Alternative to Detention,” Inside ICE, vol. 1, no. 5, June 21, 2004, available at http://www.ice.gov.

80

Stana, Challenges to Implementing the Immigration Interior Enforcement Strategy, p. 5.

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removable imprisoned aliens.81 P.L. 110-161 appropriated $179 million specifically for CAP and

an additional $200 million to improve and modernize efforts to identify and remove criminal

aliens. The Act did not specify that the entire $200 million was for the CAP; however, it can be

assumed that at least some of the money will used augment this program. The President’s FY2008

budget request included $168 million for CAP. In comparison, for CAP, House-passed H.R. 2638

would have appropriated $180 million, and Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would have appropriated

$179 million.

State and Local Law Enforcement82

Currently, the INA provides limited avenues for state enforcement of both its civil and criminal

provisions. One of the broadest grants of authority for state and local immigration enforcement

activity stems from INA §287(g), which authorizes the Attorney General to enter into a written

agreement with a state, or any political subdivision to allow an officer or employee of the state or

subdivision, to perform a function of an immigration officer in relation to the investigation,

apprehension, or detention of aliens in the United States. The enforcement of immigration by

state and local officials has sparked debate among many who question what the proper role of

state and local law enforcement officials should be in enforcing federal immigration laws. Many

have expressed concern over proper training, finite resources at the local level, possible civil

rights violations, and the overall impact on communities. Some localities, for example, even

provide “sanctuary” for illegal aliens and will generally promote policies that ensure such aliens

will not be turned over to federal authorities. Nonetheless, some observers contend that the

federal government has scarce resources to enforce immigration law and that state and local law

enforcement entities should be utilized. For FY2008 Congress appropriated $5 million for

§287(g) agreements. The President’s budget request included an increase of $26 million to $78

million for these agreements. Senate-passed H.R. 2638 would have appropriated $52 million for

§287(g) agreements, while House-passed H.R. 2638 would have appropriated $32 million for the

three ICE programs that support State and local law enforcement: (1) Law Enforcement Support

Center (LESC); (2) Forensic Document Laboratory (FDL); and (3) 287(g) agreements.

Federal Protective Service83

The Federal Protective Service (FPS), within ICE, is responsible for the protection and security of

federally owned and leased buildings, property, and personnel. It has two primary missions—

basic security and building specific security. Basic security functions include daily monitoring of

federal building entry and exit points; building specific security includes investigating specific

threats to a federal facility or building. In general, FPS focuses on law enforcement and

protection of federal facilities from criminal and terrorist threats.

81

Of 35,318 criminal aliens released between 1994 and 1999, at least 11,605 went on to commit new crimes. See

Governmental Accountability Office, Criminal Aliens: INS’ Efforts to Identify and Remove Imprisoned Aliens

Continues to Need Improvement, GAO/T-GGD-99-47, February 25, 1999.

82

This section adapted from CRS Report RL32270, Enforcing Immigration Law: The Role of State and Local Law

Enforcement, by Lisa M. Seghetti, (name redacted), and (name redacted).

83

This section authored by (name redacted), Government and Finance Division.

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President’s FY2008 Request

The Administration requested $613 million in FY2008 for these missions.84 With these funds, the

Administration planned for FPS to focus on three objectives or tasks: security policy and

standards, building security assessments, and agency compliance with security standards.85

Currently, FPS utilizes approximately 15,000 contract security guards and 950 uniformed law

enforcement officers. Pursuant to the Administration’s request, FPS intended to move these

uniformed law enforcement officers into other ICE law enforcement offices or reduce the number

through attrition.

House-passed H.R. 2638

The House approved legislation would have prohibited the obligation of FY2008 funds for any

activity that would have reduced the number of in-service FPS police officers, unless the FPS

director provided information to state and local law enforcement agencies that could be affected

by the downsizing. Before reducing the number of FPS uniformed personnel, the director must

prepare a report on the number and type of cases handled by FPS in the previous two fiscal years,

and give copies of the report to officials in jurisdictions with federal buildings protected by FPS.

In addition, the House provision requires that the FPS director negotiate a memorandum of

agreement with each state and local law enforcement agency that details how security needs

identified in the report will be addressed in the future. Finally, the FPS Director would be

required to submit a copy of the report and each memorandum of agreement to the House and

Senate Committees of Appropriation 15 days prior to the reduction in the number of FPS police

officers.86 The report accompanying the House-passed legislation further addresses this issue,

noting that the reduction in FPS police officers will impose a “significant” burden on state and

local law enforcement agencies.87

Senate-passed H.R. 2638

The legislation approved by the Senate required that the DHS Secretary ensure that there are not

fewer than 1,200 FPS law enforcement officers protecting federal buildings. In addition, the

Senate-passed bill stated that the DHS Secretary and the Director of the Office of Management

and Budget adjust security fees, paid by federal agencies for FPS security, to ensure full funding

for not fewer than 1,200 FPS officers.88

FY2008 Enacted (P.L. 110-161, Division E)

Division E of FY2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act requires FPS to maintain not fewer than

1,200 full-time equivalent staff and 900 full-time equivalent police officers “directly” engaged

84

OMB, Budget of the US Government, Fiscal Year 2008, p. 460.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Protective Service, Fiscal Year 2008, Congressional

Justification

86

House-passed H.R. 2638, Title II.

87

U.S. Congress, House Committee on Appropriations, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, 2008,

report to accompany H.R. 2638, 110th Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 110-181 (Washington: GPO, 2007), p. 47.

88

Senate-passed H.R. 2638, Title II.

85

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protecting and enforcing laws at federal buildings on a daily basis.89 As a result, Congress does

not support the Administration’s decision to reduce the number of FPS uniformed officers

through attrition or reassigning them to other ICE offices.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)90

The TSA was created by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA, P.L. 107-71), and it

was charged with protecting air, land, and rail transportation systems within the United States to

ensure the freedom of movement for people and commerce. In 2002, the TSA was transferred to

DHS with the passage of the Homeland Security Act (P.L. 107-296). The TSA’s responsibilities

include protecting the aviation system against terrorist threats, sabotage, and other acts of

violence through the deployment of passenger and baggage screeners; detection systems for

explosives, weapons, and other contraband; and other security technologies. The TSA also has

certain responsibilities for marine and land modes of transportation including assessing the risk of

terrorist attacks to all non-aviation transportation assets, including seaports; issuing regulations to

improve security; and enforcing these regulations to ensure the protection of these transportation

systems. TSA is further charged with serving as the primary liaison for transportation security to

the law enforcement and intelligence communities. See Table 8 for account-level detail for all of

the agencies in Title II, and Table 11 for sub-account-level detail for TSA for FY2007 enacted

levels and supplemental appropriations and FY2008 amounts specified in the President’s request,

the House and Senate bills, and the enacted Division E of P.L. 110-161.

President’s FY2008 Request

The proposed funding level for the TSA, a gross total of $6,564 million, comprises roughly 15%

of the gross total DHS budget request. The President’s FY2008 request estimates about $2,793

million in offsetting collections, mostly through the collection of airline passenger security fees,

yielding at net total requested amount for TSA of $3,771 million, which is paid for out of the

Treasury general fund. In breaking with prior year requests, the President’s FY2008 request does

not propose any changes to the existing passenger security fee structure. In prior years, the

President sought to increase these fees, however the proposed changes to the fee structure failed

to garner much support in Congress.

The proposed FY2008 gross funding level for TSA of $6,564 is roughly comparable to the

FY2007 enacted level of $6,307. Although, notably absent from the requested amount is the $250

million in mandatory funding for the Aviation Security Capital Fund that provides grants to

airports for constructing in-line explosive detection systems (in-line EDS). Authority for this fund

was set to expire at the end of FY2007, but a provision to extend authorization of the fund

through 2028 was included in P.L. 110-53.

Funding for aviation security, the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS), and aviation-related

vetting functions comprises roughly 90% of the total proposed TSA budget. Sub-account level

amounts in the President’s FY2008 request are presented in Table 11. Several aviation security

activities, including training, human resources, checkpoint support, and airport management and

89

P.L. 110-161, Div. E, Title II.

Prepared by (name redacted), Specialist in Aviation Safety, Security, and Technology, Resources, Science, and Industry

Division.

90

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information technology (IT) support, would see a decrease in funding compared to FY2007

enacted levels under the President’s proposal. This appears to be part of an effort to trim overhead

costs, largely through improved efficiency. On the other hand, the President has proposed notable

increases for Explosives Detection System (EDS) and Explosives Trace Detection (ETD)

equipment purchase, installation, and maintenance compared to FY2007 enacted levels. This

increase was anticipated, as much of the fielded explosives detection equipment has been in

service for more than four years and is reaching useful service life requiring additional

maintenance and replacement costs to be factored into the budget process. With regard to screener

staffing, the President has proposed a net increase of 955 full-time equivalent screeners (roughly

a 2% increase in the screener workforce), largely to support a new travel document screening

initiative. The President, however, proposes to trim support staff, resulting in a net decrease of

about 351 FTEs across all of the TSA.

Under the President’s budget proposal, the Transportation Threat Assessment and Credentialing

(TTAC) function would almost be doubled compared to FY2007 enacted levels, with the entire

amount of the increase, $38 million, going toward the Secure Flight development effort. Secure

Flight, the long delayed program that would establish a centralized, federally operated system for

prescreening airline passengers against terrorist watchlists, is now scheduled to become

operational in the summer of 2008. Credentialing fee programs would see a notable increase as

the Registered Traveler program continues its nationwide expansion in FY2008, and the

Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program is scheduled to become fully

operational at the nation’s seaports in FY2008. The President’s budget proposes setting funding

for surface transportation security at $47 million, roughly $10 million above FY2007 enacted

levels. The additional proposed funding would be used to hire additional canine teams and

inspectors for rail and mass transit. Under the President’s proposal funding for Transportation

Security Support functions would remain roughly unchanged from FY2007 enacted levels.

Table 11. TSA Gross Budget Authority by Budget Activity

(budget authority in millions of dollars)

Budget Activity

FY2007

Enacted

FY2007

Supp.

FY2008

Request

Aviation Security

4,732a

397

5,042

5,199

5,043

4,809

—

Screening Partnership

Program (SPP)

149

—

143

147

143

143

—

Passenger & Baggage

Screening (PC&B)

2,470

—

2,638

2,589

2,601

2,636

—

Screener Training & Other

244

—

224

200

200

224

—

Human Resource Services

207

—

182

182

182

182

—

Checkpoint Support

173

25

136

250

136

—

—

EDS/ETD Purchase

141

—

181

—

—

—

—

EDS/ETD Installation

138

—

259

—

—

—

—

EDS/ETD

Installation/Purchase

—

285

—

560

529

294

—

EDS/ETD Maintenance and

Utilities

222

—

264

264

257

264

—

Congressional Research Se

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Homeland Security Department: FY2008 Appropriations · RL34004 | Frix