Hearing Of The Senate Committee On Homeland Security And Governmental Affairs - The Homeland Security Department's Budget Submission For Fiscal Year 2011

Statement

Budgets reflect our national priorities, and homeland security must
rank high on our priority list. Last year I expressed concern about the
budget cuts for the Department of Homeland Security forecast in the
Administration's first five-year budget. Beginning in Fiscal Year 2011, the
Administration had projected a declining budget that would have resulted in
a total reduction of 4.5 percent.
But perhaps in response to the attempted Christmas Day attack and
the numerous homegrown terrorist plots last year, the Administration has
thankfully reversed course. The President's budget request would increase
the Department's funding for next year by 2.6 percent. While this is a
welcome change, the overall increase does not tell the full story.
Almost 20 percent of this proposed increase -- $200 million -- is
dedicated to providing security in large metropolitan areas in the United
States for the trials of suspected terrorists now held at Guantanamo Bay.
These terrorists could be tried on military bases before military tribunals,
without incurring this unnecessary expense and security risk. Given all the
demands on the budget, why spend hundreds of millions of dollars to move
the trials to vulnerable locations within the United States when there are
safer alternatives?
There are far more urgent needs going unaddressed in the DHS
budget. For example, the President proposes to slash the Coast Guard's
funding by $75 million below last year's budget and reduce the number of
uniformed personnel by more than 1,100 positions. Instead of wasting
millions of taxpayer dollars on civilian trials in large American cities for the
Guantanamo detainees, that $200 million would be better spent on the Coast
Guard.
The Coast Guard took on an expanded homeland security mission after
the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. While remaining responsible for its
traditional missions, including life-saving search and rescue operations, the
Coast Guard now is also responsible for protecting our ports from a wide
variety of threats, including the potential smuggling of weapons of mass
destruction.
An attack on a major port would have devastating consequences,
causing widespread loss of life. Because the ports are vital economic
centers, an attack would also send ripple effects throughout our economy.
As we look forward, it is clear that the Coast Guard's role in homeland
security missions will only expand.
The extraordinary performance of Coast Guard men and women in
response to the earthquake in Haiti stands as the most recent reminder of
how much we need this vital service. As Commandant Allen noted in his
final State of the Coast Guard Address, Coast Guard personnel are the
"federal first responders for the nation." We cannot compromise the
swiftness and flexibility of the Coast Guard, and we cannot afford to cut the
Coast Guard's funding when we need them more than ever.
The homeland security budget also must reflect evolving threats,
particularly in cyber space. As the Director of National Intelligence recently
testified, "malicious cyber activity is occurring on an unprecedented scale
with extraordinary sophistication." Our federal government, and the
Department in particular, must greatly expand its capacity to take on this
threat. Yet, the budget for the National Cyber Security Division would be
reduced by $19 million next year, a reduction that flies in the face of the
growing cyber threat.
There are additional troubling cuts in the President's budget proposal.
Were his budget to be enacted, the Border Patrol would be reduced by 181
agents, despite the soaring smuggling of drugs, cash, and weapons across
our borders. Last year, Senator Lieberman, Senator McCain, and I included
additional funding in the budget resolution for federal agents and other
resources to fight smuggling by the Mexican drug cartels along the
Southwest Border. We must build on that investment.
But there also is a growing problem of smuggling across our Northern
Border. In December, I met with Maine's federal judges who voiced alarm
about the influx of methamphetamine into the United States from Canada. I
am, therefore, concerned that the number of Border Patrol agents would
decrease next year for the first time if the Administration prevails.
The President's budget could also undermine our state and local
partners who are often the first to respond to natural disasters and terrorist
threats. The proposals to deny northern border states Operation
Stonegarden funding, and to insufficiently fund the Fire Act and port
security grant programs, could deprive first responders and local
communities of the resources needed to secure our nation.
On the other side of the ledger, the proposed increases for aviation
security are welcome. America was starkly reminded on Christmas Day of
the vulnerabilities in our aviation security system. To address aviation
security threats, the budget includes significant funding to increase the
number of imaging machines, canines, behavior detection officers, and
Federal Air Marshals protecting airline passengers.
Our nation's top intelligence officials recently testified that it is
"certain" that al Qaeda is planning another attack against the United States
within the next six months. In the face of this testimony, we must ensure
that the Department's budget priorities are aligned to counter the threats we
face from a determined enemy.

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