Senate Bill Provides 31.1% Increase in Homeland Security S&T
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate is positioned to receive a major increase in its FY 2006 funding. The House-approved version of H.R. 2360 provides for an increase of 20.2%. The Senate Appropriations Committee has completed its work on this bill which would increase the Directorate’s funding by 31.1%.
The Senate committee’s bill was sent to the Senate floor on June 16, but has not been voted on yet. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) chairs the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee; Robert Byrd (D-WV) is the Ranking Democratic Member.
Here are the numbers:
The current budget is $1,046.9 million.
The Bush Administration requested $1,287.5 million, an increase of 23.0% or $240.6 million.
The House bill would provide $1,258.6 million, an increase of 20.2% or $211.7 million.
The Senate bill would provide $1,372.4 million, an increase of 31.1% or $325.5 million.
Senate Appropriations Committee Report 109-083 contains extensive language and budget recommendations regarding 18 different activities, and can be accessed at http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app06.html (note that “Science and Technology” can be found almost at the end of the table of contents.) Among the programs described is “University Programs/Homeland Security Fellow Programs.” Current funding for this program is $70.0 million. The Administration requested $63.6 million, which both the House and Senate bills would provide, a reduction of 9.1% or $6.4 million. The Senate report language is as follows:
“University Programs/Homeland Security Fellowship Programs- The Committee provides $63,600,000, as requested in the budget, to fund existing and future Homeland Security Centers of excellence and to continue the university fellows program. The Committee encourages the Department to consider all colleges and universities that meet the requirements of 6 U.S.C. 188 in the selection of university-based centers, including historically black colleges and universities, tribal colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and Alaskan Native-serving institutions.”
The Senate Committee report makes no reference to policy guidance or funding for basic research programs.
