Hill support builds for Homeland Security's tech budget

The bill gives TSA $800 million to buy and install new airport baggage screening machines. Gene Blythe/AP

House appropriators have approved most of what the Obama administration requested for Homeland Security technology programs and even gave it credit for "some hard decisions" not to seek money for certain efforts.

By the time they voted Friday to send to the House an FY10 Homeland Security spending bill with $42.6 billion in discretionary spending, it was clear the Democratic-led Appropriations Committee is far more closely aligned with the Obama administration than it was with the Bush administration in the previous Congress.

Floor action on the bill is expected this week.

In a report accompanying the bill, the committee commended the department for such budget decisions as not seeking funding for advanced cargo scanning technology and an electronic system to verify when foreigners leave the country.

But no budget request goes through Congress unscathed. When appropriators disagreed with administration decisions, they didn't hesitate to say so.

"The committee understands the demanding nature of the department's mission, as well as resources and technology limitations that make it difficult to consistently satisfy the wide range of expectations from Congress, state and local governments, industries, citizens, other federal departments and foreign governments," appropriators wrote.

"However, the committee expects the departmental leadership to be frank and clear about the limitations it faces as well as the unmet needs it has inherited, so that we can work together to address these challenges," they added.

Seeing Eye To Eye

Appropriators agreed with the administration's decision to not provide new funding for the development of Advanced Spectroscopic Portal monitors. The machines are expected to give security officials better capability to screen cargo containers for illicit materials by distinguishing between threatening and non-threatening items, especially radioactive material.

But the development program has suffered from technical problems. The department now hopes to certify ASP systems by the end of this year using existing funds.

"The committee continues bill language prohibiting full scale procurement of ASP systems until the [department] has certified and reported the committee that a significant increase in operational effectiveness merits such a decision," appropriators said in their report.

"The committee underscores that it wants the department to make the best possible decision about future portal monitor solutions, with no rush to judgment, and so urges the department to ensure certification decisions are based on adequate test information, to include appropriate use of modeling and robust cost-benefit analysis."

Appropriators also agreed with the administration's decision not to provide any funding to implement a system that uses biometrics, such as fingerprints, to verify that foreigners have left the country.

The department has struggled to develop such a system under the U.S. VISIT program for years, and is now testing procedures at airports.

The spending bill directs the department to give Congress a report on the airport test programs by Jan. 15, 2010.

Lawmakers and the administration also agreed not to continue funding for a test program in and around New York City that would use sensors to detect nuclear and radiological material. The test program is known as Securing the Cities.

"The committee believes that a decision to continue [the program] is the responsibility of the greater New York City community, to include whether and how to apply homeland security grants to the costs of continuing operations," appropriators said.

Cuts And Bruises

But in their report, appropriators slammed the department over problems developing a network of sensors to detect biological pathogens in cities across the country, commonly referred to as the BioWatch program.

Appropriators said the department's Office of Health Affairs bought technology without the consent of Congress and was forced to turn off sensors because readings were not accurate.

As punishment, the committee agreed to cut about $15 million from the department's request for BioWatch, allocating the program about $80 million for FY10. Appropriators also directed that BioWatch activities be transferred from the Office of Health Affairs to the department's Science and Technology division.

"The committee is losing patience with the development of next generation systems and must take action to ensure that the taxpayers' dollars are spent judiciously," they said the committee report. "The committee expects to receive the long overdue expenditure plan for the base BioWatch program immediately."

Appropriators also denied the administration's request to migrate and consolidate the department's data centers into two central locations. Lawmakers said the department's inspector general found "a number of alarming problems and vulnerabilities at these two data centers."

"Among the vulnerabilities identified in the report were single points of failure for telecommunications and power, inadequate security, guards that lacked adequate clearances to protect such sensitive facilities, use of water-based fire extinguishers in computer and power facilities, lack of a perimeter fence and failure to consider the risks form being located next to a testing facility for rocket engines," appropriators said.

Generous Allocations

But appropriators were generous toward several programs. For example, the bill gives the Transportation Security Administration $800 million to buy and install new airport baggage screening machines.

That is about $60 million less than the administration sought, but $500 million more than this year's funding level. Appropriators noted that the economic stimulus bill enacted by Congress earlier this year gave TSA an additional $700 million to buy 41 machines.

According to a study commissioned by TSA, funding requirements to procure and install new optimal screening systems at airports will cost $8.2 billion over 20 years.

"This year, the president recognized the importance of addressing these needs and requested a record amount of funding," appropriators said.

On another front, appropriators allocated $112 million, as requested by the administration, for the so-called E-Verify system - a 12 percent increase over FY09 funding. The system allows employers to verify the immigration status of their workers.

About 125,000 companies now use E-Verify. Many lawmakers believe that an electronic employment verification system must be up and running for Congress to pass legislation overhauling the nation's immigration laws.

Appropriators also met the administration's request of $26 million for new activities to screen people and vehicles heading across the nation's southwest border into Mexico.

The efforts are intended to stop illicit cash and guns from going to Mexican drug cartels. Of the $26 million, $10 million is expected to be used to buy and install license plate readers at border checkpoints.