On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it has requested new resources of $40.2 billion for fiscal year 2005. This is an increase of 10 percent above the comparable FY 2004 resource level. The budget substantially increases funding for DHS from 2003 -- the year it was created -- and continues the dramatic growth for agencies that are now a part of DHS.
One key theme of the new budget was providing support for state and local first responders. The budget includes a total of $3.6 billion to support first-responder grants. Since March 1, 2003, DHS allotted more than $8 billion to support state and local preparedness. Between FY 2001 and the FY 2005 budget request, over $14.5 billion in assistance will be made available for state and local programs now under DHS.
The 2005 budget request will provide the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) with the $3.6 billion to continue these enhancements and achieve national preparedness goals -- including doubling the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). ODP will also continue grants for law enforcement terrorism prevention, and direct grants to improve fire departments' response to terrorism and other major incidents.
