House panel boosts Homeland Security budget

• By Wilson P. Dizard III
• Jun 20, 2003

The House Appropriations Subcommittee for Homeland Security has approved a fiscal 2004 spending plan that would pump up IT at the Homeland Security Department.

The $29.4 billion budget draft, which would increase funding by $536.7 million over this year and add $1 billion more than the administration requested, must be approved by the full House and reconciled with the Senate appropriations bill.

The bill includes billions of dollars for IT:

• $1.28 billion for baggage-screening programs, including $235 million for explosives detection systems and $100 million for other IT


• $900 million for the Science and Technology Directorate, $97 million above the Bush administration's request


• $530 million for the Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater System


• $350 million for the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indication Technology system


• $318 million for the Customs and Border Protection Bureau's Automated Commercial Environment system.