Senate Review of the 2018 Homeland Security Budget Request

• •The subcommittee reviewed the fiscal year 2018 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security.
• •The budget proposes increased funding for Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for manpower and infrastructure.
• •The budget prioritizes funding for all four phases of the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program for cybersecurity.
• •The budget proposes an increase to airline passenger fees.
• •The budget proposes significant reductions to assistance programs for state and local partners.
• •The budget proposes reductions to research and development investments.
• •The subcommittee identified a need for improved workforce recruitment, development, and retention across the Department.
• •The subcommittee noted that the budget assumes statutory changes that Congress may be unable to enact before the end of the fiscal year.
• •The subcommittee previously authorized funding for a new polar icebreaker in partnership with the Defense Subcommittee.

The hearing sets the stage for federal funding decisions that determine staffing levels for border agents, Secret Service protection, and cybersecurity resources, as well as the level of financial support provided to state and local governments for security initiatives.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.