Secretary Napolitano Announces Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Request
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unveiled (01-Feb-2010) the Department's USD56.3 billion fiscal year 2011 budget request, prioritising efforts to enhance security measures that protect against terrorism and other threats. President Obama's budget request for DHS strengthens the ongoing work across the Department in each of DHS' five major mission areas-preventing terrorism and enhancing security; securing and managing the nation's borders; smart and effective enforcement of immigration laws; safeguarding and securing cyberspace; and ensuring resiliency to disasters. [more]
Department of Homeland Security: "Our proposed budget is designed to ensure we have the resources we need to secure America, we are committed to strong fiscal discipline, eliminating redundancy and investing our resources in what works while enhancing security across the board." Secretary Janet Napolitano, 01-Feb-2010. Source: Department of Homeland Security.
AAAE: "Given the difficult budget environment, airport executives are gratified to see that the request released today reflects a continued recognition of the need to invest in aviation security and critical airport infrastructure. We look forward to working with Congress in the months ahead to ensure that airports have the tools they need to address aging infrastructure and meet increased safety and security demands. The federal Airport Improvement Program is certainly an important part of that effort, and the President's request of some USD3.5 billion for the program represents an important starting point as the debate begins on the FY 2011 budget. Additionally, airport executives remain committed to seeing the enactment of an increase in the federal cap on local Passenger Facility Charges to USD7.50 with indexing for construction cost inflation along with a permanent extension of relief from the AMT penalty for airport bonds. Taken together, these measures would improve our infrastructure, stimulate the economy and create good-paying jobs." AAAE President Chip Barclay, 01-Feb-2010. Source: AAAE. [more]
Perhaps the most significant part of the White House 2011 budget proposal is that it did not contain any increases in taxes and fees for airlines and their passengers for the upcoming year. However, the budget reiterated the 2010 proposal to increase the aviation passenger security fee by one dollar per year for three years starting in 2012.
Air Transport Association of America (ATA): "While we are pleased that the federal government is supporting significantly increased federal funding for Advanced Information Technology (AIT) machines and Federal Air Marshals (FAMs), we are disappointed that they again proposed increasing passenger security fees by an additional USD7 billion from 2012 through 2015. We commend the Department of Agriculture's continued commitment to alternative fuels by reprogramming monies to fund a variety of other programs including support for biorefineries to utilize advanced biomass crops and research designed to create cellulosic and advanced biofuels," ATA President and CEO James C. May, 01-Feb-2010. Source: Air Transport Association of America. [more]
The full DHS FY 2011 budget request can be found at www.dhs.gov/xabout/budget/.