President Joe Biden's budget for fiscal year 2024 will provide U.S. Department of Homeland Security with billions in discretionary funding to address terrorism and other threats.
The administration's 2024 budget provides $60.4 billion in discretionary funding for DHS and an additional $20.1 billion for the department's disaster relief fund, according to a March 9 news release.
"The threats facing the homeland are more diverse and complex than they were 20 years ago, when the Department of Homeland Security was first created," Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in the release. "The President's budget seeks to protect the security of the American people amidst a very dynamic threat environment."
Money provided to DHS in the budget will pay for protection against threats foreign and domestic, Mayorkas said, according to the release.
"This budget invests in programs that protect us against the threat of terrorism here and from abroad, strengthen the security of our borders, ensure the swift response to and recovery from natural disasters and so much more," he said in the release. "It equips our department to address the threats of today and prepare for the threats of tomorrow."
The budget provides funding to modernize pay and workforce policies of the DHS' Transportation Security Administration, including fulfillment of Biden's promise to pay TSA employees at rates competitive with those of other federal employees, the release reported.
"Enhancements to TSA pay support the president's and Secretary Mayorkas’ commitment to fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in the workforce," the release said, adding that the budget includes $1.4 billion for TSA employee pay.
The budget also provides an addition $149 million for cybersecurity and infrastructure security protection, which comes after funding in 2023 and brings to $3.1 billion the amount invested for DHS to protect the nation's cyberspace, according to the release. That money also is earmarked for programs that reinforce cybersecurity and infrastructure security, including $98 million for the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act and $425 million for the new Cyber Analytics Data System.
The 2024 budget also provides DHS with funds for climate and natural disaster resilience, including money for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prepare for and respond to disasters, the release reported. The budget allots $4 billion for FEMA's climate resilience programs, more than $150 million more that what what provided the previous year.
DHS also plans investments in programs to reduce pollution and protect the public's health, and its own budget includes $123 million for investments in zero-emission vehicles and charging infrastructure, according to the release.
