4 February 2002

Bush Seeks $38,000 Million to Defend U.S. Against Terrorism

Washington -- President Bush is asking Congress for $38,000 million for homeland security in fiscal year (FY) 2003, an $18,000 million increase over the previous year, the White House says.

The U.S. government "has an absolute obligation to secure the homeland from future terrorist attacks," the White House said in its budget request to Congress February 4. "Homeland security is a challenge of monumental scale and complexity. It will not be cheap, easy, or quick."

Bush said the United States will begin immediately to accomplish four urgent missions:

-- ensure state and local officials are prepared for terrorism,

-- enhance national defenses against biological attacks,

-- secure the nation's borders, and

-- share information and use information technology to secure the United States.

From the Homeland Security budget, the Pentagon will receive $7,800 million to help pay for Defense Department anti-terrorism efforts.

Battling bioterrorism, however, is a major Bush administration priority. Anthrax-tainted letters have killed five people, infected 18 and put 30,000 Americans on antibiotics since the September 11th terrorist attacks that killed thousands in New York City, at the Pentagon and in southeast Pennsylvania.

"The consequences of new, larger, more sophisticated attacks could be much worse," according to the Bush budget request. "We must have no illusions about the threat of germ terror."

The Bush 2003 budget requests $5,900 million to enhance defenses against bioterrorism, which includes:

-- $1,200 million to increase capacity of state and local health delivery systems to respond to bioterrorism attacks;

-- $2,400 million for an aggressive research and development program to develop technologies to strengthen bioterrorism response capabilities. This includes $420 million for the Pentagon to study bioterrorists and ways to fight the use of biological agents as weapons;

"Almost $1,700 million would be provided to the National Institutes of Health to perform fundamental research leading to the development of vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostic tests, and reliable biological agent collection," the budget request said. -- $851 million would be used to improve federal capabilities to respond to bioterrorist attacks, including ensuring enough antibiotics to treat 20 million people. This includes funding for enhancing the nation's smallpox vaccine supply, and enhanced funding to protect the nation's food supply; and

-- $392 million to strengthen the U.S. ability to detect and react quickly to a biological attack through improved communications.

The Bush budget for homeland security also includes $10,600 million to improve border security, and another $4,800 million for enhanced aviation security through the newly created Transportation Security Agency.

Bush also said he is seeking $3,500 million for economic assistance, military equipment, and training for nations dealing directly with the war on terrorism. He wants $121 million for anti-terrorism assistance, training and equipment to help other countries battle global terror.

The administration also requested $52 million to establish a Center for Anti-terrorism and Security Training (CAST) to provide a consolidated tactical training facility.

And, Bush is seeking $4 million for the Treasury Department's Office of Technical Assistance to provide training and other needed expertise to foreign governments' finance ministries and offices to combat terrorist financing, the budget request said.