The Department of Homeland Security would get a $3.7 billion boost in fiscal 2016 to hire more border agents, fund anti-terrorism efforts and beef up its cyber security programs, under President Obama's 2016 budget request.
DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said in a statement the increase in funding would help the agency strengthen its current activities and programs while allowing it to adapt quickly to emerging threats.
"The President's FY 2016 Budget provides the resources necessary for the Department of Homeland Security to further strengthen our efforts to fulfill our wide-ranging missions, while also being agile and vigilant in the face of ever-evolving threats and recent world events," said Secretary Johnson.
The budget continues to fund a Customs and Border Protection effort to hire an additional 2,000 officers – an effort begun in 2014 – bringing its total to a record-setting 23,781 CBP officers and 21,370 border patrol agents.
The budget also includes $480 million to help develop and network security, including the EINSTEIN 3 program designed to help protect and anticipate cyber-attacks on agency networks. The budget request also contains $102.6 million for the agency's continuous diagnostics and mitigation program to strengthen federal networks.
DHS will also continue to grow its risk-management programs, such as the Transportation Security Administration's "Pre" program that uses pre-screening techniques to streamline airport security. That program grew from 40 airports to 119 in fiscal 2014, according to DHS.
Customs and Border Protection will also expand its trusted traveler program to help process and track incoming travelers, according to the agency.
The budget also increases Secret Service funding by almost $87 million to enhance White House security. The agency suffered a series of high-profile White House intrusions in 2014.
DHS will also continue its "Unity of Effort" push to better coordinate top-level contracting and management decisions, as well as boost overall agency morale.
"Through strategic review and investments in critical activities and operations across the Department, DHS will incorporate its agencies into a unified decision-making process that empowers its components to effectively execute their missions," according to the budget documents.
