The House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee today approved a homeland security budget print for fiscal year (FY) 2023 that includes $2.93 billion for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), representing a $334 million increase from FY2022 and a $417 million increase over the requested amount.
The subcommittee cleared the bill, which also includes $963.8 million for the Office of Science and Technology, $17 million for Customs and Border patrol to implement a zero trust architecture, and funding for innovative technologies at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
“Among the biggest threats to our national security is the threat of cyberattacks and intrusions as our world moves increasingly online and threats to our democracy grow,” House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said at the markup. “This bill responds by protecting our critical cyber infrastructure and communication systems with dramatically increased funding, including $2.9 billion for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, CISA, an increase of $334.4 million above the fiscal year 2022.”
The subcommittee cleared the bill by voice vote, without amending the bill at this time.
For CISA’s funding bump, the print includes funds for the agency’s cybersecurity, infrastructure security, emergency communications, integrated operations, risk management, stakeholder engagement, and mission support activities.
The agency requested $2.5 billion for FY2023, and in April CISA Director Jen Easterly said that the agency’s budget requests will continue to scale to meet the mission need, as the nation’s only cyber defense agency.
The S&T funding level represents a $77.4 million increase for the office over the FY2022 level and $62.5 million more than the requested funding level. The funding includes $477.4 million for research, development, and innovation.
“This bill provides balanced investments in the broad and diverse set of missions entrusted to the Department of Homeland Security,” Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., said in a release. “It provides significant new resources to improve the nation’s ability to prevent and respond to cyberattacks and threats to critical infrastructure, makes smart investments in border security and humanitarian efforts at the southern border, and continues the transition to a greater reliance on alternatives to detention and case management to ensure the integrity of our immigration laws while also treating migrants with respect and ensuring due process.”
The bill gives $17 million for the CBP Operations and Support Office to implement a zero trust architecture, and also gives the agency $40 million for innovative technologies, $10 million for video monitoring capabilities, and $10 million for port of entry tech. The bill also has funding for non-intrusive inspection technology at ports of entry.
