The Department of Homeland Security’s R&D Budget Priorities for Fiscal Year 2009
Opening Statement By Chairman David Wu
I want to welcome everyone to this morning’s hearing on the FY 09 research and development budget for the Department of Homeland Security. This our second hearing on the DHS R&D budget in the 110th Congress, and I hope that we are able to devote at least some of our time today to learning more about the Department’s accomplishments in the past year.
Though I am glad to see that Administration is demonstrating a better understanding of the need for research and development in support of homeland security goals by increasing its requests for both the Science and Technology Directorate and Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, I am disappointed that many of the issues that arose during last year’s budget hearing remain unresolved. In spite of requests from this Committee and others, this year’s budget request was developed without the guidance of a comprehensive risk analysis that justifies the balance between R&D areas such as biological countermeasures, nuclear detection, cyber security, conventional explosive mitigation, and others.
DHS S&T did release a strategic plan last year, and we appreciate that effort, but that plan did little to answer questions about planning and priorities.
I am disappointed that we do not have better answers about how DHS makes important decisions about where to invest limited resources for R&D. Though Under Secretary Cohen and Director Oxford have done an admirable job at integrating the needs of the mission components of DHS into their research and technology development planning, this Committee continues to hear complaints that outreach does not trickle down to end users outside of DHS. State and local officials, especially first responders--a crucial part of our domestic security enterprise--continue to feel that they are shut out of the process of identifying gaps in capabilities and setting research priorities.
Today I would like to hear about an action plan for how the S&T Directorate and DNDO will ensure that stakeholders outside of DHS are fully integrated into the research planning process, and that their cost and operational needs are met before any technologies are considered ready for deployment.
An additional related issue that I want to address during this hearing is how the S&T Directorate and DNDO conduct testing and evaluation of technologies, and how the results of those tests are used to guide decisions about procurement. According to the Department’s budget request, nearly half the funding in the S&T Directorate will go towards product transition and one-third of the DNDO funding will go towards systems acquisition.
Such a strong emphasis on end-stage technology development and acquisition means that high quality, trustworthy testing is imperative to the Department’s mission. Concerns have been raised about DHS testing and evaluation efforts, some of which have come under close scrutiny by this Committee and others. But at the end of the day, if end users cannot trust that technology works, they will not take advantage of the many benefits we all know technology brings to the day-to-day activities of the homeland security workforce.
Lest you all think that this hearing will be comprised entirely of complaining, let me conclude by commending all of you on some successes. We discussed last year the value of basic research to the homeland security mission.
I see that in this year’s budget request, the basic research investment for the S&T Directorate will reach Under Secretary Cohen’s goal of twenty percent. Additionally, DNDO plans to increase their investment in transformational R&D. A strong investment in basic research keeps DHS S&T flexible and capable of responding to emerging threats quickly. Moreover, much of this money ends up funding academic research that helps build a skilled science and engineering workforce capable of meeting homeland security-related research needs for many years to come. Of course, the S&T Committee always likes to see more long term research, but this is a very good and appropriate first step.
I want to reiterate that I am committed to working with the Department of Homeland Security to ensure that R&D investments are successful in increasing our knowledge of how to confront catastrophes, whether from human or natural causes. I look forward to hearing all of the witnesses’ thoughts on the FY 09 budget request and how that budget supports science and technology to make our nation safer.
Witnesses
Panel
1 - Hon. Jay M. Cohen
Under Secretary for Science and Technology Department of Homeland Security Department of Homeland Security
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2 - Mr. Vayl Oxford
Director Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Department of Homeland Security Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Department of Homeland Security
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3 - Mr. George Ryan
Director of Testing and Evaluation Standards Science and Technology Directorate Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate Department of
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