Border, port, air security score funding hikes.

• Position: Security beat: homeland defense briefs

President George W. Bush in late October signed the 2005 Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which provides $28.9 billion in discretionary spending for the Department of Homeland Security. This is $1.8 billion more than the previous years budget, a 6.6 percent increase.

Including mandatory; fee-funded programs and an effort to detect the release of biological agents--Project BioShield--a total of $40.7 billion will be available to DHS in 2005.

The law provides $419.2 million in new funding to enhance border and port security, including the expansion of pre-screening cargo containers in high-risk areas and the border control. The act allocated $5.1 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, $679 million more than 2004.

Additional funding for the U.S. Coast Guard, a $500 million increase, is designated toward upgrading port security efforts and providing additional resources to implement the Maritime Transportation Security Act. Also in the new budget are $80 million for the next generation of radiation detection monitors to screen entry at America's ports. The spending measure also authorizes $28 million to boost the...