DHS chief defends grant funding, new satellite office

Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff told the House Homeland Security Committee Wednesday he owes them more information about how the department will transition to a new administration, a position seemingly at odds with a letter he sent Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Tuesday.

In his letter, Chertoff said the transition plan would not be provided to Congress before it is finalized and given to the incoming administration.

"While I appreciate the legitimate role of congressional oversight, I do not believe it would be appropriate -- or even possible at this point -- to share material related to this effort," Chertoff wrote. The letter was released Wednesday by Thompson.

"In most cases, the transition planning documents are still under development and, in any event, they constitute executive branch materials intended to be shared in the first instance with the incoming administration," it said.

The letter did provide answers to some of Thompson's questions.

On another front, Thompson and Homeland Security ranking member Peter King, R-N.Y., said during the hearing they disagreed with proposed funding for homeland security grant programs in the fiscal 2009 budget request.

"We have heard high rhetoric about supporting state and local governments, but then the president's budget short changes them by slashing the funding for the state homeland security grant program by 79 percent," Thompson said.

Chertoff said the department's request for grants is appropriate and about equal to funding it requested for fiscal 2008. It is only lower when compared to the funding enacted by Congress, he added.

Chertoff said the fiscal 2008 is requesting more money than was requested or enacted for fiscal 2008 for a program that assists high-threat urban areas.

And he said grants to states will be about $10 million more than the department requested for fiscal 2008, if a new proposed $110 million grant program is approved.

Lawmakers said they were upset the department is requesting less funding for port security and rail and mass transit security grants than Congress appropriated for fiscal 2008. "When Congress enacts more, we recognize that Congress might have a different view," Chertoff said.

Thompson also questioned how the department will protect the constitutional rights of U.S. residents when it opens a new office that coordinates the use of satellites for homeland security purposes.

Chertoff said the office will improve upon an ad hoc process agencies used to access satellite imagery. He also assured lawmakers the use of satellite imagery will not be expanded, and nothing the department will do will violate existing or future laws to protect the rights of U.S. residents.

He said the department also is "explicitly disavowing" the office from doing surveillance on verbal or written communications of U.S. residents. Additionally, the department will submit a new privacy impact assessment for the office within a month, Chertoff said.