The Department of Homeland Security: A Primer

March 7, 2023 – March 21, 2023 R47446

The Department of Homeland Security:
March 21, 2023
A Primer
William L. Painter
Established in early 2003, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the “youngest”
Specialist in Homeland
cabinet-level department of the U.S. government, and has a broad and complex mission. This
Security and
report is intended to brief congressional staff on the mission, structure, staffing, and funding
Appropriations
of DHS.

After an initial set of “snapshots” of these four parameters, this report includes a basic

history of
 the establishment of DHS,
 how it has been reorganized over the years, and
 how the House and Senate are organized to oversee and legislate on its operations.
More in-depth data are then presented on component-level staffing, and department and component-level funding.
An appendix provides a list of experts congressional clients may choose to reach out to for further information.
This report provides a perspective on DHS reflecting its status at the end of FY2022, with information added to reflect
enacted FY2023 appropriations as of March 1, 2023.
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Introduction
Established in early 2003, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the “youngest”
cabinet-level department of the U.S. government, and has a broad and complex mission. This
report is intended to brief congressional staff on the mission, structure, staffing, and funding of
DHS.
After an initial set of “snapshots” of these four parameters, this report includes a basic history of
 the establishment of DHS,
 how it has been reorganized over the years, and
 how the House and Senate are organized to oversee and legislate on its operations.
More in-depth data are then presented on component-level staffing, and department and
component-level funding.
In the event that clients have particular questions about components or their missions, they can
consult the table of experts provided in Appendix B.
Should congressional clients be interested in exploring the data behind these figures or require
additional analyses, please contact the author.
DHS: Current Snapshot
Mission(s)
Department of Homeland Security Mission Statement
“With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland,
and our values.”
Six “overarching mission areas”
1. Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security Threats
2. Secure U.S. Borders and Approaches
3. Secure Cyberspace and Critical Infrastructure
4. Preserve and Uphold the Nation’s Prosperity and Economic Security
5. Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience
6. Champion the DHS Workforce and Strengthen the Department
https://www.dhs.gov/mission
DHS Structure
An enhanced version of the public organizational chart for DHS is included as Figure 1. The
chart shows the number of departmental elements that have a direct reporting relationship with
the office of the Secretary, but does not provide information about the scale, missions, or roles
within the department.
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Headquarters components are made up of the subcomponents in three shades of blue, operational
components are in dark gray (law enforcement) and red (preparedness, response, and recovery),
and the Office of Inspector General is in light gray.
Figure 1. DHS Organizational Chart, March 1, 2023

Source: DHS.gov and CRS analysis.
Staffing Levels1
Figure 2 shows the relative proportion of DHS civilian personnel to DHS servicemembers, which
are made up of U.S. Coast Guard active duty and reserve personnel.

1 As of the end of September 2022.
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Figure 2. DHS Overall Staffing as of September 30, 2022

Source: Civilian staffing levels from U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s FedScope data sets; Servicemember
data from U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) email, February 2, 2023.
FY2023 Year Appropriations
 FY2023 gross total budget authority from congressional documents: $95.39 billion:2
 $1.42 billion in advance appropriations from Division J of P.L. 117-58;
 $86.47 billion in discretionary annual appropriations from Division F of P.L. 117-
328;
 Offset by $5.43 billion in collections and $394 million in rescissions; and
 Including $19.95 billion in disaster relief-designated funding.
 $2.04 billion in appropriated mandatory spending from the same; and
 $5.46 billion in supplemental appropriations from Division N of P.L. 117-328.
FY2022 Appropriations and Budget
 FY2022 gross total budget authority from congressional documents: $87.08 billion:3
 $587 million in emergency-designated costs and appropriations from Divisions B
and C of P.L. 117-43;4
 $3.08 billion in emergency appropriations from Division J of P.L. 117-58;

2 Drawn from the detail table at the end of explanatory statement accompanying the FY2023 DHS appropriations act
(P.L. 117-328, Div. F; detail table available in the December 20, 2022 Congressional Record, S8600-S8643), counting
emergency advance appropriations in the year they become available for obligation.
3 Ibid., with the same conditions.
4 This include $344 million in emergency-designated costs in FY2022 related to policy changes in P.L. 117-43.
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 $147 million in emergency appropriations from Division B of P.L. 117-70;
 $81.26 billion in discretionary annual appropriations from Division F of P.L. 117-
103;
 Offset by $4.42 billion in collections and $460 million in rescissions; and
 Including $18.80 billion in disaster relief-designated funding.
 $1.96 billion in appropriated mandatory spending was provided in the same.
 FY2022 Final Combined Statement for the DHS Budget: $102.20 billion:5
 $88.81 billion in net appropriations and other obligational authority; and
 $13.40 billion in total offsetting receipts.
Components and Missions
The following sections describe the mission, current funding level and staffing for each
component, grouped by type, and (within type) in the order they appear in DHS appropriations
measures.
Law Enforcement Operational Components (DHS Appropriations Title II)
 U.S. Customs and Border Protection
 Immigration and Customs Enforcement
 Transportation Security Administration
 U.S. Coast Guard
 U.S. Secret Service
Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Operations Components (Title III)
 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
 Federal Emergency Management Agency
USCIS and Support Components (Title IV)
 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (an operational component)
 Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
 Science and Technology Directorate
 Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office
Headquarters (Title I)
 Departmental Management and Operations
 Office of the Secretary and Executive Management
 Management Directorate (includes the Federal Protective Service)
 Office of Intelligence and Analysis

5 Drawn from the year-ending Combined Statement of Receipts, Outlays and Balances of the United States
Government. This document is assembled by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, and includes not only discretionary
appropriations provided by Congress, but also mandatory spending, trust funds, and other budgetary elements in a
statement of total resources available to the department.
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 Operations Coordination
 Office of Inspector General
Data Sources and Methodology for the Review of Component Missions,
Funding, and Staffing
Mission summaries are drawn from the FY2023 DHS Budget-in-Brief.
Discretionary appropriations for FY2023 are drawn from the explanatory statement accompanying P.L. 117-328,
Division F. The detail tables for the DHS portion of that statement are found in the December 20, 2022
Congressional Record, on pages S8600-S8643.
Civilian employee data are drawn from the Office of Personnel Management’s FedScope data set, and reflect
staffing as of the end of September, 2022.
Total budget authority for FY2022 is taken from the year-ending Combined Statement of Receipts, Outlays and
Balances of the United States Government. Assembled by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal
Service, this document includes not only discretionary appropriations provided by Congress, but also mandatory
spending, trust funds, and other budgetary elements in a statement of total resources available to the component.6
Law Enforcement Operational Components
Funding for law enforcement operational components is generally provided in Title II of the DHS
appropriations acts.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
CBP “is responsible for securing America’s borders, coastlines, and ports of entry. CBP also
protects the United States against terrorist threats and prevents the illegal entry of inadmissible
persons and contraband while facilitating lawful travel, trade, and immigration.”7
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023: $18.34 billion (does not
include $213 million in discretionary costs offset by fee collections)
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 63,621
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $18.74 billion
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
ICE “is the principal criminal investigative agency within DHS... ICE enforces [U.S.] customs,
trade and immigration laws.”8
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023: $8.76 billion
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 20,167
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $8.94 billion

6 The Combined Statement is available at https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/reports-statements/combined-statement/.
7 Department of Homeland Security, Budget-in Brief, Fiscal Year 2023, Washington, DC, p. 26, https://www.dhs.gov/
publication/fy-2023-budget-brief (hereinafter Budget-in-Brief).
8 Ibid., p. 33.
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Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
TSA was established “to protect the nation’s transportation systems and ensure the free and
secure movement of people and commerce.”9
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023: $6.48 billion (does not
include $2.84 billion in discretionary costs offset by fee collections)
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 61,555
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $6.46 billion (does not include $2.31
billion in discretionary costs offset by fee collections)
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
The USCG “is the principal federal agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and
environmental stewardship of U.S. ports and inland waterways.”10 The USCG is a hybrid agency
with law enforcement, regulatory, and first responder responsibilities. It is not only a component
of DHS, but also a member of the intelligence community in its own right, as well as an element
of the U.S. Armed Forces.
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023 (including $155 million in
emergency funding): $11.79 billion
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 9,199
 Military personnel (as of September 30, 2022): 45,838
 Active duty servicemembers: 39,80211
 Reserve status servicemembers: 6,03612
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $14.77 billion
U.S. Secret Service (USSS)
The USSS is responsible for protecting the President, the Vice-President, their families and
residences, past Presidents and their spouses, national and world leaders visiting the United
States, designated buildings (including the White House and Vice President’s Residence), and
special events of national significance. The USSS also investigates and enforces laws related to
counterfeiting and certain other financial crimes.13
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of February 3, 2023: $2.82 billion
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 7,778
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $2.88 billion
Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Operational Components
Funding for the operational components focused on incident response and recovery is generally
found in Title III of the DHS appropriations act. It includes funding for FEMA, which has the

9 Ibid., p. 41.
10 Ibid., p. 48.
11 Per e-mail to CRS from USCG Liaison Office, January 25, 2023.
12 Ibid.
13 Budget-in-Brief, p. 55.
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largest budget of any DHS component. FEMA’s appropriations are largely driven by disaster
programs authorized under the Stafford Act, but the overall budget for FEMA also includes a
significant amount of nonappropriated funding for the National Flood Insurance Program.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Formerly known as the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), CISA “leads the
Federal Government’s effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the Nation’s cyber and
physical infrastructure.”14
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023 (including $20 million in
emergency funding): $2.93 billion
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 2,671
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $2.60 billion
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
FEMA “reduces the loss of life and property and protects the nation from all hazards by leading
and supporting the nation in a risk-based, comprehensive emergency management system.”15
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023 (including $6.4 billion in
emergency and $19.95 billion in disaster relief funding): $31.82 billion
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 22,146
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $36.81 billion
USCIS and Support Components
Funding for support components is generally found in Title IV of the DHS appropriations bill.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
USCIS administers federal immigration laws related to processing immigration and
nonimmigrant petitions that facilitate temporary admission and permanent immigration to the
United States.16 Despite being generally funded in Title IV of the DHS appropriations acts,
USCIS is usually considered an operational component of DHS.
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023: $268 million
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 19,119
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $5.51 billion

14 Ibid., p. 60.
15 Ibid., p. 67.
16 Budget-in-Brief, p. 74. A large share of FLETC’s budget is reimbursement for the training they provide—FLETC
was projected to receive more than $212 million in FY2022 and $232 million in FY2023 in such reimbursements.
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Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC)
FLETC is “a technical training school for law enforcement professionals,” designed to meet the
basic and specialized training needs of approximately 118 federal agencies, as well as state and
local organizations.17
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023 (including emergency
funding): $407 million
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 1,306
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $350 million
Science and Technology Directorate (S&T)
S&T leads and coordinates research, development, testing, and evaluation work for DHS and the
broader homeland security enterprise, and supports departmental acquisitions.18
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023 (including emergency
funding): $901 million
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 486
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $1.04 billion
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD)
CWMD is “the single hub for the department’s activities to prevent and mitigate the impacts of
[Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear] threats.”19 Until FY2023, it also included the
Department’s Chief Medical Officer, who has since been transferred to the new Office of Health
Security within the Management Directorate.
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023 (including emergency
funding): $431 million
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 249
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $452 million
Headquarters Components
Funding for headquarters components is traditionally found in Title I of the DHS appropriations
act, although some initiatives have been funded in the past through general provisions in Title V
of the act.
Departmental Management and Operations (DMO)
DHS headquarters is at times treated as a single entity (DMO) or as individual components or
subcomponents. The two components under DMO are:

17 Ibid., p. 79.
18 Ibid., p. 84.
19 Ibid., p. 90.
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Office of the Secretary and Executive Management (OSEM): OSEM provides central
leadership, management, direction and oversight for all DHS components.20
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023: $385 million
Departmental Management Directorate (MGMT): MGMT provides DHS-wide mission
support services.21
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023: $2.07 billion (does not
include $2.11 billion in Federal Protective Service costs offset by projected fees)
 FY2023 total discretionary appropriations for DMO as of March 1, 2023: $4.57
billion
Intelligence, Analysis, and Operations (IA&O)
IA&O covers two separate offices:
The Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A): integrates and shares intelligence with DHS
components and stakeholders to allow them to identify, mitigate, and respond to threats; and
The Office of Operations Coordination:22 provides information sharing and situational
awareness to DHS and its partners. It also helps provide the common operating picture for
DHS by maintaining the National Operations Center.23
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations for IA&O as of March 1, 2023: $316 million
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations for DMO and IA&O combined as of March 1,
2023: $2.77 billion (does not include $2.11 billion in Federal Protective Service costs
offset by projected fees)
 Total budget authority for DMO and IA&O combined in FY2022: $3.44 billion (does
not include $1.65 billion in Federal Protective Service costs offset by projected fees)
 Civilian employees for DMO and IA&O combined (as of September, 2022): 5,07624
Office of Inspector General (OIG)
The OIG is “an independent, objective audit, inspection, and investigative body that reports to the
Secretary and to Congress on DHS efficiency and effectiveness, and works to prevent waste,
fraud, and abuse.”25
 FY2023 discretionary appropriations as of March 1, 2023 (including emergency
funding): $215 million
 Civilian employees (as of September, 2022): 748
 Total budget authority provided in FY2022: $213 million

20 Ibid., p. 12.
21 Ibid. Together, the Office of the Secretary and Executive Management (OSEM) and Departmental Management
Directorate (DM) are referred to in the Budget-in-Brief as Departmental Management and Operations (DMO).
22 The “Office of Operations Coordination” was referred to in the Budget-in-Brief as the “Office of Homeland Security
Situational Awareness.” However, the DHS website generally does not show signs of the name change.
23 Budget-in-Brief, p. 19.
24 FedScope provides civilian staffing levels for OSEM, MGMT, and IA&O as a single combined number.
25 Ibid., p. 24.
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DHS History
Establishment
Prior to the 9/11 attacks, some in Congress were evaluating options to alter national security
policy given the new post-Cold War strategic situation. Two commissions engaged in the
evolution of national security thinking presented two alternative approaches.
In the 1999 National Defense Authorization Act, Section 1405 authorized the U.S. Congressional
Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of
Mass Destruction—more commonly known as the Gilmore Commission, after its chair, then-
Governor James Gilmore of Virginia.26 In December 2000, its second annual report, “Toward a
National Strategy for Combating Terrorism,” called for the creation of a “National Office for
Combating Terrorism.” This office would have been headed by a Senate-confirmed director who
would formulate strategy and use the budget process to help coordinate the estimated 40 parts of
the federal government involved in counter-terrorism activities. The director would not have had
operational control of the various elements.27
Separately, in July 1998, the Secretary of Defense set up the U.S. Commission on National
Security/21st Century—more commonly known as the Hart-Rudman Commission, after its co-
chairs, former Senators Gary Hart and Warren Rudman.28 In January 2001, the commission’s
third report in a series on American security policy in the 21st century, entitled “Roadmap for
Security: An Imperative for Change,” called for a number of actions to shore up American
security and economic competitiveness.29 These included creation of “a new National Homeland
Security Agency to consolidate and refine the missions of the nearly two dozen disparate
departments and agencies that have a role in U.S. homeland security today.”30
After 9/11, Congress legislated on a range of homeland security issues in a matter of days,
including the establishment of the Transportation Security Administration. Broader shifts in the
overall federal approaches to homeland security moved more slowly. This process began on
September 20, 2001, when President George W. Bush announced that he would sign an executive
order establishing an Office of Homeland Security, to be headed by an Assistant to the President
for Homeland Security, and a Homeland Security Council, without further reorganization of
existing federal activities.31 On October 11, 2001, three days after the president actually signed

26 Reports available through http://www.rand.org/nsrd/terrpanel.html.
27 Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction,
“Second Annual Report to the President and the Congress of the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response
Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction: Toward a National Strategy for Combating
Terrorism,” December 15, 2000, at http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/www/external/nsrd/terrpanel/terror2.pdf.
28 Reports available through http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/nssg/Reports/reports.htm.
29 See, for example, U.S. Congress, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on
Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, Combating Terrorism: Options to Improve
Federal Response, 107th Cong., 1st sess., April 24, 2001, Serial No. 107-11 (Washington: GPO, 2002); and U.S.
Congress, Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism, and Government Information,
Homeland Defense: Exploring the Hart-Rudman Report, 107th Cong., 1st sess., April 3, 2001, S.Hrg. 107-239
(Washington: GPO, 2002).
30 United States Commission on National Security/21st Century, “Road Map for National Security: Imperative for
Change,” January 2001, p. iv.
31 Executive Order 13228, “Establishing the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council,” 66
Federal Register 51812, October 8, 2001.
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the executive order, Senators Joseph Lieberman and Arlen Specter introduced S. 1534, to
establish a “Department of National Homeland Security,” along the general lines of the Hart-
Rudman Commission proposal.
Many observers worried that the Office of Homeland Security lacked the authority needed to
overcome bureaucratic obstacles or change the way the existing executive branch agencies
addressed homeland security issues.32 Even so, in the months after 9/11, the Administration
publicly opposed the creation of a new department.33 Although there wasn’t a single consensus
approach, legislation emerged in both the House and Senate along the general lines of the Hart-
Rudman Commission proposal.34
On June 6, 2002, President Bush publicly reversed the Administration’s previous opposition to
the establishment of a new department with the release of his draft proposal for “The Department
of Homeland Security.” The Administration’s vision of DHS was broader and more complex than
the original plans discussed by the Hart-Rudman commission or embodied in congressional
proposals.
Legislative History of the Homeland Security Act (HSA)
The House ultimately passed a bill based on the Administration’s plan in the span of 21
legislative days. The Senate debated the bill for almost as long, but did not obtain cloture and
bring debate to a close, and moved on to other business after October 1, 2002.
After the November elections, the 107th Congress returned for a “lame-duck” session. A new
version of legislation to create the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—H.R. 5710—was
introduced in the House on November 12, 2002. Operating under a special rule that allowed no
amendments, the House passed it the next day 299-121.
Representative Mac Thornberry, having proposed homeland national security reorganization
efforts prior to and after 9/11, provided his perspective on the bill during debate:
Mr. Speaker, having worked on this issue for close to 2 years, I have had many doubts that
it would ever come to this point; but now I believe it will happen.
This is not a perfect bill, and it is relatively easy for me and others to find fault, ways that
we wish it would be different. But all of those individual differences we may have with
provisions are no competition in my mind to the fact that time is slipping by. If we do not
do it this week, we are at least 3 months further along, 3 months during which our enemies
are plotting and planning against us, more time during which we are not as prepared as we
could and should be, more months where we are not making preparations to protect
ourselves.
Time is a critical factor. Just yesterday we had another threat, and whether it is bin Laden’s
voice or not, it is clear it is someone who intends to kill more Americans. He is very explicit
in the threat. We cannot sit by and have differences over this provision or that provision
keep us from acting.35

32 For example, see U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, Legislation to Establish a Department
of National Homeland Security and a White House Office to Combat Terrorism, 107th Cong., 2nd sess., April 11, 2002,
S.Hrg. 107-472, p. 2 (Sen. Lieberman’s remarks), p. 25 (Sen. Warren Rudman’s remarks), and p. 30 (Comptroller
General David Walker’s remarks).
33 CQ Newsmaker Transcripts, “White House Holds Regular News Briefing,” March 19, 2002.
34 S. 1534, S. 2452, and H.R. 4660, 107th Congress.
35 Representative William Thornberry, “Homeland Security Act of 2002,” House debate, Congressional Record,
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Senator Fred Thompson offered the text of House-passed H.R. 5710 as an amendment to the
House-passed H.R. 5005, succeeded in getting cloture, defeated attempts to alter the amendment,
and amended H.R. 5005 passed the Senate on November 19, 2002. On November 22, the House
agreed by unanimous consent to the amended bill, as passed by the Senate. President Bush signed
into the bill into law as the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA)36 on November 25.
Initial DHS Organizational Challenges
Enactment of the HSA put in motion what many considered an ambitious timeline to stand up the
department. The act required the establishment of the department within 60 days (the effective
date of the act was January 24, 2003) and the transfer of its major operational components into
DHS by March 1, 2003.
Almost 10 years later, retired Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen asserted in
testimony the complications this schedule posed for the new department:
The legislation was passed between sessions of Congress, so there was no ability for the
Senate to be empaneled and confirm appointees, although Secretary Ridge was done I
believe a day before he was required to become the Secretary. We moved people over that
had already been confirmed because we could do that. And it took up to a year to get some
of the other senior leaders confirmed.
We were in the middle of a fiscal year. There was no appropriation, so in addition to the
money that was moved over from the legacy organizations from the Department where
they were at, some of the new entities, we had to basically reprogram funds from across
government. It was a fairly chaotic time to try and stand up the organic organization of the
Department and put together a headquarters. ...
[W]e had the migration of 22 agencies with legacy appropriations structures, legacy
internal support structures, different shared services, and different mission support
structures in the Departments where they came from. And because of that, a lot of the
resources associated with how you actually run the components or need to run the
Department rest in the components and still do today. And I am talking about things like
human resource management, information technology (IT), property management, and so
forth, the blocking and tackling of how you have to run an agency in government.37
Former DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner testified: “We brought over all of the operational
aspects of 22 different agencies, but we did not bring the management support functions to
support those operations.”38
Over the life of the department, conceptual differences have remained over the role of its
management. The original department proposal from the Administration envisioned minimal
management, with components continuing their missions as their experience informed their
actions. Others advocated a management cadre capable of coordinating department activities to
improve efficiency, effectiveness, and enabling betting information flow and oversight.
Oversight
On January 7, 2003, the House established the temporary Select Committee on Homeland
Security. The committee had 50 members—27 Republicans and 23 Democrats. Aside from its

November 13, 2002, H8700.
36 P.L. 107-296.
37 S.Hrg. 112-612, p. 48.
38 S.Hrg. 112-612, p. 51.
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legislative and oversight mandates, the committee was to submit a report to the Rules Committee
recommending rules changes pertaining to homeland security, including committee jurisdictions.
In February 2003, when the House Appropriations Committee organized itself, it established a
new Homeland Security Subcommittee to oversee funding for the new department. The
reorganization was made without consulting the Senate, which reorganized on similar lines the
following month. Jim Dyer, Staff Director of the House Appropriations Committee at the time
described the committee’s reorganization effort as being “the tip of the spear,” and indicated that
they consulted extensively with the House leadership and authorizing committees about their
approach to reorganizing.39
Support for establishing a permanent committee in the House was bipartisan. On September 9,
2003, former Speakers of the House Tom Foley and Newt Gingrich urged House leadership that
the House Homeland Security Committee be made permanent in hearing testimony.40
The Select Committee submitted its report on September 30, 2004, which recommended
establishing a permanent select committee with legislative and oversight jurisdiction over DHS
and relevant homeland security missions and functions. The committee would not automatically
have primary jurisdiction over homeland security-related legislation referred to multiple
committees, however. Decisions over primary jurisdiction would be left up to the Speaker.41
The 9/11 Commission, when it issued its report in July 2004, released a statement outlining their
recommendations. They emphasized
We need unity of effort in the Congress. Right now, authority and responsibility are too
diffuse... Oversight for Homeland Security is splintered among too many Committees...
We need a single committee in each chamber providing oversight of the Department of
Homeland Security.42
Senate Committee Reorganization
In response, the Senate assembled a 22-Senator task force, which put together a committee reform
plan. The plan would have shifted jurisdiction from nine other Senate Committees to a
“Homeland Security Authorization Committee”—a renamed Senate Governmental Affairs
Committee.
On October 9, 2004, the Senate passed an amended version of the reorganization resolution43
(S.Res. 445), which instead renamed the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs the Senate
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, giving it jurisdiction over the
management of the department and some components of four of the new department’s
directorates. However, some major DHS components remained in the jurisdiction of other
committees, including Senate Committees on the Judiciary; Foreign Relations; Commerce,

39 CRS interview with Jim Dyer, former House Appropriations Committee Staff Director, January 16, 2014.
40 Duran, Nicole, “Gingrich Foley Urging House Leaders to make Select Security Panel Permanent in 109th Congress,”
Roll Call, September 10, 2003, p. 6.
41 Representative David Dreier, Congressional Record, January 4, 2005, p. H24.
42 Public Statement Release of 9/11 Commission Report The Hon. Thomas H. Kean and the Hon. Lee H. Hamilton,
July 22, 2004, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Statement.pdf.
43 S.Res. 445, 108th Congress.
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Science, and Transportation; and Finance. Media reports at the time noted “the reorganization
debate amounted to a public mugging of the Governmental Affairs Committee.”44
House Committee Reorganization
On January 4, 2005, the House adopted a rules package that created a permanent Homeland
Security Committee. Media observers at the time noted chairs of several powerful House
committees had opposed broader jurisdiction for the new committee. Representative Curt Weldon
noted that language allowing numerous committees to maintain oversight of the department had
been included in the record. What Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier termed “a system of
purposeful redundancy,”45 Representative Carolyn Maloney referred to as “still a confusing
mess,” claiming 88 committees and subcommittees still had jurisdiction over homeland security.46
Chairman Dreier put in the Congressional Record that day a “legislative history” regarding the
changes made in Rule X, outlining their intent for oversight of the department.
Oversight and legislative jurisdiction for homeland security remains distributed among a
significant number of House and Senate panels. Periodically, memorandums of understanding
between the committee chairs are published in the Congressional Record at the beginning of a
Congress to outline rules of engagement.
Departmental Reorganization
The HSA provided a basic structure for DHS: Five major directorates47 and a number of agencies
that reported directly to the Secretary. The HSA included two provisions to allow for
reorganization of the department as the Administration saw fit: Section 1502, which provided
temporary authority for the President to reorganize the department on the basis of a
reorganization plan; and Section 872, which authorized the Secretary to do so after notifying
Congress.48
Section 1502
President Bush submitted his reorganization plan for DHS to Congress on November 25, 2002—
the day the HSA was enacted.49 The Administration modified the plan during the following
months and submitted a final plan January 30, 2003.50 Among other changes, the revised plan set
up organizational units within the Border and Transportation Security Directorate of DHS, which

44 Andrew Taylor, “In ‘Farce,’ Senators Pick Apart Oversight Restructuring Plan,” CQ Weekly, October 16, 2004, p.
2390.
45 Rep. David Dreier, House debate, Congressional Record, January 4, 2005, p. H24.
46 As quoted by Greta Wodele in “House Vote Makes Homeland Security Panel Permanent,” Congress Daily, January
5, 2005.
47 The five directorates were the Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection; the Directorate of
Science and Technology; the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security; the Directorate of Emergency
Preparedness and Response; and an implied Directorate for Management.
48 6 U.S.C. §542 and 6 U.S.C. §452, respectively.
49 U.S. Congress, House Select Committee on Homeland Security, Reorganization Plan for the Department of
Homeland Security, 108th Cong., 1st sess., January 7, 2003, H.Doc. 108-16 (Washington: GPO, 2003).
50 U.S. Congress, House Select Committee on Homeland Security, Reorganization Plan Modification for the
Department of Homeland Security, 108th Cong., 1st sess., February 4, 2003, H.Doc. 108-32 (Washington: GPO, 2003).
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are now known as U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement.
Section 872
Section 872 of the HSA provides broad authority for the DHS Secretary to reorganize the
Department’s functions. The authority was used nine times before it was blocked by an
appropriations rider in May 2007.51 These “reorganizations” varied significantly in scope, from
some that just renamed a component52 or shifted a single function53 to one that included large
shifts of responsibilities and personnel within the DHS structure in 2005 after Secretary
Chertoff’s “Second Stage Review” of department functions.54
DHS twice has exercised Section 872 authority since the rider’s first inclusion, when it was set
aside in whole or in part. Once in 2017 to create the Office of Countering Weapons of Mass
Destruction from existing components and offices,55 and once to transfer functions from that
office to a new Office of Health Security within the Office of the Secretary in 2022.56
Mission Evolution
Original Directive
The language of the Homeland Security Act states that the primary mission of the Department of
Homeland Security has seven parts:
1. prevent terrorist attacks within the United States;
2. reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism;
3. minimize the damage, and assist in the recovery, from terrorist attacks that do
occur within the United States;
4. carry out all functions of entities transferred to the Department, including by
acting as a focal point regarding natural and manmade crises and emergency
planning;
5. ensure that the functions of the agencies and sub-divisions within the Department
that are not related directly to securing the homeland are not diminished or
neglected except by a specific explicit Act of Congress;
6. ensure that the overall economic security of the United States is not diminished
by efforts, activities, and programs aimed at securing the homeland; and

51 P.L. 110-28, §3501.
52 Letter from Tom Ridge, DHS Secretary, to The Honorable Susan M. Collins, Chairman, Committee on
Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, June 23, 2004.
53 Letter from Tom Ridge, DHS Secretary, to The Honorable C.W. Young, Chairman, Committee on Appropriations,
U.S. House of Representatives, September 24, 2004.
54 Details of this reorganization are available at https://www.dhs.gov/department-six-point-agenda.
55 Letter from Alejandro N. Mayorkas, DHS Secretary, to The Honorable Ron Johnson, Chairman, Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate, October 6, 2017.
56 Letter from Alejandro N. Mayorkas, DHS Secretary, to The Honorable Kay Granger, Ranking Member, Committee
on Appropriations, U.S. House of Representative, May 19, 2022.
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7. monitor connections between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism, coordinate
efforts to sever such connections, and otherwise contribute to efforts to interdict
illegal drug trafficking.57
It can be argued that a significant portion of this mission is indirectly defined. Two of the seven
elements of the statutorily defined mission speak only to “carrying out” component functions or
“not diminishing” functions “not directly related to securing the homeland.” A third element
places the onus on the fledgling department of conducting its security mission while not
diminishing overall U.S. economic security.
Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Homeland Security Missions
In the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act,58 Congress required DHS to
“conduct a comprehensive review of the homeland security of the Nation” every four years. Its
scope was broad:
a comprehensive examination of the homeland security strategy of the Nation, including
recommendations regarding the long-term strategy and priorities of the Nation for
homeland security and guidance on the programs, assets, capabilities, budget, policies, and
authorities of the Department.59
The first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR), published in 2010, lists five homeland
security missions:
1. Preventing Terrorism and Enhancing Security
2. Securing and Managing Our Borders
3. Enforcing and Administering Our Immigration Laws
4. Safeguarding and Securing Cyberspace
5. Ensuring Resilience to Disasters
The QHSR 2010 goes on to note a need to focus on “maturing the homeland security
enterprise.”60
The second QHSR, published in 2014, “refined” those missions, “to reflect the evolving
landscape of homeland security threats and hazards.”61 The primary change in mission titles was
the fifth mission, which shifted from “Ensuring Resilience to Disasters,” to “Strengthen[ing]
National Preparedness and Resilience.”62 The narrative detailing this overarching mission noted
the need for the department to improve its own efficiency and effectiveness, improve the morale
of its workforce, and promote confidence in itself and the capability of the government to serve
the public.63

57 P.L. 107-296, §101(b)(1).
58 P.L. 110-53, enacted August 3, 2007.
59 P.L. 110-53, §2401; 6 U.S.C. §347.
60 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report: Executive Summary,
February 2010, p. iv, available at https://www.dhs.gov/quadrennial-homeland-security-review.
61 U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report: Executive Summary, June
2014, p. 5, available at https://www.dhs.gov/quadrennial-homeland-security-review.
62 Ibid., p. 8.
63 The statutorily required QHSR for 2018 was not issued; the statutorily required QHSR for 2022 has yet to be
released.
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Today’s Definition
These broadly defined homeland security missions laid the groundwork for the six broad mission
areas DHS identifies as its own, noted at the beginning of this report:
1. Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security Threats
2. Secure U.S. Borders and Approaches
3. Security Cyberspace and Critical Infrastructure
4. Preserve and Uphold the Nation’s Prosperity and Economic Security
5. Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience
6. Champion the DHS Workforce and Strengthen the Department
Two readily noticeable differences are that the sixth mission from the HSA is included in #4 as an
affirmative mission area for the department; and workforce and departmental improvement is
viewed as an explicit mission area on its own, rather than a consideration across or within
missions in the past QHSRs.
Staffing
With more than 200,000 civilian personnel, DHS has the third-highest number of civilian
employees in the federal government, behind only the Department of Veterans Affairs and the
Department of the Army.
Figure 3 shows the end-of year staffing level for the past five fiscal years for each of the types of
departmental components described at the beginning of the report.
Figure 3. Five-year DHS Civilian Staffing Trend, by Component Type

Source: CRS analysis of OPM FedScope data for Septembers 2018-2022.
Notes: FEMA = Federal Emergency Management Agency; CBP = U.S. Customs and Border Protection; USCG =
U.S. Coast Guard; TSA = Transportation Security Administration; ICE = U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement; MGMT = Departmental Management Directorate; USSS = U.S. Secret Service; CISA =
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; USCIS = U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; S&T =
Science and Technology Directorate; CWMD = Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office; FLETC =
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Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers; IA&O = Intelligence, Analysis, and Operations; OSEM = Office of the
Secretary and Executive Management; OIG = Office of Inspector General. Does not include USCG active duty
and reserve servicemembers (39,802, and 6,036, respectively, at the end of FY2022).
Figure 4 shows the breakdown of year-end civilian staffing for DHS beginning with FY2004 in a
line graph. Detail is provided for all components with more than 5,000 personnel. To show how
these contribute to the total, Figure 5 presents the same data as a stacked bar graph.
The figures do not show USCG uniformed personnel, as they are not tracked in the OPM system.
Figure 4. DHS Civilian Staffing Trends, FY2004-FY2022
Fiscal year-end personnel levels as reported by OPM

Source: CRS analysis of OPM FedScope data for Septembers 2004-2022.
Note: Does not include USCG active duty and reserve servicemembers (39,802, and 6,036, respectively, at the
end of FY2022).

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Figure 5. DHS Civilian Staffing Trends, FY2004-FY2022
Fiscal year-end personnel levels as reported by OPM

Source: CRS analysis of OPM FedScope data for Septembers 2004-2022.
Note: Does not include USCG active duty and reserve servicemembers (39,802, and 6,036, respectively, at the
end of FY2022).
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Funding
DHS Budget and Appropriations Trends
There are several different options for tracking the funding available to a federal government
agency as large and complex as the DHS. Departmental budgets are often tracked on the basis of
discretionary funding made available through appropriations measures. A complete overview of
the department’s budget must also include an understanding of funding made available through
permanent law. This mandatory spending makes up a significant portion of DHS’s total budget,
providing significant funding to CBP, TSA, the USCG, FEMA, and USCIS. Figure 6 shows the
trend in yearly funding for DHS’s total budget and appropriations since 2007.64
Figure 6. DHS Total Budget and Appropriations, FY2007-FY2022
Nominal budget authority

Source: CRS analysis of DHS appropriations measures and year-end reporting from the Bureau of the Fiscal
Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Notes: Net discretionary appropriations includes discretionary budget authority, including disaster relief and
emergency designated budget authority provided through annual and supplemental appropriations, less offsetting
col ections. However, $51.2 bil ion in mandatory appropriations reflected in the DHS gross budget for FY2021
from P.L. 117-2 are not included in DHS net discretionary appropriations. Rescissions are not reflected. Advance
appropriations are shown in the year they are made available for use.
Operational and Support Component Budgets
DHS Budget Share
DHS classifies a large number of its components as “operational”—performing homeland
security missions “in the field.” These include all of the law enforcement operational components
listed above in “Components and Missions” (CBP, ICE, TSA, USCG, and USSS), as well as
CISA, FEMA, and USCIS. The remaining components are considered “support components,” or
“headquarters and support.” As Figure 7 shows, the vast majority of the DHS budget is

64 Due to a series of changes in structure in DHS’s early years, FY2007 represents the first year of a relatively
consistent structure for the DHS budget.
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consumed by operational componentsThe relative size of the support components’ aggregate
budget is roughly $1.6 billion higher starting in FY2020 due to the transfer of the Federal
Protective Service from CISA to the Management Directorate.
Figure 7. DHS Total Budget Authority, Operational Components v. Support
Components, FY2007-FY2022
Billions of nominal dollars of budget authority

Source: CRS analysis of DHS appropriations measures.
Notes: Appropriations includes funding provided through annual and supplemental appropriations. $51.2 bil ion
reflected in the DHS gross budget for FY2021 from P.L. 117-2 is not included in DHS discretionary
appropriations. FY2013 data does not reflect the effect of sequestration. Advance appropriations are shown in
the year they are made available for use.
Individual Component Budget Comparison
Below, Figure 8 and Figure 9 further break down the budgets of non-FEMA operational
components and DHS headquarters and support components. The data source used for these
figures continues to use the legacy names for both the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Agency (CISA, formerly known as the National Protection and Programs Directorate, or NPPD)
and the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD, formerly known as the
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, or DNDO). The two figures are at different scales to allow
for interpretation of the smaller elements among the support components.
In Figure 8, the fluctuation in FEMA’s budget and its effect on the operational top line is shown.
In Figure 9, the increase in DMO in FY2022 was due in part to the structure of additional
appropriations provided through Departmental Management for crosscutting activities.
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Figure 8. Total Budgets, DHS Operational Components, FY2007-FY2022
Nominal budget authority

Source: CRS analysis of year-end reporting from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, U.S. Department of the
Treasury.
Notes: FEMA = Federal Emergency Management Agency; CBP = U.S. Customs and Border Protection; USCG =
U.S. Coast Guard; TSA = Transportation Security Administration; ICE = U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement; USSS = U.S. Secret Service; CISA = Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; USCIS =
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Although the source documents refer to it by its original name, NPPD
became CISA, and in the process transferred the Federal Protective Service to the Management Directorate
starting in FY2020.
Figure 9. Total Budgets, DHS HQ and Support Components, FY2007-FY2022
Nominal budget authority

Source: CRS analysis of year-end reporting from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, U.S. Department of the
Treasury.
Notes: DNDO = Domestic Nuclear Detection Office; S&T= Science and Technology Directorate; FLETC =
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers; OIG = Office of Inspector General; DMO = Departmental
Management and Operations. Figures for DMO for FY2020 going forward include the Federal Protective Service
(FPS). DNDO became the Office of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) in FY2019.
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Finding Longer-Term Trends
The volatility in DHS funding levels is largely due to disaster activity, especially since FY2016.
This activity, and the supplemental appropriations often associated with it, can significantly alter
FEMA’s budget, and thus the top line of the whole department. The following two figures control
for that volatility in order to reveal longer-term trends.
DHS Budget Size
Figure 10 shows the DHS operational component aggregate budget; then, with two broken lines,
shows the operational components’ budgets without FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, and without
FEMA entirely, as FEMA’s overall budget also includes the National Flood Insurance Fund.
Figure 10. DHS Operational Component Budget, Controlled for Disaster Volatility,
FY2007-FY2022
Nominal budget authority

Source: CRS analysis of year-end reporting from the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, U.S. Department of the
Treasury.
Notes: FEMA = Federal Emergency Management Agency; DRF = Disaster Relief Fund. Advance appropriations
are shown in the year they are made available for use.
DHS Annual v. Supplemental Appropriations
Given the periodic need to respond to unexpected events, DHS often has received supplemental
appropriations—those provided in addition to the baseline annual appropriation. Figure 11 shows
how supplemental appropriations have contributed to total discretionary appropriations for DHS
since FY2007. A marker on each stacked column shows the total appropriation provided to
accounts other than the Disaster Relief Fund—the length of the bar above the marker therefore
represents the total amount of funding provided for the DRF that year, but not necessarily the
proportion provided in annual or supplemental appropriations.
The underlying data shows an increase in the proportion of DRF funding in the annual
appropriations measure. This is due to the implementation of the “disaster relief” designation
under the Budget Control Act, which allowed a certain amount of the costs of major disasters to
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be provided without using the “emergency” designation (more commonly used for supplemental
appropriations) or competing with other discretionary priorities in the annual appropriations bills.
Figure 11. DHS Discretionary Appropriations, Annual v. Supplemental, Showing
Non-Disaster Relief Total, FY2007-FY2023
Nominal dollars of discretionary budget authority

Source: CRS analysis of DHS appropriations measures.
Notes: * = Reflects part-year data, through March 1, 2023. FY2013 data does not reflect sequestration. $51.2
bil ion in supplemental mandatory appropriations for FY2021 from P.L. 117-2 is not included. $344 mil ion in
emergency-designated costs in FY2022 related to policy changes in P.L. 117-43 are not included. Rescissions and
reappropriations are not reflected. Advance appropriations are shown in the year they are made available for
use.
Trends in Timing of DHS Appropriations
The trends in the timing of the DHS annual appropriations measure from its establishment
through FY2023 are shown in Figure 12.
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Figure 12. DHS Appropriations Process, FY2004-FY2023
As of March 1, 2023

Source: CRS analysis of presidential budget request release dates and legislative action from Congress.gov.
Notes: Final action on annual appropriations for FY2011, FY2013-FY2015, FY2017-FY2019, and FY2022 did not
occur until after the beginning of the new calendar year. A three-day lapse in January of FY2018 and an hours-
long lapse in February of that same year are not displayed due to limitations of scale. Please note that the
FY2019 lapse began in December 2018.

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Appendix A. Glossary of Abbreviations
Table A-1. Glossary of Abbreviations
IA&O
Intelligence Analysis and Operations Support
CBO
Congressional Budget Office
CBP
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
CISA
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
CRS
Congressional Research Service
CWMD
Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office
DHS
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
DRF
Disaster Relief Fund
FEMA
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FLETC
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
FPS
Federal Protective Service
FY
Fiscal Year
ICE
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
MGMT
Departmental Management Directorate
OBIM
Office of Biometric Identity Management
OIG
Office of Inspector General
OPM
Office of Personnel Management
OSEM
Office of the Secretary and Executive Management
R&D
Research and Development
S&T
Science and Technology Directorate
TSA
Transportation Security Administration
USCG
U.S. Coast Guard
USCIS
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
USSS
U.S. Secret Service

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Appendix B. Experts List
Table B-1. CRS Department of Homeland Security Experts
Area of Expertise
Name

Coordinator, Department of Homeland
Wil iam L. Painter

Security; Cross-cutting Issues; Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Disaster Relief Fund (DRF)
Departmental Management, Personnel
Barbara L. Schwemle

Issues
Analysis and Operations
Lisa Sacco

Office of Inspector General
Ben Wilhelm

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Abigail Kolker

Office of Field Operations (at Ports of
Entry)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement;
Hol y Straut-

CBP Border Patrol (between Ports of
Eppsteiner
Entry)
Transportation Security Administration;
Bart Elias

Aviation Security
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Personnel and
Alan Ott

Administration
USCG, Health Care
Bryce H.P. Mendez

USCG, Shipbuilding
Ronald O'Rourke

USCG, Maritime Transportation
John Frittelli

U.S. Secret Service; Federal Protective
Shawn Reese

Service; FEMA Preparedness Grants
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Chris Jaikaran

Agency (CISA), Cybersecurity
CISA, Infrastructure Protection; FEMA,
Brian E. Humphreys

Fire Grants and U.S. Fire Administration
Office of Countering Weapons of Mass
Frank Gottron

Destruction
FEMA, Disaster Response / Recovery;
Elizabeth Webster

Individual Assistance Program
FEMA, Mitigation Programs and National
Diane P. Horn

Flood Insurance Program
FEMA, Disaster Response / Recovery;
Erica Lee

Public Assistance Program
Disaster Declarations
Bruce R. Lindsay

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Wil iam A. Kandel

Science and Technology Directorate
Daniel Morgan

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Author Information

William L. Painter

Specialist in Homeland Security and Appropriations

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or
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