The Biden-Harris Administration yesterday submitted to Congress the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2023.
The Budget would provide $11.5 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard, a $564 million increase from the 2021 enacted level, to address emerging national security concerns and goals.
This amount includes expanding the Coast Guard’s cyber operations capacity to protect and respond to cyber threats in the maritime sector, as well as expanding its presence in the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Arctic—including procuring a commercially available icebreaker. The Budget notes that investing in these efforts “would expand the capabilities of partners and deepen U.S. ties in each of the above-mentioned regions in order to strengthen maritime security and governance, which would protect economic activity and counter transnational criminal organizations”.
In total, the Budget requests a topline of $56.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Homeland Security, a $2.9 billion or 5.4-percent increase from the 2021 enacted level. Further to the Coast Guard investment, the maritime sector would also benefit from the $15.3 billion Budget provision for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to secure ports of entry.
Meanwhile, a share of the Department of Defense’s budget would go towards maintaining U.S. naval power. Indeed, the Budget proposes “executable and responsible investments” in the U.S. Navy fleet. In addition, the Budget continues the recapitalization of the U.S. strategic ballistic missile submarine fleet while also investing in the submarine industrial base.
The President’s requested funding for the Department of Transportation (DOT) continues support for the modernization of America’s port and waterway infrastructure initiated under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Under this banner, the Budget includes $230 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program to strengthen maritime freight capacity. In addition to keeping the U.S. supply chain moving by improving efficiency, DOT would prioritize projects that also lower emissions—reducing environmental impact in and around U.S. ports.
Read the full FY 2023 Budget at The White House
