Press release: “Six years after September 11, 2001, we are moving beyond operating as an organization in transition to a Department diligently working to protect our borders and critical infrastructure, prevent dangerous people and goods from entering our country, and recover from natural disasters effectively. The total FY 2009 budget request for DHS is $50.5 billion in funding, a 7 percent increase over the FY 2008 enacted level excluding emergency funding. The Department’s FY 2009 gross discretionary budget request is $40.7 billion, an increase of 8 percent over the FY 2008 enacted level excluding emergency funding. Gross discretionary funding does not include mandatory funding such as the Coast Guard’s retirement pay accounts and fees paid for immigration benefits. The Department’s FY 2009 net discretionary budget request is $37.6 billion, which does not include fee collections such as funding for the Federal Protective Service and aviation security passenger and carrier fees.”