This is the summary of an oral briefing given in response to a mandate in the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009. This mandate required the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) to prepare an expenditure plan that satisfied 12 specified conditions, and for the plan to be submitted to and approved by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees before the agency could obligate $400 million of the approx. $775 million appropriated for U.S. Customs and Border Protection fencing, infrastructure, and technology. In response to this requirement, DHS submitted a plan on March 4, 2009." Levine reviewed the plan on whether the plan satisfied the 12 specified legislative conditions. Illustrations.

Border clearance processes by customs and other agencies are among the most important and problematic links in the global supply chain. Delays and costs at the border undermine a country’s competitiveness, either by taxing imported inputs with deadweight inefficiencies or by adding costs and reducing the competitiveness of exports. This book provides a practical guide to assist policy makers, administrators, and border management professionals with information and advice on how to improve border management systems, procedures, and institutions.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) FY 2009 Performance and Accountability Report (PAR) is a comprehensive report that combines CBP¿s Annual Performance Report with its audited financial statements, assurances on internal control, accountability reporting and agency assessments. CBP¿s PAR provides financial and performance information that enables Congress and the public to assess the performance of the agency as it relates to the CBP mission. CBP is America¿s frontline border agency; it guards our boundaries. The CBP PAR discusses the agency¿s strategic goals and objectives and provides a comparison of agency performance targets to actual performance results. Illustrations.