TSA Budget Boost May Benefit Makers of Screening Gear – WSJ.com
A handful of companies could be big winners under the Department of Homeland Security’s budget, thanks to a proposed spending boost for airport-baggage-screening gear in the Transportation Security Administration.The Obama administration is seeking a total of $45.8 billion in discretionary spending for DHS, a 6.1% increase over the current year’s budget of $43.2 billion. TSA would get the biggest slice of the boost, seeing its budget rise to $7.79 billion, up from $6.99 billion this year, or about 11%.
Within TSA, most of the additional funds, or about $565.4 million, would be set aside for buying and installing explosive-detection equipment to screen checked baggage at U.S. airports.
Only three companies currently produce gear that qualifies under government standards. They are L-3 Communications Holdings Inc., General Electric Co. and Reveal Imaging Technologies Inc.
