Southwestern border technology, scientific research programs and grants for state and local first responders are losing support in the Homeland Security Department’s final budget for fiscal 2012 approved by Congress.

Meanwhile, cybersecurity and biosurveillance systems are among the programs gaining expanded funding.

Overall, the consolidated spending bill approved by the House and Senate allocated $39.6 billion in base funding for the department, which is $111 million below the fiscal 2011 level, according to a House-Senate conferencereport released on Dec. 16.

via Federal Computer Week, continued here.