To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Big-Ticket Buying At the same time, while budgets for DHS have generally increased about 6 percent to 8 percent annually since its creation in 2003, in the fiscal year (FY) 2011 budget, the executive branch intended for the first time to propose a cut compared to previous years, according to Acting Chief Financial Officer Peggy Sherry. If tradition is followed, that budget was scheduled to be presented to Congress on the first Monday in February, which is Feb. 1. Register online today for exclusive online content and eNewsletters THIS WILL BE A YEAR OF MAJOR PURCHASES ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY By M I C K E Y M c C A R T E R , W A S H I N G T O N C O R R E S P O N D E N T IT'S AN INCREDIBLY BUSY YEAR FOR CONTRACTING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS), PARTICULARLY FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) SERVICES. EVERY COMPONENT IS LOOKING FOR SOME BASIC IT SUPPORT, PLUS THE DEPARTMENT WILL ROLL OUT THE SECOND ITERATION OF ITS ENTERPRISE ACQUISITION GATEWAY FOR LEADING EDGE SOLUTIONS (EAGLE) CONSOLIDATED PURCHASING CONTRACT FOR DEPARTMENT-WIDE IT PURCHASES. Sherry made the budget prediction at a Nov. 19 “Industry Day” in Washington, DC, when DHS officials revealed their procurement plans for the 2010 fiscal year to a gathering of business executives. These plans were made, however, before the Christmas Day bombing attempt on Northwest Flight 253 and the Haiti earthquake, both of which may have changed priorities. Meanwhile, based on the findings of its first Quadrennial HomeHomeland Security Today Magazine | February 2010 25