[JURIST] The White House's proposed 2008 budget [budget website; table of contents] of $2.9 trillion released Monday allocates [DOJ budget summary] $21.8 billion for the Department of Justice, including a $227 million increase in anti-terrorism funding, a $214 million increase for Preventing Violent Crime, and an $89 million increase for Drugs and Border Security. "For those of us at the Department of Justice, every day is September 12th, and every day requires a sustained commitment to combating terrorism and protecting our homeland," Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said in a DOJ press release [text] on Monday.

Opponents have already attacked Bush's proposed budget, claiming it will increase debt. The president defended proposed increases as necessary to ensure safety against terrorist threats, and to continue to advance the nation's economy. Last month, several DOJ agencies announced freezing or slowing recruitment and hiring [JURIST report] due to Congress' failure to approve requested 2007 budget increases. AP has more