Under President Obama's proposed budget, the SEC is expected to receive a 13% increase in funding next year, which would bring its 2010 budget to about $1.02 billion. After several years of relatively little increase in its budget, the boost would allow the SEC to increase its resources including staff and technology to "pursue a risk-based, efficient regulatory structure that will better detect fraud and strengthen markets," the Obama Administration stated. The Wall Street Journal reports that in 2008, the SEC spent about $315 million, roughly one-third of its budget, on enforcement.

The Wall Street Journal also points out that the 13% increase for 2010 would be in addition to a $37 million increase House Democrats are now seeking to the SEC's budget for the 2009 fiscal year, which would bring the total 2009 budget to $943 million.

In addition, in January 2009, Senators Charles E. Schumer and Richard Shelby introduced new spending legislation designed to beef up the enforcement and detection of white-collar crime following the alleged $50 billion Bernard Madoff fraud. The senators proposed to add $110 million to the budgets of the DOJ, the SEC and the FBI for the specific purpose of cracking down on Wall Street fraud under the Supplemental Anti-Fraud Enforcement (“SAFE”) Markets Act, to be distributed as follows:

$80 million to the FBI to hire 500 new agents in its white-collar crime division;

$20 million to the SEC to hire 100 new enforcement officials; and

$10 million to the DOJ for 50 new assistant U.S. attorneys.