Senate subcommittee approves more than $55 billion homeland security spending bill

A $55.15 billion homeland security appropriations bill that emphasizes border security, cybersecurity, the nationwide opioid epidemic, and state and local support cleared the U.S.
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security on Tuesday.

The Fiscal Year 2019 Homeland Security Appropriations bill outlines $14.3 billion in funding for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire 375 new border patrol agents, 375 new CBP officers and to purchase new equipment and technology to support border patrol operations. Also included is the president’s full fiscal year 2019 budget request for a border wall.

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, applauded the bill’s approval. The measure is slated to appear before the full Senate Homeland Security Committee this week.

“We have a very strong bill that addresses critical Homeland Security needs — providing the department and its nearly 250,000 employees with the resources they need to carry out a broad set of missions that spans the entire globe,” Capito said.

The appropriations bill would allocate $7.21 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a $134 million year-over increase. Those resources would allow ICE to field new teams to target criminal aliens, visa overstays and to crack down on drug and human trafficking. ICE would also receive $84 million to purchase new vehicles.

“My highest priority in writing this bill was providing what is necessary to secure U.S. borders, and I’m proud to say that our legislation recommends a major down payment to that end,” Capito continued.

The U.S. Secret Service would receive $2.18 billion, a $38 million increase from the previous year. That would be in addition to $1.53 billion in fees allocated to Federal Protective Service for cybersecurity. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would receive $11.69 billion under the bill, a $96 million year-over increase. The National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) would receive $1.95 billion, a $38 million increase.

The bill also outlines year-over funding decreases for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Coast Guard. TSA would receive $4.94 million in funding, an $83 million reduction. The Coast Guard would receive $10.19 billion, a $237 million decrease from record appropriations in fiscal year 2018.