Cyber, infrastructure investments included in approved Homeland Security funding bill

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee announced this week the approval of the fiscal year 2022 Homeland Security funding bill, which invests in cyber and infrastructure security while combating domestic extremist violence.

The action also expands the Coast Guard’s Arctic reach and the maritime drug and transit zones. The 2022 funding allotment includes $52.81 billion while the total bill allows for $76.15 billion. Authorities noted $18.8 billion would be earmarked for major disaster response and recovery, with $4.57 billion offset by fee collections.

“As the nature of the threats facing the country changes, the missions and investments of the Department of Homeland Security must quickly adapt and respond,” Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) said. “We are also taking steps to help the Department restore a commitment to the humane treatment of migrants through increased funding for Alternatives to Detention with case management services and reduced lengths of stay in detention for asylum seekers who don’t pose a flight risk and are not a threat to public safety or national security.”

Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said the nation must do more to secure its cyberinfrastructure.

“That’s why this bill’s investments in preventing cyberattacks and rooting out cyber intrusions are so critical,” she said. “Elsewhere within Homeland Security, a strong Coast Guard is essential to protect our national security, especially from Russian aggression in the Arctic, and the funding in this bill is pivotal to that effort. Finally, I continue to have serious concerns regarding the physical and mental wellbeing of individuals, particularly children, at border facilities. We must do more to protect immigrants, especially children, and their families.”