Rep. Thompson praises Homeland Security provisions in Build Back Better Act

U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, praised the Build Back Better Act on Friday, especially for its inclusion of $1.5 billion for investments at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The funding would improve the country’s cybersecurity posture, help secure places of worship against domestic terrorism and other threats and intensify DHS’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

“I could not be prouder that the House Democratic Majority came together today, with a sense of urgency, to deliver for the people and to tackle climate change and a wide range of other challenges that put our communities at risk,” Thompson said. “The Homeland Security provisions of this bill provides $100 million in new funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which help DHS take necessary action to help secure churches, synagogues, mosques, and other nonprofits from domestic terrorism and other threats. It has been just three years since the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history when 11 lives were lost in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The funding the House provides today can help prevent such a tragedy from happening again.”

Thompson said the investment also includes funding to help state and local governments develop secure and resilient critical infrastructure networks by accelerating state and local governments to the .gov domain and hiring network defenders, among other things. Additionally, the funding included $900 million in investments to help DHS reduce its carbon footprint and mitigate ongoing effects on climate change, he said.