WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chair of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, today chaired a markup of the FY2019 Homeland Security government funding bill, legislation she authored to support critical national security priorities. The legislation, which the subcommittee approved today, provides resources for border security, cybersecurity, efforts to fight the opioid epidemic, state and local grants, and other programs to keep Americans safe.
“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,” Senator Capito said. “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.”
The FY2019 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, which is scheduled for full committee consideration on Thursday, is a $55.15 billion measure written to provide for the security of the American people. The bill makes a major down payment on border security and fully funds the FY2019 request for the border wall system.
The bill also recommends greater support for cybersecurity, aviation security, disaster relief, state and local grants, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Notably, provides $148 million specifically to combat opioids, more than doubling the FY2018 amount. The measure also continues to carry provisions requiring greater transparency and accountability from the Department of Homeland Security and its components.
Bill Highlights Include:
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – $55.15 billion, including $48.33 billion in base discretionary funding, which is $611 million above the FY2018 enacted level and $900 million above the president’s budget request, to fund DHS missions including border security, disaster relief, transportation security, immigration enforcement, and cybersecurity.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – $14.30 billion, an increase of $239 million above the FY2018 enacted level, to support 375 new Border Patrol agents, 375 new CBP officers, equipment, and technology required to support operations at our borders and ports of entry. The total fully funds the president’s budget request for the border wall system, making a major down payment on border security. It includes a substantial increase to dedicated funding to combat the illicit movement of opioids through ports of entry, as well as funding for tactical communications, recapitalization of Non-Intrusive Inspection equipment, procurement of additional surveillance systems and other situational awareness technology, three multi-role enforcement aircraft, and enhancements to unmanned aerial system capabilities.
Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) – $7.21 billion, $134 million above the FY2018 enacted level, to maintain a record level for immigration enforcement. The bill continues support for new teams targeting at-large criminal aliens and those who overstay their visas. It also includes significant investments to combat drug and human trafficking and other transnational criminal activity. It also provides $84 million for ICE vehicles and includes $41 million above the budget request for new personnel to investigate opioid trafficking.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) – $4.84 billion net, $83 million below the FY2018 enacted level and $797 million above the FY2018 request (which included an assumption of $520 million in unauthorized fee revenue). The bill makes targeted investments in personnel, canine teams, and advanced checkpoint technology. Specifically, the measure includes: funding for 1,450 new TSA personnel to staff checkpoints and mitigate wait times; an additional 50 canine teams to allow for increased throughput of passengers; and investments in future checkpoint technology. The bill also fully funds other critical layers of security, from passenger pre-screening and intelligence functions, to the Federal Air Marshal Service and the Federal Flight Deck Officer program.
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) – $10.19 billion, which is $237 million below the historic FY2018 enacted level and $496 million above the budget request level. This amount supports a robust USCG operations and support budget, including additional military personnel. This bill provides necessary increases for acquisitions, including $750 million for heavy polar icebreaker recapitalization, ongoing Offshore Patrol Cutter acquisition, additional Fast Response Cutters, and support for aircraft recapitalization and enhanced shore infrastructure. The bill also adopts a new appropriations structure for USCG, aligning its structure with that of the rest of DHS.
U.S. Secret Service (USSS) – $2.18 billion, $173 million above the FY2018 enacted level and $28 million above the budget request, to fully support USSS activities and additional hiring needed for the 2020 presidential campaign and support for upcoming National Security Special Events. The bill provides full funding to support the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and provides a $6 million increase in funding to train State and local officials in computer forensics and cyber investigations.
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) – $1.95 billion, an increase of $38 million above the FY2018 enacted level and $128 million above the request. This level is in addition to $1.53 billion in fees for the Federal Protective Service accounted for in the bill. Cybersecurity, including protection of civilian Federal networks, is supported at $1.1 billion, $86 million above the budget request level. Included is $406 million for the National Cybersecurity Protection System and an additional $47 million above the request for Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation. The bill also provides $33 million above the FY2018 enacted level to help states and localities guard with election security information sharing and assistance.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – $11.69 billion, of which $7.23 billion is for the Disaster Relief Fund. Non-disaster funding is $96 million above the FY2018 enacted level and $672 million above the budget request.
The bill includes strong support for state and local first responders and emergency management personnel, providing a total of $3.27 billion for these grant and training programs, including:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) – $132 million for E-Verify operations and enhancements.
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) – $361 million for FLETC, including funds to train more than 95,000 students and funds to complete important facility construction, expansion, and renovation efforts at the FLETC campuses.
Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) – $813 million for S&T, which is $230 million above the budget request. This amount includes sufficient funding to continue the operation of S&T laboratories. A total of $41 million is provided to maintain all current Centers of Excellence.
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office/Office of Health Affairs (DNDO/OHA) – $457 million, the same as the FY2018 enacted level and $28 million above the budget request. While the department merged these two components to establish the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) office, the bill recommends providing appropriations to that office via the legacy DNDO/OHA account structure as the CWMD office has not been explicitly authorized by law.
Departmental Management and Operations – $1.50 billion for departmental management, which is $104 million below the budget request. This level fully supports headquarters management, intelligence, and oversight activities.
Oversight and Accountability
The measure also includes extensive direction regarding metrics and performance evaluation to hold DHS accountable for operational outcomes associated with the included investments. The bill includes oversight measures:
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