WASHINGTON - The House Appropriations Committee today approved the fiscal year 2020 Homeland Security bill on a vote of 29 to 20. The legislation provides annual funding for the Department of Homeland Security and its related agencies.
The bill provides a gross total of $63.8 billion in discretionary appropriations, $2.2 billion above the fiscal year 2019 enacted level and $1.9 billion below the President’s request. When excluding offsetting collections and a cap adjustment for disaster response activities, the net discretionary total for the bill is $49.7 billion.
“I am proud to have drafted this smart, effective, and humane Homeland Security funding bill," said House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Chairwoman Lucille Roybal-Allard. “This bill presses forward with our commitments to keeping American families safe and secure, and supporting the important work of Department of Homeland Security personnel. We are taking a balanced approach to border security and immigration enforcement, including vigorous efforts to address the humanitarian crisis at our southern border, and to ensure fair and humane treatment for everyone in our government's custody. Our bill also makes crucial investments across the spectrum of homeland security missions: we are protecting our physical infrastructure and our cybersecurity; we are securing our territorial waters and airspace; and we are helping our state and local governments get ready to face terrorist threats and disasters."
“The bill provides strong investments in disaster relief and anti-terrorism grant programs while putting a check on the cruel immigration enforcement of the Trump Administration," said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey. “Restrictions in this bill would tighten the reins on the Administration’s practice of transferring funds for purposes other than those intended by Congress, including the dramatic expansion of interior immigration enforcement. This bill makes critical investments in our national security infrastructure while curtailing inhumane policies that have threatened many of our most vulnerable."
The following amendments to the bill were adopted by the full Committee:
Rep. Roybal-Allard - The manager’s amendment makes technical and noncontroversial changes to the bill and report. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
Rep. Wasserman Schultz - For a provision in the bill mandating access by Members of Congress to detention facilities for oversight purposes, the amendment strikes a requirement that Members provide 24-hour advance notice. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
Rep. DeLauro - The amendment adds bill language extending the deadline for FEMA to consider the re-submission of a request for Individual Assistance related to the removal of debris from private property for major disasters occurring on or after May 1, 2018, and requiring FEMA to reconsider such re-submissions. The amendment also adds report language requiring FEMA to provide a related briefing to the Committee. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
Rep. Price, cosponsored by Reps. Aguilar, Lee, Pocan - The amendment prohibits the use of funds for various Trump administration policies, including the detention or removal of DACA recipients and certain ICE and CBP raids and other immigration enforcement activities. The amendment was adopted on a vote of 28 to 21.
Rep. Cuellar, cosponsored by Rep. Newhouse - The amendment adds bill language authorizing the use of the H-2A program for agricultural jobs that are not temporary or seasonal in nature. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
Rep. Pingree, cosponsored by Reps. Harris, Ruppersberger - The amendment increases the annual cap on H-2B visas. The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
A summary of the bill is here. The text of the bill is. The bill report is.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
