NCIS

June 25, 2010

J.R. Reskovac

Sarah Strup

Appropriations-  Homeland Security

The House on Thursday kicked off the FY11 appropriations process by unveiling the Homeland Security spending bill, which received subcommittee approval.

The Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee approved, by voice vote, a draft measure that would provide $43.9 billion in discretionary spending for the Department of Homeland Security.  The measure is the first of the 12 annual spending bills to be considered by appropriators.  The bill’s discretionary total is $1.1 billion more than in FY10 and $300 million more than President Obama’s FY11 request.

Amid the controversial debate over immigration, The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) would get a six percent increase in funding, the largest for any agency within the Homeland Security Department, which among other things would provide for the acquisition of more than 500 advanced imaging passenger screening machines and the employment of 5,355 new screeners to operate the equipment.  The Coast Guard also would see a funding increase, with appropriators rejecting presidential proposals to cut Coast Guard personnel, decommission two vessels and retire five helicopters.  Coast Guard oil rig inspection and spill response activities would also receive more than the administration initially requested.

June 11, 2010

J.R. Reskovac

Sarah Strup

Appropriations

Democratic leaders on Thursday continued discussions regarding the FY10 disaster/war supplemental, with Majority Leader Hoyer announcing that House floor action on the measure could occur as early as next week.

The major barrier for the bill remains the Democrat’s hope to provide $23 billion to states and localities to avoid the job loss of hundreds of thousands of teachers and other educators.  The Senate-passed supplemental did not include that funding, but it is a priority for President Obama and other liberals such as House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) who has been exploring options on how to add it in the House, despite growing concerns by lawmakers over high federal budget deficits.  Obey is reportedly considering offsetting the education money with cuts to unobligated funding enacted in last year’s economic stimulus (PL 111-5).  Although Democrats have repeatedly refused GOP efforts to use stimulus funding as offsets, Obey in March used $473 million in stimulus funding to help offset funding for youth jobs programs that was included in the supplemental (HR 4899) as originally passed by the House.