Senate Committee Advances FY2019 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill
Statement
The Senate Committee on Appropriations today advanced its FY2019 Homeland Security funding bill, making investments in border security, cybersecurity, aviation security, state and local grants, and other programs to keep Americans safe.
The 55.15 billion measure is written to provide for the security of the American people. The bill makes a major down payment on border security and fully funds the fiscal year 2019 request for the border wall system. The bill was approved by a vote of 26-5.
The bill also recommends greater support for cybersecurity, aviation security, disaster relief, state and local grants, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Notably, the legislation includes funding to build the United States' first heavy polar icebreaker in more than 40 years. It also provides $148 million specifically to combat opioids, more than doubling the FY2018 amount. Additionally the measure continues to carry provisions requiring greater transparency and accountability from the Department of Homeland Security and its components.
"This legislation fully funds the President's budget request for a border wall system while also meeting a wide range of security needs and providing critical resources for disaster preparedness and recovery," said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). "Senators Capito and Tester have been successful in their efforts to reach a strong, bipartisan agreement. I am grateful for their steadfast and thoughtful approach to writing this bill."
"We have a very strong bill that funds critical Homeland Security priorities and meets our national security needs, providing the department and its nearly 250,000 employees with the resources they need to carry out a broad set of missions around the world," said U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. "My highest priority in writing this bill was to secure U.S. borders, and I'm proud to say that our legislation makes a major down payment to do that. This legislation also provides critical resources that will help strengthen cybersecurity, improve our efforts to fight the opioid epidemic, support state and local law enforcement, and keep Americans safe."
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