Capito Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Included in FY21 Omnibus Appropriations Package

Press Release

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, today announced her Homeland Security funding bill was included in the year-end legislative package. The bill provides $69.1 billion to support the various missions of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Specifically, it makes investments in border security, disaster recovery and prevention, cybersecurity, aviation security, state and local grants, and efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

Congress is expected to vote on the year-end legislative package soon, which includes this funding legislation and several other provisions that will benefit our nation and West Virginians.

"The Homeland Security funding bill included in the year-end package makes significant investments in areas critical to the safety and security of our country. This bill is the product of bipartisan and bicameral negotiations in partnership with the department and the administration to meet critical security needs and national priorities. I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their assistance and support as we negotiated this bill. If passed, this funding measure will ensure that our hardworking DHS employees will not go without a paycheck ahead of the holiday season. The men and women who are working to secure our border, ensure our air transportation system is safe, protect our coasts, and work to combat cyber-attacks deserve this support. I'm thankful to be able to support the work of the Department for the security our states and our country as a whole," said Chairman Capito.

Chairman Capito included several items in the legislation important to West Virginia, including continued funding for Homeland Security Investigation's (HSI) partnership with Marshall University on opioid prevention and dark web monitoring; an increase in funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Dam Safety Grant Program that Chairman Capito previously authorized; funding for IT enhancements at Coast Guard facilities in the Eastern Panhandle; funding for facility expansion and improvements for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Advanced Training Center and Summit Point facilities in West Virginia; and necessary funds to continue FEMA grant programs that are of critical importance to repairing damage created by natural disasters, as well as supporting local first responders, such as volunteer fire departments. Chairman Capito announced FEMA grants for both flood relief and volunteer fire departments this year.

Source