Appropriations Committee Releases Fiscal Year 2015 Homeland Security Bill

Press Release

The House Appropriations Committee today released its proposed fiscal year 2015 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill, to be marked up in subcommittee tomorrow. The bill provides funding to help strengthen America's homeland security efforts, including securing our borders, enforcing our laws, protecting against cyber threats, bolstering counternarcotic efforts, responding to natural disasters, and fighting terrorism.

The bill provides $39.2 billion in discretionary funding for DHS. This is a decrease of $50 million below the fiscal year 2014 enacted level, but an increase of $887.8 million above the President's request for these programs. The bill also includes a total of $7 billion, the same as the President's request, in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster funding to help states and communities respond and recover from unexpected disasters.

Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers made the following statement on the bill:

"This critically important legislation prioritizes funding for frontline security operations and enforcement to protect against those who seek to do us harm and those who violate the laws of our land," Chairman Rogers said. "The bill makes straightforward choices to fulfill these essential duties, while finding savings in other, lower-priority areas to ensure the best use of every tax dollar."

Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairman John Carter also commented on the bill.

"I am proud that our bill puts border security first and promotes a strong message of enforcement and fiscal responsibility. Once again we are fighting against the President's irresponsible and potentially disastrous budget proposal that deteriorates ICE's ability enforce our immigration laws and cuts funds to secure our border to dangerous levels," Chairman Carter said. "This bill rejects the President's attempt to undermine our laws and uses our funds in a fiscally responsible manner by pushing for reforms within DHS, like reducing ineffectual offices and programs, and requires the President to enforce current laws as they are written not as he would like them to be. Our Nation needs security, fiscal restraint, and enforcement which is what this bill offers."

Source