A compromise set of appropriations packages agreed to by House and Senate appropriators on Monday includes nearly $1.4 billion for additional border security infrastructure, a large cut from the $5 billion sought by the Trump administration in fiscal year 2020.
The amount for the border wall is similar to that agreed by Democrats and Republicans in the FY ’19 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that President Donald Trump signed into law earlier this year as part of larger spending package for certain civilian agencies. However, Trump later transferred billions of dollars from various Defense Department and some DHS accounts to put toward the border wall, which is a key priority of his.
The legislative package that includes funding for DHS in FY ’20 also includes nearly $101 million in long-lead funding for a 12th Coast Guard National Security Cutter, which is built by Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII]. The Coast Guard originally planned to buy eight NSCs to replace 12 aging Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters but Congress has kept the program going to obtain a one-for-one replacement of the ships.
Funding for the Coast Guard in the bill includes $100 million in long-lead materials for a second Polar Security Cutter. The administration only requested funding to keep the program office active while the first PSC is built. VT Halter Marine is under contract for the PSCs. The Coast Guard plans to buy at least three of the heavy polar icebreakers.
The appropriators have also agreed to provide $260 million for four Fast Response Cutters, which are built by Bollinger Shipyards. The Coast Guard program of record for the FRC is 58 vessels, which operate in the littorals, but the service is buying at least several more of the craft to meet requirements of DoD Combatant Commands.
Due to delays in delivery of the first two hulls of the Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutter, the appropriators cut $145 million from the request. The delays are due to storm damage to shipbuilder Eastern Shipbuilding Group‘s facilities a year ago. The Coast Guard has begun a recompete effort of the OPC program as part of providing the company contract relief due to the damage. The new competition is expected to begin with the fifth ship.