The House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee (HAC HS) on Wednesday evening began marking up its version of the FY ’15 Homeland Security Bill, which provides $39.2 billion in discretionary funding, an $887.8 million increase to the Obama administration’s request.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a big winner in the subcommittee’s version of the bill, receiving $5.5 billion, a $466.2 million plus-up to the request with some of the increase going toward domestic and international investigation programs, and detention-related programs.
For the Coast Guard, the bill would add $201.8 million for two more Fast Response Cutters (FRC), doubling the number of patrol boats in the FY ’15 budget. The Coast Guard’s original $1.5 billion contract with FRC prime contractor Bollinger Shipyards allowed for up to 36 of the patrol boats to be built. If the HAC HS funding recommendation for the FRC becomes law, Congress will have provided money for 34 of the 154-foot cutters, nine of which have been delivered.
The Coast Guard plans to recompete the FRC contract to fill out its remaining requirement for 58 vessels.
The HAC HS proposal also provides $630.3 million to complete construction of the eighth and final National Security Cutter, which is built by Huntington Ingalls Industries [HII].
Other acquisition items included in the bill for the Coast Guard include an additional United Technologies [UTX] MH-60 medium-range recovery helicopter, a Lockheed Martin [LMT] C-130J long-range surveillance aircraft, and funding for equipment for C-27J aircraft that are being transferred from the Air Force for surveillance missions.
Despite the add-ons to for some Coast Guard programs, the subcommittee’s bill proposes to cut $76.4 million overall from the service’s acquisition request, with cuts largely aimed at surface assets while aviation programs are boosted.
Overall, HAC HS proposes $8.5 billion for the Coast Guard, $315.6 million more than requested, including $119.5 million in additional funding for operations and training, including aviation and cutter hours, to help maintain counterdrug missions.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also received more funding than requested, $10.8 billion, a $98.3 million plus-up. The subcommittee’s proposal includes $412.5 million for border security technology, $50 million more than requested, and $787.8 million for air and marine operations, $79 million more than sought.
The bill would provide funds for 21,370 Border Patrol agents, who work between land ports of entry, and 23,775 CBP officers, who work at ports of entry, maintaining the largest totals in history.
“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,” Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement. “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.”
The Transportation Security Administration’s discretionary budget request also makes out nicely in the HAC HS proposal, receiving $4.6 billion, a $300 million boost. The proposal includes increases for privatized screening operations, $160 million total, canine enforcement teams and Federal Flight Deck Officers. The Secure Flight database program used to screen fliers against terrorist watch lists is sustained at $112.3 million.
Offsetting some of the proposed increases within TSA, the bill would cut $208 million in funding for Federal Air Marshals, $39 million from the agency’s headquarters, and $26.3 million from personnel. The bill also reduces the cap on full-time screening personnel to 45,000 at the agency, baking in efficiencies gained through increased risk-based screening.
The request for cyber security funding within the Department of Homeland Security’s National Protection Program Directorate is fully matched at $745.5 million. The subcommittee says the funds will continue improvements to the Federal Network Security program and maintain the current acquisition schedule.
In the Secret Service’s account, which is increased $51.7 million to $1.6 billion, the boost is for investigations and cyber security.
The bill also provides $1.1 billion for the Science and Technology Directorate, $34.8 million above the request, and includes $300 million to complete the final phase of the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility.
The bill also fully funds the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s $7 billion request and includes $2.5 billion for first responder grants.
The DHS headquarters consolidation effort takes a hit in the bill as $73 million is denied for this.