Homeland Security Funding Bill Fails to Provide Critical Border Management Resources

Legislation squanders billions of dollars on useless border measures while disregarding the threats presented by terrorists, transnational criminals, and violent extremists.

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Republicans today released their draft 2024 Homeland Security funding bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tomorrow. The bill covers agencies, offices, and programs in the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Secret Service, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

For 2024, the bill provides $62.8 billion for the Department of Homeland Security and an additional $20.3 billion for major disaster response and recovery. The legislation:

• Provides a false sense of national security, by spending billions on outdated and expensive border wall, leaving our ports of entry and interior Border Patrol checkpoints vulnerable to the trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit narcotics.
• Cuts necessary funding to manage the border safely and securely, putting our DHS workforce and our border communities at risk.
• Fails to protect our communities from violent extremists, underfunding programs that enhance regional preparedness and response capabilities, making our communities less secure.
• Weakens our national security through inadequate cybersecurity and infrastructure security investments, opening the U.S. to increased cyberattacks and foreign adversary influence.
• Leaves Americans vulnerable to the growing number and increasing severity of natural disasters by failing to deliver needed resources to mitigate the loss of life and property, combat climate change, and support climate resilience.
• Undermines the Transportation Security Administration workforce by unfairly implementing the pay restructuring we committed to last Congress.

“Our duty is to help ensure our country’s domestic security. I certainly support investing in border security technology, employee care and suicide prevention programs, and Homeland Security Investigations. However, this bill offers a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem, instead of providing our frontline officers and agents the resources they need,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. “This bill also misses opportunities to address the fentanyl and opioid crisis, provide investments in checkpoints and ports of entry, and leaves our border communities without support. Until we look at real solutions to address the problems we’re currently facing, I cannot support this bill. I look forward to working with Chairwoman Granger, Ranking Member DeLauro, and Subcommittee Chairman Joyce to produce a bi-partisan bill that meets our country’s needs.”

“This Homeland Security funding bill is just another sham bill that would crumble if we learned the full scope of the proposed cuts House Republicans will make in other bills. Aside from being built on a house of cards, this bill squanders billions of dollars on useless border measures, while disregarding the threats presented by terrorists, transnational criminals, and violent extremists,” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “Instead of focusing resources where we need them most, like combatting fentanyl entering through our ports of entry, this bill funds ineffective border security strategies like Trump’s border wall. House Republicans are making irresponsible investments that will weaken our national security and abandon our values.”

A summary of the draft 2024 Homeland Security bill is below. The text of the draft bill is here. The subcommittee markup will be webcast live and linked on the House Committee on Appropriations website.

The 2024 funding bill:

• Eliminates critical funding for CBP’s border management requirements, $2.4 billion below 2023 levels, and fails to fund a third Joint Processing Center.
• Guts funding for climate-change, climate-resiliency, and facilities transformation initiatives by over $748 million.
• Wastes over $3.7 billion on ineffective border security and immigration policies, while failing to address the ongoing fentanyl and opioid crisis and doing nothing to address the growing requirements at our ports of entry and interior Border Patrol checkpoints.
• Reverses our commitments to the TSA workforce cutting funding for workforce pay and collective bargaining initiatives by over $437 million from the request.
• Cuts requested funding to combat terrorism, extremism, and cybersecurity attacks by over $232 million.
• Slashes funding for humanitarian programs by over $786 million, including family reunification efforts, immigration detention oversight, and refugee processing.
• Reduces funding for diversity and inclusion efforts by over $12.5 million.

Policy Provisions

Provisions Targeting Underserved, Underrepresented, or Vulnerable populations:

• Section 222 prohibits the use of funds to provide necessary health care services for women.
• Eliminates a provision that protects potential sponsors of unaccompanied children from being deported.
• Section 223 prohibits the use of funds to provide necessary health care services for transgender persons.
• Section 545 prohibits the use of funds for Executive Orders related to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Restrictions that Weaken Our Defenses and Resiliency

• Section 540 limits the Department’s ability to counter disinformation campaigns, including from foreign adversaries who seek to undermine our democratic elections.
• Section 543 limits CISA’s ability to counter mis-, dis-, or mal-information efforts by domestic extremists and other adversaries who seek to cause harm to our critical infrastructure and our communities.