Homeland Security Funding Bill Fails to Provide Critical Border Management Resources

WASHINGTON — During today's House Appropriations Subcommittee markup of the 2024 Homeland Security funding bill, House Democrats highlighted how the Republicans are squandering billions of dollars on useless border measures while disregarding the threats presented by terrorists, transnational criminals, and violent extremists.

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• Provides a false sense of national security, by spending billions on outdated and expensive border wall, leaving our ports of entry and interior Border Patrol checkpoints vulnerable to the trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit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.

"When it comes to the border, the bill relies on outdated strategies that we know do not work. For example, the bill would require $2.1 billion be rescinded and reappropriated for wall construction, a 14th century solution to a 21st century challenge," said Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Henry Cuellar said. "The bill also misses opportunities to make smart investments to address urgent issues facing our country – such as providing more resources to counter the trafficking of illicit narcotics into our country, such as fentanyl and opioids."

Congressman Henry Cuellar's full remarks as prepared for delivery are here.

"Aside from being built on a house of cards, the bill before us today makes irresponsible investments that weaken our national security and harm the Homeland Security workforce," Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. "It will not get control at the border. My Republican colleagues are once again proposing to waste billions of dollars on a useless and ineffective border wall – rather than focusing resources where we need them most, like combatting fentanyl entering through our ports of entry, supporting the Homeland Security workforce, discouraging the flow of migrants from Central America, helping our border communities, advancing our cybersecurity posture, and protecting our communities from violent extremism and foreign adversaries."

Congresswoman DeLauro's full remarks as prepared for delivery are here.

Key provisions of the bill can be found here. The text of the draft bill is here. Information on Community Project Funding in the bill is here.