The House Appropriations Homeland Security (HAC-HS) subcommittee on Wednesday approved by voice vote its version of the FY ’18 spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), providing $44.3 billion in discretionary funding, including $500 million for production of the Coast Guard’s first new medium-endurance cutter and long-lead materials for the second vessel.
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.), ranking member on the panel, voted against the measure, citing overkill by the Trump administration on spending for immigration enforcement and $1.6 billion set aside for new and replacement infrastructure for wall structures along certain portions of the nation’s southern border with Mexico. The recommending spending on the border wall is level with the administration’s request.
The bill includes $19 million to continue program activities for the Coast Guard’s heavy polar icebreaker program, enough funding to keep the project on track for a construction award in FY ’19, Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), HAC-HS chairman, said during the brief markup.
The bill also includes about $950 million for cyber security efforts within the National Protection and Programs Directorate and $2.7 billion for grant programs managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, about $930 million more than requested. The recommended grant funding would restore spending to FY ’17 levels, Carter said.
The draft bill now goes to the full committee for consideration.