Appropriations Vice Chair Leahy’s SUMMARY Of/REAX To Chairman’s Mark for the FY2018 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill
The
"The annual Homeland Security Appropriations bill is critically important for our national security, cybersecurity, airport security, and our emergency responders. Unfortunately, this bill funds a costly and ineffective border wall that is wasting taxpayers' money and blocking a bipartisan debate on this important legislation. We can't spend billions of dollars on a wall at the expense of our firefighters, airports, ports, transit hubs, and local communities. We can secure our borders more effectively with better technology and more manpower without saddling our kids and grandkids with the debt a border wall will require. As the appropriations process moves forward, I hope we can reignite a spirit of compromise and working together."
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To pay for Trump's wall, vital programs have been slashed out of this bill, which will make our country less safe. This is bumper sticker budgeting at its worst, and it is why it is important that we reach a bipartisan budget deal as soon as possible. A budget deal that allows us to invest in the American people - not waste their tax dollars on a misguided wall."
While the bill rejects the Administration's request to hire 850 deportation officers and denies the request to increase the number of detention beds, full funding is provided for the President's unnecessary border wall. The Administration has yet to provide a comprehensive plan on how the Department plans to secure the southwest border, including the total number of miles required for the wall, its full cost, an extensive analysis of alternatives, a cost-benefit analysis, and how eminent domain concerns will be addressed.
In order to fund the border wall and other assets not requested in the budget, the bill cuts funding for border security technologies, aviation security, and Federal assistance to secure our local communities. Three critical laboratories are eliminated, weakening our defenses against biological, radiological, and chemical attacks. Making matters even worse, there is a Department-wide reduction that will make it more difficult for front line components to operate effectively.
* Customs and Border Protection. The bill provides
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Funding highlights include:
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* United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
* Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers. FLETC is funded at
* Science and Technology. S&T is funded at
* Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. DNDO is funded at
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