Today, the Full Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2024 bill for the Homeland Security Subcommittee. The measure was approved by the Committee with a vote of 33 to 25.
The Homeland Security bill includes $91.515 billion in total discretionary appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, including $62.793 billion within the bill’s allocation, $5.837 billion in discretionary appropriations offset by fee collections, and $20.261 billion as an allocation adjustment for major disaster response and recovery activities. The total, within the allocation, is $2.090 billion above the Fiscal Year 2023 level. Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Bill
- Secures our southwest border by:
- Providing $2.104 billion for construction of physical wall along the southwest border;
- Providing $496 million for 22,000 Border Patrol Agents, the highest level ever funded;
- Restoring border security technology funding to the FY22 level of $276 million; and
- Forcing Secretary Mayorkas to adhere to the law and build physical barriers immediately.
- Removes dangerous criminals by:
- Providing $3.55 billion for custody operations, which is more than ever previously appropriated, to fund an average daily ICE detainee population of 41,500; and
- Providing $655 million to fund transportation and removal operations for removable aliens.
- Counters China and bolsters national security by:
- Providing $335 million to procure four additional Coast Guard Fast Response Cutters to counter China in the Indo-Pacific; and
- Providing $150 million for the purchase of a polar icebreaker to project U.S. sovereignty in the Arctic.
- Prevented border wall construction;
- Prevented coordination between federal, state, and local entities to remove dangerous criminals through 287(g);
- Allowed funding for hormone therapies or surgeries for gender-affirming care for migrants;
- Allowed tax-payer dollars to be used for abortions for migrants;
- Allowed funds to be used to label Americans’ constitutionally protected speech as “misinformation;”
- Funded unnecessary and polarizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives; and
- Allowed Secretary Mayorkas to seek outside counsel at the American taxpayers’ expense if being impeached.
- Joyce (Manager’s Amendment) – makes technical, bipartisan changes to the bill and report.
- The amendment was adopted by voice vote.
- Joyce (En Bloc) –
- Increases the total number of ICE detention beds to 41,500;
- Increases investment in new 287(g) agreements;
- Prohibits paroled or otherwise inadmissible aliens from being transferred into the interior of the country;
- Ensures aliens on the non-detained docket are monitored with mandatory GPS technology through the end of their immigration proceedings;
- Ensures the Biden Administration cannot resurrect prosecutorial discretion immigration policies;
- Protects Americans against religious discrimination;
- Provides no funds for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Citizenship and Integration Grant Program;
- Withholds resources for the Office of the Secretary until the Department delivers immigration and entry-exit reports required by law;
- Prevents alien student visas for unaccredited higher-education institutions;
- Prohibits use of funds to admit Chilean nationals through the Visa Waiver Program until DHS is provided access to appropriate criminal databases for screening purposes; and
- Prevents parole of Chinese nationals into the Northern Marianas Islands.
- The amendment was adopted by a vote of 34 to 22.
Chairwoman Kay Granger’s opening remarks are available here.
Subcommittee Chairman Dave Joyce’s opening remarks are available here.
Bill text, before adoption of amendments in Full Committee, is available here.
Bill report, before adoption of amendments in Full Committee, is available here.
A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.
Original source can be found here.