House Votes to Responsibly Provide Resources to Secure the Border and Remove Dangerous Criminals

June 28, 2024
Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives met to consider the Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025. The measure was approved by a vote of 212 to 203.

Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairman Mark Amodei (R-NV) said, “The FY25 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill prioritizes investments to secure the border and makes appropriate cuts to policies and programs we know don’t work. This legislation is a commitment to protecting Americans and the homeland. Through border security, immigration enforcement, cybersecurity, and disaster resilience, we are investing in resources to secure the nation and support our people on the frontline. Thank you to Chairman Cole and my colleagues in the House for supporting this crucial legislation.”

Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said, “We are delivering on our constitutional duty of keeping Americans and the homeland safe. This bill supports our frontline law enforcement officers and bolsters port, maritime, aviation, and cyber security. Resources are directed to target the Biden Administration’s crisis at our southern border and support CBP agents and officers. We also make critical investments to remove dangerous criminals and counter the spread of poisonous fentanyl. Chairman Amodei’s leadership directed every taxpayer dollar towards protecting our communities from threats, and today’s House passage recognizes that work.”

Subcommittee Chairman Amodei’s floor remarks are available here.

Chairman Cole's floor remarks, submitted for the record, are available here.

Fiscal Year 2025 Homeland Security Appropriations Act

The Homeland Security Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $64.81 billion. The defense portion of the allocation is $3.41 billion, which is $82 million (2.41%) above the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level. The non-defense portion of the allocation is $61.39 billion, which is $2.88 billion (4.92%) above the FY24 enacted level and $4.27 billion (7.48%) above the President’s Budget Request. 

The bill utilizes $6.12 billion in discretionary appropriations offset by fee collections and $22.74 billion as an allocation adjustment for major disaster response and recovery activities.

Key Takeaways

  • Secures our southern border by: 
    • Providing $600 million for construction of the southern border wall.
    • Forcing Secretary Mayorkas to adhere to the law and build physical barriers immediately.
    • Ensuring wall funding can only be used to build physical barriers by attaching stricter conditions and shorter timelines to put the funds on contract.
    • Sustaining funding for 22,000 Border Patrol agents.
    • Providing $300 million for border security technology.
  • Removes dangerous criminals by:
    • Providing $4.1 billion for custody operations, which is more than ever previously appropriated, to fund an average daily ICE detainee population of 50,000.
    • Providing $822 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.
    • Providing $60 million for a service life extension to enable the Coast Guard to deploy another Medium Endurance Cutter to the Indo-Pacific. 
    • Providing $4.2 million for increased maritime engagements with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. 
    • Encouraging federal, state, local, and private sector partners to replace communications technology from companies designated as a national security risk. 
  • Focuses the Department on its core responsibilities by: 
    • Preventing the Department from carrying out its equity action plan or advancing critical race theory. 
    • Rejecting funding for electric vehicles and related infrastructure, saving $30 million.
    • Preventing the consolidation of the Department’s Headquarters, saving $186.7 million.
    • Rejecting funding requested by the Biden Administration that encourages more illegal migration, such as:
      • The Shelter and Services Program for migrants, $650 million less than the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level.
      • The Case Management Pilot Program for migrants, $20 million less than the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level.
    • Eliminating the duplicative Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, saving $28.6 million from the Fiscal Year 2024 enacted level.
    • Excluding the Administration’s $4.7 billion southwest border contingency slush fund that would provide funds to process and release more aliens into the country. 
  • Supports American values and principles by:
    • Prohibiting the government from labeling Americans’ constitutionally protected speech as “misinformation” and imposing a penalty of termination for such action.
    • Prohibiting funding for providing or facilitating abortions for ICE detainees. 
    • Prohibiting gender-affirming care, including hormone therapy and surgery, for ICE detainees. 

A summary of the bill is available here.

Bill text, before adoption of amendments, is available here.

Bill report is available here.

A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

 

###

Logo