Sham Process Surrounds Critical Homeland Security Appropriations Bill

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security today approved legislation to fund homeland security efforts for the 2011 fiscal year.

 

House Appropriations Ranking Republican Jerry Lewis stated that Republicans strongly object to the overall sham process by which this bill – and all appropriations bills – are being considered. So far this year, Democrat leaders have failed to provide assurance that any of the 12 annual Appropriations bills will be considered in an open process before the end of the fiscal year on October 1. Instead, it appears that Democrats will delay the legislation until after the election, and use parliamentary maneuvers and back-door deals to avoid tough votes in committee and on the House floor.

 

“The Homeland Security Appropriations bill is one of the most critical and serious pieces of legislation that this Congress will consider. Yet, Democrats have abused the process to the point that we have no idea how we are paying for it, what the cost of this bill will be in the context of a comprehensive budget, or when it will ever make it to the President’s desk,” Lewis said. 

 

Subcommittee Ranking Member Hal Rogers agreed, saying, “It is the solemn duty of providing the resources that keep our great nation safe and secure in a fiscally responsible manner that has always driven this Subcommittee.  And, this duty is one that should transcend the inconvenience of election year politics.”

 

Lewis stated that because of the uncertainty surrounding the fate of Appropriations bills, Republican members were forced to take the unusual step of offering amendments in the subcommittee mark-up today  – an action that is traditionally taken in a full committee mark-up or on the House floor.

 

“Lacking any opportunity to participate in the process, or amend spending bills in any way, Republican Members of the Committee now have no choice but to take the unusual step of offering amendments during today’s subcommittee markup and subsequent markups. It appears that this will be the only opportunity we will have this year to push for smarter and more disciplined spending,” he said.

 

While Rogers and other Republicans on the subcommittee supported many aspects of the Homeland Security legislation, including critical resources for counternarcotics operations and border and maritime security that were not included in President Obama’s budget request, they have had major concerns with overall spending and policy issues within the bill. However, a primary Republican concern regarding the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the U.S. was addressed on an amendment offered by Mr. Rogers to prohibit the transfer of detainees to the U.S. for any reason. This amendment received rare, bi-partisan support and was approved by the committee.

 

In total, Republicans offered the following amendments today:

 

1.      Subcommittee Ranking Member Hal Rogers (R-KY) offered an amendment to cut $100 million in spending from the bill. This cut would affect non-essential administrative functions at the Department of Homeland Security, including technology upgrades, infrastructure costs at the new St. Elizabeth’s headquarters, and policy and public relations budgets. Many of these programs had large amounts of carry-over funds already available from the previous year. This amendment represented a first-step effort to trim the fat from the agency in light of the nation’s current fiscal and economic situation.

Subcommittee Chairman Price (D-NC), Rep. Rodriguez (D-TX), Rep. Ruppersberger (D-MD), Rep. Lowey (D-NY), Rep. Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Rep. Farr (D-CA), Rep. Mollohan (D-WV), Rep. Berry (D-AR), and Chairman David Obey (D-WI) all voted to oppose the amendment.

 

Ranking Member Rogers (R-KY), Rep. Carter (R-TX), Rep. Culberson (R-TX), Rep. Kirk (R-IL), Rep. Calvert (R-CA), and Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-CA) all voted in favor of the amendment.

2.      Subcommittee Ranking Member Hal Rogers (R-KY) offered an amendment to strike and replace language in the legislation that allows Guantanamo Detainees to be transferred into the United States for prosecution. The Rogers amendment is virtually identical to one that passed the House in the Defense Authorization Bill, and would place a blanket prohibition on all transfers or releases into the U.S.

Rep. Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Rep. Farr (D-CA), Rep. Mollohan (D-WV), Rep. Berry (D-AR), and Chairman David Obey (D-WI) all voted to oppose the amendment.

 

Ranking Member Rogers (R-KY), Subcommittee Chairman Price (D-NC), Rep. Carter (R-TX), Rep. Culberson (R-TX), Rep. Kirk (R-IL), Rep. Calvert (R-CA), Rep. Rodriguez (D-TX), Rep. Ruppersberger (D-MD), Rep. Lowey (D-NY), and Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-CA) all voted in favor of the amendment.

 

3.      Rep. Carter (R-TX) offered an amendment to strike and replace controversial report language making it clear that both criminal alien enforcement as well as non-criminal immigration enforcement be given high priority by the Department of Homeland Security. The underlying legislation attempted to place criminal alien enforcement above all other priorities under Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) jurisdiction, including the enforcement of immigration laws that could help thwart terrorists.

 

Subcommittee Chairman Price (D-NC), Rep. Rodriguez (D-TX), Rep. Ruppersberger (D-MD), Rep. Lowey (D-NY), Rep. Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Rep. Farr (D-CA), Rep. Mollohan (D-WV), Rep. Berry (D-AR), and Chairman David Obey (D-WI) all voted to oppose the amendment.

 

Ranking Member Rogers (R-KY), Rep. Carter (R-TX), Rep. Culberson (R-TX), Rep. Kirk (R-IL), Rep. Calvert (R-CA), and Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-CA) all voted in favor of the amendment.

 

4.      Rep. Culberson (R-TX) offered an amendment to help address the challenges to Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) activities caused by environmental mitigation efforts by the Department of Interior along the nation’s borders. The amendment directs CBP to conduct a report on its environmental mitigation activities and to clearly explain restrictions to their operations in and around public lands. Meanwhile, the amendment prohibits funding transfers from CBP to the Department of Interior until the report is received by the committee.

 

5.      Rep. Kirk (R-IL) offered an amendment requesting a GAO audit of Urban Area Security Initiative expenditures in Chicago. Recent media stories have reported misuse and mismanagement of federal grant funds, including diverted federal grant money being used for executive transport and allegations of fraud in “Project Shield.”

 

 

6.      Rep. Calvert (R-CA) offered an amendment to require firms that have been found to have previously hired illegal aliens to enroll in the E-Verify program.