Full committee
The House today will consider the fiscal year 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations bill – the first of the 12 annual funding bills to move to the floor this year. The legislation targets funding to critical homeland security programs and operations, while helping to address the urgent need to reduce spending to rein in the nation's unprecedented deficits and debt. In total, the legislation provides $40.6 billion in non-emergency funding for the various programs and agencies within DHS. This is a decrease of $1.1 billion – or 2.6% – below last year's level and $3 billion – or 7% – below the President's request.
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers gave the following statement on this essential legislation on the floor of the House today:
"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support HR 2017, the Fiscal Year 2012 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act.
"We can all agree that our nation's service-members and veterans deserve the utmost quality of care and respect for their service and sacrifice, and it's a pleasure to be able to support them.
"This bill funds the most pressing needs of our nation's service-members and their families, as well as our veterans, while also acknowledging the need to rein in federal spending in a time of historic and dangerous deficits.
"The bill fully funds the construction of Department of Defense hospitals and clinics, schools and family housing, providing our military personnel with the resources to effectively advance US missions abroad and the support they need here at home. The bill also protects the health and well-being of our veterans, funding medical care, disability benefits, and education benefits.
"It's been a pleasure to work with my Ranking Member, Mr. Bishop, in this inaugural year of my Chairmanship. He has been by my side through every hearing we have had this year, providing thoughtful insights. His prior experience with the agencies has been most helpful.
"The bill before you was posted yesterday morning, and you and your staffs have had an opportunity to review it. In addition, the Subcommittee staff briefed all of your staff yesterday.
"This bill addresses the most urgent needs of our active duty servicemen and women, and our Nation's veterans, while also recognizing the need to constrain federal spending as the country wrestles with large deficits. The total discretionary fiscal year 2012 funding is $72.535 billion, a decrease of $1.252 billion from the budget request, and $615 million below the fiscal year 2011 appropriation.
"As President Eisenhower famously said, our country is entitled to both safety AND solvency. ‘We need an adequate defense, but every arms dollar we spend above adequacy has a long-term weakening effect upon the nation and its security,' he said. In that vein, this bill maintains the crucial measures that keep our citizens safe while also protecting them from the very real dangers of uncontrolled debt.
"I want to welcome everyone to the first meeting of the full Committee for the 2012 Appropriations process. We started this year in uncharted territory with none of the 2011 appropriations bills passed into law, and in fact most of the bills not having made it past Subcommittee. That led to a very difficult 4 months and a seemingly endless CR process for 2011.
"Now that that process is finally over, I'm sure you all share my relief that we have moved on to our very important work funding the government for the next fiscal year –in regular order. I can't stress enough how important it is to our economic recovery that Americans feel secure that the government is moving to put our fiscal house in order, while making hard decisions that can and will protect and fund the crucial programs and services on which they rely.
"It is my honor to present to the Committee the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security.
"This bill before us today, perhaps more than any other bill, exemplifies the difficult choices that need to be made in order to address our Nation's fiscal crisis.
"This bill demonstrates how we can fully fund vital security programs while also reducing spending overall. Furthermore, this bill does not represent a false choice between fiscal responsibility and security – both are national security priorities, and both are vigorously addressed in this bill.
"I am under no illusion that everyone here today will agree with the spending reductions included in this bill; but now, more than ever, our government needs fiscal discipline, and this bill takes necessary steps toward that goal.
In the first full Committee mark-up of the year, the House Appropriations Committee approved two annual funding bills – the Homeland Security Appropriations bill and the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill – both of which will now move to the House floor for consideration.
Both bills reflect the need to make wise investments with precious taxpayer dollars, while providing funding for critical and necessary programs, House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers said.
House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers made the following statement at today's Subcommittee mark up of the Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Appropriations Act:
"I would like to thank the Chairman, Mr. Culberson, for his remarks. I'm very pleased to be in attendance at the first subcommittee markup of the fiscal year 2012 appropriations cycle.
"I share the relief of all of you that we've finally made it to consideration of fiscal year 2012 bills, after the long, painful process to finish 2011. And what a great bill to begin with. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill provides great support to our servicemembers and their families, as well as our veterans.
"I would also like to thank the Ranking Member, Mr. Bishop, for his work on the subcommittee and for his efforts to get us here today.
