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Congressman
Paul Ryan
The President’s Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request
The President’s FY2010 base budget requests $42.7 billion for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), about 3.5% increase over FY2009 appropriations. I applaud the President’s efforts to provide increased funding for Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to help the threat posed by illegal immigration.
While the funding requested in the President’s budget for DHS reflects only a modest increase in DHS spending compared to other federal agencies, it is important to note that significant amounts of DHS funding were recently passed under the budget radar as part of H.R. 1, the Stimulus Bill. This request also phases in increases in the per-ticket airline passenger security fee, a policy that would increase the price of airline tickets for consumers and has been rejected repeatedly by Congress during the Bush Administration. As Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, I will work with my colleagues and the Obama Administration to increase transparency and accountability in DHS and other homeland protection programs.
First Responder Funding in the Stimulus
On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, into law. The final version of this legislation contains approximately $4 billion in federal assistance for state and local first responders. Specifically, this legislation includes:
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$2 billion for the Byrne JAG formula grant program and $225 million for Byrne competitive grants, which provide federal funding to assist state and local law enforcement with crime control;
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$225 million for Violence Against Women programs, of which $175 million is for STOP grants and $50 million is for transitional housing assistance grants;
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$1 billion for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office for the hiring and rehiring of additional law enforcement officers and public safety personnel. It also waives the 25% local match and the $75,000 per officer cap;
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$40 million for competitive grants to provide assistance and equipment to local law enforcement along the Southern border and in High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas to combat criminal narcotics activity stemming from the Southern border, of which $10 million shall be for the ATF’s Project Gunrunner;
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$100 million to be distributed by the Office for Victims of Crime, $125 million for assistance to law enforcement in rural areas, and $50 million for Internet Crimes against Children initiatives; and
$120 million in FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grants, along with a waiver for local matching funds requirement.
Unfortunately, I could not support the passage of H.R. 1. While there is no doubt that programs like these that were included in the Stimulus have merit, their inclusion in legislation meant to jump-start our economy is questionable. I agree that an urgent and effective fiscal response was needed to help our ailing economy, however I do not believe the overall bill will help our economy recover. I hope that Congress will now return to regular order so that we can find ways to fund these important programs in a more fiscally-responsible manner.
FY2010 Homeland Security Appropriations
In addition to critical first responder funding provided by the Stimulus, the House also passed H.R. 2892, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2010. This bill provides DHS $44 billion for FY2010, a 6.3% increase over last year. Specifically, H.R. 2892 provides:
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$3.55 billion for First Responder grant programs, including $950 million for state and local terrorism response and catastrophic response training, $800 million for fire grant programs including SAFER, $50 million for interoperable communications systems, and $40 million to train personnel and equip state emergency operations centers;
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$5.4 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including $1.5 billion for identifying dangerous criminal aliens and prioritizing these individuals for removal once an immigration judge order them deported, $298 million for processing refugee applications and asylum claims, and a two-year extension and $162 million to operate and improve E-Verify;
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$7.7 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, including $1 billion to install explosive detection devices at airports nationwide, and $61 million for additional surface transportation inspectors, and $123 million to meet the 100-percent air cargo security screening mandate by August
2010.
In addition, H.R. 2892 included additional funding for ICE operations in response to increased violence along our border with Mexico. Specifically, these programs provide ICE with additional resources to investigate and address trans-national gang activity, drug production and transport, and weapons smuggling.
While I was pleased these programs received much-needed funding increases, I was disappointed this legislation did not fully fund the President’s request for border enforcement. The bill underfunds the President’s request for Customs and Border Patrol, which includes programs enforcement at the southern border, including border security fencing, infrastructure, and technology, and funding to hire additional CBP agents, by $43 million.
The bill also waters down prior language requiring double layer fencing along the southern border, allowing it to be replaced with less effective “virtual fencing.” While many other accounts received funding above and beyond the President’s request, it is unfortunate important programs like this will not see all of the funding they need to keep our southern border secure. The House and Senate are currently engaged in conference negotiations on H.R. 2892. I hope Congress will act quickly to approve these much needed funding increases for first-responders and border security.
FY2010 Justice, Science, and Commerce Appropriations
On June 18, 2009, the House passed H.R. 2847, the Justice, Science, and Commerce Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2010. This bill provides these federal agencies with a total of $64.4 billion for FY2010. Specifically, the bill includes:
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$802 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services Program (COPS) to support local law enforcement agencies with personnel, technology and training grants, including $298 million for COPS Hiring Grants;
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$400 million for to prevent and prosecute violence against women and strengthen services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the DOJ Office on Violence against Women, including an increase of $10 million for STOP formula grants and an increase of $1 million for Sexual Assault Victims Services;
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$2.2 billion for DOJ grants to state and local organizations to fight and prevent crime, including Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, drug courts, and programs for at risk youth and missing or abused children;
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$1.5 billion for the DOJ Southwest Border Prosecutor Initiative, which seeks to address increasing violence at our southern border; and
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$325 million for Adam Walsh Act activities and other sex offender and child exploitation prevention and enforcement
programs.
Over the last few years, the amount of funding available to state and local officials through Office of Justice Programs has declined. Specifically, the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants and COPS programs, which provide local law enforcement with much-needed flexibility and discretion instead of the red tape and strings accompanying similar federal funding streams, have been the target of spending cuts. Meeting and talking with law enforcement officials back in Wisconsin, I realize how much they depend on these grant programs. I was pleased that H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, included $4 billion for first responder programs. I was also pleased that H.R. 2847 also placed these programs at a higher priority than has been the case in prior years.
Border
Security
Mexico is currently in the midst of an extremely violent drug war. In 2009 alone, over 1,000 violent murders have been committed. Much of the violence occurring in Mexico takes place along the U.S.-Mexican border, where vast sums of money can be made by smuggling drugs into the U.S. Many analysts have concerns that due to the resources that Mexican drug cartels have, the Mexican government will not be able to effectively deal with the threat these gangs pose. Should the Mexican government be co-opted by these gangs, it will become a failed state. This would pose severe risks to the United States and we must take action to protect our border from this threat.
Operational control of our borders should be among the highest priorities of Congress. Every nation has the right to control entry and exit across its border. Porous borders leave us susceptible to the illegal crossing of terrorists, drug lords, and gang members, placing our homeland security in serious jeopardy. I urge Congress to clear up more of the red tape hindering our efforts to secure the border, and will continue working toward enforcement of our nation’s borders.
A
dditional
Information.
For more information on the homeland security, please refer to the following
web sites:
The
House Committee on Homeland Security: http://hsc.house.gov
U.S.
Department of Homeland Security: http://www.dhs.gov |
