House Republican appropriators released legislation Wednesday that would boost funding for the Department of Homeland Security by $100 million compared to current spending levels.
Their proposed spending bill would also spend $432 million more than President Obama requested for fiscal year 2017. Republicans said the increase is needed to ensure border security, aviation security and protection from cyberattacks.
“Now, more than ever, we need to remain vigilant in the protection of our homeland. New threats to our people and way of life emerge every day, and the difficult challenges along our borders continue,” said Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers.
The House bill would spend $41.1 billion total on DHS. The proposed net increase is the result of rescinding nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in unspent money, cutting in other areas and then boosting spending in key areas in the department.
For example, the bill would boost Customs and Border Protection funding by $158 million, to support a record high 21,370 border patrol agents and 23,871 CBP officers.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would get another $72 million for domestic and international investigations, and the Transportation Security Agency would get $163 more, including nearly $20 million to deploy 50 canine teams.
The bill provides another $120.5 million for cybersecurity efforts, $141.4 million more for the Coast Guard and $1.2 million more for the Secret Service.
