GovernmentExecutive.com

The Senate Appropriations Committee easily approved $30.8 billion in discretionary funding Thursday for the Homeland Security Department and its programs next year.

The bill would provide $389 million less than the Bush administration requested, primarily because it does not include language proposed by President Bush to raise airline ticket fees -- a move that would have given the Transportation Security Administration's budget a $1.6 billion boost. The panel approved the measure, 28-0.

Senate Appropriations ranking member Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., accused Bush of putting the panel in a "difficult position" by proposing a $3 airline ticket fee hike in his budget. He said authorizers -- not appropriators -- must approve such a mandate. Byrd argued that it forced the panel to cut funding for grants to firefighters and police officers, rail security and federal aviation screeners.

"That was a non-starter," echoed Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H. He added that Senate Commerce Chairman Stevens, who oversees policy mandates for the Transportation Security Administration, is adamantly against the idea. The House appropriations and authorization committees also oppose the fee hike.

Gregg said the spending bill shifts funding around from Bush's budget proposal to focus funding on two priorities: weapons of mass destruction and border security.

To pay for increases in border security initiatives, the panel cut funding for police officers, firefighters and other first responders because states and communities have not spent $7 billion from previous years, said Gregg.

The House, which recently passed its version of the Homeland Security appropriations bill, met Bush's request of $3.6 billion for first responders. The Senate bill reduced the amount to $3.5 billion.

Border security programs would receive $600 million more than Bush requested, totaling $9.8 billion in funding next year. The panel directed the department to use the funding to hire 1,000 additional border agents to reach the goal of 10,000 more agents over the next 10 years. Gregg said the department would also spend the money on expanding training facilities, adding 2,200 more detention beds for illegal immigrants and increase the number of U.S. Customs and immigration enforcement officers.

Gregg said the bill requires the department to combine strengthened manpower with cutting-edge technology along the borders. "There is no point in having people all along the border when a lot can be done with technology," he said.

The panel also snipped funding from TSA's budget to bolster border security. Overall, TSA would receive $5 billion in fiscal 2006. The bill includes $7.9 billion for the Coast Guard, $6 billion for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection division, $3.8 billion for immigration and customs enforcement, and $1.4 billion for research and development.

COMMENTS

• This is a perfect example of fraud, waste and abuse! Stop increasing money spent on immigration and start beefing up the laws. Existing laws are ridiculous and do nothing to protect the are fixed give ICE the money to stop illegals from entering the country. Stop wasting my money on ridiculous laws! After the laws country. Because you cannot stop all illegals you need to build enormous holding facilities to put those caught in prison for a couple of years, or load them immediately on empty air planes and send them home, why wait more than a few days? taxpayer Posted June 21, 2005 6:40 AM
• Frustrated Fed said, "I'm sick of the politicians who believe in nothing (certainly not the welfare and security of this country) but their own personal agendas and getting reelected. " If you are a government employee you need to realize that that is exactly what the system is designed around! Politicians do not work for your pleasure, you work for theirs! That is called representative democracy! Polititians should do those things that the people who elect them want done! Not what frustrated feds want done. The big problem will be with the new pay systems going into government. The polititians will be able to reward only those that do exactly what they want regardless of the outcome for society. Your likely to get more frustrated in the future so suck it up and get on with it. Government at the federal level totally is out of control and not likely to regain its bearings for some time! Just think, Hillary is the best the Dems can offer and the Repbs already have shown us their strength with George W. Boy isn't everyone frustrated? taxpayer Posted June 22, 2005 7:08 AM
• Interesting how one equates law enforcement to a "real" law enforcement agency "like the FBI". As a legacy CUSTOMS agent, I spent the equivalent of 19-1/2 weeks at FLETC getting up at 0530 and often not going to bed until all my assignments were done at 2400 hrs. I also had numerous exams (11 in 16 weeks), PT, firearms and all the other "real" academic and practical responsibilities that an FBI agent has to go through in Quantico (Oh, so sorry that I went to school in the "backwoods" of Georgia, and not the nice suburbs of Virginia). After deployment to the field, I was doing pretty REAL law enforcement work (e.g. narcotics, money, weapons, etc.) in the REAL WORLD, often at 1, 2, 3 in the morning, often in cities outside my SAC's area of responsibility and often in some cheap, dirty hotel, delivering multi-pound loads of cocaine and heroin and seizing thousands of dollars in drug money and vehicles - not sitting behind some DESK, like I often see my FBI counterparts, waiting to usurp (pretty big word for you, huh? - you didn't think I had it in me) some case from another agency, like they often do after everyone else does the hard work. I didn't ASK to be BURDENED with immigration work or INS' soiled legacy. But, now that I'm part of it, I must struggle to do the best I can with what little me and my colleagues get. Furthermore, I will be the first to come to the defense of my legacy INS brothers and sisters, many of whom are fine, hard-working agents with a great deal of integrity. So, again, why don't you redirect your vile comments and save them for the TRUE culprits in this farce called Homeland Security: CONGRESS and the PRESIDENT, and pray for the day that the 5,000 agents that comprise ICE don't flee and leave Homeland Security in the hands of the FBI because, if you think that the FBI is going to be the "save all to end all", you must be grossly misinformed, or highly delusional. Pathetic, shameful AND disgraceful. GovExec.com reader Posted June 23, 2005 6:33 PM