Veto threatened over Homeland Security spending bill
Spending levels and provision requiring federal contractors to pay local prevailing wages drew the threat, but administration also opposes language limiting personnel reform.
The Bush administration on Tuesday threatened to veto the fiscal 2008 Homeland Security appropriations bill because of its spending level and a provision that would require federal contractors to pay workers the local prevailing wage.
The House began debate early Tuesday afternoon on the bill, which would give the department $36.3 billion in discretionary spending, about $2 billion more than President Bush requested.
"The administration has asked that Congress demonstrate a path to live within the president's topline and cover the excess spending in this bill through reductions elsewhere," the White House wrote Tuesday in a Statement of Administration Policy. "Because Congress has failed to demonstrate such a path, if [the spending measure] were presented to the president, he would veto the bill."
The White House also threatened a veto because the bill includes a provision that would expand the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage law to all federally assisted projects.
"Such an expansion could, at a minimum, increase disaster recovery costs and delay disaster recovery projects," the White House wrote. The bill mandates that all grant and contract funds can only be used for projects that comply with the Davis-Bacon law, meaning federal contractors would have to pay the prevailing local wage. The bill would allow the administration to suspend the law during a national emergency.
On the floor, Republicans opposed the rule for the bill because they wanted an opportunity to offer an amendment dealing with earmark reform. But the House voted 222-194 to accept the rule. A GOP leadership aide said Republicans also were discussing whether to offer amendments to reduce spending levels and strike the prevailing wage provision.
House Homeland Security ranking member Peter King, R-N.Y., was expected to offer an amendment that would increase funding for the department's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, especially to boost funding to put nuclear and radiation detection technology around New York City.
Other Republicans indicated on the House floor Tuesday they would offer amendments to beef up border security and increase the amount of fencing built along the southern border. So far, more than 100 amendments to the bill had been proposed -- 94 from Republicans and 16 from Democrats.
In its Statement of Administration Policy, the White House also objected to several other provisions in the bill. For example, the administration opposed a provision that would restrict the department's ability to implement a new personnel management system. It also opposed a measure to allow states to pass and enforce laws that are stronger than federal regulations when it comes to regulating security at chemical facilities.
In addition, the White House objected to about $4.5 billion in spending for state and local grant programs, including the creation of two new $50 million grant programs to help states buy interoperable communications equipment and comply with the so-called Real ID law. The spending on grants is about $2 billion more than the White House requested.
The administration also objected to provisions setting mandates for the detention of illegal immigrant families; requiring the Homeland Security Department to obtain monthly reports on how many illegal immigrants the country's detention facilities have; requiring the department to double the amount of air cargo that is inspected; and giving law enforcement status to Customs officers.