Approps Update: House Passes Homeland Security

CQ($) The [Homeland Security appropriations] legislation which passed 268-150 included Republican amendments adding funds for border fencing at the expense of the Homeland Security secretary's administrative budgets and a ban on funding implementation of new passport requirements for Western Hemisphere travelers. [...] Overall, the bill would provide $37.4 billion to the Homeland Security Department in fiscal 2008. Of that, $36.25 billion would be discretionary spending, $2.1 billion, or 6 percent, more than President Bush requested, and $4.3 billion, or 14 percent, more than in fiscal 2007. The bill would allocate $8.8 billion for customs and border protection and $6.6 billion for the Transportation Security Administration, both slightly more than the amount requested, and $8.4 billion for the Coast Guard, slightly less than requested. But the Federal Emergency Management Agency would receive $7.4 billion, 41 percent more than requested and 20 percent more than its fiscal 2007 funding. The measure also would provide $950 million for state and local grants, about triple the amount requested, and $800 million for port and rail security grants, about double Bush's request.
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