Committee Advances FY2016 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill for Senate Debate
Press Release
The Senate Committee on Appropriations today approved a $47.09 billion measure to fund border security, immigration enforcement, cybersecurity, disaster assistance and other programs to keep Americans safe.
The FY2016 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, approved on a bipartisan 26 to 4 vote, is now available for consideration by the Senate. To continue to ensure the security of the American people, the legislation places emphasis on border security, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service protective mission, cybersecurity, and hazard mitigation. The measure establishes metrics for setting goals and assessing results for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its agencies.
"The American people expect the protection that this bipartisan legislation would provide to confront threats from the air, land and sea, and in cyberspace. This important bill deserves to be debated by all Senators as soon as possible to ensure the Department of Homeland Security has the tools it needs to carry out its national security missions," said U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
"This bill supports a wide range of critical operations at DHS to secure our nation, from mitigating the impacts of natural disasters to securing our borders and airports. Further, we address the deficiencies in some of DHS' agencies by making important investments in training, technology and improved procedures, while also requiring new measures and performance evaluations to ensure future accountability and results," said U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-N.D.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. "This legislation is the result of a close, bipartisan effort. We have worked hard to include the input of all our committee members, and I thank them for their contributions. I especially want to thank Senator Shaheen, the ranking member, and her staff for their leadership. Now, we will work with our colleagues on the Senate floor to help finish this important effort."
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