The House is considering H.R. 2017, the FY2012 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. This is the first general appropriations bill to be considered in the House for fiscal year 2012. The bill was reported out of the House Appropriations Committee on 24 May, by a 27-20 party-line vote.
Any amendment is in order so long as it complies with House rules. All points of order against the bill itself have been waived except for one against Section 536, which extends the chemical security program expiration date by one year.
- No further votes are expected today. All votes postponed tonight will be taken tomorrow afternoon.
At this time, the bill has been read through the end of title VII. The following amendments to Titles II (Security, Enforcement, and Investigations), III (Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery), IV (Research and Development, Training, and Services), V (General Provisions), VI (Emergency Supplemental Funding for Disaster Relief), and VII (Spending Reduction Account) were considered on 1 June:
| Sponsor | Summary | Disposition |
|---|---|---|
| King (IA) | To increase by transfer for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection by $1 million. | Adopted |
| King (IA) | To increase by transfer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by $1 million. | Adopted |
| Barrow | To increase by transfer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. | Adopted |
| Richardson | To place instructions in the bill on the appropriation of certain funds. | Point of Order Sustained |
| Richardson | To appropriate $50,000,000 for the purposes of Interoperable Emergency Operations Grants. | Point of Order Sustained |
| Clarke (MI) | To appropriate by transfer, $2,000,000,000 to programs in the heading State and Local Programs. | Withdrawn |
| Clarke (MI) | To strike language relating to the top 10 highest risk urban areas. | Adopted (273-150) |
| Heck | To [change] language relating to the top 10 highest risk urban areas to 25. | Rejected |
| Lowey | To provide for designated emergency funds for the State and Local Programs and for the Firefighter Assistance Grants. | Point of Order Sustained |
| Richardson | To redirect a $100,000,000 with respect to the Disaster Relief fund. | Adopted |
| Honda | To prohibit the use of funds for immigrant integration grants. | Adopted |
| Sessions | To strike section 514 [USCIS workforce]. | Adopted (218-204) |
| Lummis | To strike section 547 [environmental mitigation]. | Adopted (238-177) |
| Richmond | To require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to waive debts owed to the United States relating to covered assistance provided to an individual if the assistance was distributed based on an error by FEMA or the collection of the debt will create a financial burden on the debtor. | Point of Order Sustained |
| Carter #1 | To prohibit the use of funds made available by this Act to be used for the Climate Change Adaptation Task Force of the Department of Homeland Security. | Adopted (242-180) |
| Poe (TX) #9 | To prohibit the use of funds to provide to a State or local government entity or official that is in violation of section 642(a) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. | Point of Order Sustained |
| Poe (TX) #10 | To prohibit the use of funds to be used in contravention of section 642(a) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. | Adopted |
| Richmond | To include funds for disaster assistance that includes an emergency designation pursuant to section 3(c)(1) of H.Res. 5 (112th Congress) shall be required by any rule of policy to be accompanied by a budgetary offset. | Point of Order Sustained |
| Poe (TX) | To prohibit the use of funds be used to parole an alien into the United States, or grant deferred action of a final order of removal, for any reason other than on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. | Adopted |
| Price (NC) | To prohibit the use of funds to enforce the requirements in section 34(a)(1)(A) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974. | Adopted (264-157) |
| Scalise | To prohibit the use of funds to require an approved Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) applicant to personally appear at a designated enrollment center for the purpose of TWIC. | Adopted |
| Sherman | To prohibit the use of funds made available by this Act may be used in contravention of the War Powers Resolution. | Rejected (208-213) |
| Gosar | To prohibit the use of funds to be used to comply with subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code, popularly known as the Davis-Bacon Act. | Rejected (183-234) |
| Altmire | To add a new section at the end of the bill pertaining to the use of American iron, steel, and manufactured goods. | Point of Order Sustained |
| Scalise | To prohibit the use of funds to implement or enforce Executive Order 13502 [encouraging project labor agreements], the FAR Council supporting regulations FAR Rule 2009-005, or any agency memorandum, bulletin, or contracting policy that derives its authority for Executive Order 13502 or FAR Rule 2009-005. | Rejected (207-213) |
| Engel | To prohibit the use of funds to be used by the Department of Homeland Security to lease or purchase new light duty vehicles, for any excutive fleet, or for an agency’s fleet inventory, except in accordance with Presidential Memorandum—Federal Fleet Performance, dated May 24, 2011. | Adopted |
| King (IA) | To use the funds made available by this Act under the heading “Border Security Fencing, Infrastructure, and Technology”, $50,000,000 shall be for carrying out section 102 of the Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. | Point of Order Sustained |
| King (IA) | To prohibit the use of funds to carry out the provisions of Public Law 111-148 [PPACA], Public Law 111-152, or any amendment made by either of such laws. | Point of Order Sustained |
| King (IA) | To prohibit the use of funds to be used for various ACORN and Community Organizations. | Adopted (251-168-1) |
| Cravaack | To prohibit the use of funds used in contravention of section 236(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. | Adopted (288-131) |
| Amash #1 | To prohibit the use of funds to purchase new advanced imaging technology machines. | Rejected (127-295) |
| Amash #2 | To prohibit the use of funds to operate or maintain existing advanced imaging technology machines as mandatory or primary screening devices. | Rejected (123-300) |
| Amash #3 | To prohibit the use of funds for any action by a political appointee to delay, vacate, or reverse any decision by an employee in the Privacy Office of the Department of Homeland Security to make records available pursuant to section 552 of title 5, United States Code, popularly known as the Freedom of Information Act. | Adopted (257-164) |
| Rokita #1 | To hereby reduce funds made available by this Act (other than an amount required to be made available by a provision of law, amounts made available for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and amounts made available for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) by 10 percent. | Rejected (110-312) |
| Rokita #2 | To prohibit the use of funds to implement the determination of the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration regarding transporation security officers and collective bargaining as described in the decision memorandum dated February 4, 2011. | Adopted (218-205) |
[22:54 CDT]: I have to say, the best part of the debate so far involved Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA) comparing Rep. Steve King (R-IA) to Joe McCarthy during debate on the list of over three hundred organizations that King wanted to prohibit funds from going towards.
[23:28 CDT]: And finally, the Committee of the Whole rises. The House reconves at noon EDT tomorrow and will vote on all 15 amendments on which a vote was postponed today before proceeding to any further amendments and final passage.