Washington, D.C. - The House of Representatives today passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the operation of the government for the 2011 Fiscal Year at the same level as the previous fiscal year. Rep. David Price (D-NC), as Chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, worked to ensure that despite the flat funding level, the bill was able to accommodate a number of additional requirements that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must fulfill in order to keep the American people safe.

Price worked with his colleagues to cut areas of lower priority in order to provide needed funding for critical items such as aviation security enhancements, adequate pay for Border Patrol agents, strengthened enforcement efforts along the Southwest border, and Secret Service preparations for the next Presidential campaign – needs that otherwise would not have been fulfilled in a Continuing Resolution, which assumes that all federal programs are flat-funded from one year to the next.

The resolution provides $42.5 billion for all homeland security programs, which is equal to the fiscal year 2010 level.

"These fixes in the Continuing Resolution help ensure that we are able to accommodate as many needs as possible for border security, airline security, Coast Guard initiatives, and other functions at DHS," Price said. "Of course, I would prefer that Congress pass a year-end funding bill that would allow us to fulfill even more of these security needs and to provide additional oversight and guidance to federal agencies through legislative language. That's why I remain hopeful that the Senate will agree to an omnibus appropriations bill, which the House could then pass as an alternative to this Continuing Resolution."

Adjustments in the Department of Homeland Security section of the continuing resolution respond to changes in law or evolving threats to the homeland, including:

• Adjusting funding to allow the Coast Guard to maintain personnel hired in 2010 as well as address operational cash flow challenges, such as military pay, military allowances, and operation of new assets procured in prior years.

• Providing funding for the Coast Guard acquisition budget at a level lower than FY 2010 enacted, but higher than the FY 2011 request to continue critical recapitalization projects for a deteriorating fleet.

• Adjusting funding to cover the remainder of FY 2011 costs associated with the mandated pay grade increase for U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and Border Patrol agents that took effect in September of 2010.

• Providing the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) with some of the President's FY 2011 requested increases to enhance defenses against terrorist attacks, and combat the recent attempts against all-cargo aircraft. Funds will enable TSA to continue increased Federal Air Marshals coverage on key international flights, continue staffing for 500 Advance Imaging Technology (AIT) machines currently being deployed, and procure additional screening machines as needed.

• Providing partial funding to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to sustain the ICE agent presence on the Southwest border for drug, bulk cash, and weapons smuggling investigations, as well as partial funding to detain illegal aliens and enforce immigration laws.

• Adjusting funding to cover costs associated with asylum and refugee applications that were previously funded through a fee that was terminated on November 23, 2010.

• Providing funding to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Relief fund to ensure that FEMA has the resources necessary to respond to disasters as the Nation enters hurricane season.

• Adjusting the United States Secret Service budget so it can begin to prepare for the protection requirements of the 2012 campaign for President, and continue to implement the Uniformed Division Modernization Act, signed in October of 2010.

The resolution also extends homeland security related expiring authorities for one year, including:

• The Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards law;

• The Stafford Act authority for making predisaster mitigation grants;

• Authority for US Secret Service investigations;

• Extension of Other Transaction Authority authorized in the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

Additionally, the resolution:

• Includes a provision to waive the cost share and certain limitations on funds related to firefighter hiring grants to ensure fire departments can retain recently hired staff.

• Increases the civil and criminal penalties for airport exit lane breaches in response to an exit lane security breach at a major airport.

• Includes language restricting funding for the National Bio- and Agro-defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas until the design of the facility has matured and a revised risk assessment of the site is completed and reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences.

• Includes a provision to ensure the appropriate level of National Flood Insurance Program funding can be retained by FEMA to support the new workload burden for writing flood insurance policies. This change is necessitated by the recent decision by State Farm to opt out of the program.

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