The House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee today advanced a spending bill for fiscal year (FY) 2025 which cuts down on the Biden administration’s requests to fund the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) science and technology efforts, and to fund DHS’ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) component.
Democratic lawmakers on the subcommittee all voted no on the bill. The subcommittee’s vote advances the spending bill to the full committee for consideration, where it is likely to face continued Democratic opposition.
Committee Democrats said in a statement that the bill would weaken “national security through inadequate cybersecurity and infrastructure security investments, exposing the U.S. to increased cyberattacks and foreign adversary influence.”
The overall bill provides DHS with $61.39 billion in non-defense discretionary spending, which is $2.88 billion above the FY2024 budget and $4.27 billion above the President’s budget request.
However, CISA would receive $2.9 billion, or $78.2 million below the administration’s original request.
The bill approved today would give CISA $833.8 million for cyber operations and $860.9 million for the operation and improvement of cybersecurity defense technology and services. The cybersecurity agency also would be required to “make calculated reductions to redundant, unauthorized, or duplicative programs,” the bill says.
Additionally, the bill would allocate $744.6 million for science and technology efforts across DHS, which is $91.5 million below the administration’s budget request.
House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep Tom Cole, R-Okla., who made an appearance at the subcommittee markup hearing today, said that the bill does in fact “make crucial investments to sustaining enhance domestic cyber and critical infrastructure defense capabilities.”
Republican lawmakers believe that the amounts detailed in the bill are sufficient for the department, but Democratic lawmakers disagree.
Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., said the bill “misses the mark and ignores [the] country’s most pressing needs.” She also claimed that the measure does not “invest in real solutions” but makes “investments in extreme [policies] for political points.”
Committee Ranking Member Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who also made an appearance at the subcommittee markup hearing, echoed Rep. Underwood’s comments, asserting that the bill “is simply a façade.”
