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CQ Homeland Security | DHS Spending Bill Heads to Floor, But Democrats Still Have Abortion, Immigration Objections

May 30, 2012

 

DHS Spending Bill Heads to Floor, But Democrats Still Have Abortion, immigration Objections
By Jennifer Scholtes | CQ Homeland Security | May 30, 2012
 
Ongoing qualms about abortion language and statutory requirements for
immigration detention programs are likely to headline next week¹s House
floor debate on fiscal 2013 spending legislation for the Department of
Homeland Security.
 
Although Democrats are mostly satisfied with the funding levels the House
Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved earlier this
month, members of the minority party said Wednesday that they plan to
raise a few key issues when the $39.1 billion measure (HR 5855) reaches
the floor.
 
The subcommittee¹s ranking Democrat, David E. Price of North Carolina,
said during a House Rules Committee hearing that he would like to do away
with the ³numerous unnecessary and wasteful statutory floors² the bill
would set, including the requirement that Immigration and Customs
Enforcement maintain at least 34,000 illegal immigrant detainee beds
until the end of next summer.
 
Price has also taken issue with provisions that would require at least
$134 million be used for immigration enforcement worksite activities and
$68 million for facilitating agreements under the so-called 287(g)
program, which provides certain local law enforcement agencies with
limited immigration enforcement authority. The administration is looking
to shrink the latter program in favor of other methods of finding illegal
immigrants, but it has Republican support.
 
³Including these types of spending floors and mandates in bill language
limits the department¹s flexibility to respond decisively to immigration
challenges and is likely to waste taxpayer dollars for no good reason,²
Price said, echoing statements he made during the Appropriations markup
process.
 
The predominant point of contention throughout the drafting of the bill
has been the inclusion of language that would prevent ICE from funding
abortions for detainees, except in certain cases.
 
The Homeland Security Subcommittee¹s chairman, Robert B. Aderholt,
R-Ala., said the abortion provisions would simply codify a policy the
agency already follows. But Democrats argue the language is redundant and
intended to inflame partisan feuds.
 
³This is just political gamesmanship by Republicans who want to introduce
controversial social issues into a bill that¹s supposed to be about
national security,² Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., said during the Rules
Committee markup.
 
On the floor, Democrats are likely to come after the portions of the bill
pertaining to abortion by waging procedural challenges, saying the
language constitutes authorization legislating in a spending bill, a
violation of the House rules. But any such attempts to strike the
provisions are expected to be defeated, just as they were during
Wednesday¹s meeting to approve rules for debate.
 
The bill, which is expected to be taken up next week, has been granted an
open floor process, allowing for consideration of any amendments that
lawmakers submit in advance of debate.
 
Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier, R-Calif., acknowledged Wednesday
that going through debate without limiting amendments will be a
challenge. But, he said, ³having this open process is the right thing to
do.