LegiStorm

Summary:

This report provides an overview and analysis of FY2020 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The primary focus of this report is on the funding provided to DHS through the appropriations process. It includes an Appendix with definitions of key budget terms used throughout the suite of Congressional Research Service reports on DHS appropriations. It also directs the reader to other reports providing context for specific component appropriations. As part of an overall DHS budget that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) estimated to be $92.08 billion, the Trump Administration requested $51.68 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority through the appropriations process for DHS for FY2020. The request amounted to a $2.27 billion (4.6%) increase from the $49.41 billion in annual appropriations enacted for FY2019 through the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6, Division A). The Administration also requested discretionary funding that does not count against discretionary spending limits and is not reflected in the adjusted net discretionary budget authority total. The Administration requested an additional $14.08 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in disaster relief funding, as defined by the Budget Control Act (P.L. 112-25; BCA), and in the budget request for the Department of Defense (DOD), $190 million in Overseas Contingency Operations designated funding (OCO) for the Coast Guard to be transferred from the Operations and Maintenance budget of the U.S. Navy. On June 11, 2019, the House Appropriations Committee marked up H.R. 3931, its version of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2020. H.Rept. 116-180 was filed July 24, 2019. Committee-reported H.R. 3931 included $52.80 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority, according to the Congressional Budget Office's initial score of the bill. This was $1.12 billion (2.2%) above the level requested by the Administration, and $3.39 billion (6.9%) above the enacted annual level for FY2019. Much of this increase was due to the addition of several immigration-related policy provisions in the full committee markup, which added more than $3.0 billion to the score of the bill, putting the bill over its subcommittee allocation (CBO later revised the scoring of those provisions to $1.9 billion in a separate letter on September 10, 2019). On September 26, 2019, the Senate Appropriations Committee marked up S. 2582, its version of the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2020. S.Rept. 116-125 was filed the same day. Committee-reported S. 2582 included $53.18 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority. This was $1.50 billion (2.9%) above the level requested by the Administration, and $3.77 billion (7.6%) above the enacted annual level for FY2019. Much of this latter increase was due to the inclusion of $5 billion in funding for border barrier construction as opposed to $1.38 billion in the FY2019 act. Both the House and Senate appropriations committees recommended more discretionary funding for the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration, and FEMA than had been requested by the Administration. No annual appropriations for FY2020 had been enacted as FY2019 was drawing to a close, so a continuing resolution was enacted (P.L. 116-59) on September 27, 2019. It temporarily extended funding at the FY2019 rate for operations through November 21 for most DHS programs (see limited exceptions in the Department of Homeland Security section of CRS Report R45982, Overview of Continuing Appropriations for FY2020 (P.L. 116-59)). This CR was subsequently extended through December 20. Annual appropriations for DHS were enacted on December 20, 2019, in P.L. 116-93, Division D. The act included $50.47 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority. This was $1.22 billion (2.4%) below the level requested by the Administration, and $1.06 billion (2.1%) above the enacted annual level for FY2019. The FY2020 DHS Appropriations Act included $17.35 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in disaster relief funding, as defined by the BCA, and $190 million in OCO funding for the Coast Guard rather than as a transfer from the Navy. This report will be updated as events warrant.