Obama Threatens Veto On House DHS Funding Bill
President Obama warned he would veto the Department of Homeland Security funding bill -- approved by the House Appropriations Committee May 22 -- unless the bill passes within a larger budget framework that prevents “draconian” cuts to the economy and middle-class priorities. In a June 3 statement of administration policy, the White House expressed overall support for the bill, but said enacting HR-2217 while adhering to overall spending limits in the House budget for fiscal year 2014 would cut money for Head Start, special education, medical grants and law enforcement. “Unless this bill passes the Congress in the context of an overall budget framework that supports our recovery and enables sufficient investments in education, infrastructure, innovation and national security for our economy to compete in the future, the President’s senior advisors would recommend that he veto H.R. 2217 and any other legislation that implements the House Republican Budget framework,” the statement said.
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The Obama administration also said it was “disappointed” the bill did not fully fund the President’s request for 1,600 new CBP officers, and a provision allowing for additional officers through increased customs and immigration inspection user fees. HR-2217 allocates $105 million for the 1,600 new officers, instead of the $210 million Obama requested. In its report on the bill, the Appropriations Committee said the bill does fully fund the 1,600 new officers; the lower funding will simply allow for a more methodical phase-in of the new officers, the report said (see 13052418 for more on HR-2217).
“The addition of these officers to the CBP workforce would promote travel and tourism by reducing wait times for travelers and cargo entering the country, in turn stimulating domestic employment and strengthening the economy,” the administration said.