House Appropriations Committee Clears FY 2024 DHS/TSA/CBP Report Funding Bill
June 21, 2023
After a lengthy debate, the full House Appropriations Committee approved on a party-line vote of 33-25 the fiscal year (FY) 2024 funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its component agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The bill provides $62.8 billion in discretionary funding for DHS, $2.1 billion above the FY23 enacted level.
As discussed in detail yesterday, the bill supports a number of critical airport priorities including:
• rejecting the administration's proposals to eliminate reimbursements for law enforcement officer grants and state and local-led canine teams,
• continuing to fund TSA to staff exit lanes instead of shifting those costs to airports,
• funding 2,039 additional Transportation Security Officers and 150 additional CBP officers to address growing travel volumes,
• restoring resources for computed tomography instead of delaying the procurement and installation of technology able to detect the latest threats, and
• completing the process of reimbursing airports for the cost of inline baggage screening systems installed prior to December 31, 2007.
In addition, the House report includes language on aviation worker screening that urges TSA to 'rescind the current ASP amendment and solicit a formal round of notice and comment to understand the full financial and operational impacts of this proposal on airports and the expected benefits to aviation security.' Although this direction from the committee does not have the force of law, it is an important signal that the concerns AAAE and airports have raised regarding TSA's approach are resonating on Capitol Hill.
More than a dozen amendments were offered. None were adopted that altered funding recommendations for airport priorities in the bill.
TSA Workforce Pay Amendment:
The FY23 omnibus appropriations bill provided funding for the TSA workforce to be compensated at pay rates comparable to their peers in the Federal workforce. On July 2, 2023, TSA employees will begin receiving this pay increase. TSA Administrator David Pekoske has repeatedly testified how vital pay equity is to recruit and retain TSA's workforce. The administration's FY24 budget request fully funded pay equity, however, the bill considered in Committee today does not. Instead, the bill only funds pay parity for Transportation Security Officers, but not for other TSA personnel like Federal Air Marshals, explosive specialists, canine handlers, or intelligence analysts.
Rep. David Trone (D-MD) offered an amendment to restore equitable funding for salaries across all of TSA's workforce. While many Democratic members spoke in favor of this amendment, it failed (25-33).
What's Next in the House?
House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger (R-TX) indicated earlier this month that she intends to act quickly to get all FY24 appropriations bills signed into law; however, there is no announced timeline yet for the full House of Representatives to begin considering these bills this summer. Over the last few years, consideration of the DHS funding bill stopped after the bill was favorably voted out of Committee due to its controversial border and immigration provisions. That could happen again this year, with final recommendations being wrapped into a larger omnibus spending bill much later in the year.
Senate Appropriations Updates:
On Thursday, June 22, 2023, the Senate Appropriations Committee will begin marking up their FY24 funding recommendations. However, it is unclear when the Senate Appropriations Committee will consider FY24 funding recommendations for DHS.
For more information on House Appropriations Committee recommendations for DHS, here is the bill text, committee report, and bill summary.
