Comparing DHS Component Funding, FY2017: Fact Sheet

Contents

Generally, the homeland security appropriations bill includes all annual appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), providing resources to every departmental component. The following figures show two perspectives on the budget authority for DHS enacted for FY2016 and requested by the Administration for FY2017, as well as the funding levels provided in the Senate-reported and House-reported homeland security appropriations.

Figure 1 shows total net discretionary appropriations for DHS broken down by component, and ordered from largest to smallest by FY2016 enacted funding level.

In Figure 1, the first column shows budget authority provided in P.L. 114-113, which included the FY2016 annual appropriations act for DHS as Division F. The second column shows a similar breakdown for the FY2017 request, while the third and fourth show the Senate-reported and House-reported proposed funding levels. Note that the Administration proposed the creation of a new component in FY2017—the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives Office—which would include two other entire components: the Office of Health Affairs and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office. The Senate committee-reported bill did not approve this realignment, while the House committee-reported bill did.

Figure 1. Department of Homeland Security Net Discretionary Budget Authority by Component, FY2016-FY2017

Source: CRS analysis of Division F of P.L. 114-113 and its explanatory statement as printed in the Congressional Record of December 17, 2015, pp. H10161-H10210; S.Rept. 114-280; and H.Rept. 114-668. Abbreviations: CBP, Customs and Border Protection; USCG, U.S. Coast Guard; ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; TSA, Transportation Security Administration; FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Administration; USSS, U.S. Secret Service; NPPD, National Protection and Programs Directorate; S&T, Science and Technology Directorate; DNDO, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office; A&O, Analysis and Operations; FLETC, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; OIG, Office of the Inspector General; OHA, Office of Health Affairs; USCIS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and CBRNEO, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives Office. Notes: For underlying data and notes on data, see Table 1.

While the total net discretionary budget authority, when adjusted for the effect of rescissions, provides the "score" that is measured against the bill's discretionary spending allocation, it does not represent the total budget authority provided to DHS. "Net" discretionary appropriations are the net balance of discretionary appropriations minus any offsetting collections. Such collections are addressed in the appropriations legislation, and provide significant resources to some components of DHS, such as the Transportation Security Administration and National Protection and Programs Directorate. They do not include mandatory spending, resources derived directly from fee collections without annual congressional action, and resources covered by adjustments to the discretionary spending limits, such as for emergency requirements, the designated costs of major disasters, or for overseas contingency operations. Congress controls the reprogramming of these resources through detailed tables provided in appropriations committee reports, conference reports, and statements of managers.

Figure 2 uses the data drawn from these detailed tables to show a more complete picture of the resources available to eight DHS components: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Secret Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services—the seven operational components—and the National Protection and Programs Directorate.

In Figure 2, these eight components are listed along the bottom axis. Each component's funding level as section of the figure has four bars, representing the same four phases of the appropriations process as in Figure 1: funding described in the explanatory statement accompanying the enacted FY2016 appropriations for DHS; requested by the Administration for FY2017; and recommended by the House and Senate appropriations committees for FY2017. The bottom segment of each bar represents net discretionary budget authority—the same amount for each as represented in Figure 1. On top of these segments are four other types of segments, representing fee revenues, offsetting collections, mandatory spending,¹ and adjustments to discretionary spending limits under the Budget Control Act. The resulting diagram allows for easier comparison of changes in individual component appropriations, and provides a more accurate description of each component's overall resource level. Among the changes it illuminates are the increase in discretionary spending to support the TSA's budget in the absence of the Administration's proposed fee increase, and congressional rejection of cuts in FEMA's grant programs.

Figure 2. Department of Homeland Security Budget Authority by Selected DHS Component, FY2016-FY2017 (budget authority controlled for reprogramming through appropriations committee reports)

Source: CRS analysis of Division F of P.L. 114-113 and its explanatory statement as printed in the Congressional Record of December 17, 2015, pp. H10161-H10210; S.Rept. 114-280; and H.Rept. 114-668. Abbreviations: CBP, Customs and Border Protection; USCG, U.S. Coast Guard; ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement; TSA, Transportation Security Administration; FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Administration; USSS, U.S. Secret Service; NPPD, National Protection and Programs Directorate; and USCIS, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Notes: For underlying data and notes on data, see Table 1.

Table 1 provides a complete breakdown of the net discretionary budget authority outlined in Figure 1 and the five aspects of funding outlined in Figure 2 for all DHS components.

These five aspects of funding controlled for reprogramming through the appropriations reports do not reflect all funding available to these components; much mandatory spending, including trust funds for the Coast Guard and the Secret Service and spending on flood insurance claims, is not reflected in the detail tables.

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