Under Continuing Resolution, DHS Largely Escapes Sequestration

By: Mickey McCarter

Congress agreed Thursday to a continuing resolution (HR 933) to fund the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2013, providing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with a full budget that takes most of the sting out of the automatic budget cuts under sequestration. At least for now.

Previously, DHS faced cuts across the board in a manner that was allocated to eligible accounts, trimming about five percent of the department's overall budget in FY 2013, according to estimates from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Although the sequester remains in effect under the continuing resolution, the budget bill largely spares DHS from its worst effects for this fiscal year, drawing cuts from other areas to keep budget caps in line with levels spelled out in the Budget Control Act of 2011.

The House first granted flexibility to the Pentagon to apply cuts equivalent to sequestration in specific areas rather than across the board. The Senate extended similar flexibility to DHS, as well as the departments of Justice, Agriculture, Commerce and State by giving them full budgets and taking cuts elsewhere. The House agreed.

The Department of Defense reacted to the continuing resolution Thursday by at least delaying planned furloughs of personnel to meet the budget cuts. Napolitano previously said DHS agencies like the Transportation Security Administration and US Customs and Border Protection would furlough frontline workers for seven to 14 days this year to meet the budget targets under sequestration. But the new budget authority enables Napolitano to avoid those furloughs.

Senate appropriators hailed the spending bill as good for DHS and national security.

"Working across the aisle and across the dome, the Senate has come together to prevent a government shutdown," said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a statement. "I am so proud the Senate bill protects national security while meeting compelling human needs."

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), vice chairman of the committee, also praised the bill.

"It is my hope," he said in a statement, "that the tone we set in meeting these objectives for the current fiscal year will carry over to our work on subsequent appropriations bills. We must continue to work together to replace a last minute, shotgun approach to reducing spending with a deliberate, targeted process."

The continuing resolution provides DHS with budget authority of $39.6 billion for FY 2013, the same amount it was given for FY 2012.

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations homeland security subcommittee, hailed funding for the US Coast Guard in the bill, which funds the Coast Guard with $9 billion in FY 2013.

"The Coast Guard plays a critical role in our nation's safety, and requires strong investments to meet its growing missions, including search and rescue, oil spill response, port security and drug interdiction. Unfortunately, for years presidents have submitted budgets with inadequate resources for the Coast Guard, and Congress has had to step in to provide funding," Landrieu said in a statement Wednesday, noting the funding was $350 million more than requested by the White House for the agency.

The continuing resolution supports Coast Guard recapitalization efforts as the agency continues to build new ships (many of which are built in Landrieu's state):

$335 million for six Fast Response Cutters
$557 million for the production of the sixth National Security Cutter
$77 million for long-lead time material for the seventh National Security Cutter
$16 million to continue refurbishment of the medium endurance cutter fleet
$8 million for initial acquisition planning and design of a new polar icebreaker
$10 million for military housing
$3.1 million for 26 billets to enhance oil spill response capabilities
$20 million to reverse cuts proposed in the request for critical operational assets

Coast Guard experts have long told Homeland Security Today that the service requires eight large National Security Cutters, as described in its program of record, to support its missions and replace rapidly failing high endurance cutters. The Obama administration contemplated funding only six of the cutters.

DHS could see sequestration cuts in FY 2014 unless the sequester is repealed or DHS is again granted authority to avoid it.

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