Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: FY2018

Summary

This report provides an overview and analysis of FY2018 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The primary focus of this report is on Congressional direction and funding provided to DHS through the appropriations process, though note is also made of funding made available to DHS outside this process (e.g., user fees and trust funds). It includes an Appendix with definitions of key budget terms used throughout the suite of Congressional Research Service reports on homeland security appropriations. It also directs the reader to other reports providing context for and additional details regarding specific component appropriations and issues engaged through the FY2018 appropriations process.

The Trump Administration requested $44.00 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority for DHS for FY2018, as part of an overall budget that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) estimated to be $70.7 billion (including fees, trust funds, and other funding that is not annually appropriated or does not score against discretionary budget limits set by the Budget Control Act (BCA; P.L. 112-25)). The request amounted to a $1.59 billion (3.8%) increase from the $42.41 billion in annual and supplemental appropriations enacted for FY2017 through the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31, Division F).

The Administration also requested discretionary funding for DHS components that does not count against discretionary spending limits and is not reflected in the above totals. The Administration requested an additional $6.79 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in disaster relief funding, as defined by the BCA, and in the budget request for the Department of Defense (DOD), a transfer of $162 million in Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terror designated funding (OCO).

On July 21, 2017, the House Committee on Appropriations reported out H.R. 3355, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2018, accompanied by H.Rept. 115-239. Committee-reported H.R. 3355 included $44.33 billion in adjusted net discretionary budget authority for FY2018. This was $327 million (0.7%) above the level requested by the Administration, and $1.92 billion (4.5%) above the enacted level for FY2017. The House committee-reported bill included the Administration-requested levels for disaster relief funding—and the House Appropriations Committee chose to provide the Coast Guard OCO funding as a transfer as requested, through H.R. 3219, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018.

This report will be updated throughout the FY2018 appropriations process.