By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

House Republicans proposed a spending bill for Homeland Security that includes a $100 million increase over current funding levels.

The increase is $432 million more than President Obama requested for fiscal year 2017, the Washington Examiner reports. 

Republicans supported the increase in funding to boost border security, aviation security protection and protections from cyberattacks.

“Now, more than ever, we need to remain vigilant in the protection of our homeland. New threats to our people and way of life emerge every day, and the difficult challenges along our borders continue,” said Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers.

The House bill calls for $41.1 billion for Homeland Security.

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

Following the Paris terror attacks, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee is calling for “an increase in funding” to protect the U.S. from a similar attack, CNSNEws.com reports. 

Asked on ABC’s “This Week” what needs to be done to protect the homeland, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, responded:

“Well, it’s — it’s very difficult and — and we don’t want these foreign fighters coming into the United States from visa waiver countries,” McCaul responded. “We’ve had, in the homeland, 18 plots stopped that were ISIS-related. We’ve arrested 70 ISIS followers. And we have 1,000 investigations in all 50 states.

“So I think one thing Congress can do is we have an appropriations bill coming up in about two weeks. And I think the FBI and components of Homeland Security will need an increase in funding to help combat this threat that we see right in our homeland.”

Reop. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said airport security remains a problem.

“We certainly have resource challenges, but we are fortunate that we don’t have anywhere near the number of foreign fighters to track that Europe does.

“At the same time, I think two areas where we can really beef up our own security, one is a continuing vulnerability at our airports. All too often when we test the TSA, they don’t meet the test, and that has to (change).”

The long standoff between Republicans and President Obama ended with a fully funded Homeland Security bill that prevents a partial shutdown.

The USA Today reports that the president signed the Homeland Security funding bill Wednesday after Republicans couldn’t come up with the votes to pass an alternative measure.

Republicans had hoped to end Obama’s executive action on providing more leniency for some immigrants in the country illegally.

“I want to thank members of Congress for getting us a bill that will ensure that we can continue to fund he extraordinary work of our men and women at the Department Homeland Security,” Obama said. “They keep us safe every single day and we want to make sure that they’ve got the resources and support they need to do the job.”

House Speaker John A. Boehner

After all the outrage and pledges to dig in for a fight against President Obama’s immigration plan, Republicans in the House gave up Tuesday and voted to fund Homeland Security to avoid a partial shutdown of the agency.

The New York Times reports that Speaker John A. Boehner built a coalition of 75 Republicans to join Democrats in passing the bill, 257-167.

Despite the capitulation, Republicans “expressed a sense of resigned relief,” The Times wrote.

The president is expected to sign the bill.

“How did we end up with kind of a slow demise, you mean, even after a very hefty kind of rhetoric?” asked Representative John Fleming, Republican of Louisiana. “Well, apparently that’s the way it’s done around here. I don’t agree with it.”

The outcome was “an unmitigated loss for conservatives,” Rep. Mick Mulvaney, Republican of South Carolina, said.

Republicans in the House hit a roadblock after realizing they didn’t have the votes in the Senate.

By Steve Neavling

It’s a big week for Homeland Security.

Funding is on the line as Senate Democrats prepare to block a House-approved measure driven by Republicans to defund President Obama’s executive action on delaying deportation of millions of illegal immigrants, The Hill reports.

The Senate needs 60 votes to advance the DHS bill. The first procedural vote is scheduled for Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

If Democrats are able to block the bill, Republicans will be forced to craft an alternative plan.

Steve Neavling

CBP plans to hire 2,000 new agents thanks to funding provided in the 2014 budget, KTAR reports.

The hiring of agents to secure the air, land and sea ports has nothing to do with the current immigration crisis involving unaccompanied Central American children, officials said. “This was in the pipeline,” said CBP spokeswoman Theresa Small. “It has nothing to do with the influx of Central American children.”

The plan is to fill the positions by the end of fiscal year 2014 to “enhance security, help reduce wait times and facilitate growing volumes of legitimate goods and travelers that are critical to the health of our nation’s economy,” the CBP said in a press released.

For more information on the positions, visit www.cbp.gov/careers.

 Steve Neavling

The Justice Department is looking to go on a hiring spree.

After three long years, the Justice Department is finally lifting a ban on hiring that will bring in new attorneys, The Baltimore Sun reports.

The news comes after Congress restored funding to the Justice Department.

“After years of doing more with less, we will begin to fill critical vacancies and we will resume the normal hiring process for federal agents, prosecutors, for analysts and for the other staff that we need to fulfill our mission,” Holder said in a video announcement.