Legislative Activity Lawmaker Predicts Bigger Pentagon Budget, Chance of BRAC Round Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), believes that Congress will ultimately agree to fund the Department of Defense above the $603 billion requested by President Donald Trump for FY 2018, but not as high as some Republican … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Administration Transmits FY 2017 Supplemental Funding Request to Congress This week, the Trump Administration provided Congress with its supplemental appropriations request for the remainder of FY 2017. The supplemental requests an additional $3 billion in funds for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including funds for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) infrastructure and border … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity This Week’s Hearings: On Wednesday, March 15, the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing titled “Vows for Visas: Investigating K-1 Fiance Fraud.” On Wednesday, March 15, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has scheduled a business meeting to consider the nomination of the Honorable Elaine Duke to be Deputy Secretary, U.S. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Homeland Security and Agriculture Issues Intersect: Agro-Terrorism Bills Introduced in Both Chambers; House Committee to Hold Markup This week, the House Homeland Security Committee will mark up a bill, H.R. 1238, the “Securing Our Agriculture and Food Act,” introduced on February 28 by Reps. David Young (R-IA), Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), and Daniel … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity This Week’s Hearings: On Tuesday, February 28, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications has scheduled a hearing titled “The Future of FEMA: Recommendations of Former Administrators.” The witnesses will be announced. On Tuesday, February 28, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence has scheduled a hearing … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Call for Sequestration Repeal Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, has enlisted other lawmakers in urging House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to repeal Pentagon spending limits mandated by the 2011 Budget Control Act. Twenty-four Republicans have signed on to the letter, which seeks a floor … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Armed Services Committee Unveils Subcommittee Leaders, Budget White Paper On Wednesday, January 18, the Senate Armed Services Committee announced subcommittee chairmen and ranking members for the 115th Congress, including for a newly-created panel on cybersecurity: Subcommittee on AirLand: Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chair/ Angus King (I-ME), Ranking Member Subcommittee on Cybersecurity: Mike Rounds … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Panels Prepare for Trump Cabinet Confirmation Hearings This week, Senate lawmakers will begin a number of hearings to consider President-Elect Trump’s Cabinet nominees. On Wednesday, January 11, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing to consider the nomination of Gen. John Kelly to be Secretary of the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity This Week’s Hearings: On Wednesday, November 30, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled “Initial Observations of the New Leadership at the U.S. Border Patrol.” Executive Branch Activity Op-Ed: “Homeland Security: Three Policy Actions for the Trump Administration” Sam Adcock, Senior Policy Advisor at Squire Patton Boggs, … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity McCaul Unveils Counterterrorism Strategy, Including TSA Overhaul On Tuesday, September 20, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) unveiled a counterterrorism strategy containing over 100 policy prescriptions and principles designed to combat the rise of global terrorism. The 35-page document, “A National Strategy to Win the War Against Islamist Terror,” follows on … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Debate Security as Commercial Flights to Cuba Take Off Earlier this year, the House Homeland Security Committee had been considering legislation banning U.S. commercial flights to Cuba until the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) assessed the country’s airport security practices. Commercial air service between the two countries resumed for the first time in … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Pass Counterterrorism Measures in Wake of Orlando Shooting On Thursday, June 16, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 5471, the Counter Terrorist Radicalization Act, which combines three previously-passed bills to counter terrorist recruitment and extremism, by a vote of 402 to 15. House leaders repackaged the measures – H.R. 4401, the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Continue Focus on TSA Wait Times, While House Spending Panel Approves TSA Funding for FY 2017 The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved its draft FY 2017 appropriations measure on Thursday, June 9, including $7.6 billion for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), $163 million more than in FY 2016 and $21.8 … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Debate Over Growing TSA Lines Continues Lawmakers maintained their focus on growing airport security lines, as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continues to grapple with the growing number of summer travelers. Congressman Mike McCaul (R-TX), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, and several colleagues are preparing legislation aimed at easing the bottlenecks, including … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Approve Reallocated Funds for TSA House appropriators followed on their Senate colleagues and approved reallocated funds for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to address growing screening lines over the summer. Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, indicated that agency heads have already cautioned that they may … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Panel Examines EB-5 Targeted Employment Areas On Wednesday, April 13, 2016, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing titled “The Distortion of EB-5 Targeted Employment Areas: Time to End the Abuse.” The EB-5 program is designed to bolster the U.S. economy by incentivizing investment from foreigners in exchange for legal permanent residence. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Judiciary Committee Confirms Hearing on EB-5 Target Employment Areas The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold its second hearing of the year examining the EB-5 Regional Center Program. This program is designed to bolster the U.S. economy by incentivizing investment from foreigners in exchange for legal permanent residence. The FY 2016 omnibus appropriations measure … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Judiciary Committee to Hold Hearing on EB-5 Target Employment Areas **NOTE: The Senate Judiciary Committee has since postponed this hearing. We will update this post to reflect the new date/time once confirmed.** This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold its second hearing of the year examining the EB-5 Regional Center Program. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Panel to Consider Changes to Investment Visa Program This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to consider changes to the EB-5 Regional Center Program. This program is designed to bolster the U.S. economy by incentivizing investment by foreign individuals. So-called “regional centers” pool EB-5 funds for investment in projects. In … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Congress Reacts to Administration’s Implementation Plan for Changes to Visa Waiver Program On January 21, the Administration announced plans to begin implementing changes to the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) included in the omnibus appropriations bill funding the government through the end of FY 2016. The VWP permits citizens from approved countries to enter … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House to Vote on Changes to Visa Waiver Program, While Attention Could Soon Turn to U.S. Visa System Overall House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has scheduled a vote this week on a measure to overhaul the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which permits citizens from approved countries to enter the United States visa-free. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Congress Returns to Potential Showdown over Refugee Resettlement, Debate of Changes to Visa Waiver Program Congress returns to Washington this week, but the brewing battle over plans to resettle Syrian refugees threatens to complicate the few days remaining before the end of the legislative session. Just before the Thanksgiving break, the House passed legislation … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity In Wake of Paris Attacks, Lawmakers Consider Domestic Risks, Impact on Visa Waiver Program Lawmakers continued to react to the November 13 attacks in Paris, voicing concerns about risks to the homeland in light of elevated terror alerts across the world, including Brussels, where law enforcement officials conducted raids late Sunday. Members also … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers React to Paris Attacks The world reacted with sorrow and outrage following a series of attacks across Paris on Friday, November 13. While the French continued to mourn the scores lost, the Hollande government stepped up airstrikes in Syria against ISIL, which claimed responsibility for the attacks. Lawmakers quickly began to into … Continue Reading
