House GOP Unveils FY26 Homeland Security Bill with Hardline Priorities
Democrats warn of weakened national security and rising disaster recovery costs.
WASHINGTON — The House Appropriations Committee on Saturday released its draft Fiscal Year 2026 Homeland Security funding bill, outlining a $99.1 billion package that Republican leaders say realigns the Department of Homeland Security with its original law enforcement and border control mission. The bill will be marked up in subcommittee on Monday evening (you can watch that here).
Republicans framed the proposal as a return to traditional security priorities. Homeland Security Subcommittee Chairman Mark Amodei (R-NV) praised the bill as “a swift realignment with the Department of Homeland Security’s core mission,” citing renewed authority for U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the southern border and expanded interior enforcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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“You can never say mission accomplished in this business, but the mission is off to a strong start,” Amodei said in a statement.
Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said the bill “defends, deters, and deports,” emphasizing investments in frontline personnel, cyber defense, and physical infrastructure. The bill provides $66.36 billion in discretionary spending, including $4.4 billion for ICE detention operations and $1 billion for alien removal transport. It also eliminates multiple migrant-focused programs, including the Shelter and Services Program, soft-sided processing facilities, and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman.
Republicans also touted policy riders that prohibit funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, gender-affirming care for ICE detainees, and “misinformation” monitoring. “Every measure in this bill stands firm against threats,” Cole said.
But Democrats swiftly condemned the legislation as dangerous and politically motivated. In a joint response, Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Homeland Security Subcommittee Ranking Member Lauren Underwood (D-IL) said the bill makes Americans more vulnerable to terrorism, violent extremism, cyberattacks, and natural disasters.
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“House Republicans are making Americans less safe,” DeLauro said. “Their bill leaves communities vulnerable to terrorism and violent extremism… weakens our national security, opens the door to foreign propaganda, and leaves Americans vulnerable to attacks from our adversaries.”
Democrats pointed to cuts in grants designed to help local leaders identify and intervene in extremist threats, as well as the closure of the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office. Underwood warned that the bill “abandons our constitutional rights” and undermines due process protections in immigration enforcement.
The bill provides $613 million to maintain 22,000 Border Patrol agents, $346 million for new border technology, and $1.6 billion to modernize Coast Guard assets. It also offers $300 million for non-intrusive inspection equipment and slashes $1.7 billion by eliminating soft-sided migrant processing facilities.
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While Republicans say the package supports “America First” goals by enhancing border enforcement and ending what they characterize as incentives for illegal migration, Democrats argue it does so at the expense of preparedness and civil liberties.
“The choice to neglect growing threats to our homeland while advancing a partisan agenda is unacceptable,” Underwood said. “This bill does not keep us safe.”
Read the overview of the bill here.
Read the entire bill here.