House approves Homeland Security spending bill

Despite GOP procedural delays, the House passed the fiscal 2010 Homeland Security appropriations bill late Wednesday.

Allocating about $42.6 billion in discretionary spending for the department, the bill passed 389-37.

"This bill will enable our government to better protect the American people against all major threats," Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman David Price, D-N.C., said during debate.

Republicans complained they were being shut out by Democrats from offering amendments to spending bills. Although the Homeland Security bill was not controversial, Republicans used procedural tactics, including motions to adjourn, to delay floor proceedings.

Democrats allowed 13 GOP amendments, but most failed on party-line votes.

But three Republican amendments offered by Appropriations ranking member Jerry Lewis and Reps. Peter King of New York and Gus Bilirakis of Florida were adopted as voting began.

Lewis' amendment shifted $34 million to hire 200 more Border Patrol agents; King added $50 million to restore funding for the so-called Securing the Cities program, created to place radiological and nuclear sensors around New York City; and Bilirakis shifted $1.7 million to increase funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The bill allocates about $2.6 billion more than last year, but is $200 million below President Obama's request.

The measure includes about $10 billion for U.S. Customs and Border Protection; $10 billion for the Coast Guard; $7.7 billion for the Transportation Security Administration; $3.55 billion in first responder grants; and $5.4 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Senate had not yet brought its version of the spending bill to the floor due to procedural delays.

The House Thursday is expected to take up the $32.3 billion fiscal 2010 Interior-Environment appropriations bill, which would be the fourth of the 12 annual appropriations bills considered by the House.

At presstime, the House Rules Committee was meeting to decide how many of more than 100 amendments, most sponsored by Republicans, would be considered.

Republicans, who claim that limiting amendments on appropriations bills clamps down on minority rights, may seek to disrupt floor proceedings again Thursday by erecting procedural hurdles.

The Interior-Environment measure, funded at the same amount requested by Obama and $4.7 billion above the fiscal 2009 level, includes $10.4 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency; $6.8 billion to improve American Indian health care, tribal law enforcement and education; $3.66 billion for wildfire prevention; and $2.7 billion for national parks.

Humberto Sanchez contributed to this report.