Airport Alert: House Committee Advances Bill to Fund 5,000 New CBP Officers in its Budget Reconciliation Border Package
House Committee Advances Bill to Fund 5,000 New CBP Officers in its Budget Reconciliation Border Package
April 29, 2025
After a spirited discussion by the Democrats, the House Homeland Security Committee favorably advanced its $69 billion homeland security recommendations on a party-line vote (18-14) as part of the House’s broader budget reconciliation efforts. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has set a very ambitious schedule, with all Committees to combine their approved recommendations into one reconciliation bill that will go to the House floor the week of May 19.
As highlighted in our April 27 alert, the bill contains good news for airports. It funds 5,000 new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at air, land, and sea ports of entry, almost filling the known shortage of 5,850 officers; contains funding to retain CBP’s skilled workforce, including officers, to protect the border and improve workforce morale; provides state homeland security grants for the 2028 Olympics and 2026 FIFA World Cup security and planning costs; and does not extend the diversion of aviation security passenger fees set aside for general deficit reduction beyond 2027, when the fee is currently set to expire.
During a lengthy markup, Democrats on the Committee offered numerous amendments largely related to border security enforcement and FEMA activities. Two amendments that may be of interest to airports were:
- Lou Correa (D-CA) offered an amendment “barring any funds from being used to undermine or cancel any collective bargaining agreements protecting employees of the Department of Homeland Security”. Correa specifically mentioned actions Secretary Noem has already taken to end collective bargaining for TSA’s Transportation Security Officers.
- Robert Garcia (D-CA) offered an amendment to increase federal funding for the 2028 Olympics “to make sure that these games are safe”.
What’s Next?
Speaker Johnson had hoped to send the reconciliation bill to the President for signature before the Memorial Day recess. However, Senate leaders have made no similar commitment to complete work on the package by Memorial Day. Many Republican Senators have pressed for more time, saying that writing the tax legislation is complicated and that completion of the bill should be tied to when the debt ceiling needs to be raised.
Yesterday, following a meeting with top Republican leaders and tax writers negotiating this package, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that the sweeping reconciliation package needs to be wrapped up by July 4, 2025.
