Cybersecurity Funding Faces Political Clash During Appropriations Markup – By Mariam Baksh (Nextgov) / July 13 2021
Republican lawmakers continue to withhold support for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency until their immigration concerns are addressed.
A leading Republican on the House Appropriations Committee will not support a bill that significantly increases funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency due to disputes over immigration issues raised by the administration of former President Donald Trump.
“For some of the bill’s funding, we are in complete agreement: cybersecurity, [Transportation Security Administration], Secret Service, and Scientific and Technology, just to name a few,” said Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., ranking member of Appropriation’s subcommittee on Homeland Security. “The proposed investments are worthy of our support. However, in order to truly get across the finish line, we must come to a reasonable agreement on the immigration issues and until that is done, we just cannot support this bill in its current form.”
The subcommittee held a business meeting Tuesday to markup funding bills for the departments of Homeland Security and Defense. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., chair of the full Appropriations committee, said she expects markups of all 12 funding bills for the federal government will be complete by the end of the week.
