{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/breaking-us-senate-report-reveals-internal-disagreements-over-funding-counterterrorism-programs-in-administrations-fy-2019-budget-proposal", "BREAKING: U.S. Senate Report Reveals Internal Disagreements over Funding Counterterrorism Programs in Administration’s FY 2019 Budget Proposal", "2017-12-12", "2017", "2017-12", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BREAKING: U.S. Senate Report Reveals Internal Disagreements over Funding Counterterrorism Programs in Administration\u2019s FY 2019 Budget Proposal \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t After receiving whistleblower document, Democratic staff of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issues report showing that the White House rejected key counterterrorism elements of the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s budget request  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 12, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 The Democratic staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today issued a report detailing the Administration\u2019s intended funding cuts to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) state, local, and national counterterrorism programs based on an FY 2019 budget document DHS received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which was provided to the Committee by a whistleblower.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m worried that the Office of Management and Budget is overriding what local, state, and national leaders have told me they most need to keep us safe,\u201d McCaskill said. \u201cWith recent terrorist attacks in our country and throughout the globe, counterterrorism programs shouldn\u2019t be on the chopping block.\u201d\r\nFederal agencies develop their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year and submit a request to OMB, typically in the fall. OMB then reviews the proposed budget, ensuring it aligns with the President\u2019s priorities, and communicates its funding decisions to the agency through a process referred to as \u201cpassback.\u201d At times, OMB provides less money than requested; in other instances it provides more. In late November 2017, a whistleblower provided OMB\u2019s nonpublic \u201cpassback\u201d document to the Democratic staff of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The document is titled the Department of Homeland Security Fiscal Year 2019 Budget and Policy Guidance and details OMB guidance from the President to the Department of Homeland Security regarding its FY 2019 budget proposal. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Democrat Staff report examines counterterrorism cuts in the \u201cpassback\u201d document, including DHS\u2019s initial FY 2019 budget proposal and OMB\u2019s responsive guidance directing more drastic cuts.\r\nKey findings from the report, Overruled: White House Overrules Department of Homeland Security Budget Requests for Counterterrorism Programs:\r\n \r\nVisible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams are multi-disciplinary groups of security officers deployed to various locations to prevent and deter acts of terrorism. Rejecting DHS\u2019s request, OMB instructed DHS to completely eliminate VIPR Teams and cut an additional $27 million for Federal Air Marshals.\r\n \r\n \r\nDenying DHS\u2019s request, OMB ordered DHS to seek $11 million in additional cuts for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.\r\n \r\n \r\nThe Administration intends to seek $568 million in total cuts to DHS counterterrorism programs from FY 2017 enacted budget levels.\r\n \r\nMcCaskill has previously emphasized the importance of DHS\u2019s counterterrorism programs. She has repeatedly questioned DHS and other national security officials about potential cuts to the programs during Senate hearings, and a report issued by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Democratic staff earlier this year highlighted the impact of the Administration\u2019s proposed FY 2018 budget cuts.\r\nThe report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee\u2019s Democratic staff, led by the staff of Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, is available online HERE.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/breaking-us-senate-report-reveals-internal-disagreements-over-funding-counterterrorism-programs-in-administrations-fy-2019-budget-proposal"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.950673060491681, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}