Senate Appropriators Intend to Increase CBP Funding by $239 Million
The Senate Appropriations Bill for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2019 would spend $14.26 billion on CBP, almost $239 million more than the current spending. The committee report said that it's sending $49 million for 375 additional CBP officers, "in recognition of wait times at certain ports of entry as well as the volume of illicit drugs passing through POEs." With regard to drugs smuggled through ports of entry, the report says the Senate intends to provide $30 million in support of enforcement at international mail facilities and express consignment carrier locations "by enhancing scientific and laboratory staffing, increasing law enforcement staffing and canines, improving facilities, deploying technology to locate targeted packages, enhancing detection and testing equipment, and improving interoperability with FDA detection equipment." The bill provides $174 million for non-intrusive inspection equipment, of which the $30 million for opioids is a subset.
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The committee is recommending $16 million to continue the customs data integration pilot and $8.5 million for ACE improvements.
In addition to the spending outlines, the senators intend to require CBP to produce a number of reports about its operations, including on:
- Advantages and disadvantages of an antidumping and countervailing retrospective duty system in comparison to the advantages and disadvantages of a prospective duty system, with the goal of minimizing uncollected duties.
- Resources needed to effectively implement Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs, including an estimate of increased manpower needs.
- Targeting metrics for cargo, and its impacts on staffing requirements
- Efforts to improve automated cargo processing for tractor trailers at land-based ports of entry.
The committee also asked the agency to brief it on cooperation with the Department of Agriculture to reduce delays from pest inspections of imports and consultations with trade professionals about ACE priorities.