House Appropriations subpanel approves Homeland Security bill

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved by voice vote Thursday a $43.89 billion fiscal 2011 bill representing a 2.6 percent increase over this year's level. 

The measure is the first bill the committee has taken up and considered during what is a usually very busy summer appropriations season. 

House Appropriations ranking member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) criticized Democrats today for delaying work on spending bills. 

He's expecting nothing will happen until after the November elections on fiscal 2011 funding and that Democrats will "use parliamentary maneuvers and back-door deals to avoid tough votes in committee and on the House floor."

"The Homeland Security appropriations bill is one of the most critical and serious pieces of legislation that this Congress will consider," he said. "Yet, Democrats have abused the process to the point that we have no idea how we are paying for it, what the cost of this bill will be in the context of a comprehensive budget, or when it will ever make it to the President’s desk." 

Work on spending bills have been stymied by the lack of a budget plan and Democratic concerns over a bleak long-term budget outlook and voting for a budget with loads of red ink during an election year. 

The House didn't adopt a budget plan this year although there are plans in the works for a one-year spending proposal that would cut about $7 billion from the $1.12 trillion President Barack Obama requested. The plan would set a cap for the 12 regular fiscal 2011 appropriations bills. 

House Budget Chairman John M. Spratt Jr. , D-S.C., said earlier this week that the plan wouldn't include the normal five-year budget forecast that would show future deficits.