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(Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the House Appropriations Committee and of its Subcommittee on Homeland Security, voted yesterday in the full committee against the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations measure.  

The FY 2026 Homeland Security bill proposes a total discretionary allocation of $66.4 billion to the Department of Homeland Security, an increase of $1.3 billion over the FY 2025 enacted level.

Combined with the additional $26.5 billion for disaster response and $6.3 billion for programs offset by fee collections, the bill proposes to spend a total of $99.1 billion for the Department of Homeland Security in FY 2026. 

The bill supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service and more.

“While the measure funds many critical Hawai‘i and Indo-Pacific priorities I requested, I regrettably had to vote against this version because it dangerously underfunds disaster mitigation and cybersecurity initiatives, ultimately leaving Americans less safe,” said Case. “The Committee also was forced to draft the bill in the dark because the administration failed to provide a detailed budget request, and this is a dangerous precedent to support.”

In his remarks to the full committee here, Case focused specifically on critical FEMA assistance to for the Maui wildfire disaster as well as proposed cybersecurity cuts.

Through his assignment on the Subcommittee, Case secured $1 million for the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency’s (HIEMA) Emergency Operations Center IT Modernization Project. This is one of Case’s Member-designated Community Project Funding (CPF) projects that specifically focuses on local needs in Hawai‘i. The project will fund the procurement and installation of touchscreen monitors for a new information wall at the emergency operations center to facilitate emergency response communications and instantaneous information sharing.

“These facilities will share information in real time so that emergency responders can make informed decisions and take necessary actions to save lives and protect property in the event of a disaster,” said Case. 

The House’s CPF rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed by the requesting Member and must be subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case’s disclosures are here.  

Case also secured a number of other key programs and provisions for Hawai‘i, including:

·         $355 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants, which support state and local emergency management agencies like HIEMA. 

·         $360 million for FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which is a major source of funding for county fire departments.

·         $360 million for FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program. 

·         $60 million for increased Coast Guard operations and support funding in the Indo-Pacific, to include workforce support in housing, medical and childcare access for Coasties in Hawai‘i.

·         $15 million for the Coast Guard’s Honolulu Homeport Project, which funds expansion of operations and cutter maintenance activities at Base Honolulu. 

·         $101 million for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, a $10 million increase over FY 2025, which funds University of Hawaii’s National Disaster Preparedness Training Center. 

·         $60 million for another Coast Guard Medium Endurance Cutter to be stationed in the Indo-Pacific.  

·         $40 million for FEMA’s Next Generation Warning System. 

·         Language requiring a report on the opportunity for the Coast Guard to acquire additional pier and related space at Base Honolulu. 

·         Language requiring a report on unmet requirements for the infrastructure at the Coast Guard’s Air Station Barbers Point. 

·         Language encouraging TSA to address potential degradation of security scanning equipment at open-air airports.

 The measure also includes the following priorities requested by Case: 

·         $14.4 billion for the Coast Guard. 

·         $54 million for the National Computer Forensic Institute, through which 397 state and local law enforcement officers from agencies in Hawai‘i have received a host of forensic training courses.

·         Report language supporting the growth of CISA support in the Pacific Islands. 

·         Language requiring a report on Coast Guard engagement and needs in the Indo-Pacific. 

·         Language requiring a briefing on the Coast Guard’s role in combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which is a major issue in the Indo-Pacific. 

·         $615 million for the Urban Area Security Initiative under FEMA. 

·         $520 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program, which provides funding to protect against terrorism and other threats. 

·         $95 million for the Transit Security Grant Program, which protects critical transportation infrastructure from acts of terrorism. 

·         $105 million for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. 

·         $100 million for FEMA’s Port Security Grant Program. 

·         $45 million for the TSA Law Enforcement Officer Reimbursement Program. 

This measure is one of the twelve bills developed by the House Appropriations Committee that will collectively fund the federal government for FY 2026 (commencing October 1, 2025). The bill now moves on to the full House of Representatives for its consideration.   

A summary of the bill is available here.  

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