On June 7, the House passed, 234-182, the FY2013 Homeland Security spending bill (H.R. 5855). The House Appropriations Committee approved the bill on May 16 (see The Source, 5/18/12).
The legislation would provide $39.116 billion in discretionary funds in FY2013, $483.775 million below FY2012 and $393.518 million below President Obama’s FY2013 request, and would prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using federal funds to provide abortion services for detainees, except in the case of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother. The provision would ban funds from being used to require anyone to perform or facilitate the performance of abortion services, but would allow agency officials to take a detainee outside of a detention facility for such services.
During consideration of the bill, the House approved, by voice vote, an amendment by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) to redirect $20 million in funding within ICE to combat child exploitation.
