WASHINGTON, DC– U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) recently helped the Senate Appropriations Committee pass theFiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security Appropriations Act. The bipartisan legislation would fund Michigan priorities, including through investments to support a new Great Lakes icebreaker, address the threat of oil spills on the Great Lakes, secure our ports of entry, protect communities from natural disasters, and address cyber-attacks and threats to houses of worship and our critical infrastructure. The bill now advances to the full Senate.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is considering their own funding bills. The Senate and House will then need to reach an agreement on a final funding bill and have it pass both chambers before being sent to the President to be signed into law.

“The federal government must work to safeguard Michiganders and Americans from persistent and evolving threats to our national and economic security,” said Senator Peters, who also serves as Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “This bill would ensure the Department of Homeland Security has the resources it needs to prevent drug trafficking at ports of entry, help communities mitigate the effects of extreme weather events, combat criminal hackers and foreign adversaries who target our most essential networks, and help faith-based organizations protect themselves from attacks inspired by white supremacy and other forms of hate. It would also ensure the Department is working to prioritize the needs of the Northern Border, including by examining potential ways to build on Selfridge’s role as a key national and homeland security asset.”  

The bill includes measures led and supported by Peters, including:

• Funding for the Great Lakes Center of Expertise for Oil Spill Preparedness & Response:Would provide funding for the U.S. Coast Guard National Center of Expertise for the Great Lakes based in Sault Ste. Marie, which Peters led the charge to help create and secure funding for. He also worked to ensure the project would be headquartered in Michigan. The Center’s work is critical to protecting the Great Lakes because currentoil spill response technologies are primarily designed for saltwater environments. This would also help improve public health and access to safe drinking water. The Center’s work is critical to protecting the Great Lakes because currentoil spill response technologies are primarily designed for saltwater environments. This would also help improve public health and access to safe drinking water.

• Funding for Great Lakes Icebreaker:Would provide $55 million for the Coast Guard to procure a new Great Lakes Icebreaker that Peters pushed for. The fleet has shrunk from 14 ships in 1979 to nine ships. An additional icebreaker would have broad positive implications on the regional economy, international commerce, jobs and infrastructure by ensuring the continued safe and efficient commerce year-round. It would also provide more capacity to prevent ice jam flooding damage to shoreline communities, while also supporting maritime commerce throughout the Great Lakes region.

• Funding for additional border security personnel: Would provide fundingfor 700 CBP Officers toaddress shortages of personnel at our nation’s ports of entry. This builds on Peters’bipartisan bill tofully staff America’s airports, seaports and land ports of entryby hiring additional CBP Officersuntil the agency’s staffing needs are met.Additional officers will help reduce wait times and allow states like Michigan to maintain theirstatus as hubs of international commerce. It would also fund additional Homeland Security Investigations personnel specifically to support the operations at the Gordie Howe International Bridge, when it opens.

• Funding to enhance border security technology:Would provide funding for CBP to acquire and update technology at and between ports of entry, including non-intrusive inspection systems and integrated surveillance towers. Non-intrusive inspection systems increase CBP’s ability to prevent illegal goods and drugs, particularly fentanyl, from entering the country. This builds on Peters’ legislation to increase screening of vehicles and cargo using non-intrusive inspection systems at ports of entry. By increasing the percentage of passenger vehicles scanned, CBP will be able to expand its operations to better identify contraband, protect our communities from illicit drugs, and process legitimate commerce.

• Building on Selfridge Air National Guard Base’s National Security Role to Secure the Northern Border:Would require the require the Secretary of Homeland Security to report on how a Northern Border Coordination Center would impactthe implementation of the Northern Border Strategy. Peters’ bill to establish a Northern Border Coordination Center that would be collocated with existing DHS components that are currently operating out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base hasadvanced in the Senate.

• Protecting faith-based and nonprofit organizationsfrom terrorist attacks:Would provide fundingthrough the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to help faith-based and nonprofit organizations protect themselves against the heightened risk of terrorist attacks. Peters haslong fought to protect houses of worship as they face continued threats and acts of violence by securing funding for these establishments to procure additional security equipment.

• Funding for firefighter grant programs:Would provide funding for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) and Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) programs. Many fire departments are facing challenging budget cuts and these programs will help departments ensure they can maintain staff, replace outdated equipment, and develop fire training and education programs. Petersis also leadingeffortsto extendthesefederal grant programs thatare set to expire.

• Funding to enhance our nation’s cybersecurity:Would provide funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to strengthen our nation’s cybersecurity defenses and help public and private networks respond to and recover from system breaches that can impact our national and economic security.This builds on Peters’historic efforts to ensure our nation is better prepared to defend againstcyber-attacks.

• Funding for disaster relief:Would provide funding forthe Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund to help communities respond to and recover from major disasters and emergencies.This funding would increase the President’s requested funding level when responding to disasters such as floods and wildfires, which are expected to increase in frequency and severity.

• Funding to renovate Michigan State University’s Emergency Operations Center:Would provide $750,000 to support the purchase of equipment for and the renovation of the Michigan State University emergency operations center.

• Funding to prevent flooding at East China Belle River Pump Station:Would provide $294,000 to relocate and elevate pump station controls along the Belle River in an effort to mitigate flood risks.

• Funding to create an emergency operations center in Westland:Would provide $98,000 to support the creation of an emergency operations center in Westland.

• Funding to replace the Lake St. Clair Metropark electrical grid:Would provide $1.5 million to support the replacement of key components of the Lake St. Clair Metropark electrical grid to improve its safety, reliability, and resilience.

• Funding to prevent flooding at Chocolay River: Would provide $112,000 to support a flood mitigation feasibility study for the Chocolay River.

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