Cuellar amendment to send $100 million to DHS inspector general fails in House appropriations markup
June 10, 2026 | Appropriations: House Committee, Standing Committees - House & Senate, Congressional Hearings Compilation, Legislative, Federal
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Rep. Henry Cuellar (Representative from Texas) offered an amendment to redirect $100 million from a reconciliation-created $10 billion DHS fund to the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General to oversee the recent influx of reconciliation funding to DHS and its components.
Cuellar argued the massive reconciliation bills had added roughly $260 billion in new DHS-authorized spending and left “zero” additional money for the OIG to audit that work. “When we do supplementals … we typically allocate to OIG one quarter of one percent,” he said, and framed his amendment as a modest, targeted step to ensure oversight staff and auditors could track reconciliation spending.
Subcommittee members debated the practical capacity of the OIG to absorb and spend a sudden $100 million infusion. The subcommittee’s ranking member said the committee had already increased OIG funding in the bill and warned the inspector general’s office faced a roughly 20% staffing shortfall that would limit its ability to hire and deploy teams quickly. The ranking member said the bill provided a “$29 million” increase over the President’s request specific to oversight needs.
Rep. Sanford Bishop (Representative from Georgia) voiced support for the amendment, saying the department’s watchdogs should be funded to track rapid growth in ICE and CBP funding and to prevent waste, fraud and abuse.
The amendment failed on a voice vote when the chair declared the “nos” had it and the measure was not adopted.
The subcommittee then moved on to other amendments and debates about the scope of oversight for reconciliation-level spending.
The committee did not record a roll-call tally for this amendment in the transcript; the chair announced the amendment was not adopted.
Cuellar argued the massive reconciliation bills had added roughly $260 billion in new DHS-authorized spending and left “zero” additional money for the OIG to audit that work. “When we do supplementals … we typically allocate to OIG one quarter of one percent,” he said, and framed his amendment as a modest, targeted step to ensure oversight staff and auditors could track reconciliation spending.
Subcommittee members debated the practical capacity of the OIG to absorb and spend a sudden $100 million infusion. The subcommittee’s ranking member said the committee had already increased OIG funding in the bill and warned the inspector general’s office faced a roughly 20% staffing shortfall that would limit its ability to hire and deploy teams quickly. The ranking member said the bill provided a “$29 million” increase over the President’s request specific to oversight needs.
Rep. Sanford Bishop (Representative from Georgia) voiced support for the amendment, saying the department’s watchdogs should be funded to track rapid growth in ICE and CBP funding and to prevent waste, fraud and abuse.
The amendment failed on a voice vote when the chair declared the “nos” had it and the measure was not adopted.
The subcommittee then moved on to other amendments and debates about the scope of oversight for reconciliation-level spending.
The committee did not record a roll-call tally for this amendment in the transcript; the chair announced the amendment was not adopted.
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