[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 2, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  COST ESTIMATE FOR H.R. 5683, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BORDER 
                 SUPPORT SERVICES CONTRACTS REVIEW ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 2022

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record 
the cost estimate prepared by the Congressional Budget Office for H.R. 
5683, the Department of Homeland Security Border Support Services 
Contracts Review Act. The cost estimate was not available at the time 
of the Committee report filing.

                                                    U.S. Congress,


                                  Congressional Budget Office,

                                    Washington, DC, March 1, 2022.
     Hon. Bennie G. Thompson,
     Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
     prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 5683, the 
     Department of Homeland Security Border Support Services 
     Contracts Review Act.
       If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
     pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Lindsay 
     Wylie.
           Sincerely,
                                                Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                         Director.
       Enclosure.

  H.R. 5683, Department of Homeland Security Border Support Services 
                 Contracts Review Act--January 21, 2022

                  [By fiscal year, millions of dollars]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         2022      2022-2026   2022-2031
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Direct Spending (Outlays)...........          0           0           0
Revenues............................          O           O           0
Increase or Decrease (-) in the               O           O           0
 Deficit............................
Spending Subject to Appropriation             *           6          **
 (Outlays)..........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
* = between zero and $500,000.
** = not estimated.

       Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply? No.
       Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 
     10-year periods beginning in 2032? No.
     No Mandate Effects:
       Contains intergovernmental mandate? No.
       Contains private-sector mandate? No.
       H.R. 5683 would require the Under Secretary for Management 
     at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to the 
     Congress within 180 days of enactment on the department's 
     active contracts that relate to U.S.-Mexico border security 
     and that are above $50 million. The report would need to 
     include an assessment of whether contract personnel are 
     necessary to fulfill the department's mission on the U.S.-
     Mexico land border and a strategy to improve the 
     effectiveness of such contracts. The bill also would require 
     DHS to submit a plan to implement the strategy and brief the 
     Congress every six months until the plan has been 
     implemented.
       Using information from DHS, CBO expects that the department 
     would need about $2 million in contractor support and seven 
     employees to produce the report and about twice as many 
     employees to implement the strategy for two to three years 
     after it is finalized. On that basis, and assuming the bill 
     is enacted near the end of fiscal year 2022, CBO estimates 
     that implementing H.R. 5683 would cost approximately $6 
     million over the 2022-2026 period; such spending would be 
     subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
       The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Lindsay Wylie. 
     The estimate was reviewed by Leo Lex, Deputy Director of 
     Budget Analysis.

                          ____________________