DEBATE: House Dems And GOP Clash Over Bill That Would Fund DHS And End Partial Shutdown

[0:00] For what purposes does a gentleman from Oklahoma seek recognition? [0:04] Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1131, I call up Bill H.R. 8029 to pay our Homeland Defenders Act and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. [0:17] The clerk will report the title of the bill. [0:19] H.R. 8029, a bill making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes. [0:28] Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under consideration. [0:58] Without objection. [1:01] Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. [1:03] Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. [1:07] The gentleman is recognized. [1:08] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [1:09] Mr. Speaker, last year, Democrats initiated the longest full government shutdown in American history. [1:16] It severely impacted families, agencies, personnel, and services across the nation. [1:23] What should have been a lesson on how not to treat hardworking Americans [1:29] has been solved. [1:30] The [1:47] further compounding the harm to our national security and the workforce charged with protecting it. [1:53] There are many ways to measure the damage, yet every metric reflects a burden on our citizens. [2:00] We can look at time. [2:01] DHS has been comprehensively shut down for close to 50% of the fiscal year. [2:07] That's nearly 100 days of dysfunction and counting. [2:11] We can look at personnel. [2:13] More than 100,000 employees have missed paychecks. [2:17] We can look at travel. [2:18] Airports across the nation are experiencing severe lines and delays as TSA callout rates soar. [2:26] We can look at contingency fund. [2:28] FEMA's disaster relief fund. [2:30] The federal government is nearly empty. [2:31] The list doesn't end there, yet it makes clear exactly what Senate Democrats have chosen. [2:37] But today, we are once again providing our colleagues across the aisle an opportunity to stop the chaos. [2:44] Life doesn't offer many second chances. [2:47] But here on the House floor this afternoon offers many Democrats a third chance to get it right. [2:54] I'm proud to say my friend and fellow appropriator, Mr. Siskamani from Arizona, [2:59] has initiated, [3:00] has introduced a Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act. [3:03] This legislation comprehensively funds DHS. [3:07] It resources critical security efforts, [3:10] pays personnel, [3:11] and gets our front line back to operational strength. [3:18] It doesn't just pick and choose which parts of homeland security matter. [3:23] It ensures that missions and personnel are supported across the board for the rest of the fiscal year. [3:30] Representative Siskamani put it plainly in a recent piece that he wrote, saying, quote, [3:36] this should not be a partisan issue. [3:38] Paying the people who protect our country should be the bare minimum expectation of a functioning government. [3:45] It is about respect. [3:47] It is about responsibility. [3:49] And most importantly, it's about safety. [3:51] Mr. Siskamani got it exactly right. [3:55] This isn't a game. [3:56] We're dealing with real security objectives, [3:59] real community impacts, [4:01] and real livelihoods. [4:02] Congress has a basic responsibility. [4:05] Fund the government, [4:07] pay the workforce, [4:08] and protect the homeland. [4:10] Republicans have consistently voted to meet that duty, [4:13] and I urge Senate Democrats to follow our example. [4:16] With that, [4:17] I call on everyone to vote yes, [4:19] end this shutdown, [4:21] and keep our nation safe. [4:23] I reserve the balance of my time, [4:25] Madam Speaker. [4:26] The gentleman from Oklahoma reserves. [4:28] The gentleman from Oklahoma reserves. [4:29] The gentleman from Connecticut is recognized. [4:31] Madam Speaker, [4:32] I yield myself as much time as I may consume. [4:35] Without objection. [4:36] Before I make my remarks on the bill, [4:39] I'd like to take a moment to really to praise the work of one of our staff [4:44] who was leaving the committee next week. [4:46] Jocelyn Hunt is a trailblazer. [4:48] In 1983, [4:49] she became the second woman to ever work as a professional staff member for the House Appropriations Committee. [4:58] In her career, [4:59] she fought to preserve our natural and cultural resources, [5:02] ensure access to clean air and water, [5:04] and approve services provided to all Americans to advance their well-being and help them to achieve a better life. [5:12] Jocelyn is retiring from a career in government service on Tuesday. [5:17] The Interior Subcommittee, [5:19] the entire House of Representatives, [5:22] owe you a debt of gratitude for your tireless work, [5:26] and that began more than four decades ago. [5:30] Godspeed, my friend. [5:31] It's been a pleasure to work with you. [5:33] Really has. [5:47] Madam Speaker, [5:48] I rise in opposition to this twice-doomed legislation. [5:54] What is the definition of insanity? [5:57] Doing the same thing over and over and over and again, [6:01] expecting a different result. [6:04] This is not a serious effort. [6:07] It is just more political theater. [6:11] Here is the truth. [6:12] The President has given up on funding DHS. [6:16] He said earlier this week that any deal Congress makes, [6:21] and I quote, [6:22] I'm pretty much not happy with it, [6:26] end quote. [6:27] And then he said to Republicans, [6:30] don't make a deal with the Democrats. [6:34] Does that sound like someone who wants to end this crisis and to pay TSA workers? [6:46] Madam Speaker, [6:47] the Congress is on its way. [6:48] It's on its own. [6:50] The only way we are getting out of this log jam [6:53] is if we work together to exercise our power of the purse. [6:59] The talks in the Senate have all but fallen apart. [7:02] The President is refusing to get behind anything. [7:06] Tomorrow will mark the second full paycheck that TSA workers and others across DHS will miss. [7:16] I might just make a note here, [7:18] because I think it's important to say something about this. [7:24] In fact, [7:24] at this moment, [7:26] ICE and CBP, [7:29] 85% of ICE and CBP are being paid. [7:34] Secret Service, [7:35] 75%. [7:37] Coast Guard, [7:38] 85%. [7:41] TSA workers is zero. [7:44] But the TSA administrator confirmed yesterday that the department made [7:53] the decision not to pay TSA workers. [7:59] The department made that decision, [8:02] I'm sure in concert with the President of the United States, [8:07] that these are folks who are expendable. [8:12] We don't have to pay them. [8:14] Let's pay the others and leave them on their own. [8:20] Again, [8:22] not someone or some department that wants to, [8:26] or cares about TSA workers. [8:30] I have put forward a proposal that I honestly believe is a reasonable middle ground [8:37] between the two sides of this discussion. [8:41] Democrats do not want to provide more funding for ICE or CBP [8:47] without legally binding policy changes that protect our communities. [8:54] Republicans are opposed to many of these changes and want to fund ICE [8:58] and CBP without any new protections. [9:01] Neither side disagrees over funding for TSA or FEMA or the Coast Guard [9:09] or other parts of DHS. [9:12] What we are caught up on is whether or not we can deal with ICE and CBP separately, [9:20] or if we have to fund everything all at once. [9:24] I do not believe it must be all or nothing. [9:29] My proposal, which I introduced over a month ago, [9:33] funds the parts of DHS, the Department of Homeland Security, [9:38] that we all agree on. [9:40] It funds TSA so that these workers can get paid. [9:45] They can pay their bills, they can stop sleeping in their cars, [9:49] they can avoid evictions, [9:51] and that we can put an end to the long lines of airport security. [9:56] It funds FEMA so that we can replenish [9:59] the Disaster Relief Fund and ensure that our communities [10:04] are prepared for the next natural disaster. [10:07] It fully funds cyber security so that we are equipped to prevent [10:12] or respond to any threat that comes our way. [10:17] It separates out the funding for ICE and CBP for the time being, [10:22] just for the time being, so that we can negotiate on that issue [10:27] without holding the rest to ourselves. [10:29] That's why I'm here today. [10:32] I have been listening to the debates over this impasse. [10:36] I believe some of my Republican colleagues are under the impression [10:41] that my proposal is designed to permanently shutter ICE and CBP. [10:46] That is not true. That is not the case. [10:50] We will have to pass a bill to fund those agencies. [10:54] And we will do so when we have come together on an agreement [10:59] that establishes reasonable protections against abuse. [11:04] Reasonable protections, I might add, which the vast majority of Americans support. [11:10] We cannot have masked, armed federal agents roaming our communities, [11:17] breaking down doors with no warrants, [11:21] arresting people with no explanation, [11:25] and yes, even murdering Americans in the streets. [11:29] In the meantime, there is no reason to keep the rest of the department shut down. [11:37] At the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. [11:43] If the House rules permit it, I would have offered the motion [11:47] with an important amendment to this bill. [11:50] My amendment would have replaced the text of the doomed Republican proposal [11:55] with the text of my bill to fund the parts of DHS over which [12:00] there is no disagreement. [12:03] I ask unanimous consent to insert into the record the text of this amendment, [12:08] and I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit. [12:16] Thank you, and I reserve the balance of my time. [12:19] The gentlelady from Connecticut reserves, the gentleman from Oklahoma is recognized. [12:23] Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. [12:26] Before I yield to my next speaker, I just want to associate myself with [12:30] the remarks of my good friend, the ranking member, in terms of her retiring staffer, [12:35] Jocelyn Hunt, and join my friend in congratulating her on her distinguished service [12:41] and wishing her well in the next chapter of her life. [12:44] With that, Madam Speaker, I would like to yield one minute to distinguish the Majority Leader, [12:49] the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Scalise. [12:52] The gentleman from Louisiana is recognized for one minute. [12:56] Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank my friend from Oklahoma, the great chairman [13:01] of the Appropriations Committee, for yielding. [13:03] I rise in strong support of Congressman Siscamani's bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. [13:11] And, Madam Speaker, this is a bill that should have passed weeks and weeks ago. [13:16] In fact, today will mark the third time that this House has voted to fully fund the Department. [13:22] In case you want to know how that vote went, there's been a record vote twice already in the House. [13:31] Let's see who's voting yes to fund TSA agents, to fund the people at the Department of Homeland Security [13:39] who work every day to keep us safe here in America. [13:44] All the Republicans, almost every Republican voting yes, every one, on March 5th. [13:50] Almost every Democrat voted no on March 5th, voted no to shut the Department down. [13:57] The Democrats shut this down, Madam Speaker. [14:00] Then we brought another vote, and you could see, [14:04] well, January 22nd was the first vote, almost a party-line vote. [14:10] Republicans voting yes to fund the Department, Democrats voting no. [14:14] March 5th, same thing, Republicans voting yes to fund the Department, [14:20] Democrats overwhelmingly voting no to shut it down. [14:24] Now, there is a day today where they can seek redemption and stand up for those workers, [14:29] the TSA agents, who are showing up for work and not getting paid. [14:36] Do you know that if you're a TSA agent, [14:38] in America, this fiscal year, Madam Speaker, [14:42] you have gone 49% of this year without a paycheck. [14:46] That's disgraceful, disgraceful that Democrats have voted time and time again to deny them pay. [14:56] For those especially who are showing up to do this hard work, [14:59] you've got Americans waiting in line for hours and hours, three hours, four hours. [15:04] At my home airport in New Orleans, people were sleeping overnight, [15:08] so they'd have a chance to make their flight. [15:10] There are people waiting over three hours and still missing a flight, Madam Speaker, [15:16] to go maybe on a family vacation. [15:18] Maybe they've got to go to a funeral or a wedding. [15:21] This is disrupting the lives of real people. [15:25] Let me tell you what the TSA chief testified to yesterday, just yesterday. [15:34] The TSA chief said, she told lawmakers that, quote, [15:39] their agents have received eviction notices, lost their childcare, missed Bill Payne, [15:47] and been charged late fees, damaged their credit, defaulted on loans, [15:55] and have been unable to even qualify for a loan to help ease the financial burden during the shutdown. [16:03] Close quote. [16:04] That was testimony given yesterday, and it's totally avoidable. [16:09] That kind of pain should not be inflicted on our federal workers. [16:14] And yet you can see the party line vote time and time again, like today, [16:19] as we bring a bill to say, let's just give these people the checks for the work that they're doing. [16:26] We can all have disagreements over how government operates. [16:30] Go look at the changes President Trump has already made at the Department of Homeland Security. [16:35] This week, we got a new secretary. [16:38] There have been dramatic changes to the department. [16:41] In fact, changes both sides have made or have asked for have been made. [16:47] And yet Democrats don't want to take yes for an answer, Madam Speaker. [16:52] Because they want chaos. [16:54] Let's just call it for what it is. [16:56] They want open borders. [16:59] They want chaos. [17:00] And we're going to give them an opportunity to do the right thing [17:03] because the American people are sick and tired of it. [17:06] And they should be. [17:08] But there's going to be a moment of accountability real soon. [17:11] In about an hour, you'll be able to see, America will be able to see, [17:17] who's voting yes to fund these people that are working so hard, [17:22] and who's voting no to keep the chaos going. [17:25] To keep the long lines going. [17:29] Now, I'd like to say I'm going to read you some good news. [17:33] I want to read you a quote from Akeem Jeffries, Madam Speaker. [17:39] I think this is an important quote that everybody should listen to right now. [17:43] This is Akeem Jeffries, and I quote, [17:47] We are here today to do a single job, [17:51] and that should be to fund fully the Department of Homeland Security. [17:58] Anything else is an abdication of our responsibility. [18:01] Anything else is an act of legislative malpractice. [18:08] We're playing political games at a time when the safety and the security [18:13] of the American people is being threatened. [18:18] Close quote. [18:20] That's Akeem Jeffries, Madam Speaker. [18:23] Unfortunately, that was Akeem Jeffries from February of 2015. [18:28] What happened to that Akeem Jeffries? [18:32] How will Akeem Jeffries of 2026 vote? [18:36] The previous two times, we know, Madam Speaker, the vote was no. [18:41] But in 2015, said it would be an act of malpractice to shut this department down. [18:51] And let's talk about what times we're in. [18:54] Some people want to think that we're at September 10th mentality, [18:59] a pre-September 11th mentality. [19:01] We're at a heightened state of alert right now. [19:04] We've actually had four, Madam Speaker, four terrorist attacks [19:09] on our American homeland in the last month. [19:14] This department is more critical than ever. [19:17] And this is when Democrats choose to shut it down to put Americans at risk. [19:24] It's dangerous. [19:26] It's not just cruel to these workers who are going without pay. [19:30] They testified yesterday that there are [19:32] some TSA agents sleeping in their car because they can't afford rent. [19:38] That's cruel. [19:38] But it's also dangerous to this country to shut down this department [19:44] at a time like this. [19:46] Don't go back to a pre-September 11th mentality. [19:49] This department was created for a reason, to protect the homeland [19:55] so we don't ever have a September 11th again. [19:59] Never forget. [20:00] Remember that mantra? [20:01] Seems like some people want to forget, have forgotten. [20:05] Maybe they have amnesia. [20:06] Maybe they need to remember that quote from the Democrat leader back in 2015 [20:12] who said it would be political malpractice [20:15] to vote to shut this agency down. [20:17] Let's do the right thing. [20:20] Let's everybody, not just Republicans today, [20:23] let's have Republicans and Democrats join together [20:26] and do what's needed to protect America's homeland. [20:30] Vote yes on Congressman Siskamani's bill [20:33] to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security. [20:36] Get this back open. [20:37] Bring common sense back into this country. [20:41] With that, I urge a yes vote and I yield back the balance of my time. [20:44] The gentleman yields back. [20:46] The gentleman from Oklahoma reserves. [20:48] The gentleman from Connecticut is recognized. [20:52] Let me just make a couple of quick points here. [20:55] I think I said earlier it was the TSA administrator yesterday [21:02] who confirmed that the department made the decision not to pay TSA workers. [21:13] In addition to that, the Department of Homeland Security, [21:17] has a $10 billion slush fund [21:22] that comes from the Republicans' big, beautiful bill. [21:26] They could dip into that slush fund to pay TSA screeners [21:32] if the Trump administration chose to do so. [21:36] By the way, this is the same account [21:40] that former Secretary Noem used to buy two luxury jets [21:47] for her use and to rent at $20,000 a horse [21:54] so she could ride atop it in her ads. [22:00] If she can do that, [22:02] that the new secretary could use this $10 billion slush fund [22:08] to pay TSA screeners. [22:13] They have chosen not to do it. [22:20] They're not shedding any tears [22:22] for those workers. [22:24] It is false. [22:27] It is politics. [22:32] It is a cudgel. [22:34] And they are using them and playing them [22:37] for political reasons. [22:43] Again, they choose not to pay them. [22:46] And so it falls to us. [22:48] Yes, it falls to us. [22:53] Everyone in this room wants to pay TSA employees [22:59] and Coast Guard [23:02] and FEMA. [23:05] My bill does that. [23:08] It actually does it. [23:11] The bill before us does not do this. [23:16] Let's be reasonable. [23:19] We have done this before [23:21] when parts of the government were closed [23:24] and we thought that some should open. [23:26] We did it for food inspectors [23:30] because our food should be inspected [23:33] so that people could get access to it. [23:36] We've done it for military pay. [23:39] Why aren't we doing it for TSA employees? [23:42] We could do that today. [23:44] And you know what? [23:45] We don't need a discharge petition. [23:48] We need the Speaker of the House [23:50] to take this bill and bring it to the floor. [23:52] And I would bet you dollars to donuts [23:54] that in fact we would have overwhelming support [23:58] from Democrats and Republicans in passing it. [24:03] And then TSA and FEMA [24:06] and the Coast Guard [24:09] and Cyber Security [24:10] and Secret Service [24:12] can get paid for the job that they are doing. [24:15] I reserve. [24:17] The gentleman from Connecticut Reserves, [24:19] the gentleman from Oklahoma is recognized. [24:21] Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. [24:23] Madam Speaker, [24:25] I yield four minutes to my very good friend, [24:29] the gentleman from Nevada, [24:31] Distinguished Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, [24:34] the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Amadei. [24:38] The gentleman from Nevada is recognized for four minutes. [24:42] Thank you, Madam Speaker. [24:43] Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [24:45] Madam Minority Leader. [24:50] Well, here we are again. [24:54] It's going to come as a surprise to nobody here [24:56] that as the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee, [25:00] I am rising in support of the 2026 [25:02] Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. [25:05] Later today, we'll vote on the bill for a third time. [25:08] And unfortunately, it won't be the charm. [25:13] This shutdown should have never happened. [25:15] The committee negotiated a full bill on a bicameral bipartisan basis. [25:22] And then the goalposts got moved at the north end of the building. [25:28] Now, our colleagues have taken the department hostage over radical [25:34] and unachievable policy demands, which never would have made it into the original bill. [25:39] This is a smokescreen for what we're really talking about here. [25:44] Stopping immigration enforcement. [25:50] Stopping immigration [25:52] enforcement. [25:54] Most Americans support removing dangerous criminal aliens from our communities. [25:59] Stopping immigration enforcement. [26:03] Most Americans support removing those who have final orders of removal [26:09] instead of stopping immigration enforcement. [26:16] But apparently there's a new priority on the other side of the aisle. [26:21] We're in day 40 of the shutdown with no apparent end in sight. [26:25] And, you know, I find it interesting that [26:28] we keep hearing about the wonderful idea and the discharge petition, [26:32] which is H.R. 7481. [26:35] Well, I've read H.R. 7481. [26:38] And if it was, as we like to say in the appropriations business, [26:42] a clean bill, just funded those other ones, you know what? [26:46] I think my distinguished colleague would have a good point. [26:50] You know what's not in there? [26:51] Don't ask me why. [26:53] I didn't draft it. [26:54] Nobody warned camera money. [26:57] That was one of the things everybody agreed on. [27:00] It's not in H.R. 7481. [27:05] By the way, this is an act of oversight whether you agree with it or not. [27:09] You know what's not in H.R. 7481? [27:12] All sorts of preexisting, previously agreed to oversight provisions. [27:19] This is about stopping immigration enforcement. [27:24] So how many of us would miss the paychecks that those folks at TSA have missed [27:28] and still continue to work? [27:31] Good question. [27:31] Who knows what the answer to that is? [27:34] Over 400 TSA officers have quit since the beginning of the shutdown. [27:38] Can't really blame them. [27:41] The solution is to pick and choose which agencies at DHS get funded to ease [27:46] the pain they created to alleviate their guilt for the hardship they've caused [27:52] to our hardworking national security professional. [27:55] No, the right call is to fund the entire department. [28:00] We can all vote to do that again today. [28:05] The decision to fund the Department of Homeland Security is now. [28:07] That's not news to anybody. [28:09] That's the position. [28:10] I urge my colleagues to do the right thing. [28:12] Vote yes. [28:13] End this shutdown. [28:15] I yield back the balance of my time. [28:17] Mr. Chairman, Madam Speaker. [28:19] The gentleman from Nevada yields back. [28:21] The gentleman from Oklahoma reserves, the gentlewoman from Connecticut, is recognized. [28:27] Madam Speaker, I yield five minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts, [28:30] the distinguished Democratic Whip, Ms. Clark. [28:33] The gentleman from Massachusetts [28:35] is recognized for five minutes. [28:37] Thank you, Madam Speaker. [28:38] And I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for all her work and for yielding. [28:45] Madam Speaker, the Republican TSA shutdown has dragged on now for over a month. [28:51] Officers haven't been paid in weeks. [28:54] Hundreds have walked off the job because they simply can't afford to work for no pay. [29:01] Travelers are stuck waiting in lines that have soared [29:05] to nine hours because Republicans have decided to use airport security as a political weapon. [29:14] If they cared about what we are seeing in airports across the country, [29:20] if they really cared about the chaos they've caused, they would end this today. [29:27] House Democrats have a bill to get TSA funded, to get these officers paid, and to [29:34] get passengers where they need to go safely. [29:38] We have tried repeatedly to bring it to the floor, and every time Republicans have stood in the way. [29:45] If any one of them are feeling a bit of regret, they could help us force a vote. [29:52] We have a discharge petition right there on the dais. [29:56] Not one Republican has signed it. [29:58] Why the obstruction? [30:00] Why refuse to solve an agonizingly solvable [30:04] problem? [30:05] Well, Donald Trump said it himself. [30:08] He will not support a single dollar for the TSA. [30:11] He will not allow airports to get back [30:14] to normal unless we make it harder to vote and harder to register to vote. [30:20] Unless we drown voters in red tape, we ban mail-in voting except for the president. [30:27] That's what this has come down to. [30:30] Our national security is being compromised. [30:33] Airports are in chaos. [30:35] Officers and travelers are the ones paying the price because Donald Trump views them [30:42] nothing more than collateral damage in his attempt to rig the midterm elections. [30:50] So if there's any Republican across the aisle who is ready to choose their constituents and the working people of this country over Trump, if anyone [31:02] in the GOP is starting to realize this is spinning out of control, join us. [31:09] Let's end this insanity. [31:12] Let's pay TSA workers and we can have an ICE operation that works like every other police department across the country. [31:23] Let's do it today. [31:24] Put the safety and security of the American people first. [31:28] I yield back. [31:30] The jail woman from Massachusetts yields back. [31:33] The jail woman from Connecticut reserves. [31:35] The gentleman from Oklahoma is recognized. [31:38] Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. [31:40] I yield three minutes to my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from Arizona and the vice chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. [31:50] Siskamani. [31:51] The gentleman from Arizona is recognized for three minutes. [31:55] Thank you, Madam Speaker. [31:56] I rise today in strong support of my bill, HR 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act. [32:02] The name of the bill itself is pretty self-explanatory. [32:07] As a representative of a district with an international airport, a border with Mexico, many Border Patrol and CBP agents, ICE, HSI, and other Homeland Security personnel, [32:16] and a state that gets struck by devastating wildfires every single year where FEMA is essential, [32:22] as well as the vice chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, I am proud to lead this legislation to ensure that the men and women who keep our country safe [32:31] are paid for their service and that we stop putting every single American at risk by funding our agencies responsible for our national security. [32:41] It's been said here before, this bill was drafted in bipartisan basis with both sides having input on it and both sides making compromises to make sure that this bill passed [32:51] and that we funded our Department of Homeland Security. [32:54] What my friends on the other side of the aisle are doing now is backtracking on those same agreements that they made. [33:01] That's unacceptable. [33:02] From TSA agents to the countless personnel working behind the scenes to protect our airports and national security, [33:08] these professionals should never be caught in the middle of political games. [33:12] And we are grateful for the work that they are doing day in and day out. [33:17] This legislation is about doing what's right, making sure those who show up every day to defend their homeland can count on a paycheck [33:25] and that the American people know whose side we are on. [33:29] Every time that anyone that votes against this bill, [33:33] in just an hour or so, that votes no on it, [33:36] should be embarrassed to go past the TSA agent at the airport on the way here or home knowing that they just voted to continue their lack of payment. [33:46] This legislation ensures full funding for the Department of Homeland Security. [33:51] Let me emphasize, full funding, no area in Homeland Security should not be funded, [33:56] including TSA, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, [34:01] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, [34:03] Border Patrol and U.S. Secret Service, FEMA and the U.S. Coast Guard. [34:08] Shutting down DHS over a fight of funding is wrong. [34:14] This bill, our DHS bill, is just about $97 billion. [34:20] The ICE portion of this is roughly 10%. [34:24] So my colleagues on the other side are shutting down the entire department over a dispute of about 10% of the funding of this bill. [34:32] Make no mistake. [34:33] This is a Democrat election. [34:35] This is a Democrat shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. [34:39] Give me all or you get nothing. [34:42] Give me what I want or you get nothing. [34:44] That is their posture. [34:45] It's not complicated, Madam Speaker. [34:47] Today, we will see who votes to open it and who votes to close it. [34:52] They can gaslight all they want. [34:53] But the reality is that when they vote no, they will be voting to not pay our personnel. [34:59] For 41 days now, the ongoing DHS shutdown has disrupted critical operations, impacted the livelihoods. [35:06] The gentleman, in addition, [35:07] Thank you. [35:11] Impacted the livelihoods of dedicated personnel and weakened key components of our national security. [35:16] This bill is a necessary step to restore stability, support our workforce, and ensure the safety of our American people. [35:23] As of today, DHS employees have missed a full paycheck. [35:27] 400 TSA agents have flat out quit, and you can't blame them for that. [35:31] Due to staff shortages, security lines are longer, impacting travelers across the country. [35:35] I've never supported a government shutdown of any kind. [35:38] We're looking at the longest partial shutdown in history, both caused by Democrats. [35:46] Without immediate funding to DHS, these challenges will continue to escalate, further straining our workforce and jeopardizing our national security. [35:53] Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to put hard work in the Americans first by supporting my Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act, and I yield back the balance of my time. [36:03] The gentleman from Oklahoma Reserves, the gentleman from Connecticut is recognized. [36:09] Madam Speaker, I yield one minute to the gentleman from New York, the distinguished Democratic leader, Mr. Jeffries. [36:15] The gentleman from New York is recognized for one minute. [36:18] Thank you, Madam Speaker. [36:19] I also thank my distinguished colleague, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, the Honorable Rosa DeLauro, for yielding and for her tremendous leadership. [36:29] Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this Republican budget that prioritizes ICE brutality over the American people. [36:42] We are now more than 40 days into a Trump-Republican shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. [36:49] Why are we here? [36:52] Republicans are trying to convince the American people that Democrats should be blamed. [36:57] Wait a second. [36:58] Last time I checked, Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the presidency, and you spent the last 15 months trying to lecture the American people that you have some historic mandate. [37:09] If, in fact, that is the case, when the government shuts down in its entirety, [37:14] or partially, it's because Republicans have decided to shut the government down. [37:20] And in this particular instance, to prioritize ICE brutality over the American people. [37:28] There's legislation that is available for Republicans to bring to the floor that would pass overwhelmingly to fund the entirety of the Department of Homeland Security [37:38] with the exception of ICE and the Trump extreme mass deportation machine, which has unleashed incredible, unspeakable brutality [37:50] on the American people and on law-abiding immigrant families. [37:54] Why have Republicans chosen to prioritize ICE brutality over the American people? [38:04] When it's not that complicated, we should be paying TSA agents. [38:09] Instead, Donald Trump and Republicans have sent ICE agents to airports all across the country. [38:17] Watch this. [38:18] ICE agents who are sitting around, standing up, doing nothing to address the airport crisis right now. [38:27] ICE agents, however, at these very airports, doing nothing, are being paid. [38:33] At the same period of time, TSA agents who are doing the work have been forced by Republicans to work without pay for more than 40 days. [38:45] Why? [38:47] Because Republicans have decided that they don't want to get ICE under control. [38:53] And instead, are forcing TSA agents to work without pay, inconveniencing millions of Americans all across the country, [39:05] and causing chaos [39:06] at airports throughout the land. [39:09] Unacceptable. [39:11] Enough is enough. [39:12] Republicans can simply bring a bill to the floor to reopen every other aspect of the Department of Homeland Security, [39:19] pay ICE agents, support FEMA, stand up for the Coast Guard, and make sure that this country can continue to function. [39:29] But instead, as we've repeatedly seen, Republicans have decided they'd rather jam your right-wing extreme ideology [39:40] down the throat to the American people. [39:41] We haven't been complicated in the point that we've made to our Republican colleagues about what needs to happen when it comes to ICE. [39:55] We're standing on the side of the American people. [39:57] Yes, we will always support securing the border. [40:04] Today, tomorrow, forever. [40:08] But at the same period of time, immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, just, and humane. [40:18] If you have something to say to me, you can say it right now. [40:24] That's what I thought. [40:26] Immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, just, and humane. [40:27] But instead, you're unleashing brutality on the American people, using taxpayer dollars, in some instances, to kill American citizens, [40:48] like Renee Nicole Good and Alex Preti, a nurse who was dedicating his life to be there for veterans who served this country. [41:00] And we believe it. [41:03] In America, taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable. [41:07] To make life more affordable for the American people, not brutalize or kill them. [41:17] To make life more affordable for the American people. [41:21] And here's the thing. [41:23] What we've put on the table, yes, we believe dramatic changes to ICE should be bold and transformational and meaningful. [41:36] But they're also common sense changes, vastly supported by the American people. [41:45] That includes ensuring that judicial warrants are required. [41:51] Before mass ICE agents can storm the homes of the American people and rip them out of bed in the middle of the night. [42:01] There should be independent investigations by state and local authorities, [42:07] so that ICE agents who violently break the law can be held accountable, just like every other American. [42:19] We believe that ICE agents should be compelled to conduct themselves like every other cop, police officer, [42:29] or law enforcement agency. [42:32] That's not what's happening right now. [42:36] We need an end to roving patrols that are violently targeting law-abiding immigrant families and brutalizing the American people. [42:47] The masks need to come off. [42:49] Body cameras need to come on. [42:53] And yes, we also need to protect sensitive locations, like houses of worship, hospitals, schools, and polling sites. [43:07] These are common sense reforms that, at the same period of time, [43:10] are bold, meaningful, and transformational. [43:15] They're designed to accomplish one chief objective. [43:20] Make sure that ICE conducts itself like every other law enforcement agency in the country. [43:27] Like every other cop, every other police officer, and every other state trooper. [43:32] But that's not what's happening in this country right now. [43:36] This Republican budget that is before us prioritizes ICE brutality over the American people. [43:45] And that's why [43:45] my House Democrats are strongly opposed to it. [43:50] And what's interesting, to make matters worse, [43:53] because this is all about priorities and choices, [43:56] and the choices that Republicans have made, [43:59] the priorities that Republicans are emphasizing, [44:01] are all hurting the American people, [44:05] using taxpayer dollars to brutalize them, [44:08] and at the same period of time, [44:09] spending billions of dollars in a reckless war of choice in the Middle East, [44:14] dropping bombs in the Middle East, [44:16] but won't spend a dime to make life more affordable, [44:19] for everyday Americans. [44:21] What kind of choice is that? [44:24] That's where your priorities are, Mr. Speaker, Madam Speaker. [44:30] It's extraordinary to me. [44:34] We think taxpayer dollars should be used to make life better for the American people. [44:40] And there are a variety of ways to do it. [44:43] We should be focused on that, [44:45] because America is too expensive right now. [44:50] Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. [44:52] Costs aren't going down, they've gone up. [44:54] Housing costs, out of control. [44:56] Health insurance premiums, out of control. [44:59] Grocery bills, out of control. [45:01] Child care costs, out of control. [45:03] Utility bills, out of control. [45:05] America is too expensive, [45:08] and is getting more expensive because of failed Republican policies. [45:14] Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. [45:16] Costs aren't going down, Madam Speaker, in the United States of America. [45:21] Costs are going up. [45:24] As a direct result of failed Republican policies, [45:30] the Trump tariffs have increased costs on everyday Americans [45:34] by thousands of dollars per year. [45:38] Republicans have refused to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. [45:45] And as a result, more than 20 million Americans [45:48] are experiencing dramatically increased health insurance premiums, [45:54] making it unaffordable for everyday Americans, [45:58] working class Americans and middle class Americans, [46:01] to go see a doctor when they need one. [46:05] That's policy violence that Republicans are inflicting on the American people. [46:12] Americans have launched a reckless war of choice in the Middle East, [46:19] dropping bombs, spending billions of dollars, [46:25] but you can't find a dime to make life more affordable for the American people. [46:31] What kind of choice is that? [46:34] And you continue to lean in to your one big ugly bill, [46:40] which Democrats will continue to expose. [46:42] Policy violence being inflicted on the American people. [46:49] In that one big ugly bill, you ripped health care away from more than 14 million [46:55] Americans. [46:57] That's what Republicans have done. [46:59] A trillion dollar cut, largest cut to Medicaid in American history. [47:05] You're choosing ice brutality over the health care of the American people. [47:09] At the same period of time, in that one big ugly bill, [47:13] which every single Democrat in the House and the Senate opposed [47:18] on behalf of the American people. [47:21] In that one big ugly bill, Republicans cut nutritional assistance by $186 billion. [47:30] Largest cut to SNAP, [47:32] in American history. [47:33] Republicans literally ripped food from the mouths of hungry children, [47:38] seniors and veterans, and then turned around in that same bill [47:47] and gave the Department of Homeland Security, watch this, [47:51] $191 billion, including creating a $75 billion slush fund for ICE [48:02] to unleash brutality and violence on the American people, [48:07] to kill, in at least three instances, American citizens, [48:13] and to violently target law-abiding immigrant families. [48:18] Policy violence that Republicans are inflicting on the American people. [48:23] And then you present this budget in front of us today that again prioritizes ICE brutality [48:34] over standing up and making life more affordable for the American people. [48:40] These are challenging times that we're living through here in the United States of America. [48:46] Republicans unleashing extremism and policy violence each and every day of this presidency. [48:55] Challenging times in the United States of America, but help is on the way. [49:02] And we're seeing that in elections all across the country, [49:05] including most recently in the district where Mar-a-Lago sits. [49:10] Help is on the way. [49:14] And so our promise to the American people, we're going to fight as hard as we can. [49:20] We're going to show up and stand up and speak up for the American people. [49:23] We will lower the high cost of living. [49:26] We will fix our broken healthcare system. [49:28] We will clean up corruption. [49:30] We will get ICE under control. [49:32] We will stop this reckless war of choice in the Middle East. [49:35] We will end this national nightmare. [49:38] And one day soon, we will continue America's long, necessary, and majestic march toward a more perfect union. [49:46] I yield back. [49:49] Gentleman yields. [49:51] Gentleman from Oklahoma is recognized. [49:54] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [49:55] Mr. Speaker, I yield, too. [49:56] I give a few minutes to my good friend, distinguished gentleman from Alabama [50:00] and Vice Chair of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, Mr. Strong. [50:07] Gentleman is recognized. [50:08] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [50:09] Did I just hear the member say fair, just, and humane? [50:16] And the Democrats allowed 15 million illegal aliens to enter into this country under the last administration. [50:24] And now they don't want to fund Homeland Security. [50:27] Connect the dots. [50:28] They're begging for chaos. [50:31] As a member of both the Appropriations Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, [50:35] I rise today in strong support of Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act to ensure that our frontline personnel are paid and our nation is secure. [50:45] While I stand here, the men and women who protect our borders, secure our airports, patrol our coastline, and respond to disasters are being asked to do their jobs without certainty and also stability. [50:58] And in many cases, they're being asked to do it without pay. [51:02] All because Democrats want to block the deportation of violent criminals who are here illegally. [51:10] This is unacceptable. [51:11] Our nation faces growing and rapidly evolving threats. [51:16] We're confronting increasingly aggressive adversaries that have built a global network of proxies, terrorist organizations, illicit financing, operations designed to target the United States in our allies. [51:26] to target the United States and our allies. [51:29] On top of that, transnational criminal groups and emerging technologies are being exploited [51:35] by bad actors to conduct surveillance, smuggle contraband, and enable criminal activity. [51:42] These are not distant threats, they're real threats. [51:46] And they demand a fully functional Department of Homeland Security to confront these threats. [51:53] Georgia will soon host the World Cup, the Olympic Games, and our nation's 250th anniversary, [52:00] events that will bring millions of visitors and place unprecedented demands on our security [52:06] infrastructure. [52:07] But right now, airports across the country are seeing a surge in TSO call-outs. [52:14] And just yesterday, during a Homeland Security Committee hearing, the TSA acting administrator [52:22] warned that newly hired [52:23] screeners will not be trained in time for the 2026 World Cup because of staffing shortages. [52:29] This shows alarms every single of us, because it means we knowingly are walking toward a [52:36] major international event without the staffing necessary to secure it. [52:41] Mr. Speaker, I yield back. [52:43] The gentleman from Oklahoma reserves, the gentlelady from Connecticut, is recognized. [52:53] Mr. Speaker, I yield two minutes to the gentleman from Colorado, Mr. Neguse. [52:57] The gentleman is recognized. [52:58] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [52:59] First, let me say thank you to the ranking member for her incredible leadership during [53:06] such tumultuous times. [53:08] I had not intended to speak, but I was watching this debate unfold from my office in Rayburn [53:17] and could not resist the temptation to come down to the floor to call out the clear intellectual [53:24] dishonesty that we have heard for the better part of the last hour from my Republican colleagues. [53:29] Spare us. [53:30] Spare us these crocodile tears. [53:36] Let me read you two headlines, Mr. Speaker. [53:40] Ted Cruz proposes splitting ICE from Homeland Security funding bill to end airport chaos. [53:49] Another headline, Republican senator says Trump killed bipartisan deal to pay TSA workers [53:57] by the end of the week. [54:00] You have multiple Republican senators saying, of course, what we all know to be true. [54:05] Which is that Republicans refuse to come to the table and pass a bill that is sitting [54:13] at the clerk's desk that the ranking member has introduced to pay TSA workers, to pay [54:18] folks at FEMA, to ensure the public servants working on cybersecurity at the Coast Guard [54:24] are fully compensated. [54:26] We could do that today. [54:29] Republicans refuse to do so. [54:32] That's not me talking. [54:34] That's Ted Cruz talking. [54:36] That's Senator John Kennedy talking. [54:38] Every day. [54:40] Every day. [54:41] Another Republican concedes to the reality that has befallen all of us. [54:46] I would implore my colleagues that if they truly care about ending this crisis at our [54:55] airports, pass our bill to fund TSA. [55:00] Do that today. [55:01] I yield back, Mr. Speaker. [55:03] Chairman Yields. [55:04] Chairman and Lady Reserves. [55:06] Chairman from Oklahoma is recognized. [55:07] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [55:08] Mr. Speaker, I yield three minutes to my very good friend, distinguished gentleman [55:15] from Missouri and Vice Chair of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee [55:19] of Appropriations, Mr. Alford. [55:23] Thank you for this time, Mr. Chair. [55:25] Mr. Speaker, I feel like I need to start with an apology to the minority leader. [55:31] I wrongly laughed out loud when I heard him say in the well of the floor of the House [55:37] of Representatives, quote, yes, we will always support securing the border today, tomorrow, [55:44] and forever. [55:47] An uncontrollable laugh. [55:48] This is what started all this. [55:54] An administration that did not care about securing our border and the Democrats who [56:00] backed him up, along with Alejandro Mayorkas, who let 15 million illegal aliens into our [56:07] great nation to cause chaos, not to be a part of the fabric of America, but to tear apart [56:13] the fabric of America. [56:17] This is the stupidest shutdown in U.S. history, Mr. Speaker. [56:21] Why do I say that? [56:22] I want to quote the ranking member from a... [56:23] Press release, January 20th, my good friend Rosa DeLauro, quote, the Homeland Security [56:31] Funding Bill is more than just ICE. [56:33] If we allow a lapse in the funding, TSA agents will be forced to work without pay. [56:38] FEMA assistance could be delayed and the U.S. Coast Guard will be adversely affected. [56:43] All while ICE continues functioning without any change in the operations due to $75 billion [56:49] it received in the one big beautiful bill, end quote. [56:55] That prediction came true. [56:57] And now we have chaos in America, chaos that the Democrats want and promote. [57:05] Airports are backed up. [57:07] TSA agents are working without pay. [57:09] Some are sleeping in their cars and going on the weekends to food banks in their communities [57:15] to get food to feed their families. [57:19] Democrats are playing political games. [57:22] Instead of protecting American families every day that they keep the DHS unfunded is another [57:28] day. [57:29] But the ranking member's prediction comes true in America. [57:33] This must end today. [57:36] Today for the third time, House Republicans will vote to fully fund the Department of [57:41] Homeland Security. [57:43] Let's get back on track. [57:45] Let's pay the people who protect you, who protect me, who protect the ranking member, [57:52] and who protect the minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. [57:57] With that, I yield back. [57:58] Gentleman yields. [58:00] Gentleman from Oklahoma. [58:02] Oklahoma reserves. [58:03] Gentlelady from Connecticut is recognized. [58:05] Mr. Speaker, I yield three minutes to the gentleman from Maryland, the distinguished [58:09] ranking member of the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, Mr. Hoyer. [58:13] Gentleman is recognized. [58:20] The good news, Mr. Speaker, is that we are paying the people who protect us, and this [58:26] side will not admit it. [58:29] DHS is getting 80 percent, 86 percent, ICE, 86 percent funded. [58:38] CBP, 85 percent funded. [58:39] CBP, 85 percent funded. [58:40] CBP, 85 percent funded. [58:40] CBP, 85 percent funded. [58:40] CBP, 85 percent funded. [58:41] Don't tell the American people, Mr. Speaker, that they're not getting paid. [58:47] They are getting paid, and you know it. [58:52] And if you say otherwise, you are misrepresenting the facts to the American people. [59:02] Now, somebody said our bill. [59:05] It's not our bill. [59:07] It's your bill. [59:09] Most of you voted for this bill and every nickel that we are asking you to vote again [59:16] on because this was a compromise bill. [59:20] All the funding that is in Ms. DeLauro's name. [59:22] Ms. DeLauro's bill was a bipartisan agreement, all of it. [59:29] That's not a political game. [59:31] That's saying we'll take it. [59:33] What you're saying is unless you take everything, we're not going to give you anything. [59:39] That's what you're saying. [59:41] Mr. Speaker, that is not how we legislate in this House. [59:47] We have to compromise. [59:49] Now, we have some problems, but could you tell us if you don't allow ICE agents to break [59:55] into homes without a warrant? [59:57] We will not fund TSA. [1:00:00] We will not fund the Coast Guard. [1:00:02] We will not fund CIRCA, cyber security. [1:00:07] That's what you're saying. [1:00:09] But you're trying to pretend to the American people that it's somehow us who are ready [1:00:15] to vote for 98% of the bill. [1:00:20] But you say no, either all or nothing. [1:00:25] So think about it honestly. [1:00:29] You're shutting down TSA. [1:00:31] The American people don't care who's at fault. [1:00:35] So what are you doing? [1:00:36] Well, we're both trying to say the other guy's at fault. [1:00:40] But today, we could come together, all at least 400 of us, and open TSA tonight. [1:00:48] But you won't do it because you want to have masked people arresting people on the streets [1:00:56] of America without any accountability. [1:01:01] That's what this is about. [1:01:02] We want accountability. [1:01:04] We want to honor the Constitution. [1:01:06] We want to honor the laws of the United States. [1:01:08] We want to honor the norms of police activity in this country. [1:01:12] That's what makes us different. [1:01:15] We talk about an exceptional nation. [1:01:18] That's why we're exceptional. [1:01:20] And that's why we want to make sure those protections for the American people are included [1:01:26] in this bill. [1:01:27] Members are reminded to direct their remarks to the chair. [1:01:30] The gentleman from Oklahoma. [1:01:33] Hello. [1:01:35] I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds. [1:01:38] Gentleman is recognized. [1:01:42] So, ladies and gentlemen, let's be honest with one another. [1:01:46] This is a tactical argument. [1:01:46] You're afraid. [1:01:48] You're afraid. [1:01:49] You're afraid that if you separate out those two instances of the Border Patrol and ICE, [1:01:57] you're afraid that you may have to honor what the American people want, and that is constraints. [1:02:07] That's what you're against, constraints on illegal actions by police officers. [1:02:15] The American people are hoping that you will support constraints and support a bill, our [1:02:24] bill. [1:02:25] Republican and Democrats put that bill together that Ms. DeLauro has introduced. [1:02:31] Open up the government and open it up today. [1:02:33] Let's act. [1:02:34] Gentleman's time has expired. [1:02:38] The gentlelady from Connecticut reserves. [1:02:41] The gentleman from Oklahoma is recognized. [1:02:43] Thank you, Mr. Speaker. [1:02:44] Mr. Speaker, I yield one minute to distinguish gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Baird. [1:02:49] I thank the gentleman for yielding. [1:02:52] And Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the extraordinary men, women of the Department [1:02:58] of Homeland Security. [1:02:59] Thank you. [1:03:00] Our commitment to the homeland security must be unwavering. [1:03:01] Despite this reality, some of my colleagues continue to block funding. [1:03:02] This does not make us the safer. [1:03:06] Thousands of employees at FEMA, TSA, CISA are working without pay. [1:03:11] People who have lead and they save lives, prevent attacks, support communities in crisis, [1:03:20] and safeguard the systems that keep our country running. [1:03:26] These men and women are not fighting in the fight to protect themselves. [1:03:28] The power of that is in their commitment to the homeland. [1:03:29] And it's not just on the people. [1:03:30] The people who have that, too. [1:03:31] These personnel serving in high-risk roles face an unacceptable stress of doing their [1:03:36] jobs without the resources they need. [1:03:41] Supporting homeland security is not about ideology, it's about protecting the American [1:03:45] people and ensuring our nation is nearly and evenly taken care of during these threat periods. [1:03:54] I urge my colleagues, let us rise above partisanship and prove that security of the United States [1:04:02] will always come first. [1:04:04] I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back. [1:04:08] Gentleman yields. [1:04:10] Gentleman from Oklahoma reserves. [1:04:12] Gentlelady from Connecticut is recognized. [1:04:16] I reserve. [1:04:18] Gentlelady reserves. [1:04:19] I would advise my friend I'm prepared to close whenever she is. [1:04:24] Gentlelady is recognized. [1:04:34] Let's be clear, ICE and CBP are being paid, TSA is not. [1:04:39] That is what President Trump and the Republicans have decided. [1:04:43] It's really, you know, I'm delighted. [1:04:46] I'm delighted to hear about this newfound concern that my Republican colleagues have [1:04:53] and about wanting to fund these agencies. [1:04:57] But I think it's very clear where were they when the administration proposed eliminating [1:05:00] FEMA entirely? [1:05:02] Where were they when the President proposed cutting cybersecurity by $500 million? [1:05:07] Where were they when the President unilaterally eliminated collective bargaining rights for [1:05:12] TSA workers? [1:05:13] They were silent. [1:05:16] Not one word. [1:05:17] So spare me, spare all of us, and spare the American people these crocodile tears which [1:05:25] you shed about people that you cut 1,000 people. [1:05:29] You allowed Elon Musk to cut 1,000 people from cybersecurity, and you sat around saying [1:05:35] nothing. [1:05:36] So again, spare us all. [1:05:38] Now let me just say this to you, that the chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee [1:05:45] said a little while ago. [1:05:46] That what the Democrats were offering were radical and unachievable reforms. [1:05:52] Let's take a look at radical and unachievable reforms. [1:05:57] Arrest warrant requirements, prohibit the detention and detainment of U.S. citizens, [1:06:02] Fourth Amendment protections, search and seizure protections, officer ID requirements, no mask [1:06:10] but badges, like other law enforcement agencies. [1:06:15] Prohibit immigration enforcement. [1:06:16] Prohibit immigration enforcement. [1:06:16] Prohibit immigration enforcement. [1:06:16] Prohibit immigration enforcement. [1:06:16] Prohibit immigration enforcement. [1:06:17] Prohibit immigration enforcement. [1:06:17] Prohibit immigration enforcement. [1:06:18] Prohibit immigration enforcement. [1:06:20] Prohibit immigration enforcement on law enforcement, even at sensitive locations, schools, churches, [1:06:28] medical facilities, and racial profiling. [1:06:31] Restrictions on the use of force to prevent future deadly incidents like those we saw [1:06:37] in Minnesota. [1:06:38] Prohibiting the Department from withholding evidence for use of force-related investigations. [1:06:43] Protecting member access to all ICE facilities. [1:06:46] in the big, beautiful bill. And yes, mandatory body-worn cameras. These policies have to [1:06:55] be built into law. That was what needs to happen here. I have offered, and I did this [1:07:03] a month ago, one more than a month ago now, I said, plainly speaking, because there are [1:07:11] serious disagreements about ICE and about CBP. Serious disagreements. Seventy percent [1:07:21] of the United States, the people in this country, believe that these agencies need to be brought [1:07:28] under control and that we need protections. So let's hammer that out. Let's hammer it [1:07:35] out on its own. Why do we want to hold hostage men and women who are doing their [1:07:47] job? Why do we want to hold hostage men and women who are doing their job? Why do we want [1:07:47] to hold hostage men and women who are doing their job? Why do we want to hold hostage [1:07:47] men and women who are doing their job? Why do we want to hold hostage men and women who [1:07:47] are doing their job? Why do we want to hold hostage men and women who are doing their [1:07:48] job? Why do we want to hold hostage men and women who are doing their job? They're not [1:07:52] asking for more. They're asking to pay them for the work and the service they give to [1:08:02] all of us. Why are we holding them hostage? And deliberately doing so with TS agencies. [1:08:11] Because as I said, ICE and CBP, they are being paid. CBP has 65 billion dollars. ICE has [1:08:22] dollars. Our people are hurting. They need to get help. The president said 500 million [1:08:35] dollars cuts to cyber security. That's what he said in his budget. No one blinked an eye. [1:08:45] Cutting a thousand workers from cyber security. Now we have this new found worry about cyber [1:08:51] security. Again, spare us. There is a very simple solution to this. Let us take the agencies [1:09:02] on which we have mutual agreement. It is a reasonable middle ground between two sides [1:09:10] of this discussion. [1:09:13] We don't want to provide more funding for ICE or CBP without the binding policy changes [1:09:23] that protect our communities. Republicans are opposed to many of these changes and want [1:09:31] to fund ICE and CBP without any news. [1:09:34] Neither side disagrees over funding TSA, FEMA, Coast Guards, or other parts. What we [1:09:43] are caught up on is whether or not we can deal with ICE and CBP separately or if we [1:09:50] have to fund everything all at once. I personally do not believe it must be all or nothing. [1:10:01] That is not the spirit of compromise that allows us to move forward. [1:10:07] Thank you. [1:10:07] And to create policy changes and initiatives in this nation. My proposal funds the parts [1:10:13] of DSH that we all agree on. It funds TSA so they can get paid, pay their bills, stop [1:10:21] sleeping in their cars, and avoid evictions. We can put the end of the long lines at airport [1:10:27] security. It funds FEMA so we can replenish the disaster relief fund. It ensures that [1:10:32] our communities are prepared for the next natural disaster. It fully funds cyber security. [1:10:37] So we are equipped to prevent or respond to any threat that comes our way. It separates [1:10:43] ICE and CBP for the time being, not forever, for the time being so we can negotiate on [1:10:52] that issue without holding the rest of the department hostage. [1:10:58] As I said earlier, I listened to the debates. I believe some of my Republican colleagues [1:11:02] are under the impression that the proposal is designed to permanently shutter ICE and [1:11:07] CBP. [1:11:08] Thank you. [1:11:09] It's not true. We have to pass bills to fund those agencies. We will do so when we can [1:11:15] come together on an agreement that establishes those protections against abuse, which the [1:11:21] majority of Americans support. There is no reason for us to keep the rest of the department [1:11:28] shut down. It is an easy solution if we choose to take it. This is about political will and [1:11:37] a choice. And quite frankly, we do not need a discharge petition. [1:11:41] The Speaker of the House could call up this bill at any moment, place it on the floor, [1:11:45] and it would pass overwhelmingly. [1:11:49] But there is a discharge petition. If we have to have it to try to get it to the floor, [1:11:55] it would be my hope that several of my Republican colleagues would find that this is a reasonable [1:12:01] solution, a way to accommodate both sides of the argument. Let's come to a compromise [1:12:11] on what we can do with ICE and CBP. [1:12:14] But let us fund the agencies that so deserve to get paid for their job that they are doing [1:12:23] for the American people. It should be up to us to do our job for the American people. [1:12:30] And today, that is to bring up this compromise and allow us to fund these agencies and to [1:12:40] continue to negotiate about ICE and CBP. [1:12:44] That is the responsible thing for all of us to do today. It can be done. And I would [1:12:51] just say one last thing. What we are doing here today is what I said at the outside. [1:12:56] This is not three times it's a charm. This bill has nowhere to go. Nowhere to go. And [1:13:07] it is an argument that has failed in the past. It will fail again. Let's fund the agencies [1:13:13] that deserve our support. [1:13:15] Let's make sure we get the kinds of support we need. Let's make sure we get the kinds [1:13:17] of protections for the American people and ICE and CBP I yield back. [1:13:24] The gentleman's time has expired. The gentleman from Oklahoma is recognized. [1:13:27] Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. I want to begin [1:13:34] by thanking my friend for a spirited debate. We've certainly had one today. But to me, [1:13:40] the facts of this situation seem pretty clear. The House has done its job twice already. [1:13:48] It's fully funded. [1:13:49] The Department of Homeland Security. And if we're fortunate, we'll fully fund it again [1:13:56] in a few minutes with, I hope, a bipartisan vote. But we'll see about that. And frankly, [1:14:03] we've sent that legislation over to the Senate. And to be fair, a majority of the United States [1:14:09] Senate has multiple times voted to keep the government open. A majority, a bipartisan [1:14:16] majority of the United States Senate has voted to keep the government open. [1:14:18] Thank you. [1:14:19] Thank you. [1:14:20] Thank you. [1:14:21] Thank you. [1:14:22] Thank you. [1:14:23] Thank you. [1:14:24] Thank you. [1:14:25] Thank you. [1:14:26] Thank you. [1:14:27] And the Senate has chosen to keep the government open. Now, the Senate operates differently [1:14:28] from us, Mr. Speaker. As most Americans know, they have a rule. It's not in the Constitution. [1:14:30] It's not in the law. It's just simply a Senate rule. It says they have to reach 60. So what [1:14:36] we have is a situation where a minority of Senate Democrats have repeatedly voted to [1:14:41] shut down the government. That's even though we sent them a bill that they agreed to vote [1:14:46] for before we sent it over there in the first place. [1:14:49] Thank you. [1:14:50] and they changed their mind, they broke their word, [1:14:53] and they've done that repeatedly in the Senate, [1:14:55] not in the House, in the Senate. [1:14:59] So we now have a situation where a majority of both chambers [1:15:03] have repeatedly said we would like to open the government. [1:15:06] I know my friends would like to open parts of the government. [1:15:11] I heard that argument, and I didn't agree with it, [1:15:13] back when we were in the majority [1:15:15] during the Obamacare debates. [1:15:17] We brought measure after measure on the floor [1:15:20] to open part of the government. [1:15:21] Surely we can vote for defense. [1:15:23] Surely we can vote for this or that. [1:15:25] Our Democratic friends said, [1:15:26] no, you should fund all the government. [1:15:29] I actually agree with that, and we compromised there. [1:15:33] And there seems to be on this floor a belief [1:15:35] that the president has not been willing to compromise. [1:15:38] That is not the case. [1:15:40] The president, Mr. Speaker, has changed leadership [1:15:44] at the Department of Homeland Security. [1:15:46] The president, in negotiation with the Democrats [1:15:49] in the Senate, has repeatedly made concessions. [1:15:52] Frankly, it's the Democrats in the Senate [1:15:55] that keep moving the goalposts. [1:15:58] They just like the fight. [1:16:00] They don't care who's not getting a paycheck. [1:16:02] They don't care who's not meeting a mortgage payment. [1:16:05] They don't care who's not meeting a car payment. [1:16:08] They don't care who's not sleeping in a car. [1:16:10] They just want to score a political point. [1:16:13] And they want to score it even though the majority [1:16:15] of both chambers have passed legislation [1:16:19] to keep the government open, and even though the president, [1:16:22] the United States, has made considerable concessions [1:16:25] in their direction. [1:16:27] That's stupidity. [1:16:29] That's irresponsibility. [1:16:31] It's reckless, and it's dangerous. [1:16:33] And to do it at a time when the country is engaged [1:16:36] in military operations overseas with an adversary [1:16:40] that's the largest sponsor of state terrorism [1:16:43] and that would do anything it could to hurt Americans [1:16:47] is the height of irresponsibility. [1:16:50] So, Mr. Speaker, I just simply hope [1:16:52] that in this chamber today we do what we've done twice more [1:16:57] and we give the Senate another opportunity. [1:17:00] I know there's negotiations going on over there, [1:17:03] but just do the right thing. [1:17:04] Fund the government. [1:17:05] The president has shown you that he's willing to make changes. [1:17:08] He did that in Minnesota in terms of leadership. [1:17:10] He's done it in terms of the department itself. [1:17:13] That normally would be enough. [1:17:15] And I would ask my colleagues to look within themselves [1:17:17] and see if this is really worth it. [1:17:20] If running this risk for $330 million [1:17:23] in Americans is really worth it. [1:17:25] If making 100,000 people miss another paycheck [1:17:29] is really worth it. [1:17:32] I don't know what political gain you think [1:17:34] you're getting out of this or my friends think [1:17:36] they might be getting out of this. [1:17:37] I don't think it's worth it. [1:17:39] So I would just ask us to do the responsible thing, [1:17:42] to pass what was a bipartisan negotiated product [1:17:46] yet again in the House, send it over to the Senate, [1:17:49] point out the concessions that the president has made [1:17:53] to the Senate, and then look at the results. [1:17:57] So what we're saying here is we're gonna have to act [1:18:01] in good faith, trying to get the government up [1:18:04] and operational, you know, making changes in leadership [1:18:07] and say, my goodness, you know, what more do you want? [1:18:12] Because it doesn't matter what he does. [1:18:14] They want something else. [1:18:16] That tells me that we're dealing with somebody [1:18:19] that doesn't want to be dealt with [1:18:21] in a rational and fair manner. [1:18:22] have passed this chamber. Most of them with strong bipartisan support. That's why, in [1:18:29] the United States Senate, we thought we had a deal, and the Democrats in the Senate changed [1:18:33] it. That's why the President, I think, probably has tried multiple times to move in the direction [1:18:40] of his critics, and yet they still won't accept it. [1:18:44] Again, I would just ask, let's just do the right thing. Let's fund the government of [1:18:48] the United States, and let's get about our business, and let's make sure at a very dangerous [1:18:53] moment in our history our people have every protection that we can provide them. Let's [1:18:58] not wait for something bad to happen so that we come to our senses. Let's do it today. [1:19:04] With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, but I urge my colleagues to support [1:19:09] this bill and again yield back the balance of my time. [1:19:13] GENERAL RODRIGUEZ, JR.: Gentlemen, yields. Well, time for debate has expired pursuant [1:19:17] to House Resolution 1131. [1:19:19] GENERAL RODRIGUEZ, JR.: Thank you. [1:19:19] The previous question is ordered on the bill. The question is on engrossment and third reading [1:19:24] of the bill. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. The ayes have it. Third reading. [1:19:34] A bill making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending [1:19:38] September 30th, 2026, and for other purposes. [1:19:41] GENERAL RODRIGUEZ, JR.: For what purpose does a gentlewoman from Connecticut seek recognition? [1:19:45] Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk. [1:19:48] GENERAL RODRIGUEZ, JR.: The clerk will report the motion. [1:19:51] Mr. Loro of Connecticut moves to recommit the bill, H.R. 8029, to the House. [1:19:55] GENERAL RODRIGUEZ, JR.: Pursuant to Clause 2B of Rule 19, the previous question is ordered [1:20:01] on the motion to recommit. The question is on the motion. All those in favor say aye. [1:20:08] Those opposed, no. The noes have it. The motion is not agreed to. [1:20:12] Mr. Speaker, I ask for the yeas and nays. [1:20:14] GENERAL RODRIGUEZ, JR.: The yeas and nays are requested. Those favoring a vote by the [1:20:17] yeas and nays will rise, a sufficient number having risen. The yeas and nays are ordered. [1:20:22] Pursuant to Clause 8 of Rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.