McCollum Vote on H.R. 8752, The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill

Ms. McCollum: Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 8752, the Republican FY25 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. 

With their Fiscal Year 2025 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, House Republicans continue to demonstrate that they are not interested in securing our border or fixing our broken immigration system. With this bill, House Republicans want to further hamstring the Biden Administration’s ability to respond to an influx of immigrants, refuse to provide the necessary resources to the Department of Homeland Security, and put Americans at more risk in the face of terrorism and violent cartels. 

House Republicans have consistently used their majority to block any bipartisan solutions for our broken immigration system. Earlier this year, Congressional Republicans followed direct orders from Donald Trump to kill bipartisan attempts in the Senate to add critical personnel to handle the border and immigration and invest in technology to halt illegal fentanyl and human trafficking by cartels. Republicans chose to do nothing rather than advance a bipartisan agreement providing the resources necessary to respond to an influx of immigrants at our southern border.

Republican’s FY25 Homeland Security appropriations bill is another attempt by Republicans to implement their extreme MAGA agenda. An agenda that hurts immigrants, hurts our Border Patrol agents, and hurts Americans. It is irresponsible for Republicans to continue to spend $600 million on an antiquated, failed border wall that will do nothing to slow immigration into the United States. Republicans also fail to provide the necessary resources for border management, meaning the Department of Homeland Security will not be able to effectively address the projected levels of border crossings. The bill cuts $2.1 billion to Border Security Operations, one of the core functions of the Department of Homeland Security. It is not realistic to expect our Border Patrol Agents to process arrivals when Republicans de-fund migrant processing facilities, migrant medical care, transportation, and personnel overtime.

House Republicans are also underfunding critical cyber defense programs, leaving Americans vulnerable and unprepared to deal with cyber threats at a time when our schools, hospitals, and critical infrastructure are under constant attack. This bill restricts the Department from taking the important actions needed to reverse the alarming trends we see on violent extremism and terrorism. The bill also fails to provide the equipment needed to screen incoming cargo passing through our border, the main method of trafficking illicit drugs into the country. We have access to technology that can scan every vehicle that comes across our border, but Republicans refuse to invest in it.

Mr. Speaker, this appropriations bill is another Republican messaging bill that will only delay funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The bill falls short of providing the needed resources to DHS as the majority continues to bow to the extreme Members within their caucus instead of working to solve the problems Americans face each day. It is time for House Republicans to stop playing partisan political games and work in a bipartisan way to address these challenges.

I cannot support this partisan Homeland Security bill and I urge my colleagues to vote against it.

Thank you, and I yield back.