Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. MAGAZINER. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

The most solemn duty that we have as Members of Congress is to keep Americans safe. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the very real threats facing our homeland, too many House Republicans are playing politics trying to defund the FBI and the Department of Justice, refusing to take action on gun violence and cheerleading for violent extremists like those who attacked this Capitol and the people in it on January 6.

They are putting their political agendas ahead of keeping everyday American people safe.

Let's not forget that it was House Republicans who killed the bipartisan plan to secure the border because Donald Trump told them he would rather have an issue to campaign on than fix the problem. Shameful.

When asked to explain his opposition to the bipartisan border security bill, one House Republican even said, ``Let me tell you, I am not willing to do too damn much right now to help a Democrat and to help Joe Biden's approval rating,'' putting politics ahead of securing the border.

This appropriations bill proposed by House Republicans cuts funding for regional counterterrorism efforts that keep Americans safe from both domestic and foreign terrorism and cuts all funding to help States and cities manage the impact of migration.

I sit on the Homeland Security Committee, and I saw as House Republicans brought in officials from States and cities to talk about how difficult it is to deal with the challenges of migration in their communities. Guess what? If those State or city officials are watching now, this budget that the House Republicans are proposing zeros you out, cuts you off. They are saying to you that you are on your own at the State and local level to deal with these challenges.

The American people want House Republicans to stop playing political games and work together across the aisle with Democrats to secure our homeland.

For this reason, at the appropriate time, I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee for further work. My amendment would secure our homeland by providing an additional $51 million to Customs and Border Protection to improve information sharing and prevent people who are on the watch list from entering our country and to enhance security at ports of entry and combat fentanyl trafficking by purchasing equipment, including license plate readers and substance detection devices.

It would also provide over $150 million to detect radiological and nuclear materials and biohazard threats, and prevent terror attacks, and it would restore funding and authorities to combat domestic terrorism, domestic extremists like those who violently attacked police officers and tried to stop the people's votes from being counted on January 6.

I ask my colleagues, let's put Americans first by working together across the aisle, the way people expect of us, to secure our homeland and keep people safe instead of advancing the extreme agenda of the former President, who, by the way, was just convicted of 34 criminal counts.

I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the text of my amendment.

Mr. Magaziner of Rhode Island moves to recommit the bill H.R. 8752 to the Committee on Appropriations with the following amendment:

Page 2, after line 6, insert the following: FEDERAL ASSISTANCE (INCLUDING TRANSFER OF FUNDS)

For necessary expenses of the Office of the Secretary and for executive management for Federal assistance through grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other activities, $20,000,000, which shall be transferred to ``Federal Emergency Management Agency--Federal Assistance'', for targeted violence and terrorism prevention grants to remain available until September 30, 2026.

Page 2, line 16, after the dollar amount insert ``(increased by $15,000,000)''.

Page 11, line 4, after the dollar amount insert ``(increased by $51,000,000)''.

Page 12, line 8, after the dollar amount insert ``(increased by $30,000,000)''.

Page 12, line 9, after the dollar amount insert ``(increased by $30,000,000)''.

Page 25, line 1, after the dollar amount insert ``(increased by $30,000,000)''.

Page 58, line 22, after the dollar amount insert ``(increased by $105,798,000)''.

Page 12, line 8, after the dollar amount, insert ``(decreased by $221,798,000)''.

Page 12, 1ine 10, after the dollar amount, insert ``(decreased by $221,798,000)''.

Page 24, line 17, after the dollar amount, insert ``(decreased by $221,798,000)''.

Page 24, line 19, after the dollar amount, insert ``(decreased by $221,798,000)''.

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