Providing for Consideration of H.R. Department of Defense Appropriations Act, Providing for Consideration of H.R. Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, the measures under the rule before us today are about securing our Nation, securing our borders, and standing up to our adversaries who would love nothing more than to do us harm. This week, House Republicans will address the ongoing national security crisis by considering three critical appropriations bills: the fiscal year 2025 Department Homeland Security Appropriations Act, the fiscal year 2025 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, and the fiscal year 2025 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. These bills aim to secure our borders, bolster our national defense, and strengthen our global standing against our adversaries.

Under the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, we have funding for actual border security, something my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have time and again refused to support. This bill includes funding for 22,000 additional Border Patrol agents and $600 million for the construction of the southern border wall.

My own district has had a front row seat for this administration's disastrous border policies. Not only has the Biden border policy, coupled with New York State's sanctuary policies, allowed for a flood of illegal immigrants into our cities, towns, and communities, but our northern border has seen a surge of illegal crossings like never before. I have talked to the Buffalo Sector Border Patrol, and I know firsthand that these agents need Congress to have their backs and give them the tools they need to do their job safely and effectively.

Mr. Speaker, 143 individuals on the FBI's terrorist watch list have been apprehended on our northern border. That is twice as many as have been apprehended on the southern border, and that is just the ones who have been caught.

This administration's open-border policies have turned every State into a border State and every town into a border town, jeopardizing the safety and security of every American.

The Homeland Security bill also provides $822 million for transportation and removal operations and $300 million for border security technology, all essential for removing dangerous criminals from our country and securing our borders.

Mr. Speaker, it is time for action. It is time to secure our borders, support our allies, and put American interests and safety first.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the critical legislation that it brings forward.

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