Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, but first, I want to thank the chairmen of the subcommittees and the full committee and my ranking member for their leadership. Certainly, I also thank the staff on both sides for the hard work that they have provided on this difficult bill.

I represent 280 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. Let me be the first to say this bill is not perfect. However, this bill is better than the alternatives of either funding the Department under a continuing resolution or shutting down the government. That is the choice in front of us.

This bill puts real requirements on the Department. It provides oversight and makes targeted investments that directly help States and local communities to make sure that we help folks like firefighters and other folks.

Let me say this: It is better than the alternative, leaving the Department with a blank check, virtually unchecked by the Committee on Appropriations and Congress.

Allowing DHS to operate under a continuing resolution or trying to shut it down, ICE would ensure that they have no direction from Congress.

This bill flat-funds ICE, but at the same time, we also strengthen the oversight of ICE by increasing funding to the inspector general by over $38 million over fiscal year 2025. That includes $20 million to do additional inspections of ICE facilities and $12.8 million to provide oversight of the Department for the funds that they got under reconciliation.

It also provides, as the gentleman said a few minutes ago, $20 million for body-worn cameras, specifically for CBP and ICE, which are conducting immigration enforcement. It also provides funding to increase training for CBP and ICE agents for deescalation tactics.

Let me say this: We did try to fight more. Unfortunately, we couldn't reach an agreement with our Republican friends, but we did not walk away from the work of putting the oversight into law that this bill provides.

We also provide funding accountability to the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is, again, something that they tried to close.

Let me be clear: ICE can operate based on the funds that they were provided under reconciliation, but we cannot say the same thing to other departments or other agencies under DHS, especially when we talk about FEMA. FEMA gets $5.7 billion, including $3.8 billion for Federal assistance, which is a 20-percent increase above fiscal year 2025. Again, that money goes back to help firefighters and disasters.

Again, it also provides money to CISA. As you know, there were cuts, but we are providing money there to make sure that we fight the threats to our critical infrastructure that we are seeing across the country.

Finally, this provides funding in the amount of a $550 million increase for the Coast Guard because, again, we have to make sure the Coast Guard gets the funding, especially when it comes to funding drug interdiction.

Again, I say this: Is this bill perfect? No. However, a continuing resolution provides no oversight, and ICE also gets funding from the reconciliation.

Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is simple. This bill is better than the alternative.

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