Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I feel as if I need to start with an apology to the minority leader. I wrongly laughed out loud when I heard him say in the well of the floor of the House of Representatives: ``Yes, we will always support securing the border--today, tomorrow, and forever.'' It was an uncontrollable laugh.
This is what started all of this: an administration that did not care about securing our border and the Democrats who backed him up, along with Alejandro Mayorkas, who let 15 million illegal aliens into our great Nation to cause chaos, not to be a part of the fabric of America but to tear apart the fabric of America.
This is the stupidest shutdown in U.S. history, Mr. Speaker. Why do I say that? I will quote the ranking member from a press release January 20, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), my good friend: ``The Homeland Security funding bill is more than just ICE. If we allow a lapse in the funding, TSA agents will be forced to work without pay, FEMA assistance could be delayed, and the U.S. Coast Guard will be adversely affected. All while ICE continues functioning without any change in their operations due to $75 billion it received in the One Big Beautiful Bill.''
That prediction came true, and now we have chaos in America--chaos that the Democrats want and promote. Airports are backed up. TSA agents are working without pay. Some are sleeping in their cars and going on the weekends to food banks in their communities to get food to feed their families.
Democrats are playing political games. Instead of protecting American families, every day that they keep the DHS unfunded is another day that the ranking member's prediction comes true in America. This must end today. Today, for the third time, House Republicans will vote to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.
Let's get back on track. Let's pay the people who protect you, who protect me, who protect the ranking member, and who protect the minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives.
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