OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Expressing the Support of the House of Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security

Floor Speech

Date: March 26, 2026
Location: Washington, DC

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. EVANS of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I am a proud cosponsor of this resolution to support full funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Not many policy debates in this Chamber are simple, but this one is. The Department of Homeland Security needs funding now.

In just 6 months, Mr. Speaker, Democrats have shut down our government twice, and now they claim that shutting down DHS makes us safer.

As someone who spent 12 years in the Army and another 10 years as a police officer, I know this is the furthest from the truth you can be. In fact, I left law enforcement and serve now in Congress because for years Democrats pushed to defund the police. They championed defunding the police knowing the consequences that it has on public safety. Today, Mr. Speaker, that same pattern continues this time by defunding the Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, when someone shows you who they are, believe them. House Republicans have passed Homeland Security appropriations funding twice: H.R. 7147 and H.R. 7747. Twice this funding was rejected by House Democrats and repeatedly blocked by Senate Democrats. Facts matter.

Now, because the department is unfunded, FEMA's local pre-disaster planning is halted right as Colorado enters wildfire season. CISA, which protects Americans from cyberattacks, is impaired. The Coast Guard, essential in combating drug trafficking that killed 400,000 Americans under the open-border policies of my colleagues across the aisle, is weakened.

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which provides the training to our Federal agents, is impaired. If that is not bad enough, twice Democrats have voted against funding the Department of Homeland Security and preventing our TSA officers from receiving a paycheck.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats need to stop their reckless practice of holding paychecks hostage for their political agenda. We need to fund the department.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward