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

Floor Speech

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Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I actually have an anecdote, as well.

Mr. Speaker, 35 years ago, when the previous speaker from the Democratic side was here as a Member of Congress, I was a 16-year-old page wandering around the floor in a blue blazer and a khaki pair of pants. It is an interesting moment for me because what he said is let's fund the important services that the American people deserve.

Let's talk about important services that they don't think they deserve.

Over the last 4 years, 20 million illegal immigrants have come into this country, and those illegal immigrants have killed 1,400 Americans.

Let me give you just a few of their names: Kate Steinle, who was 32 years old, in California; Laken Riley, who was 22 years old, in Athens, Georgia; Rachel Morin, who was 37 years old, in Bel Air, Maryland; Jocelyn Nungaray, who was 12 years old, in Houston, Texas; and Lizbeth Medina, who was 16 years old, also in Texas. Yet, those apparently aren't services that need to be funded.

Since the conflict in Iran began, there have been four terrorist attacks in four separate States by four unaffiliated groups. They were working independently. Those are apparently not important services that the American people need to know. Let's say their names: Ryder Harrington, 19; Savitha Shan, 21; Jorge Pederson, 30; and Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, in Virginia. Those who are apparently stopping that are not important services that the American people deserve.

While I stood here waiting to speak, the government announced that they have arrested two Chinese people in the State of Florida for attempting to put an IED outside of a military base.

We are told that funding 86 percent of the Department of Homeland Security is funding all of the Department of Homeland Security. That is not true.

Also, as I stood here, I read one other thing. In New York City, a four-time deported Honduran illegal alien was charged with murder for shoving an 83-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran onto the subway tracks in New York City. Apparently, protecting him is not an important service that the American people deserve.

What I have learned in this debate is that Democrats care about three things: Muslim terrorists, Somali pirates, and illegal immigrants.

What is clear to me: If we want to fund the Department of Homeland Security and get them on board, there is one simple solution. Have all of those TSA agents declare that they are illegal immigrants, because then they will rush to get the money over to them to get them funded.

It is not right to keep the government closed. If people want changes in policy, let's have those debates.

The same people who demand these folks not be masked spent years demanding the rest of us get arrested if we weren't willing to wear them. The hypocrisy is stunning, and the American people are not being served.

Congress needs the job to get done. We need to get the whole thing funded, and I support the resolution fully.

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