Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. I thank Chairman Carter for his great work in putting this bill together and for yielding the time.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security.

In December, the House passed, on a bipartisan basis, an aggregated appropriations bill that funded most of the Federal Government, 11 of the 12 annual appropriations bills, and today we consider the last remaining of those bills.

The security of our homeland is one of our highest priorities. This bill provides $39.7 billion for that purpose: to protect our borders, defend against the threats of terrorism, and enforce our Nation's laws.

Today we will also consider amendments to the bill that will reverse the President's declaration of executive amnesty for illegal aliens. One of these amendments would change existing law to prohibit any funding, including fees, from being used to implement the order. As the chairman of the subcommittee has said, there are no appropriations in this bill for the illegal amnesty decree--that is being funded by fees--and this amendment would get at that problem.

The American people have spoken loud and clear. They want our immigration laws enforced rather than unilaterally changed by executive decree in an unlawful way that undermines our Constitution and the integrity of our laws. I will vote for these amendments because the Presidential amnesty decree grossly exceeds this authority and violates the Constitution.

The base legislation before us ensures that our immigration laws are upheld, that our border is fortified, and that the men and women on our front line remain well-equipped and trained. The bill provides $10.7 billion for Customs and Border Protection. That is an increase of $118-plus million above last year to support the largest operation force levels in the history of the country and to ensure around-the-clock border surveillance.

Funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, is also boosted above last year, totaling $5.96 billion, including significant increases to detention bed capacity for both individuals and families, and full funding for E-Verify to ensure companies are hiring employees who can legally work in the U.S.

In addition, the legislation provides funding to ensure the safety of our skies and our coasts. The Transportation Security Administration is funded at $4.8 billion, targeting funding to passenger security, cargo inspections, and intelligence.

The Coast Guard receives $10 billion, denying the President's proposed cuts that would have gutted vital operations of the Coast Guard.

The security of this Nation is also dependent on a secure cyber network, and recent headlines have only underscored our need to be prepared against new and advanced cyber attacks and foreign espionage. To improve our cybersecurity programs, the bill includes $753.2 million for these activities in the National Protection and Programs Directorate.

The bill also includes increased funding to address critical lapses in Secret Service communications and training at the White House and to start preparations for the 2016 Presidential election.

In addition to providing for these important security efforts, the Department bill also provides funding for disaster recovery and response. There is $7 billion in the bill for FEMA's programs, fully funding their requirements. It also provides $2.5 billion for important first responder grants that help States and communities act in the critical early moments following a disaster.

And finally, Mr. Chair, in all, this legislation before us takes the necessary steps to ensure the responsible, transparent use of taxpayer dollars, including streamlining DHS operations, reducing overhead costs, and trimming funds for lower priority programs.

I want to thank the gentleman from Texas, Chairman Carter, and the entire subcommittee and staff for their hard work in reaching that bipartisan agreement back in December which now is reflected in this bill on the floor, and to also thank the staff for their many hours putting this legislation into final form.

Nearly halfway into the fiscal year, it is high time we get this bill enacted to strengthen our homeland security efforts, ensure our personnel are well-equipped and trained, and maintain our readiness for any threats that may come our way. We cannot put our security at risk with outdated funding levels and the uncertainty of a continuing resolution.

So I urge my colleagues to vote responsibly for the security of our country and the security of our borders. I urge Members to vote ``yes'' on the bill.

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