Keystone XL Pipeline Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, I know we are about to bring some final
votes on Keystone to the floor, but I want to take a few minutes to
speak on the topic we will be focused on next week, and that is the
impending crisis at the Department of Homeland Security should we not
continue to fund their operations, which matters greatly to a State
such as Connecticut--a State with expansive coastline, with natural
disasters as part of our recent history, and with a close connection to
some of the potential epicenters for terrorist activity and attacks,
New York City being at the top of the list.

It was just 3 weeks ago that terrorists staged a horrific attack in
downtown Paris. Before they were stopped by law enforcement, dozens of
people were killed or injured and the world was given another reminder
of the threats that exist all around us. Across Europe countries
stepped up their alert, increasing their law enforcement presence,
raiding suspected terror cells, and requesting the assistance of the
United States to help track down the people who carried out the
attacks.

Astoundingly, though, here at home, it seems as though there are a
lot of Republicans in Congress who would rather talk about deporting
children who were brought to this country without documentation rather
than talk about funding the very agency that every day seems to keep
our homeland safe from threats.

Even as our allies in Europe look for ways to improve their security,
the House of Representatives, in particular, has told us that the only
way we can fund the Department of Homeland Security--keeping this
country safe--is to start deporting young boys and girls who are here
trying to make it in the United States.

The United States is no stranger to the types of attacks that
happened in France. An Ohio man was arrested 3 weeks ago when it was
discovered he was plotting to blow up the United States Capitol. I am
certain we have not already forgotten about the Boston marathon bombing
or what happened before that in Oklahoma City. The threats against this
country continue to evolve.

Why should we play politics with the agency that is most responsible
for responding and getting this country ready for those threats? It is
the height of irresponsibility to suggest, as some of my colleagues
have, that shutting down the Department of Homeland Security--the
Department responsible for protecting the United States from terrorist
attacks--would be no big deal.

This is what the Secretary of Homeland Security has said. Last week
he said:

. . . as long as we are on a CR, we cannot engage in new
starts, new spending, new initiatives, new grants to state
and local law enforcement to fund homeland security missions.
We can't put in place the independent panel that recommended
changes to the secret service. We can't do a lot of things
for border security. Our counterterrorism efforts are
limited.

In 28 days, the Department of Homeland Security, the agency charged
with border security, aviation security, cyber security, Presidential
security, and counterterrorism efforts, is going to run out of funding.
Instead of working with the Senate, which overwhelmingly passed a
bipartisan bill to fix our immigration system and secure our border,
Republicans are willing to hold up this funding bill so they can deport
DREAMers against the President's Executive order. It is not just
irresponsible, it is dangerous.

In my State, as I said, it matters greatly. Over the past several
years, we have seen, as the northeast has been battered by hurricanes
and superstorms and blizzards, the indispensable nature of agencies
funded in the Department of Homeland Security budget. Failing to pass
this bill would delay upgrades to critical and necessary emergency
communication systems for first responders in my State that are
responding to emergencies and disasters. Whether we like it or not,
they are happening with greater frequency.

Fortunately, thanks to the leadership of Senator Mikulski and Senator
Shaheen, there is a path forward. Yesterday they introduced a clean,
full-year funding bill that has been endorsed by every Democratic
Senator. This is the same bipartisan, bicameral bill that was
negotiated by the House and the Senate last year.

This agreement includes critical assistance, critical increases in
funding for our border security, cyber security, air and maritime
surveillance, and biological and explosive detection at our borders.
All of these things keep us safe at a time when we know that terrorism is a more real threat than ever, not just to the United States but to our partner countries all
around the world.

Last week, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution I was proud to
have written, declaring that we stand in solidarity with the people in
France, that we mourn the loss of innocent victims and condemn the
atrocity of these attacks.

I submit that just as important as our words, which we all came
together to support, are our deeds. Will our response now be to engage
in a partisan fight over immigration or do we come together as
Republicans and Democrats to fund the law enforcement personnel who are
charged with keeping our citizens safe?

Next week when we return to this body, I strongly urge my Republican
colleagues to quickly bring a clean, bipartisan Department of Homeland
Security appropriations bill to the floor.

I yield the floor.

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