Territorial Student Access to Higher Education Act

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1095 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, last night the Committee on Rules met and granted a rule providing for consideration of one measure. The rule provides for consideration of H.R. 7744 under a closed rule. The rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member on the Committee on Appropriations or their respective designees. Additionally, the rule provides for one motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, nearly 3 weeks ago, on February 13, my Democrat colleagues irresponsibly and vindictively shut down the Department of Homeland Security, crippling the capabilities of the very Department charged with protecting the American people.

Leading up to that moment, I brought forth a rule that allowed the House to concur in the Senate amendments to H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026, legislation that funded the remainder of the Federal Government through the end of the fiscal year with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security.

Despite previously agreeing to a bipartisan and bicameral approach to fund the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the fiscal year, including provisions for both funding and enhanced oversight, Democrats reversed course at the last minute and have since held this critical funding hostage, directly putting the safety and security of the American people at risk.

Mr. Speaker, I return today to give my Democrat colleagues the opportunity to reverse course on this dangerous lapse in leadership and move legislation forward that provides full funding for the personnel, training, and technology necessary to protect our homeland and keep our communities safe, secure, and resilient.

The Department of Homeland Security oversees agencies responsible for aviation security, border protection, cyber defense, disaster response, maritime security, and counterterrorism missions that directly impact the safety of millions of Americans every single day.

Simply put, a ``yes'' vote on today's rule is a vote to consider legislation that will fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, ensuring that the agencies tasked with keeping the American people safe, from counterterrorism to cybersecurity, to disaster response, are not weakened at a moment when threats are rapidly increasing.

A ``yes'' vote on today's rule is a vote to stand with the men and women on the frontlines of our national security, from coastguardsmen to GSA officers, to cyber defenders, law enforcement personnel, and emergency responders who are now working every day without pay to keep our country safe.

A ``yes'' vote on today's rule is a vote to consider legislation to end this Democrat shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security and restore the resources necessary to defend the American people.

Mr. Speaker, the need to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security becomes even clearer when we consider the serious global threats facing our country today. For nearly 50 years, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the number one state sponsor of terrorism, has called our great country the ``Great Satan'' and indoctrinated generations of its people with the chants of ``Death to America,'' making clear its commitment to our destruction.

Despite repeated attempts at diplomacy, the regime has relentlessly pursued a nuclear weapon, developed its ballistic missile program, and funded proxy terrorist organizations across the world, all while its own people suffer under corruption, repression, and economic collapse.

This past Saturday, President Donald J. Trump kept his promise, decisively authorizing Operation Epic Fury, a large-scale kinetic military operation targeting key regime military infrastructure and leadership responsible for incessant aggression and attacks against the United States and our allies.

This moment did not occur in isolation. It was the result of decades of sustained hostility by the Iranian regime toward the United States, just as the maniacal Iranian regime was reaching the nuclear weapon threshold.

To the American people, the timeline is clear.

In November 1979, Iranian students, backed by the regime, stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held hostage 66 brave Americans for 444 days as they beat them and subjected them to mock executions and other forms of torture.

In October 1993, Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy, killed 241 American military servicemembers, including 220 marines and 21 other service personnel in a truck bombing at a Marine compound in Beirut.

In June 1996, Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists killed 19 U.S. airmen and wounded nearly 500 others in a truck bombing at a U.S. Air Force housing complex in Saudi Arabia.

Between 2003 and 2011, Iranian proxies killed at least 603 American troops in Iraq, roughly one out of every six American combat deaths in that war.

In January 2016, Iranian forces seized two U.S. Navy boats and detained 10 U.S. sailors who were held at gunpoint, forced to kneel with their hands behind their heads, and filmed for propaganda being released 15 hours later.

More recently, on October 7, 2023, Iran-backed Hamas terrorists murdered 46 Americans and kidnapped 12 Americans in addition.

Between October 2023 and November 2024, Iran and its proxies carried out more than 180 attacks on U.S. forces in the region, killing American servicemembers and wounding American service personnel.

In July 2024, an Iranian national linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attempted to assassinate then-candidate for President, Donald J. Trump, forcing his Presidential campaign, which I remember being a part of it, to charter decoy planes to avoid the threat.

In recent weeks, Iranian representatives continued to lie and negotiate in bad faith, stalling peace talks as they prepared offensive military threats against American forces.

This pattern of aggression makes crystal clear that these are not isolated incidents. They instead represent a sustained and deliberate campaign by the Iranian regime to target the United States and undermine our national security.

This is precisely why decisive action by our Commander in Chief, President Donald J. Trump, was necessary. By destroying Iran's military capabilities, its missile capabilities, dismantling its naval strength, and ensuring that this regime can never obtain a nuclear weapon, President Trump and his administration have acted to protect the American people and defend our national interests. This level of action is only possible because of the strength of the United States military.

During his first term, President Donald J. Trump rebuilt our military to a level many thought would never be possible. Through historic investments, a renewed focus on modernization, and the restoration of military readiness, he ensured that today we possess the strongest and most capable military humanity has ever seen. It is that peace through strength, rebuilt and restored, that made decisive operations like Operation Epic Fury possible, demonstrating to our adversaries that the United States has both the capability and the resolve to act swiftly, effectively, and without hesitation to protect the citizens of our country.

Mr. Speaker, during this operation, six Americans bravely sacrificed their lives to keep our homeland safe. May we forever remember and honor their legacy of selfless service to these United States of America.

The threats facing our country today do not stop at distant battlefields. They can reach our networks, our borders, and our communities here at home.

While Iran's aggression is often discussed in terms of conflict in the Middle East, we must not forget that the regime and its proxies also pose a direct threat to the American homeland. Our Homeland Security and Intelligence agencies have warned that Iran and its affiliates maintain the capability to conduct cyberattacks against our utility services, direct espionage campaigns within our borders, and potentially inspire or direct violence within the United States, targeting critical infrastructure, financial systems, and other central networks on which millions of Americans rely.

That is why President Trump's Department of Homeland Security plays such a vital role in coordinating intelligence, strengthening cyber defenses, securing transportation systems, and protecting the American homeland from emerging threats.

Mr. Speaker, border security is homeland security. At a time when hostile regimes and terrorist networks continue to threaten the United States, we cannot ignore the risks posed by an unsecure border and inadequate vetting of individuals entering our country. Ensuring that terrorists, traffickers, and foreign operatives cannot exploit weakness in our immigration system is a fundamental responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security.

While security at our southern border has drastically improved and more than 600,000 criminal aliens have been deported under President Trump's administration, millions of unvetted, illegal immigrants who entered our country during 4 years of the porous open border under the Biden administration still remain in the United States today.

Among these illegal immigrants are members of violent transnational gangs, some of which have ties to Iranian-backed terror networks who threaten the safety of American communities. At a time of heightened global tensions and increasing threats, the presence of even one dangerous individual within our borders poses a serious risk to America.

If we look at results here at home today, we have seen real progress in safety and security under President Trump, proof that his approach works and can be trusted abroad.

Under President Trump's leadership, fentanyl deaths fell by 34 percent in 2025, as trafficking across our southern border was cut in half. Violent crime has declined nationwide, with homicides experiencing one of the largest single-year drops on record. In cities where enhanced enforcement has taken place, the results have been even more dramatic. Murders here in Washington, D.C., have dropped 60 percent. Chicago saw its lowest number of murders since 1965. Memphis saw 200 fewer murders and a 40 percent decline in shootings. New Orleans' homicide rate reached its lowest level in 50 years.

Mr. Speaker, these outcomes exemplify what strong leadership and commitment to law and order can achieve, but maintaining that progress requires a fully functional Homeland Security apparatus.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to make one thing clear for the record and for everyone who is watching today: Despite what some of my Democrat colleagues may be telling their constituents, as they fear primary challenges from the left, this debate is not about funding ICE or CBP. Those agencies were already fully funded through H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was enacted last year.

This debate is about the rest of the Department of Homeland Security, the agencies responsible for counterterrorism, cybersecurity, disaster response, aviation security, maritime security, and other critical missions that protect the American homeland.

By refusing to fund the remainder of the Department of Homeland Security, my Democratic colleagues have left critical Homeland Security missions vulnerable at a time when threats against our country are increasing. The consequences of that decision are already being felt.

Due to the Democrats' Homeland Security shutdown, our country's cyber defenses remain weakened, leaving critical infrastructure like hospitals, water systems, and energy grids more vulnerable to attacks from adversaries like Iran.

Due to the Democrats' Homeland Security shutdown, our Coast Guard faces disruptions to essential missions, like search and rescue, port security, and drug interdiction, while servicemembers in harm's way are left without the full support and pay that they deserve.

Due to Democrats' Homeland Security shutdown, TSA officers who service airports like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, as well as other airports across our country, are forced to work without pay, hurting morale, straining staffing, and increasing the risk of security gaps, delays, and disruptions in our airports.

Due to the Democrats' Homeland Security shutdown, FEMA is stretched to its limits, jeopardizing disaster response, recovery efforts, and preparedness as severe weather threatens communities across the country.

Passage of the resolution today allows the House of Representatives to consider, debate, and pass legislation that ends this Democrat shutdown and fully funds the Department of Homeland Security, ensuring that agencies charged with protecting the American people are equipped with the resources necessary to carry out their critical missions without disruption.

Mr. Speaker, protecting the American people should never be a partisan issue. Regardless of party, every Member of Congress has a responsibility to ensure the agencies tasked with defending our homeland have the resources they need to do their jobs.

It should really be that simple.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on House Resolution 1095 because it allows this House of Representatives to carry out its most fundamental duties: to govern, to safeguard the American people, and to confront the serious threats facing our country today with strength, clarity, and resolve.

A ``yes'' vote today allows us to end the Democrats' Homeland Security shutdown and protects our homeland.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was half hoping the gentlewoman from New Mexico was going to rise to thank us for giving her an opportunity to rectify the wrong she inflicted upon the Department of Homeland Security 3 weeks ago when they neglected to fund it, but based on her comments, it doesn't seem to be the case.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino), who is a rising star in our Conference and the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Fine), a member of our freshman class, one of the best- educated members of our Conference, and a champion debater.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, just to respond briefly, first and foremost, if the gentleman had listened to my opening remarks, as he suggested he did, he would know that we noted that we, in fact, funded CBP and ICE last year.

This is about funding the Coast Guard and TSA. This is what today's vote is about.

That is why we hear the consternation from the other side. It is because they take bad vote after bad vote after bad vote. We are giving them a chance to rectify that today.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Fong), a friend before we both were elected to Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I think it is disappointing that the gentleman from Maryland refers to funding our Border Patrol and funding those who keep our borders safe as poison pills. That is his prerogative, not mine.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Mrs. Biggs), a member of our freshman class, one of the highest ranking female military officers in the history of the House of Representatives, a combat veteran, and a lieutenant colonel.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Kennedy), a member of our freshman class who traveled earlier this year to Central America to review the threats to our national security that these transnational gangs posed.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, the rule I have presented today allows the House of Representatives to carry out its responsibilities and to govern in an orderly and responsible manner for the American people.

As a reminder, a ``yes'' vote on this rule enables us to consider legislation that will fully end the Democratic shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security and allows us in this body to restore funding for the agencies responsible for protecting the American people.

A ``yes'' vote on this rule ensures that the men and women serving on the front lines of our homeland security, from coastguardsmen and TSA officers to cyber defenders, law enforcement personnel, and emergency responders, have the resources and support that they need to carry out their critical missions.

A ``yes'' vote on this rule strengthens the security of the American homeland by restoring funding for the agencies responsible for counterterrorism, cybersecurity, aviation security, disaster response, and maritime security, at a time when threats to our country are increasing.

As I made clear earlier, a ``yes'' vote on this rule ensures that the rest of the Department of Homeland Security can continue its vital work, even as ICE and CBP have already been funded through H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Finally, a ``yes'' vote on this rule allows the House to fulfill its most basic responsibility to govern and to ensure the safety of the American people is never used as a political bargaining chip.

Mr. Speaker, the consequences of leaving the Department of Homeland Security unfunded are too serious to ignore. This rule allows the House to act to restore full funding and to ensure that the agencies tasked with protecting the American people can carry out their missions without further disruption.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule.

The material previously referred to by Ms. Leger Fernandez is as follows:

An Amendment To H. Res. 1095 Offered By Ms. Leger Fernandez of New

Mexico

Strike all after the resolving clause and insert the

following:

That immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the

House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the

bill (H.R. 7744) making appropriations for the Department of

Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30,

2026, and for other purposes. All points of order against

consideration of the bill are waived. An amendment in the

nature of a substitute consisting of the text of H.R. 7481,

as introduced, shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as

amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order

against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The

previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill,

as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final

passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of

debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and

ranking minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or

their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.

Sec. 2. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX and clause 8 of rule XX

shall not apply to the consideration of H.R. 7744.

Sec. 3. The Clerk shall transmit to the Senate a message

that the House has passed H.R. 7744 no later than three

calendar days after passage.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, six Americans are dead, and bombs are falling on our consulates and bases and allies because Trump has started what he has now said could be a, in his words, forever war. This is the same President who said: ``I am not going to start wars. I am going to end them.''

This is a President who has said America First means no more wars. This is a President who has betrayed--he has betrayed those people who voted for him expecting him to keep us out of wars.

He started this war as a matter of choice because he wanted to. We have heard over and over again that there was no imminent threat, which is the legal criteria. There was no congressional authorization.

Trump betrayed his own commitments, his own voters. Trump betrayed them and betrayed those Republicans who thought he was going to keep us out of war, so you would think that Republicans who control this House would bring us back into a session so we could address this war, so we could discuss: Is it legitimate? What can we do? How do we exercise our Article I power?

Why don't you all want to exercise the power that was given to you by your voters? That is not what we are doing today. Instead, we are here on a rule that has one bill, and that bill is so important. That is the only thing we are going to cover. But guess what. We already did it.

This is a rerun of a bad movie. It is a rerun because there is nothing in this bill that is not already in the bill that, as the gentleman pointed out, was already passed.

The only thing that has changed from when we last passed this very same bill a few weeks ago was that ICE and CBP have killed, arrested, detained, and terrorized more American citizens.

When we last passed this bill, Alex Pretti was alive. Alex Pretti had not been killed. Alex Pretti's Second Amendment rights were still being honored. That is what has changed. What has changed is more people have died in ICE custody.

What has changed is it has gotten only worse. We have seen ICE officials have to walk back their lies about their encounters with citizens who they have shot and beat up and arrested. That is the only thing we have seen since this bill was last passed.

The reality is that the only way to get DHS funded all together in a single bill is for the White House, Senate, and House to come to an agreement. They are in negotiations to do that, but this is the kind of thing where even though negotiations are going on, the House just wants to do the same thing over and over again.

Do you know what, do you remember that quote of when you do the same thing over and over again with the same results, it is actually a little bit of madness?

I put up this letter because, while House Republicans kind of don't understand where Americans are, this 7-year-old named Connor does. Connor sent me this letter where he says: ICE, no money. He put a whole bunch of zeros after it. He doesn't realize they get a lot more than the $1 billion that he set out here. As my colleagues noted, they are already fully funded. They have all that money from H.R. 1.

What Democrats have suggested is, since they already acknowledge--he said it on the floor--that they are fully funded, why don't we just pass a bill that funds FEMA, that funds Coast Guard, that funds these critical agencies over which there is no debate, no controversy, and no need for negotiations?

They rejected that amendment last night because if they really cared about funding these critical agencies, they would say let's fund them, and let's take up the issues of how we make sure that ICE and CBP protect Americans.

Not only is Connor worried, but a parent told me when I was back home that her child asked her two questions as they drove home from school one day. One question was: Mom, are elves real? The second question was: Mom, what do I do if ICE comes for me? What do I do if ICE comes for you?

This is a little Latina student, a citizen, somebody whose family has been in this country for generations, but they are terrified because if you look Latino, you are at risk.

They are unwilling to put any protections in to protect our families. They are unwilling to put any protections in to say: Don't go into our schools. Don't go into our hospitals. Don't go into our churches. Preserve the places where people should be able to go to feel safe.

For example, in Clovis, New Mexico, ICE broke a car window at a health clinic, a health clinic, and dragged the father away. The mother had to run into the health clinic to make sure that there were no glass shards on the baby's skin because that window had been shattered.

This is the kind of activity that they are condoning. That baby was lucky because we know that there are babies like 2-month-old Juan Nicholas in Texas who was sick in detention with bronchitis and almost near death and who was deported across the border without any money, without any people who he would know.

Thank heavens the goodness of the American people helped that baby out.

I could tell story after story that should make anybody who has a heart, conscience, or moral values based on any of our faith traditions cry and say: This is not an America we believe in.

At least 3,800 children under age 18, including 20 infants, were held in detention under the Trump administration in 2025 alone.

The cruelty continues far beyond those thousands of kids, and it is not just that they killed--they killed--citizen Alex Pretti and citizen Renee Good. This is a pattern and practice of ICE hurting our communities and violating the Constitution. Americans who believe in law and order, respect for constitutional rights, and who don't want government overreach should be and are, indeed, outraged.

However, today, Republicans are, once again, demanding more money for the Department of Homeland Security's ICE and CBP which they acknowledge has already been fully funded. In fact, we know that $150 billion of

the money that we already sent to DHS remains available to them. However, now, as we heard, they are trying to justify funding DHS by pointing to a war that this President started without a clear strategy and without the support of the American people.

Trump's chaos is everywhere. Trump's chaos comes with a price. It is Americans who pay that price. There is chaos abroad, chaos Congress did not authorize, and chaos at home.

Let's be clear about what is happening. While families are worried about rising costs and while servicemembers' lives are at risk, Republicans want to write another blank check to an agency that is already operating with historic, unprecedented funding.

How much is this chaos costing us?

That is the question we should be asking. We know just one piece of this war: The three F-15 aircraft shot down cost $300 million.

Mr. Speaker, do you know what that $300 million could do?

It could fund 23 years of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program, 3 years of childhood cancer and birth defects for just those three F-15s that they put at risk. It would fund the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for 1 year to connect Americans with lifesaving services and a compassionate counselor. Three of those planes would pay for another year of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, a fund that Trump wanted to zero out. He wanted to zero out this fund.

Think about it, Mr. Speaker.

What do those CDFIs mean?

They are your credit unions, the places where you get your loans for your cars and for your appliances or to help with your home. That is what he is willing to do because everything comes at a cost, and they are willing to pay money for this war of choice. That money could be better spent at home bringing down the cost of living for Americans.

We know that 60 percent of Americans support redirecting ICE funding to Medicaid because people want healthcare and stability, not raids, abuse, and chaos.

Republicans keep burning money. They keep burning money. They have that $4 trillion debt from their big, beautiful bill. We know the last time a Republican took us into war in the Middle East it cost trillions in our deficit. They are doing it again.

There they go. They are at it again.

What Democrats are asking for before we send more ICE funding is what all law enforcement uses: mandatory body cameras and judicial warrants before you break down somebody's door.

Every law enforcement in America does that.

Why can't they?

Democrats ask for no masks.

What law enforcement officers go around in masks except for theirs?

Democrats want no targeting of schools, hospitals, houses of worship, or polling places.

These are sensible, community-driven policies.

We are also asking that ICE follow the same constitutional principles that every other law enforcement agency follows.

Mr. Speaker, you can't just beat up, shoot, and kill people. It is not just Democrats saying this. Catholic bishops from border States and beyond are pleading with Congress to restore protections at places of worship, schools, and healthcare facilities so families can seek care, learn, and pray without fear.

If Republicans truly cared about security, then they would support these kinds of reforms.

Mr. Speaker, why don't you want to let people pray without fear, I ask?

Trump wanted the Department of War so he could wage war. Now he wants a reckless ICE to have dangerous amounts of money. However, Americans don't have to choose between national security and safety and constitutional protections. We can have all three. It just takes courage. It takes courage over chaos, not blank checks and not endless wars.

It is time to restore accountability before we write another blank check with a lot more zeros than poor Connor can even imagine.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Now that we are on the point of thank-yous, my colleague suggested that I get up and thank them for bringing this bill again.

I do think it is a waste of House resources doing the same thing over again.

However, I do thank the gentleman because we are able to make the point again to the American people about how bad ICE is. The American people agree with us that what ICE is doing is not American. It is not American to kill us point-blank--murders--for doing nothing more than using a phone to video what they are doing.

Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 7481, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026, a bill which fully funds law-abiding agencies under the Department of Homeland Security and not the unlawful actions of ICE and CBP. That is because we agree that we need to fund FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard. There is no reason to have these important agencies tied to the funding for Trump's ICE cruelty agenda.

Indeed, Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro introduced a bill to fund FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard. Last night, at Rules, I tried to make her bill in order so the House could vote on it, so the House could say, yes, we believe in these agencies, and we want to fund them. Every single Republican in the committee voted against it.

Let's be honest about who is voting against funding for the Coast Guard, for TSA, and for these agencies. It is Republicans. Republicans voted against it last night, but we are going to ask Republicans once again: Will they vote to fund the Coast Guard, FEMA, and TSA? We will ask whether they will vote for that because we are going to give them another opportunity to do that. We are going to do that.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record along with any extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee and the sponsor of this bill, to discuss our proposal further.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we can get DHS open if Republicans would vote to return this bill so that we could, indeed, fund FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the other agencies.

Let's talk a little bit about FEMA because what we are seeing this President do is use this moment to make life more miserable for Americans. FEMA has $4 billion in Disaster Relief Fund. Even though it has that money, DHS is shutting down assistance to victims. It is doing that even though it has the money.

This is just like what Trump did last time where he had the money for nutrition assistance to fund SNAP and he said no. I would prefer that children go hungry, even though I have the money in the bank.

This shouldn't be surprising given Secretary Noem's record. She has put roadblock after roadblock to actually let FEMA do work. She says anything over $100,000 has to come to my office. That didn't stop her from giving away several millions of dollars in ad funding to somebody related to her because this is, indeed, a corrupt administration. There is corruption at the highest level, and we see that over and over again.

When we talk about U.S. citizens harmed, let's talk about U.S. citizens harmed by our own agency.

Marimar Martinez was a teaching assistant. She was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in October. She was in a car. That agent said, bragging: ``I fired five rounds, and she had seven holes.'' He had to recant their allegations that she had done anything wrong.

George Retes, a former Army infantryman and disabled veteran, pulled out of his car telling ICE: I am a veteran. I am a citizen. He then spent time in detention. He came to the House and was a guest for the State of the Union Address. We got to meet him.

Peter Yazzie, a Navajo Nation, our first Americans, and Laguna Pueblo member, was detained by ICE members. He told them: I am a Native American. I have my Certificate of Indian Blood. He was detained, arrested, abused in that moment.

Jose Roberto ``Beto'' Ramirez, 20-year-old member of the Ojibwe Nation, was yanked from the passenger's seat of his aunt's car, slammed on the hood, handcuffed, and held in custody.

Aliya Rahman is a disabled social activist. She had her windows broken, pulled out by force, and experienced shooting pain.

These are citizens. These are citizens, and they don't seem to care. It is something when you can't control the horrible actions.

We condemn the terrorism. We condemn the Ayatollah. We condemn all of that. We don't control them, but we sure should control our own agents and our own agencies.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) to discuss more about this bill and what all this means. He has led and inspired us in so many different times, and I look forward to listening to him.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Maryland.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record this MSN article titled: ``Kash Patel's latest firings ousted agents with expertise in Iran.''

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, we also know the Trump administration, in addition to getting rid of those with expertise in Iran, also appointed a 22-year- old to head DHS' counterterrorism office.

When we talk about making America less safe, it is the Trump administration that is making America less safe. It is the Trump administration, by going to war in Iran after promising he

would not do that, that is making America less safe.

We can also talk about how he is also betraying not just his promise of no foreign intervention and wars, but he is betraying his promise to lower costs because now we are seeing gas prices surge. Americans know this.

It is this administration. It is the Trump administration that is making their gas prices go up. It is his tariffs that are making their gas prices go up. He is costing Americans money, and he is making their world less safe.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to include in the Record the February 2026 PBS News article titled: ``Poll: Nearly two-thirds of Americans say ICE has gone too far in immigration crackdown.''

Mr. Speaker, we just heard from another Republican saying that ICE is already fully funded. So what they should do is take up the Democratic proposal to fund the other agencies. They have acknowledged it over and over again today.

All that we need to do to fund the TSA, Coast Guard, and FEMA is to take up our proposal. They are refusing to do so. When they refuse to do so, they are causing the shutdown because I must say it again: What Democrats are asking is simply that ICE follow the Constitution.

Not only are Republicans inflicting harm on FEMA, TSA, and others, but they are refusing to follow the Constitution. They are refusing to have their law enforcement comply with law enforcement everywhere.

That is why Democrats are saying ``no.'' We are with Americans when we say that this terror that ICE has inflicted on Americans has to stop.

We are also saying that Congress should do its job and step in and say that we insist that they not violate our Constitution. We should step in and do our job of saying that we insist that Congress discuss and decide whether we should enter into a costly war in the Middle East, which is what they are allowing to go forward.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this bill, vote against the rule, and vote for the Democratic proposal to fund FEMA and the Coast Guard.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6472) to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for in-state tuition rates for certain residents of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6472, sponsored by Congressman James Moylan of Guam, which allows residents of U.S. territories to access in-State tuition rates at public universities across the U.S.

I am proud to rise in support of H.R. 6472, which ensures students of the U.S. territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands receive in-State tuition at public universities across the country.

I am pleased that all of the Delegates from each U.S. territory are original cosponsors of the bill and that it received strong bipartisan support in the committee markup.

Under H.R. 6472, public postsecondary institutions will be required to offer in-State tuition rates to residents of U.S. territories. Through this bill, a student from Guam would pay the same tuition at a public university just as any in-State student.

This isn't a novel idea. Under current law, servicemembers and their families already receive in-State tuition rates, creating new pathways for more Americans to get high-quality educations at a competitive cost.

However, H.R. 6472 doesn't just help students. It helps the territories, too. After graduation, students can return home with advanced degrees and credentials they can reinvest back into their homes and local economies.

This isn't just an investment in our students. It is an investment in the economic strength of American territories. Students can contribute their newfound expertise to help develop new industries and drive economic development.

That investment also strengthens American national security. As competition with our adversaries, like China, intensify in the Pacific and drug trafficking continues in South and Central America, we must ensure our territories have the infrastructure and brainpower needed to promote a strong national security posture in the region.

Last year, we passed the Working Families Tax Cut Act, which included some of the most conservative reforms to higher education in decades, massively lowering costs and helping create new pathways for students to chase the American Dream.

We now have a chance to build off that success of the Working Families Tax Cut Act and lower postsecondary education costs for U.S. residents in U.S. territories so they can continue supporting our vital military operations.

Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, I look forward to passing H.R. 6472 and supporting our territories.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Guam (Mr. Moylan), the sponsor of the bill and a great member of the Education and Workforce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Guam.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as President Trump said in his State of Union Address last week, America's military is the strongest in the world, but we continue to have enemies around every corner of the globe who would like to undermine our power.

That is why H.R. 6472 is so important. This bill ensures residents of U.S. territories receive vital workforce training and skills as our U.S. military continues to operate out of these critical geographical outposts.

The working families tax cuts were a strong step in lowering costs for students and borrowers. Now, we are continuing these efforts and supporting our military and our territories.

As chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, I am steadfast in my commitment to reducing college costs and opening up workforce pipelines. I thank Congressman Moylan again for sponsoring this legislation and helping expand educational opportunities for residents of U.S. territories.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today angry. I rise angry by the stunning disparity between the priorities of the two parties.

This week, Republicans' number one priority is to reopen the Department of Homeland Security because our homeland is under threat, whereas Democrats' number one priority, as we will see this afternoon, is to stop and protect those who would endanger our homeland.

The U.S. Coast Guard is actively in operations in Bahrain, protecting the United States, and every one of those brave individuals is not being paid. Not only that, but the DHS Office of Counterterrorism and Homeland Threats is not being paid to look after those who would threaten us in the United States.

What has changed in the last 3 weeks? Let me give you some examples. Today is March 4. Two days ago in Michigan, Islamic scholar and expert in Islam Hassanain Rajabali said the following about the killing of Khamenei: Why do we keep hearing our leaders--this is someone in America referring to Khamenei as ``our leader''--why are we hearing our leaders are being killed and the other side does not? It will come. Don't worry. ``Mahdi will cut tentacles of Rothschilds.''

We need Homeland Security to protect us from this guy.

On February 28, someone who came to Michigan in 1991, who got two degrees at American universities, Dearborn Heights Imam--a religious leader running a mosque--Mohammad Ali Elahi eulogized Khamenei: He would have loved to end his life this way--being killed by the most wretched hands on Earth--speaking about the United States. Even Democrats believe Khamenei was a bad guy. Nothing is greater than martyrdom after 86 years of service.

We need DHS to be funded to protect us from this guy.

Third example: A taxpayer-funded government employee working at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Ali Akbar Shdid: Trump made a huge mistake by killing our leader--again, ``our leader'' being Khamenei. He continued: We are going to continue on his path. We are going to hold his blood and ideology and teach it to our children.

We are paying for this. We need DHS to protect us from this guy. That is just Michigan.

State number two, California: February 28, someone who came from Iraq to the United States in 1994, another Muslim scholar, an expert in Islam, Dr. Sayed Moustafa Qazwini, a Ph.D.: I pray to exit life as a martyr. Like Khamenei, may Allah be pleased with him, not in bed, home, or hospital.

DHS needs to protect us from him.

Mr. Speaker, down the road in Virginia, a mosque in Manassas honoring what they call, again, our leader, Khamenei, extending condolences and glad tidings on his martyrdom.

By the way, these are not being captured with a hidden microphone. They are proudly broadcasting this.

In New York, Zohran Mamdani, February 20, attended a mosque with known ties to Iran and sat there as the imam prayed for the Mahdi to kill the infidels by his sword. We need DHS open to protect us from that.

This is personal for me. In Austin, a Muslim terrorist, who never should have been in this country, just killed three people, and I will talk about him in a bit.

He retweeted, commented on one of my tweets, upset about my criticism of the kind of terrorism that he so engaged in. I didn't find it. So lest any Member of Congress think these threats are not real, if they can do it to me, they can do it to any one of you.

I will close with this. We hear the names of the two who died in Minnesota, but how do we not say the names of Ryder Harrington, Savitha Shan, and Jorge Pederson, who were killed by that man in Austin.

We need the Department of Homeland Security open to protect us from them. How many Americans are going to die while the Department of Homeland Security is closed? We swore an oath to protect Americans, not to protect terrorists. We need to get the Department of Homeland Security open so that we can live up to that obligation.

Mr. Speaker, the bill at issue today is not a serious legislative effort. It is political theater.

Republican leadership is trying to use President Trump's aimless, costly, and illegal war with Iran to force through more funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection without the substantial changes that the vast majority of Americans believe those agencies need. It is a cynical effort, and it is one that will fail.

If Republicans are actually serious about the threat that President Trump's war with Iran has caused, then they would move quickly to bring up my bill. They rejected the amendment last night in the Rules Committee, but I will tell you what it would fund.

The bill would fund law-abiding components of DHS: Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA; Disaster Relief Fund; Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; U.S. Coast Guard; Transportation Security Administration, TSA; U.S. Secret Service; Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers; Science and Technology Directorate; Office of Inspector General; and Federal Protective Service. These are the agencies that are part of what we ought to be funding and could fund today if the Republicans wanted to do it.

Mr. Speaker, they do not want to do it because they support lawless, reckless agencies, ICE and Customs and Border Patrol. We can set those aside for further negotiations as those negotiations continue.

Unlike the bill Republicans have put forward, my measure actually has a good chance of passing if only the Republican leadership would allow it to come forward with a vote.

If we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up my bill, H.R. 7481, so that Members can vote to fund the law-abiding agencies within the Department of Homeland Security.

There is broad agreement on the funding of these agencies. There is no controversy over any of them. There is significant controversy over ICE and Customs and Border Protection because they have beaten, detained, harassed, and even killed law-abiding U.S. citizens with zero accountability.

I ask my colleagues across the aisle, why not allow funding for the parts of Homeland Security that we have no disagreements over? Let's pass those, allow that disaster relief to be replenished, allow TSA and Secret Service agents to be paid, allow the Coast Guard to support its servicemembers, and ensure our cybersecurity measures are in place.

We are going to negotiate reforms to ICE and Customs and Border Protection. It is underway. What are those reforms? There is broad public support for prohibiting the detention or deportation of U.S. citizens and prohibiting operations at sensitive locations like schools and houses of worship.

Mr. Speaker, there is also support to require agencies to get a warrant from a judge before kicking in somebody's door, require the removal of masks, require badges and identification, allow independent investigations into wrongdoing, end racial profiling, and end roving patrols.

Let me just say what I am sick and tired of is listening to the crocodile tears that are being shed on the other side of the aisle for the Federal employees who work at these agencies. They couldn't care less.

I will give you examples. The President's budget had a $500 million cut to cybersecurity. Where were they when that happened? Where were they when President Trump and Kristi Noem talked about dismantling FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency? Where were they on all of these bills when their guru, Elon Musk, said a thousand people could go from the cybersecurity agency?

There wasn't a peep out of them for that. It is disingenuous. They know it. The public knows it. In fact, they want to support ICE and CBP, but they don't want to support the Federal employees. Vote ``no'' on the previous question.