Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage support for the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver reauthorization Act, also known as the WILD Act.

Like many in northeast Ohio, some of my fondest memories are from growing up connected to the Great Lakes, especially in the wildlife area. However, our Nation's wildlife and habitats are facing unprecedented challenges. As Members of Congress, it is our responsibility to protect and preserve these habitats for future generations.

By reauthorizing the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the multinational species conservation fund, this critical legislation will not only safeguard the diverse ecosystems of our 50 States and territories, but also ensure the preservation of some of the world's most iconic species.

From the elephants in Africa to the turtles in Lake Erie, we must do everything we can to protect our world's rich biodiversity. For decades, these programs have garnered bipartisan support and have proven to deliver tangible results. Commonsense, community-centered conservation efforts like these help restore habitats and endangered species and wildlife and lift up economies and make communities more secure.

Therefore, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting the WILD Act. I also thank my colleague, my dear friend, Michigan, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, for her support on this bill and for leading the bipartisan efforts with me.

Together we can ensure that our children and grandchildren will inherit a world rich in wildlife and abundant natural wonders. The time to act is now for the sake of our planet and all who call it home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of Amiram Cooper.

Mr. Cooper is a loving grandfather of nine. He is a poet and composer. His friends and family describe him as someone who strives for peace in every corner of the world.

On October 7, Mr. Cooper was one of the 240 men, women, children, and elderly who were brutally kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. He and 135 hostages are still held captive in Gaza, enduring unthinkable suffering and trauma.

I stand here to demand today that Hamas immediately release Amiram, along with all the other remaining hostages. Those who have been released, including Amiram's wife, have shared horror stories about the inhumane conditions. We must stand with Israel as it works to destroy Hamas and free its innocent citizens who are wrongfully held captive under unthinkable conditions and torment. It is time to bring Amiram home. It is time to bring them all home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the continuing resolution.

Every Member of this body has a duty to ensure that the core, constitutional responsibilities of our government are funded. That work is not easy. Our Democratic colleagues will, of course, have different views on the top-line spending levels and we will have to work through those sharp differences in spending and policy preferences.

Republicans already passed seven fiscal year 2024 bills through the House outlining our priorities. Each of those bills was considered individually and allowed Members of both parties to offer amendments considered on the merits.

Passing bills through regular order is not as clean or as easy as we would like it to be, but it is a better alternative than one huge omnibus bill passed right before Christmas. There is no question about it: More work will be required to enact all 12 appropriations bills into law. The bill before us gives us the time necessary to agree on a top-line spending amount and negotiate difficult policy choices in the final fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman of the full committee, Ms. Granger, for her knowledge, her leadership, and tireless efforts to bring these appropriations bills to the floor, and I look forward to working alongside her as we finish the fiscal year 2024 spending bills.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 577.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4367, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

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

Mr. Chair, I begin by thanking the chairwoman of the full committee, Ms. Granger, for her leadership and her tireless efforts to bring these appropriation bills to the floor.

I also thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, my good friend, Mr. Cuellar, who has worked with us in good faith on the bill despite some disagreements on policy.

Lastly, I have enjoyed my time sitting next to the ranking member of the full committee, the gentlewoman from Connecticut, not once, but twice in the last few days.

The bill before us today provides $62.8 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, an increase of $2.1 billion above the fiscal year 2023 level.

In addition, the bill also includes $20.3 billion for disaster response and recovery activities, including to support communities after the devastating wildfires in Maui and Hurricane Idalia.

One of the most pressing challenges this country faces is a border security crisis that has raged under the Biden administration. Two million migrants illegally crossed the border in each of

the last 2 years, and we are on track for that same amount this year. Just yesterday alone, there were 11,000 migrant encounters. Let me repeat that--nearly 11,000 migrant encounters in 1 day.

Regardless of your definition of border security, it is clear that the policies of this administration are not working. The reason is obvious. The White House is sending a message to cartels and migrants that the border is open, and there will be no consequences if you cross illegally.

This bill forces the Biden administration to do what it has not and will not do on its own--act to address the border security crisis. The funding and policy provisions included in this bill are in lockstep with the provisions of H.R. 2, which together will put us on a path to securing the border.

Unlike recent Homeland Security appropriations bills and the President's request, this bill returns to a tried-and-true border security approach by investing in methods to both secure the border and deter those who have no legitimate basis for entry.

This bill includes $2.1 billion for physical barriers with explicit conditions that the funds be put on contract quickly. The chief of the Border Patrol and other border security professionals have confirmed time and time again that walls work.

The bill also provides nearly $500 million to hire more Border Patrol agents to reach an end strength of 22,000 agents. The bill increases funding levels for border security technology, so our agents and officers have the latest, most effective equipment to detect and deter illegal activity.

Stopping fentanyl and other narcotics that have been ravaging our communities is a priority for all of us, so this bill provides $305 million for nonintrusive inspection equipment at our Nation's ports of entry. Detention is a deterrent to those who seek to abuse our immigration system and falsely claim asylum.

As a result, the bill provides funding for 41,500 detention beds, which is 16,500 more than this administration requested, to ensure that ICE has adequate capacity to detain those with final removal orders or who pose a risk to public safety, as well as migrants who illegally cross our borders.

To counter the growing strength of Chinese influence in the Indo- Pacific, the bill provides an additional $335 million to the Coast Guard for fast-response cutters. Also, to increase our presence in the Arctic, the bill provides funds for the Coast Guard to acquire a commercially available icebreaker to extend U.S. sovereignty and counter China and Russian expansion into the polar regions.

Simply put, the bill before us today ensures that the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, who work tirelessly on our behalf, have the resources and the tools that they need to protect this great Nation.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Hinson), a distinguished member of our Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).

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

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).

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

Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

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

Mr. Chair, I thought we were here to talk about the Homeland Security appropriations bill, and I look forward to having further discussion and reviewing these amendments.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 723, I offer amendments en bloc.

Mr. Chair, this bipartisan en bloc amendment before you is comprised of 23 amendments offered by my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

This en bloc contains proposals that would strengthen the underlying bill, and I want to highlight just a few.

The en bloc will provide additional funding to bolster investigations for exploited children with Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations.

It will increase the nonintrusive inspection equipment at CBP ports of entry to improve detection of fentanyl and other opioids that plague communities across our country.

It would also increase funding for FEMA grant programs, for firefighters and other first responders, and for physical security for nonprofit organizations at risk of terrorist attack.

Lastly, I want to highlight a proposal that would strengthen our National Urban Search and Rescue Response System.

I was on the ground in Maui last month and learned firsthand the critical role these teams play in saving lives and protecting communities in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.

The base bill includes a modest increase for this program, but I strongly support the proposal to further increase funds for this force- multiplying Federal asset.

Again, I thank my colleagues for their participation in this process, and I urge Members to support this bipartisan en bloc.

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

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).

Mr. Chair, I believe we are on the bipartisan en bloc amendment.

To that point, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) for an encore performance on another amendment.

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

Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

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

Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition.

Mr. Chair, the amendment offered by the gentleman from California is well-meaning, but ultimately misguided. We are averaging nearly 10,000 encounters at the southern border on a daily basis, near record levels. My bill addresses the challenge by funding an additional 1,800 Border Patrol agents to relieve the burden on our overworked agents along the southwest border.

Taking funds dedicated to the Border Patrol agents and instead using them to hire additional customs officers dilutes our efforts to secure the border between the ports of entry. Additional officers may be needed to help with legitimate trade and travel that crosses the border, but we have to address the immediate crisis caused by this administration's disastrous border security policies.

If you turn on the television, you can see the flood of migrants heading north on trains, crossing the border in an uncontrolled fashion. It must stop, which is why we desperately need additional men and women in green uniforms to help us gain operational control of the border. I reluctantly urge my colleagues to vote no on this amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment.

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

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. Chair, this amendment seeks to strike several provisions that are crucial to ending the open border crisis that this administration has created.

While I have heard it just portrayed as somehow being cruel and being done by names that are called MAGA or other things, if I am not mistaken, it was just this morning on the news that I happened to see the mayor, I believe a Democrat, from New York saying they can't take any more; the Governor of New York, a Democrat, saying they can't take any more; the Governor of Massachusetts declaring a state of emergency; the Democratic mayor of Chicago, same issue.

I guess it is our problem, and we are attempting to fix it. The Biden administration continues to subvert the law and implement policies that are detrimental to our border security, our national security, and our overall sovereignty.

This bill includes several provisions to mitigate the misguided and ineffective policies of the Biden administration that have been exploited by transnational criminal organizations, human smugglers, and cartels.

For example, the bill prohibits funds to implement the administration's prosecutorial discretion guidance, which encourages DHS attorneys to administratively close nonpriority cases, allowing aliens to continue living in this country without having any legal basis to do so.

Additionally, this bill includes a provision prohibiting asylum officers from making determinations about an alien's credible fear claims instead of actual immigration judges.

These are only two of the main provisions in the bill that seek to reverse the damage done in the past 2\1/2\ years and halt the migration crisis in its tracks.

To strike these provisions would be to tell our constituents that Congress approves of this administration's catastrophe at the border. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While they may not admit it, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know that what is happening at the border right now is nothing short of a catastrophe.

Mayors and Governors throughout this country alike are speaking out on the impact of the illegal migration crisis on communities across the Nation and are calling on this administration to acknowledge and resolve the problem at the border. This amendment would only make the disaster worse.

Mr. Chair, I urge defeat of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chair, the amendment before you seeks to strike a provision in the bill that requires the prioritization of detention and appropriate GPS monitoring technology for aliens going through immigration proceedings.

As we continue to see record levels of migrant encounters under this administration, and our nondetained docket continues to grow exponentially, we must use every available tool to compel the Department to enforce the law.

Striking the provision will give the Biden administration a free pass to continue releasing migrants into the country, a total disregard of the law. We cannot allow the administration to continue the status quo that has ravaged our communities.

Mr. Chair, I urge defeat of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I certainly appreciate my distinguished colleague and am always there to work together in a bipartisan fashion to try to fashion something.

She is right. It is long overdue for Congress to address this situation, but unfortunately, this is about appropriations and not authorizations.

Therefore, Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim time in opposition.

Mr. Chair, we set out to make precise and calculated cuts in this bill due to CISA's rapid growth over the last few years. The top line serves effectively as a strategic pause and significant budget growth. It is $19 million above the fiscal 2023 enacted level, but $130 million below the President's requests.

This provides CISA the opportunity to mature its operations commensurate with its historic budget growth. This amendment would cut CISA's operation and support budget by 25 percent on top of what we have already done.

We had a debate on a cut of this magnitude during full committee consideration, and I said then, as I do again now, passing this amendment would make our homeland less secure. This mis-, dis-, and mal-information language is strong, and I want to commend the gentleman from Georgia for his valuable edits to those provisions during markup, which we made sure we addressed in a more holistic way.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, it is with the utmost respect I speak to my colleague. We have had lengthy debates about this in full committee. I understand and appreciate the desire that he has to defund or at least severely reduce the budget of this agency.

However, we are at a time in America where it serves as a clearinghouse for those rogue nations and bad actors that prey upon Americans on a daily basis. This is something that is not only important for everybody who works in the cyber communities and cyber systems, but also for the schools, hospitals, water and sewage facilities, the gas pipeline, and all those things throughout our country that don't have a safety net. They have to rely on CISA for their information in the hope and support because unfortunately the companies that provide the software do nothing when they are hacked by these outside influences and actors.

All this agency could do and hope to do is promote that clearinghouse, if you will, that platform for which we can all come to an understanding. Bad actors exist and we must prevent it.

I understand and appreciate and will work closely with my colleague to make sure the things he talks about as far as the attacks on First Amendment rights never occur in any agency of the United States.

Mr. Chair, at this time I must urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. Chair, I understand and join in the outrage shared by my colleagues over the CISA mis-, dis-, and malinformation scandal.

No administration and no government should ever be in the business of labeling or attempting to convince social media companies that First Amendment-protected speech is or is not disinformation.

The government is not the arbiter of the truth, a position that even the ACLU agrees with. That is why we worked diligently to address government censorship concerns in this bill, and I stand by our language.

However, this amendment is not targeted at the policies of the Biden administration that we disagree with. It is targeted at a person who wasn't in office when CISA engaged in mis-, dis-, and malinformation activities. While we might not agree with her policies, the CISA Director has a history of dutiful service to this country, including a long career in the military.

Director Easterly is a West Point graduate, two-time recipient of the Bronze Star, retiring from the Army after more than 20 years in intelligence and cyber operations.

While I empathize with the sponsor on the sentiment behind this amendment, I cannot support it, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

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

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), the ranking member.

Mr. Chair, in closing, I disagree. I understand and appreciate the concerns of my colleague and certainly feel that, again, they have been addressed in what we could do within the confines of an appropriations bill. I urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. Chair, I empathize with wanting to hold this administration accountable for its many failed border and immigration policies. I also join in the outrage shared by my colleagues over the CISA mis-, dis-, and malinformation scandal.

Labelling Americans' First Amendment-protected speech as mis-, dis-, or malinformation is not a role for any government agency, whether there is a Democrat or Republican in the White House. However, this amendment targets a career civil servant who was not in charge of creating the policy on which we disagree.

We worked diligently in our bill to address the security failures and censorship concerns associated with this administration. I stand by our language.

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

Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), the ranking member.

Mr. Chair, I don't want to make any arguments other than to say that I urge a ``no'' vote on this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. Chair, Texans have every right to defend and secure their borders, particularly during a time when the White House has abandoned attempts to secure the border and enforce our immigration laws.

Due to the Biden administration's failed policy, States along the border, including Texas, are seeing their resources being severely depleted. They are overrun. Therefore, Governor Abbott did what most responsible, reasonable public servants would do and launched Operation Lone Star. The goal of Operation Lone Star is to stop cartels and criminals from smuggling deadly drugs, weapons, and people into Texas.

As of last week, the multiagency effort resulted in 457,500 apprehensions and more than 34,400 criminal arrests, with more than 31,300 felonies reported. In the fight against fentanyl, Texas law enforcement has seized over 429 million lethal doses of fentanyl.

Due to the rapid and dangerous migrant street releases in Texas, the Governor has recently had to deploy additional buses to Eagle Pass and El Paso to assist those border communities overwhelmed by the influx of migrants. This is a constantly compounding issue that gets forgotten in the beltway because it is out of sight and out of mind.

This administration is putting politics over people, and it has completely abandoned these areas along our southwest border. If this was happening in my backyard, I would want my State to step up, too. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), my friend.

Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent that the request for a recorded vote on amendment No. 24 be vacated to the end that the amendment be withdrawn.

Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Madam Chair, I appreciate my colleague's concern about the rampant Federal spending by the Democrats and this administration. However, this amendment is not the way to address the larger problem we face.

This bill makes targeted cuts to wasteful spending, eliminates funding for woke programs, and prohibits funding for policies and programs that encourage illegal immigration. In contrast, this amendment would indiscriminately cut the top-line spending of the Department of Homeland Security by $8.7 billion, which is a 14 percent reduction to the discretionary funding in this bill.

These cuts would not be targeted to specific programs or activities. Instead, it would be left to the Biden administration to decide how and where to apply these reductions. Unfortunately, this administration would likely align such reductions into its proposals in the President's budget request.

The first cut the administration will make is to eliminate the $2.1 billion for the border wall, followed by the 16,500 additional detention beds that were funded in this bill.

Funding for Border Patrol staffing would be slashed, as would funding for additional ICE deportation officers.

All the critical border security investments and immigration priorities we have included in this bill will be stripped out in favor of continuing the status quo.

Let's ensure that this bill we pass on the floor does what the Biden administration has failed to do--act to address the border security crisis, which has been raging for the last 2\1/2\ years.

Let's remember that true border security comes with a price tag, and I think we should all be willing to pay.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I appreciate the concerns of the gentleman from Montana, but I maintain that I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9 a.m. today.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 12 o'clock and 49 minutes a.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until today, Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 9 a.m.

Madam Chair, I am proud to join my colleagues in leading this commonsense effort to help our country's veterans access medical treatment.

Research has shown that medical cannabis can be a safe and effective treatment in targeted pain management for PTSD which, unfortunately, impacts many of our veterans. Despite their efficiency, bureaucratic red tape continues to deny veterans these life-altering treatments. In States like Ohio and 37 others where it is legal, the Federal Government should not prevent a VA doctor from recommending medical cannabis as a viable treatment option if they believe it will help their patient.

As the son of a WWII veteran who was wounded and left for dead on the battlefield, I have seen firsthand the many challenges our Nation's heroes face when they return home. We should all resolve to help expand access to treatments for the medical challenges, both mental and physical, our veterans experience.

That is why I ask my colleagues to support this amendment to help eliminate barriers for alternative treatments and provide our veterans with the care they need to overcome the wounds of war.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 277, the REINS Act. My amendment would insert a key provision included in my legislation, the LIBERTY Act, to ensure that economically significant guidance documents are subject to public notice and comment periods and much-needed congressional oversight.

While agency rules and regulations are subject to congressional oversight, guidance documents are not. As a result, the President can use guidance documents to sidestep congressional review and prevent Americans from weighing in on decisions made by their government.

Guidance documents were never intended to be used by Presidents to unilaterally enact their agenda, but today, that is precisely what we are seeing. For example, President Biden has attempted to use guidance documents to implement his $450 billion student loan bailout, Medicaid expansion, and to make it easier to deny future natural gas pipelines.

As a result, it has become clear that Congress must exert its authority to ensure that guidance documents cannot be used without any review or accountability. My amendment would guarantee just that.

The principle underpinning this amendment is simple: our government was founded by the people and for the

people, and duly elected Representatives must be able to hold the executive branch to account.

No matter which party holds the White House, no President Republican or Democrat should be able to implement their agenda without first giving the American people the opportunity to weigh in on that agenda.

Madam Chair, that is why I ask that you support this amendment to strengthen the REINS Act and to provide Washington with a much-needed dose of transparency and accountability to the American people.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I thank the ranking member for his reply, and I appreciate his concern.

I would simply say this: all of us regardless of our political affiliation should be invested in reining in the power of the executive and holding the President accountable to the people. That is not happening in the status quo, which is why my amendment and the underlying bill is so important.

Guidance documents were never intended to allow bureaucrats to make sweeping decisions without any oversight, but that is what they have become.

Economically, significant guidance documents, like President Biden's student loan bailout, will have major effects on our country and must be subjected to proper oversight. That is what my amendment aims to achieve: a commonsense, good governance reform that keeps the American people in control of their government.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I regrettably missed rollcall No. 131. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall No. 131.

Stated against:

Madam Speaker, I regrettably missed rollcall No. 124. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 124.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, I regrettably missed Roll Call vote No. 117. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 117.

Mr. Speaker, I was unreasonably detained during the roll call vote for an amendment offered by Mr. Schneider that would prohibit the leasing plan from including the Great Lakes. This amendment would support preserving the status quo that has been in place in the Great Lakes for two decades.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 64.

Madam Speaker, the inflation crisis that is being caused by President Biden's destructive policies has hurt small businesses throughout the United States.

According to a recent survey, 37 percent of small business owners were unable to pay their rent just last month alone.

These businesses are struggling because of Joe Biden's decision to put socialist priorities ahead of working Americans. Instead of supporting businesses and improving supply chains, he paid workers to stay home. Instead of returning to American energy dominance, he turned to Green New Deal policies. Instead of fighting inflation, Joe Biden proudly wasted trillions of dollars and sent prices skyrocketing.

More than 60 million Americans are employed by small businesses, and they are being crushed by these radical policies. It is time to return to fiscal constraint; it is time to stop the reckless spending; and it is time to once again support our great American small businesses.