Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today marks 4 days until the Department of Homeland Security runs out of money. We all had the opportunity for the first time this session to go back home last week for our district workweek, and I had an opportunity to speak about this particular issue at the Honolulu International Airport, where many of our DHS officials and employees are very concerned about this lapse of funding. Although some DHS employees would continue to work in the event of a shutdown, they would be forced to do so without pay, creating a significant distraction and dealing a significant blow to morale.

Every single House Democrat has cosponsored clean legislation to fund DHS, and it is clear that there are a sufficient amount of votes to pass this bill now.

Keeping America's families safe is the first responsibility and priority of this Congress. We need to put aside the political gridlock that has plagued this House for too long and fund DHS now. An impasse in funding would close down the bulk of DHS' management and support of Homeland Security infrastructure that was built following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Essential funding for the Department of Homeland Security is no place for grandstanding against immigration reform that strengthens our economy and our country. Let's remember: it was the inability of this House to act on the Senate's comprehensive immigration reform bill that forced the President to take executive action on immigration in the first place.

I came to Congress telling my constituents that I do not support government shutdowns, Federal furloughs, or sequestration, and now some in this body think they can fix this with further inaction, with further furloughs and further government shutdowns. I think not.

Let's pass a clean bill.

Aloha, Mr. Speaker.

On February 27, the Department of Homeland Security will run out of money--17 more days. If this is not resolved, at best case, approximately 200,000 workers will stay on the job without pay or be furloughed or, at worst, not work.

Mr. Speaker, I was elected to Congress and came here promising my constituents no more government shutdowns, no more Federal furloughs, and no more sequestration; yet here we are, on the verge of letting funding for Homeland Security run out and partially shutting down government. This impasse needs to end, and it needs to end now.

I say the bottom line--to paraphrase DHS Secretary Johnson's point-- is security for our Nation is not free. Our homeland security cannot be hijacked by political games. We must get past this political stalemate and work out a clean bill for funding Homeland Security.

If we don't, significant portions of the Department of Homeland Security could be crippled, and hundreds of thousands of critical Federal personnel--our constituents--could be affected.

Let's remember that we are talking about some of the most critical security personnel who are working to keep

Americans safe--shuttering the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, which would no longer alert and coordinate with local law enforcement agencies, and withholding the Securing the Cities grants that pay for critical nuclear detection capacities in cities across the country; halting research and development work on countermeasures to devastating biological threats, on nuclear detection equipment, and on cargo and passenger screening technologies; crippling FEMA's preparations for future disasters, furloughing nearly 22 percent of FEMA personnel; and ending FEMA's training activities with local law enforcement for weapons of mass destruction events.

Although some DHS employees would continue to work in the event of a shutdown, they would be forced to work without pay, creating a significant distraction and dealing a direct blow to morale.

Among those who would be affected and expected to protect Americans without getting paid would be more than 40,000 Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection agents; more than 50,000 TSA aviation security screeners; more than 13,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement law enforcement agents and officers; more than 40,000 Active-Duty Coast Guard military members; and more than 4,000 Secret Service law enforcement agents and officers.

Holding hostage funding of DHS for the purpose of overturning the President's executive actions on immigration is wrong. President Obama was forced to take action because of the inaction of this House to consider a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill that the Senate passed last year. Here we are again, yet with more inaction.

We cannot waste any more time here with political bickering, and it is not fair to try to hijack Homeland Security funding with an anti- immigration agenda. The security of our Nation and our people hang in the balance.

Again, no more government shutdowns, no more Federal furloughs, no more sequestration--let's get to work, come together, answer the call of our constituents, and just pass a clean bill for DHS funding.

Aloha, Mr. Speaker. As a fourth-generation Japanese American, it is with special pride today that I announce a historic moment, the first time a play about the World War II internment of Japanese Americans has made it to Broadway.

Music and lyrics are by Jay Kuo, with a book by Marc Acito. The musical is called ``Allegiance,'' and actor George Takei and all of the artists, producers, and supporters of ``Allegiance'' deserve congratulations. They are getting this still little-known story about the internment of Japanese Americans told in a high profile and exciting way.

``Allegiance'' is inspired by Mr. Takei's experiences when he and his family were interned during World War II. The play is a tribute to his parents, as well as the more than 110,000 other people of Japanese ancestry who were subjected to forced relocation and incarceration.

Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to see and support ``Allegiance.'' This production will raise awareness of injustices of that time, and it is a reminder of how much work remains to ensure equal rights and treatment for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in righting a wrong that has existed since the end of World War II. Around 250,000 Filipino soldiers fought alongside U.S. forces in World War II. In 1946, President Truman stated that it is a ``moral obligation of the United States to look after the welfare of the Philippine Army veterans.''

Forty-four years later, President Bush signed the Immigration Act of 1990, which offered citizenship to around 26,000 Filipino World War II veterans, but it did not include their immediate families. Today, the number of surviving veterans is dwindling. Fewer than 4,000 are still alive. Many of these veterans live in Hawaii.

It is our duty to see this obligation through and to take care of those who have fought for our country. We must lift limitations on immigrant visas and restrictions for their children. I ask you to join me in making good on our Nation's commitment to these servicemembers.