Changes to Homeland Security bill

This week, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), a member of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, spoke on the House floor regarding the Fiscal Year 2015 Homeland Security Appropriations bill and the House Majority’s amendments to the bill. She made these remarks while helping to manage the House debate on the Appropriations bill.

“Mr. Speaker, I support the original bipartisan Homeland Security bill and oppose the Majority’s radical anti-immigrant amendments. These amendments pollute the bipartisan bill Republicans and Democrats have carefully crafted to protect the American people.

“Our clean Homeland Security bill provides the funds needed to protect our country. It invests in border security and prioritizes the detention and deportation of dangerous criminals.

“The clean, bipartisan Homeland Security bill provides funds for new grants to state and local first responders, who are our first line of defense against home-grown terrorism. It invests in the Coast Guard’s eighth National Security Cutter and additional Fast Response Cutters to help protect our ports. The bill also provides critical funds to hire new Secret Service agents and to make essential security improvements at the White House.

“These are just a few examples of why this bill is so important. Unfortunately, instead of bringing the clean, bipartisan bill for a vote, the Majority is proposing several poison-pill amendments that will jeopardize the bill’s ability to become law. It is unconscionable to put our nation’s security at risk simply for the purpose of appeasing those who want to undermine President Obama’s reasonable and lawful executive action to fix our broken immigration system in light of the fact that this House has not acted.

“Current funding for DHS is set to run out at the end of February. The recent horrors in Paris are the latest reminder of why America needs Congress to pass the negotiated bipartisan Homeland Security bill that can become law, and defeat the anti-immigrant poison-pill amendments being proposed by the Majority.

“I urge my colleagues to vote no on the amendments, and to vote yes on the original bill to protect the homeland.”

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Published: Jan. 15, 2015 - Volume 13 - Issue 40