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March 26, 2026
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Download official House Record PDFReturn to issue contextEXPRESSING THE SUPPORT OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1131, I call up the bill (H. Res. 1128) expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1131, the amendments to the resolution and the preamble printed in House Report 119-570 are adopted, and the resolution as amended, is considered read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
H. Res. 1128
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security was established
in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,
to ensure the safety and security of the United States and
its citizens;
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security is comprised of
more than 20 Federal
agencies with homeland security, public safety, and emergency
preparedness missions to integrate and coordinate the efforts
of such agencies to protect the United States;
Whereas Department of Homeland Security personnel support
critical homeland security missions, with more than 90
percent of the Department's workforce historically determined
to be essential during lapses in appropriations in order that
they may continue supporting such missions;
Whereas the Coast Guard plays an essential role in
advancing maritime security and rescuing civilians in
distress;
Whereas during the lapse of funding for the Coast Guard,
many civilian personnel have missed paychecks, which could
erode morale and hinder recruiting efforts;
Whereas the Coast Guard cannot fully maintain mission
readiness without funding, which weakens operations to combat
transnational criminal organizations in the Western
Hemisphere, including the smuggling of sanctioned oil;
Whereas U.S. Customs and Border Protection works to secure
air, land, and sea ports of entry by interdicting illicit
drugs, weapons, and contraband, and preventing terrorists and
other malign actors from entering the United States;
Whereas the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Agency (CISA) is the primary entity responsible for
strengthening cyber resilience for Federal civilian executive
branch agencies and protecting critical infrastructure;
Whereas CISA must remain fully operational at a time when
the United States is increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks
from adversaries like Iran, Russia, and China who have
targeted American hospital networks, electric grids, water
treatment facilities, and energy infrastructure;
Whereas the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
supports State and local emergency responses to man-made and
natural disasters, aids in hazard mitigation, and works to
improve domestic resilience;
Whereas U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including
through Homeland Security Investigations, ensures the
criminal and civil enforcement of Federal immigration law and
the disruption of transnational criminal organizations and
terrorist networks;
Whereas the United States Secret Service protects national
leaders and visiting heads of state, defends the United
States financial infrastructure, and safeguards the American
public at major national events;
Whereas the Office of Intelligence and Analysis conducts
essential information sharing with law enforcement partners
across the country to ensure a timely response to identified
threats;
Whereas the Transportation Security Administration protects
the traveling public and secures the United States
transportation systems;
Whereas since the most recent lapse in appropriations, more
than 50,000 frontline Transportation Security Administration
employees are working without pay, more than 300
Transportation Security Administration employees have
resigned, and the rate of unscheduled personnel absences has
increased;
Whereas the impact of the most recent lapse in
appropriations on Transportation Security Administration
personnel and screening efficiency has resulted in
drastically increased passenger wait times, travel delays,
and overall strain on the transportation security system;
Whereas, on March 1, 2026, a gunman allegedly motivated by
extremist ideologies opened fire on a crowd in Austin, Texas,
killing two people and injuring several others before being
stopped by law enforcement;
Whereas, on March 7, 2026, two suspects with stated
allegiance to ISIS attempted to detonate two improvised
explosive devices near the New York City Mayor's residence in
Manhattan, New York;
Whereas, on March 12, 2026, an individual rammed his
vehicIe into the Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield,
Michigan, in an allegedly targeted attack against the Jewish
community, causing a fire and injuring onsite security
personnel;
Whereas, on March 12, 2026, an active shooter with a prior
conviction for attempting to aid ISIS killed one person and
injured two others at Old Dominion University in Norfolk,
Virginia, before being subdued by members of the Reserve
Officers Training Corps;
Whereas actors supporting Iran have claimed responsibility
for recent cyberattacks against the United States;
Whereas these recent attacks clearly demonstrate that the
United States is in a heightened domestic threat environment;
and
Whereas the Department of Homeland Security must maintain
the capability to defend against threats to the United
States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) recognizes the importance of ensuring the Department of
Homeland Security is fully funded, and that the Department
has all necessary resources to accomplish its mission to
protect the American people from harm;
(2) emphasizes that withholding funding of individual
Department of Homeland Security components would degrade
interagency coordination and create uncertainty in an
increasingly heightened threat environment;
(3) cautions that the American people are at greater risk
each day the Department of Homeland Security is subject to a
lapse in appropriations; and
(4) expresses gratitude to Department of Homeland Security
employees, including law enforcement officers, agents, and
civilian personnel for their unwavering commitment to protect
the United States from those who seek to cause harm.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The resolution, as amended, shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Homeland Security or their respective designees.
The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Mackenzie) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Mackenzie).
General Leave
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 1128.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1128, Expressing the Support of the House of Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security.
front lines of our national security are going unpaid. For over 40 days, the men and women we count on to protect passengers, secure our critical infrastructure, and step up during disasters have gone unpaid.
critical American workers, the pay that they have earned. The impact of these political games isn't theoretical. It is causing real-world impacts each and every day.
alone. Hundreds of employees have quit. Call-out rates are in the double digits, and those who are able to go to work are stuck managing some of the longest lines that we have seen at U.S. airports.
host major events while experiencing heightened national security risks.
We have to do better.
H. Res. 1128, affirming the importance of DHS, the necessity of funding its agencies and employees, the risks of defunding our security apparatus, and our gratitude to the men and women who are working every day to protect this Nation.
to thank the members of the Coast Guard, FEMA, TSA, and more, who are continuing to do their jobs and keep us safe, despite many now going nearly a month and a half without a paycheck.
Saying “yes” to funding does not mean saying “no” to reform. There are concerns that need to be addressed with respect to certain ICE and CBP operations, and when there are opportunities for positive reform we should work together to achieve it.
features significant new measures aimed at reducing tensions and improving transparency, including new funding for body cameras, de- escalation training, and the DHS Office of Inspector General.
some are choosing to politicize our national security and hold paychecks hostage until all of their demands are met.
Let me be clear. Conversations about commonsense reforms at DHS operations are underway. They were underway before this shutdown. They continue to go on, and we will not stop until we get the reforms that the American people are looking for.
{time} 1220
together to achieve a system of immigration enforcement that meets the needs and standards of the American people.
and creating chaos at our airports across this country does not bring us any closer to achieving those goals. It is time to put the politics aside and get serious about our national security.
In the meantime, the American people are waiting. Throughout this shutdown, we have seen powerful examples of our communities stepping in to provide for neighbors and those who are impacted. In my district in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, we have seen residents coming forward to donate everything, like food and diapers, to our dedicated TSA agents at our local airport. They are continuing to do their jobs every single day, even as the bills pile up and savings are stretched thin.
in my district and throughout the country who are continuing to work, I say: Thank you. I also thank all of those who stepped up to provide support for them and their families.
Here is the reality: We shouldn't have to count on local communities to provide for our Federal workers. That is the job of our elected Representatives. That is why I and so many in this Chamber have voted to provide full funding for DHS.
Tens of thousands of Federal workers are doing their jobs. We, in a bipartisan fashion, have already done that here in the House of Representatives, but we need bipartisan buy-in from our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to make it a reality. We need bipartisan support in the Senate to get Democrats to go along with this full funding of DHS to make sure that this makes its way to the President's desk and gets signed into law.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution thanking these workers and recognizing the critical nature of the work that they do to protect our communities and our country, and calling for the Department of Homeland Security to receive full funding—full funding— for its needs to keep our community safe.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, after 40 days of this Republican shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, this symbolic resolution is all that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have.
Let's be clear: We are here today because Republicans who control the White House, the Senate, and this House have failed to govern. Their failure, and their failure alone, has produced this shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
have brought us this: a nonbinding resolution that does nothing to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, nothing to pay its workforce, and nothing to make our country safer.
A resolution is not a paycheck. A resolution is not accountability. A resolution is not a substitute for governing. Transportation security officers are working without a paycheck right now. The men and women of FEMA, CISA, and across DHS are showing up every day, not knowing when they will be paid. They do not need our words; they need a check. They need this shutdown to end.
Let me be clear about where Democrats stand. Democrats have been fighting for the TSA workforce and the broader DHS mission long before Republicans discovered this week that DHS is more than ICE and CBP.
personnel the same employment protection as other Federal workers. When TSA and the American Federation of Government Employees reached a collective bargaining agreement 2 years ago, I was proud to celebrate that milestone with them.
Trump administration is moving to strip TSOs of their collective bargaining rights. This is a record.
This is how we got here: Donald Trump, Stephen Miller, Tom Homan, Kristi Noem, and Corey Lewandowski have tried to turn DHS into a national police force, a weapon for their political agenda, while systematically neglecting the critical missions of TSA, FEMA, CISA, and every other component outside of ICE and CBP. House Republicans watched it happen and failed to say a word, and Americans are less safe for it.
and Alex Pretti, gunned down by masked DHS agents in broad daylight for exercising their First Amendment rights. The American people have rightly demanded change.
result of Republican mismanagement and intimidation, leaving dangerous staffing gaps in some of the most technically demanding positions in the Federal Government.
H. Res. 1128 does not mention any of that. It does not mention that, for over 1 year, the Trump administration has withheld or delayed homeland security grants to State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments. Even before this shutdown, disaster survivors have had to wait for relief, and first responders have lacked the resources they need to protect their communities. Words on paper will not fix that. Only real action will.
withhold counterterrorism funding for nonprofits, synagogues, churches, and mosques, the very institutions that have been targeted by terrorist attacks on American soil.
A resolution is not protection. Funding is protection.
politicized DHS' cybersecurity mission, leaving our critical infrastructure and Federal networks more vulnerable than they should be. This resolution will not secure a single network. Only leadership and funding will do that.
Let us tell the whole story here: The Trump administration caused this shutdown. The Trump administration has disparaged and diminished the DHS workforce since the first day it took office. The Trump administration has made the American people less safe in the process.
beginning. We want DHS funded and reopened. We have said so consistently, and if House Republicans were sincere about ending the shutdown their own failures created, then they would work with us, fund the full mission of DHS, and answer the public's legitimate demand for accountability and reform of ICE and CBP.
Don't just take my word for it. Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana told FOX News on Monday night that when Senate Republican Leader Thune informed the President that his Conference was prepared to accept the Democratic compromise position, the President said: No deals with the Democrats.
It gets worse. The President is now attaching new conditions to ending the shutdown, including his so-called SAVE Act. That makes no sense. It has nothing to do with funding the DHS workforce. Yet instead of showing any leadership, House Republicans are backing the President's order to deploy untrained ICE officers into airports— contrary to their mission and contrary to common sense—apparently, to intimidate travelers.
deployed, waiting times at TSA screening checkpoints have actually gone up. While all of that is happening, we are here debating a nonbinding resolution that will not pay a single TSO, will not reopen a single office, and will not make a single American safer.
theater. The DHS workforce deserves better. I urge my colleagues to stop the performance and start governing—not a resolution, but action. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1230
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
funding for DHS. This resolution is not in lieu of the opportunity to vote for funding. We are going to give you another opportunity, but you are going to vote “no” again. That is the whole story.
America safe. The Democrats in the Senate want to change the rules of the game. What they choose to do is they go out there and demand all kinds of unrealistic conditions that would actually hamstring DHS, keep our country less safe, and are totally unworkable in practice.
We, as Republicans, have offered full funding. We have offered partial funding with reforms. We have said here is the way that we can make this system not only better but keep America safe while making these reasonable commonsense reforms.
What did they do? They dismissed them out of hand.
shot down these opposition proposals. That is not the case. The Senate, the Congress are the ones that are going to advance these pieces of legislation to the President's desk.
and what did they do? They are the ones who rejected the latest offer. We have extended the olive branch, we have extended our hand and said: Come together, work with us, fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.
They will never fund ICE because of their radical left. They are beholden to the fringe in their party that will do everything to protect and promote illegal immigrants over the interests of American citizens. However, it should be noted that ICE actually does some very critical work in our local community.
There is Homeland Security Investigations, HSI. What does that do as a part of ICE? They go out and protect people against human trafficking, drug trafficking, drug smuggling. That is what you are opposed to? It is ludicrous.
Mr. Speaker, we have to fully fund ICE. The previous gentleman said that this resolution doesn't do enough. I agree. I agree. The resolution is a way to thank and recognize DHS and all of its employees for the great work they do to keep us safe. We should agree on that.
of DHS. You voted against it twice. You are going to vote against it again, and you are going to leave the American people less safe. That is the full story.
Mr. GUEST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1128, Expressing the Support of the House of Representatives For the Department of Homeland Security.
without the necessary funding to carry out its core mission. Tens of thousands of dedicated employees across the country are working without pay while our national security sits at an elevated threat level.
DHS continue to show up every day, standing watch over our borders, protecting our transportation systems, and safeguarding the American people despite missing multiple paychecks. Their commitment to our Nation is unwavering, and we owe them more than our gratitude. We owe them action. We owe them a paycheck for their service.
first responders and our Federal law enforcement officials can refocus on the very real public threats we face.
Democrats end this political theater and that Democrats step up and join Republicans in fully funding the Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to help my colleague out on the other side. Everybody in this country knows that Donald Trump is running everything. Nothing happens in Washington without Donald Trump's approval. Legislation is not passed unless he agrees with it. If they were strong enough, they would admit that.
Republicans run the executive branch. They run both bodies of the legislative branch, but now you blame Democrats on your inability to get things done.
Let me help you out.
This resolution does not pay one TSO, FEMA, or CISA employee. It doesn't pay a mortgage. It doesn't pay a car note. It doesn't buy groceries. Quit pretending like you are doing something to help the people.
assist ICE. That is not why they were created. They are an investigatory body. They ought to be out here in communities finding bad people. You have changed their mission. You—your President—has changed their mission, so they are now doing things for which they were not trained to do.
their training is from 4 to 6 months to make sure that individuals who get on planes don't have anything in their possession that would bring it down. Our ICE agents are trained for 47 days. Now, can you tell me how someone who is trained for 47 days is going to help somebody do a job where the training is almost double what is required?
that. No TSO walks up and down an airport trying to keep crowds in line. That is not their mission, nor should they be harming people in communities like we have seen with our own eyes.
Let's get back to basics. If you really want to help our loyal TSOs, as you say, then let's pay them. Put a resolution on the floor that says you want to pay them right now, but you are afraid to do it because the White House is calling the shots.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Sessions). I would remind speakers on both sides of this argument that they please understand they are to direct their comments to the Chair under House rules.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
debating somebody to call out their half-truths and their deflections. The half-truth that this gentleman speaks of is that Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House, and so that gives us total ability to pass whatever we want. That is not the case.
in policy, so you do need bipartisan support to actually get something passed into law and help the American people.
{time} 1240
We are asking, Mr. Speaker, for our Democrat colleagues to come along and join us in fully funding the operations of DHS.
appropriations bill that is going to follow about fully funding the operations of ICE.
The gentleman tries to obfuscate, tries to change the conversation. The bottom line is that that funding for DHS was voted on twice in this House already. We voted for it in a bipartisan fashion, and we are going to give all Members of this body the ability to vote on it for a third time.
Mr. VAN EPPS. Mr. Speaker, Democrats' government shutdown has now lasted over 40 days, and it will have lasting consequences.
This goes far beyond long airport lines.
Agency's
Modern conflicts aren't limited to air, sea, and land. Adversaries now target critical infrastructure, including energy grids, financial systems, transportation networks, government systems, and healthcare services.
Democrats say they want a deal. Well, let's look at their deals.
illegal alien at the border and still released him into the country. Now, 3 years later that man killed an innocent 18-year-old American, Sheridan Gorman.
This is the consequence of Biden's failed policy: When the Democrats are in control, they prioritize criminals over citizens.
Now the damage extends beyond our streets. The shutdown is setting back American shipbuilding and weakening our maritime readiness. The Coast Guard can't pay shipyards to maintain its fleet, and contractors are reconsidering whether it is even worth doing business with the Federal Government.
Think about that. It is now too risky to work with the United States Coast Guard. That is the direct result of Democrats using DHS as leverage. They put Americans at risk to advance a political agenda. As we approach the 25th anniversary of September 11, we should be strengthening Homeland Security. Instead, Democrats are weakening it.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time— The SPEAKER pro tempore. Excuse me. You would yield yourself such time as you choose. The gentleman is recognized.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, for the record, the CISA employees, over 1,000, were discharged by the DOGE committee before the shutdown occurred. We want to make sure the Record reflects that, so this shutdown does not comport with what was said by the speaker.
Mr. Speaker, House Republicans actually have the ability to stop this performance art and stop the shutdown of their own making today. We should send the compromised bill to reopen DHS to the Senate right now. Let us pay our TSA, FEMA, and CISA personnel, who will continue to reform ICE and CBP as the American people demand.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Appropriations and Budget be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 7481, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2026, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. I would advise the gentleman that the majority manager, in this case the gentleman from Pennsylvania, would need to yield for that purpose, and if he does not choose to yield for that purpose, then the gentleman would be recognized for his continuation.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, so what is your—I didn't understand you.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The majority manager from Pennsylvania would have to yield for that request, and the gentleman evidently chooses not to.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, there you have it.
resolution but not even a few seconds to do the job that would actually pay our DHS workers. This is the Republican DHS shutdown.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is so critically important that we fund and fully fund the Department of Homeland Security. The best way to do that is in a bipartisan fashion. That is why this House of Representatives has already voted twice with bipartisan support to advance that legislation over to the Senate.
Goldberg proposal, saying that Republicans in the House are somehow opposing his scheme, it is just simply unrealistic. The American people don't buy it because there is not something before us that has the bipartisan support of over 218 votes to pass. That is not what he is proposing. What we have is the pragmatic, commonsense solution that has the bipartisan support to pass twice. Join us in that effort. Join us, please. Please. I don't understand, Mr. Speaker—
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend. The gentleman will direct his remarks to the Chair. The gentleman needs to be in line with House rules. The gentleman is recognized.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate all this discussion, again. We have to do what is best for the American people. We already have something that is advanced. We are going to continue that conversation. In addition to that, we can continue to thank and recognize all of our workers at DHS.
Mr. EVANS of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I am a proud cosponsor of this resolution to support full funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Not many policy debates in this Chamber are simple, but this one is. The Department of Homeland Security needs funding now.
In just 6 months, Mr. Speaker, Democrats have shut down our government twice, and now they claim that shutting down DHS makes us safer.
police officer, I know this is the furthest from the truth you can be. In fact, I left law enforcement and serve now in Congress because for years Democrats pushed to defund the police. They championed defunding the police knowing the consequences that it has on public safety. Today, Mr. Speaker, that same pattern continues this time by defunding the Department of Homeland Security.
Mr. Speaker, when someone shows you who they are, believe them. House Republicans have passed Homeland Security appropriations funding twice: H.R. 7147 and H.R. 7747. Twice this funding was rejected by House Democrats and repeatedly blocked by Senate Democrats. Facts matter.
planning is halted right as Colorado enters wildfire season. CISA, which protects Americans from cyberattacks, is impaired. The Coast Guard, essential in combating drug trafficking that killed 400,000 Americans under the open-border policies of my colleagues across the aisle, is weakened.
training to our Federal agents, is impaired. If that is not bad enough, twice Democrats have voted against funding the Department of Homeland Security and preventing our TSA officers from receiving a paycheck.
Mr. Speaker, Democrats need to stop their reckless practice of holding paychecks hostage for their political agenda. We need to fund the department.
{time} 1250
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
Mr. HOYER. Will the gentleman who just spoke yield? Will the gentleman who just spoke, who is walking out, would you yield?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has yielded back his time, and the majority reserved that time.
Mr. HOYER. My time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Well, you have not been recognized yet, sir.
Mr. HOYER. Excuse me.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. How much time would you like to yield?
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. You would like to recognize the distinguished gentleman from Maryland? The distinguished gentleman from Maryland is now recognized.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman to whom I was addressing my question apparently doesn't want to yield and left the floor at the advice, probably, of somebody else.
You want to speak the truth? Even if you are new—and I have been here a little longer—there is a way to fund the TSA, to fund Secret Service, and it
is no sham. We don't even have to sign the discharge petition. Your Speaker, Mr. Speaker, just needs to bring the bill to the floor. It funds everybody in the Department of Homeland Security, other than ICE and CBP. You know that.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will yield. The gentleman will confine his remarks to the Chair. These are House rules, and the gentleman needs to subscribe to those.
The gentleman is recognized.
Mr. HOYER. I addressed the Speaker. I said, Mr. Speaker. That doesn't mean I can't look at other people, Mr. Speaker.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. I would—
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I addressed to you directly. I
don't want this out of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is recognized, confining his remarks to the chairman of the committee.
Mr. HOYER. We are in the House.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is recognized.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, the argument being made on the other side is not accurate. I will give them the benefit of the doubt because, perhaps, they don't know it is not accurate.
funding in DHS other than both of the components who recently have snatched people off the streets of America, wearing hoods and no badges and putting them into unmarked cars. Yes, we are not for that.
officer. I was going to ask him whether he ever wore a mask during the course of his duties, not a gas mask, a mask to keep him secret. I was going to ask him whether he ever went into a home without a warrant, inconsistent with the Constitution of the United States. Yes, we want to defend the Constitution of the United States.
bills that have funded most of the government, we did so, and we took DHS out and told you we are not for that. What you continue to do is to bring to this floor something we have told you we are not for.
Mr. Speaker, if the Speaker of the House brought that bill to the floor to fund all of DHS' components, except those two agencies, it would pass overwhelmingly today, within this hour. I guarantee it as a former majority leader. Assuming that all of you say, oh, we want to fund TSA, we want to fund Secret Service, we want to fund Coast Guard— assuming that you would follow your rhetoric, it could be done like that. I say that as a majority leader of this House for 8 years, and I know of what I speak.
Mr. Speaker, they talk about shutdowns. Under Ronald Reagan, there were eight shutdowns. They lasted for an average, Mr. Speaker, of 1.3 days. Nine of those were weekend days. Why? Because Ronald Reagan and we Democrats who controlled the House were prepared to go to the table and make an agreement. If we couldn't make an agreement, we nevertheless funded the government.
This President has said numerous times, Mr. Speaker, I would welcome a shutdown of the government, all of it.
wash responsibility away and blame it on Democrats because, yes, there are things on which we very strongly disagree, and that is the violation of the Constitution, the violation of statutes—and I would have asked my law enforcement friend—the violation of norms followed by every police department in America.
bill. That is not the word that was used, Mr. Speaker, but that was implied. The bill that we want is no fraud. The bill we want would fund TSA, Secret Service, Coast Guard, CISA, and all other agencies in DHS tomorrow.
What is the majority bringing to the floor, Mr. Speaker? They are bringing a bill to the floor that has failed three times.
Why? The majority has done that because Democrats don't want warrantless searches. Democrats don't want people's doors being broken down without probable cause. Democrats don't want people apprehended by masked people. I grew up in an era when I was a young man where there were a lot of people wearing masks going around assaulting people. We didn't call them police.
Try to be honest with the American people. Mr. Speaker, we owe them that. Tell them, look, we are afraid that if we fund all of these components of which we all talk and support, if we do that, then we won't make as good a deal on DHS.
We won't keep them immune from following the Constitution. We won't keep them immune from following the laws of their State. We won't keep them immune from the norms that police follow.
whether we follow the Constitution in terms of law enforcement in this country.
Do you know why you have warrants? There are warrants because King George could go into any house at any time, every time that he wanted to, and the Founding Fathers thought that was wrong.
I would plead with my Republican friends, Mr. Speaker, be honest. Republicans are holding off that bill because they think tactically it will undermine what ICE is doing, undermining that two, three, four— five people were killed by officers not following the law. Don't come here pretending that Democrats somehow are shutting down the government.
know how many shutdowns there were? Mr. Speaker, the answer to that is zero.
Mr. Speaker, let's fund the important services that the American people deserve. Let's have the Speaker put the bill on the floor and have 10 Republicans sign the discharge petition. We will put it on the floor, and we will pass it overwhelmingly, I predict.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for giving me some time to try to correct the record that is being, unfortunately, made poorly on this floor.
{time} 1300
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Goldman of Texas). The gentleman from Mississippi has 8 minutes remaining. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 13 minutes remaining.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleague who just spoke can stick around to hear this. It is important that we are on the same page.
My esteemed colleague was here years ago during 9/11. The reason why we established the Department of Homeland Security, as the gentleman knows, is to break down silos. What Democrats are advocating for is building up walls, siloing off parts of our Department of Homeland Security, and leaving our country less safe.
Security. The previous speaker knows that history, Mr. Speaker. The gentleman knows that full well. Everybody who was here after 9/11 knows that full well.
want to fund everything, but we want to defund Federal law enforcement, that is an affront to our national security. That is an affront to the American people.
Mr. Speaker, what I am saying is that we need to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security. We have that resolution on the floor. We are going to offer it up again. We are going to give them a third opportunity, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful that my colleague stuck around to hear that it is a disastrous idea to build silos in the Department of Homeland Security and to defund Federal law enforcement. That is absolutely accurate,
what our national security apparatus does every single day to keep us safe.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Fong).
Mr. FONG. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1128, Expressing the Support of the House of Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security.
and to protect our communities from emerging threats, both foreign and domestic.
package for the Department of Homeland Security. However, Senate Democrats have chosen to walk away from that bipartisan, bicameral deal, threatening operations that ensure the safety and security of American communities from our transportation systems to our cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, and emergency response capabilities.
shut down the Department of Homeland Security. A prolonged government shutdown undermines our national security, creates financial hardship for Homeland Security workers and their families, and leaves critical emergency response and preparedness efforts at risk.
Coast Guard civilian personnel, FEMA personnel, and cybersecurity teams, are working without the certainty of their next paycheck, while others have been furloughed. That is why my colleagues and I on this side of the aisle have consistently voted to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security.
security agencies about the negative impact that this shutdown has had on their missions and workforce. As TSA's Deputy Administrator shared: “What I am hearing from our workforce is that what is happening to them is nothing short of cruel.”
Mr. Speaker, it is dangerous for Democrats to keep weakening our national security posture for their own political gain, especially amid a heightened threat environment. Every day this shutdown continues, our Nation's security is put at greater risk, and the men and women who protect us are further sidelined.
fail mission to keep our country safe, not worrying about how they will pay their bills, rent, and groceries, or find another job in order to do so. Every agency tasked with America's homeland security needs to be operating at full strength right now.
sworn to uphold it. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to come to their senses, immediately reopen the Department of Homeland Security, and end the shutdown immediately.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman on the other side asked me to come back. I came back. He made a comment. I wanted to correct him. He would not yield for that purpose.
Mr. Speaker, 86 percent of ICE is being funded. There are no silos being undermined, except by not funding all the other agencies that we are prepared to support—no silos.
Mr. Speaker, 85 percent of CBP is funded. You funded it, Mr. Speaker, in reconciliation at three times, essentially, what the annual appropriation was for those two agencies.
somehow we have shut down those two agencies. We have not. You provided for that, Mr. Speaker, and they are funded.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, again, I appreciate the spirited debate with my colleagues, especially the past speaker. We appreciate his experience. He has been a Member of this body since even before I was born. I am 43 years old now. He has been a Member of this Chamber for longer than that. He was elected in 1981, and we appreciate his experience and knowledge that he brings to this debate. Yet, when somebody is wrong, regardless of their age or experience, it is our obligation to recognize that and call that out.
Mr. FINE. Mr. Speaker, I actually have an anecdote, as well.
Mr. Speaker, 35 years ago, when the previous speaker from the Democratic side was here as a Member of Congress, I was a 16-year-old page wandering around the floor in a blue blazer and a khaki pair of pants. It is an interesting moment for me because what he said is let's fund the important services that the American people deserve.
Let me give you just a few of their names: Kate Steinle, who was 32 years old, in California; Laken Riley, who was 22 years old, in Athens, Georgia; Rachel Morin, who was 37 years old, in Bel Air, Maryland; Jocelyn Nungaray, who was 12 years old, in Houston, Texas; and Lizbeth Medina, who was 16 years old, also in Texas. Yet, those apparently aren't services that need to be funded.
attacks in four separate States by four unaffiliated groups. They were working independently. Those are apparently not important services that the American people need to know. Let's say their names: Ryder Harrington, 19; Savitha Shan, 21; Jorge Pederson, 30; and Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, in Virginia. Those who are apparently stopping that are not important services that the American people deserve.
they have arrested two Chinese people in the State of Florida for attempting to put an IED outside of a military base.
Security is funding all of the Department of Homeland Security. That is not true.
Also, as I stood here, I read one other thing. In New York City, a four-time deported Honduran illegal alien was charged with murder for shoving an 83-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran onto the subway tracks in New York City. Apparently, protecting him is not an important service that the American people deserve.
What is clear to me: If we want to fund the Department of Homeland Security and get them on board, there is one simple solution. Have all of those TSA agents declare that they are illegal immigrants, because then they will rush to get the money over to them to get them funded.
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It is not right to keep the government closed. If people want changes in policy, let's have those debates.
demanding the rest of us get arrested if we weren't willing to wear them. The hypocrisy is stunning, and the American people are not being served.
Congress needs the job to get done. We need to get the whole thing funded, and I support the resolution fully.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, may I as to the time remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 5 minutes remaining.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this shutdown is a result of Republican's failure to govern. Democrats have been at the negotiating table for weeks, and the American people are demanding accountability and reform for ICE and CBP.
Federal agents for merely exercising their First Amendment rights on the streets of a major city, and then their government
whatsoever. That cannot happen again. Democrats are here fighting to prevent it from happening ever again.
Where are Republicans? They are here offering symbolic resolutions to score political points for the White House. They are not reforming ICE and CBP. They are not negotiating. If they want Democrats to vote with them, they have to earn our vote.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, again, Republicans are offering this resolution to thank our great men and women of the Department of Homeland Security for all of their work during this Democratic shutdown, where they are not receiving funding and their paychecks to support them and their families.
appropriating all of the funding, and those are both going to come before the full House. I encourage all of my colleagues to support it. We have had bipartisan support for the appropriations in the past, and, hopefully, we will get that again this time.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Harris).
Mr. HARRIS of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding the time.
Mr. Speaker, I have a message for the American people.
Dear Americans: Democrats do not care about your safety.
They are displaying this right before our very eyes. Democrats do, obviously, before our own eyes, practice political gamesmanship rather than provide real security for our homeland safety.
Americans safe. They have earned our support. How do Democrats repay them for their work? They shut down the Department of Homeland Security.
light on the great work that they do. However, it cannot go unsaid that many of my Democrat colleagues who may vote in favor of this resolution today will still continue to maintain that DHS would be unfunded, as they have voted four separate times against its reopening, purely because of political games.
They are giving us one crystal clear message: They do not care about Americans' safety. If they did, wouldn't the agency whose sole job is to protect America be funded at this very hour?
Department of Homeland Security receive the funding they undoubtedly deserve must happen, and it must happen soon.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to direct their remarks to the Chair and not to a perceived viewing audience.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, one of President Trump's top informal advisers, Steve Bannon, recently said that the President's deployment of ICE to the Nation's airports was a “test run” before ICE's deployment to election sites during November's midterm elections.
Now, why, Mr. Speaker, would Immigration and Customs Enforcement be needed at State and locally run election sites?
private, politically-motivated national police to intimidate travelers at the airport now and voters at the ballot box in November.
ICE, but Congress could reopen the Department today while those reforms continue to be worked on. House Republicans and Donald Trump, however, are standing in the way.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this conversation has been rewarding and enlightening for the American people.
other side throughout our conversation today. I have also heard fearmongering.
bipartisan support. That is what we have with the DHS funding appropriations that Congress has already passed through the House that we are going to have an opportunity to vote on again. It is a chance to give the American people the results that they are looking for. It is not a conversation. It is fact.
Mr. Speaker, it has been great to hear the other side put themselves on the record for not fully funding parts of the Department of Homeland Security, for building up silos, for advocacy about defunding law enforcement. That is what we have heard here today. It is shocking, but I think it is enlightening for the American people to see that contrast and have it on full display.
I wish that we had more than an hour to have this debate. I think this is something that every American should see: Republicans coming together to support national security, to fund our workers, and to give our workers, the American people, the paychecks they deserve for the work that they are doing. However, Mr. Speaker, the other side stands in objection as an obstacle to this commonsense solution every single day.
Mr. Speaker, at this point, I thank the other side for putting this contrast on full display for the American people, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, Republican failures have shut down the Department of Homeland Security for more than 40 days.
dead level best to hollow out the Department and make America less safe.
$275 million in nonprofit security grant program funds remain stuck at DHS and FEMA instead of helping high-risk, nonprofit organizations like churches, mosques, and synagogues.
administration terminated, reassigned, or pressured into resigning nearly 1,000 employees.
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agency hampered its ability to fully support national security objectives.
The President's fiscal year 2026 budget called for roughly $500 million in cuts to CISA, including cutting programs meant to secure our elections from foreign bad actors.
bargaining agreements meant to improve working conditions for the personnel keeping our airways safe.
at every turn, yet Republicans are shameless enough to lecture us about supporting DHS.
Republicans have the power to end this shutdown today. Instead of wasting time on symbolic resolutions, they could pass H.R. 7481, the Democratic compromise proposal that would allow DHS to reopen while we continue to work on reforms to ICE and CBP, but instead, Republicans seem almost addicted to failure.
To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle: Take “yes” for an answer. Let's stop the failure theater and reopen DHS today.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MACKENZIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
fund the Department of Homeland Security today. That is why we are going to have the opportunity for every Member to vote “yes” on that resolution to fully fund it.
to
women at the Department of Homeland Security and all the great work they do every single day. I would encourage a “yes” vote on both of those resolutions, certainly on the one that is being debated here before us, H. Res. 1128.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired. Pursuant to House Resolution 1131, the previous question is ordered on the resolution and the preamble, as amended.
The question is on adoption of the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.