▶ 0:16:04A quorum being present, the committee will be in order. The committee is meeting today to consider committee 119A providing for reconciliation pursuant to instructions to the committee on homeland security and H Conres 14 the the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2025. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare the committee in recess at any point.
▶ 0:16:31Pursuant to committee rule 7c, any requests for recorded votes may be postponed. I'd like to take a moment and ask the members to remember Matteline Klein Schmidt who unexpectedly passed away a few weeks ago. Maddie was a remarkable individual who made a lasting impression on our team.
▶ 0:16:59Mattie joined the committee on as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute public policy fellow on the committee in August of 22, working under ranking member John Katco. She continued her service with the border security subcommittee until completing her fellowship in July of 23. Maddie was a fullbrite scholar in Spain and was about to return to the United States. She was a bright light during her time on CHS.
▶ 0:17:28She was incredibly smart, kind, a team player, and was deeply respected by everyone who had the privilege to work alongside her. Her warmth and dedication to the homeland left a mark on our team. Please keep Maddie and her family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. If we could take a moment of silence. Thank you.
▶ 0:18:07I now recognize myself to make an opening statement. On January 2021, President Joe Biden launched a relentless four-year campaign to obliterate America's sovereign borders. On his very first day in office, he ordered a halt to construction of new border wall system that American taxpayers had already paid for.
▶ 0:18:34He imposed a pause on deportations, and he sent Congress a radical proposal to grant mass amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. That was just the beginning. Behind closed doors, Biden and Vice President Kla Harris worked with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorcus to orchestrate a systematic breakdown of our immigration enforcement system.
▶ 0:18:57The Biden Harris administrations implemented a nationwide policy of mass catch and release at our borders, allowing millions of illegal aliens to flood across the border only to be promptly released into American communities. Then came the illegal mass parole programs which enabled millions more aliens to bypass US immigration laws altogether. The world quickly learned that under the Biden administration, America's borders were wide open.
▶ 0:19:27The consequences were staggering. During his administration, the number of inadmissible encounters at our border nationwide combined with the number of gotaways recorded by Customs and Border Protection was roughly 13 million. around quadrupled the number during President Trump's first term. Any semblance of border security was eliminated.
▶ 0:19:47Despite the best efforts of our dedicated border patrol agents to control the chaos, these agents were forced to process and mass release tens of thousands of illegal aliens each month into American communities, diverting them from their core border security mission and devastating morale at the same time. Subsequently, elicit fentanel poured across our south open southwest border at historic levels.
▶ 0:20:12Just as alarming, the number of individuals on the terrorist watch list apprehended at the border between po points of entry increased from just 11 between fiscal years 17 and 20 to a staggering 385 from 21 to 24. Interior enforcement was also gutted with ICE personnel effectively barred from removing the vast majority of those here illegally.
▶ 0:20:38Deportations plummeted to record lows even as illegal crossings surged to record highs. One former ICE field director put it plainly, quote, "I was being forced to release people that should not have been allowed on the streets. They continued to release people from custody like it was a revolving door." End quote. Last Congress, Republicans took decisive action to hold the Biden administration accountable for its blatant dereliction of duty.
▶ 0:21:04We impeached Secretary Marcus for his willful refusal to follow the law and his breach of the public trust. We also passed HR2, the Secure the Border Act, a landmark bill that would resecure our border, end the crisis, and prevent another one in the future. Unfortunately, the White House and Democrats in the Senate refused to take action and they paid the price last November. There's new light shining now.
▶ 0:21:31President Trump was resoundingly elected in large part because he promised to clean up Biden Harris administration's border catastrophe and he's kept that promise. Catch and release is over. Border Patrol agents are returning to the front lines empowered to enforce the law. Additionally, scores of criminal aliens are being detained and deported in growing numbers from our communities daily. Law and order are returning to our communities.
▶ 0:21:58Apprehensions at our border have plummeted to never be never before seen levels. To put things into perspective, in December of 2023, CBP recorded more than 30,000 encounters at the southwest border, the highest monthly total in history. By March of 2025, the number of apprehensions fell 96% to a mere 11,000, a 96% decrease.
▶ 0:22:26Remember the nonsense from Biden Heritage administration Democrats about the so-called root causes of the Biden border crisis? Climate change, poverty, gang violence. Give me a break. These numbers expose those excuses as politically motivated BS.
▶ 0:22:46I'm pretty sure the weather hasn't changed that much under President Trump and unfortunately much of the world still lives in abject poverty and gangs like Tren Aagua are still very active in the hemisphere. No, what changed was the White House fulfilling its constitutional responsibility to enforce and execute the laws passed by Congress. That's why the budget recommendations we are making marking up today are so important.
▶ 0:23:15As Joe Biden proved, effective executive action to secure the border can be done away with with subsequent presidents. It's critical that the Republican majority do what the people elected us to do, approve funds for effective border security and enforcement measures. And that's what these recommendations do. First, they empower us to finish construction of new strategically placed border barrier system.
▶ 0:23:43This system includes not just the steel and concrete ballards, but a full suite of technology and infrastructure such as lights, sensors, cameras, and access to roads, given agents the tools they need to secure the border and do their job safely and effectively. Today, you'll no doubt hear our friends on the other side of the dis who have never served as a border patrol agent criticize the wall.
▶ 0:24:07Yet, according to a survey by the National Border Patrol Council, 89% of agents believe a wall system, quote, "a wall system is strategic and strategic locations is necessary to securing the border." End quote. Former San Diego Sector Chief Patrol agent Aaron Hikkey told our committee that the border wall system quote slows down the people as they come across and so we have more time to respond and actually make an apprehension end quote. Who do you trust?
▶ 0:24:33politicians opining from aironditioned offices are the men and women on the ground. We're also spending money on new border patrol checkpoints and facilities. Several chief border agents told us in 23 how important these checkpoints are as they help agents intercept drugs that make it across the border. Under Biden Harris, some of these were shut down as agents were pulled away from their jobs.
▶ 0:24:56Under President Trump, not only will these increases in funds put more agents back on the line, but we're going to increase their ability to catch these drugs. We're also investing in hiring more Border Patrol agents, customs officers, and air and marine agents. Right now, the CBP force is not the size it needs to be.
▶ 0:25:15Republicans have heard their concerns and are stepping up to change We're also investing in cutting edge technology to help agents and officers interdict elicit drugs like fentanyl being smuggled through ports of entry. We're modernizing and enhancing our border security and surveillance technologies.
▶ 0:25:33Technologies such as drones and surveillance towers are used as a force multiplier, giving border patrol agents greater visibility, faster response times, and enhanced coverage across vast hard to patrol areas of the southwest border. This bill will invest in Operation Stone Garden, a grant program designed to help states and local communities enhance their own border security.
▶ 0:25:57And while the Biden Harris administration spent your money bailing out sanctuary cities and states that help them execute their open border scheme, Republicans are going to ensure that those states who spent the past four years trying to mitigate the crisis obtain some financial relief.
▶ 0:26:13So, while Democrats will most likely spend this markup complaining about Elon Musk or Doge or defending deported gang members and wife beaters like Kilar Abra Garcia, Republicans will focus on what actually matters, providing proper funding so that CBP officers and agents can protect our country and secure the homeland. We have a historic opportunity to make the country we love safer and more secure. I now recognize the ranking member to make an opening statement.
▶ 0:26:43Uh, thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Mr. Chairman, we're here today because President Trump has one goal, to pass massive tax cuts and giveaways for billionaires on the backs of hardworking Americans. Unfortunately, congressional Republicans are hellbent on helping him do it.
▶ 0:27:04The extreme Trump legislative agenda provides $7 trillion dollar in giveaways to billionaires and big corporation while cutting $880 billion from Medicaid, hurting tens of millions of Americans and taking food from veterans, seniors, and kids. It would also blow a$14 trillion dollar hole in the national debt.
▶ 0:27:31Americans know the president's scheme don't benefit anyone but himself and his cronies. Trump's reconciliation bill is a big, beautiful bill for his billionaire buddies like Elon Musk, but a terrible deal for everyone else. This disastrous Republican plan puts Americans health care in just jeopardy. Mr.
▶ 0:27:54Chairman, in your congressional district alone, nearly 140,000 of your constituents receiving Medicaid are at risk of losing their health care, including over 82,000 children and 14,000 seniors.
▶ 0:28:11That's why so many Republican members spent the recent congressional recess telling their constituents they'd fight to defend against cuts to the very programs their party's budget resolution would decimate. Fortunately, the American people aren't buying these Republican lies. Three polls released this past Sunday show Trump's approval rating at a 70-year low for any president in its firstund days in office.
▶ 0:28:41These pitiful approval ratings are off the president's own making. Americans witnessed Trump's crash our economy in real time. They watched him break promises and about lowering prices. And now Republicans want to take health care and food from kids and seniors to help the likes of Elon Musk. Democrats refuse to be complicit in this Republican scheme.
▶ 0:29:08The president's plummeting poll numbers and the tanking economy make supporting this reconciliation package more complicated for my friends on the other side of the aisle. That's why House Republican leadership is putting lipstick on a pig of reconciliation package by pretending it's about border security.
▶ 0:29:30But the border measure we are considering today is nothing more than window dressing designed to help moderate Republicans tolerate cruel cuts to Medicaid and distract Americans from the fact that Trump is taking a chainsaw to federal services they rely on. This reconciliation package isn't about securing the border. It is and has never been.
▶ 0:29:55If Republicans were serious about border security, they would have taken up the bipartisan border package last year. But they were too busy doing Trump's bidding then and they are too busy doing Trump's bidding now. If they're serious about border security, they'd have had the Secretary of Homeland Security testify before this committee to make the case for more funding for the department.
▶ 0:30:22But while Secretary Gnome travels the world for countless photo ops, she's appeared before the department's committee of jurisdiction despite repeated requests from committee Democrats. And yet, Republicans are ready to turn over tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer money to her. At the end of the day, reconciliation is about lining billionaires pockets on the backs of ordinary Americans.
▶ 0:30:50I know it's hard to defend the indefensible, but at some point, my colleagues on the other side will have to face the music. The fact is most Republicans voted to start this reconciliation process when all they knew about it was a concept of a plan.
▶ 0:31:08As their constituents have learned more about it and watched every Trump administration priority implode, publicity defending reconciliation or anything associated with the president has become very uncomfortable.
▶ 0:31:24But reconciliation won't distract Americans from the fact that their grocery bills are higher, their bank account balances are lower, and there isn't a Republican Congress or anyone in the White House who cares. I urge my colleagues to oppose this Republican reconciliation scheme. I yield back. The gentleman yields. Other members of the committee are reminded that opening statements may be submitted for the record.
▶ 0:31:55Pursuant to notice, I now call up committee print 119A. The text was circulated in advance and printed copies are available. The clerk shall designate the committee print. Committee print 119A, providing for reconciliation pursuant to H. Conres 14, the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2025. Without objection, the first reading of the committee print is dispensed with and it's considered read and open to amendment at any point. I now recognize myself for the purpose of offering an amendment in the nature of a substitute.
▶ 0:32:25The clerk will report the amendment in the nature of the substitute. An amendment in the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mr. Green of Tennessee. Without objection, the reading is dispensed with. I now recognize myself to explain the amendment in the nature of a substitute. This amendment in the nature of a substitute provides technical section number edits. essentially just numbering the paragraphs etc.
▶ 0:32:54Is there any further discussion on the amendment in the nature of a substitute? Mr. Ker, you're recognized. Thank you, Chairman. Just wanted to start out by saying that all of us in this committee concur.
▶ 0:33:15We are all supportive of homeland security, defense of our nation from those that would bring us harm to all taxpayers in this country. Few years ago when I first got on this committee, Secretary of Homeland Security was General Kelly under Trump one and he would usually say that Homeland Security, border security does not end or begin at the border. It starts way before that.
▶ 0:33:45And I remember having discussions with them talking about working with our allies around the world to make sure that the homeland was safe. For example, in those days, we would discuss the fact that the way we would know there was a terrorist or known terrorist, a real terrorist coming to this western hemisphere was by information with other allies. anytime somebody would fly into this hemisphere.
▶ 0:34:13That's the kind of work we would do and we do with Brazil, Colombia and other countries in this hemisphere that they alert us when in fact dangers are coming our way. Same time recently took a tour of the Mexican border, the north side and the southern side to look at the threats, how we're dealing with them.
▶ 0:34:39As all of you know, today Mexico has 10,000 troops on their northern border, south of our border. In total, Mexico today has about 35,000 troops around Mexican territory to address the issue of refugees, asylum seekers as they come north.
▶ 0:34:59They're also working on industrial centers to make sure that when there are refugees looking north that they can find jobs in Mexico before they reach our border. Same could be said on my travels to Central America where I met with Guatemalan, Salvadorian, and Honduran government officials that they also look to work with us for mutual security in this hemisphere.
▶ 0:35:28So as we move this package forward, we talk about security of America, we have to remember that this is something that we just don't do by ourselves, but rather we work with our neighbors across not only the Americas, but across the Pacific and the Atlantic to make sure that not only are we safe, but other peoples around the world.
▶ 0:35:54You know, Secretary Kelly was head of Homeland. Secretary Kelly was also chief of staff to Trump 1. And Secretary Kelly spent the long time heading up our national security operations south of the border in the Americas.
▶ 0:36:15I look at him as an expert, an individual that speaks with authority or spoke with authority in knowledge as to what is going on around the world and how we can keep America safe. This package talks about border This package needs to talk a whole lot more about effective border security that works. Soft power leverage where we can encourage our neighbors to continue to work with us.
▶ 0:36:45Let's not forget our north northern border Canada, our relationship with them today. And let's not forget that today, Canada still houses NORAD, which provides a very critical strategic defense to our nation when it comes to a possible missile attack, heaven forbid, from other parts of the world.
▶ 0:37:08Yet again, this package seems to be light on talking about the relationships that we have with strategic neighbors around the world. Since 911, we've done a pretty good job of keeping this country safe based in a formula of cooperation and mutual intelligence sharing around the world.
▶ 0:37:34If it's worked, why are we now turning to piss off our neighbors and our allies around the world? Is that going to work any better? Nobody has scored on us since 911. Why are we changing the game plan? Mr. Chairman, we need to focus on what's worked to keep our citizens and taxpayers safe, not try to reinvent the wheel. Again, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Mr. Chairman I yield.
▶ 0:38:04Gentleman yields. I now recognize Miss Ramirez for five minutes on the amendment. Thank you chairman and thank you ranking member. A few weeks ago right from this dis I talked about the hypocrisy of these Republican policies. We're talking about gutting services that working people rely on while writing blame checks for ultra wealthy bosses. Well, here we are again.
▶ 0:38:30We're back from recess and Republicans are looking to cut $1.5 trillion dollars in funding for our communities. But today, we're considering also a $69 billion infusion into an agency that is violating our rights, undermining due process, and blaming administrative errors for their criminal behavior. And this gift to Trump and Gnome comes without oversight, which Republicans on this committee have proven either unwilling or incapable of.
▶ 0:38:59Case in point, my request to conduct an oversight visit in El Salvador was publicly denied in the press despite evidence that Gnome spent $6 million of taxpayer dollars to disappear immigrants to a foreign prison without due process. The committee is considering this massive infusion of capital into the department without holding a single hearing with Secretary Gnome, a request that I have made and others several times to this body and I'm making again today.
▶ 0:39:28Secretary Gnome has to come before this body and answer our questions about the department's illegal, and inhumane activities. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to include in the record a letter requesting Nome come before the committee to testify. In case I can keep going if I can do it at the end if you'd like. We can do it now. Uh so ordered. Thank you.
▶ 0:39:53In case there's any question about what those unconstitutional, illegal, inhumane activities are, let's revisit some of them for the record. Republicans are seeking to fund the wasteful spending of this administration after Trump and Gnome already wasted $300 million in six weeks to militarize the border.
▶ 0:40:13The administration says they're committed to legal immigration while they are cruy cancelling the appointments of thousands of immigrants who legally sought asylum in our country. Trump and Gnome have even denied children, 2year-old children, their basic right to face immigration proceedings with a lawyer, including children going through cancer treatment.
▶ 0:40:38Since January, Trump and Gnome have used ICE to terrorize our communities, profiting Latinos, and arresting US citizens, like the man who was detained in Chicago after buying a slice of pizza despite of the fact the guy was carrying his ID and his social security card and the Puerto Rican veteran in New Jersey.
▶ 0:40:57Folks, these are the same people who launched a $200 million anti-immigrant ad propaganda campaign with your constituent taxpayer dollars. And then last month, in violation of court order orders, Secretary Gnome acted on the fascist dreams of her leader and sent immigrants to offshore detention centers. Nome wasted millions to fly immigrants without criminal records to Guantanamo.
▶ 0:41:27And then she decided to enter into a $6 million deal with El Salvador government to disappear and mistakenly deport a legal resident Kilmer Abrego Garcia. In addition, a hairdresser, soccer players, eight women to a men's prison, and a long list of immigrants with no criminal records.
▶ 0:41:50The list includes a young man from Chicago whose family had no idea how to reach him after recognizing him in authoritarian propaganda video of Gnome touring the prison. All while Trump, Gnome, and Rubio weaponized immigration enforcement against activists and dissenting voices like legal permanent resident Makmur Khalo, international student Risa Otor, and labor rights organizer Alfredo Lelo Huarees.
▶ 0:42:17In three months, Trump and Gnome have abused the power of Department of Homeland Security to pursue a campaign of persecution, of mass incarceration, and deportation. Day after day, Gnome disregards the authority of Congress, the laws of the land, the constitutional rights of residents, the courts due process, and every check and balance that protects us from fascist authoritarians.
▶ 0:42:41There is no way in how that I'm giving this administration one more dollar to violate our rights and criminalize our communities. And further, Gnome must resign from her position as Secretary of Homeland Security. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to include in the record a letter demanding Gnome's resa resignation as a Secretary of Homeland So ordered. And I believe the gentle lady's time is expired. It is now. Thank you. With that, I yield back.
▶ 0:43:11Okay, she yields. Um, just to let everybody know, I think, uh, Secretary Gnome's coming in May, May the 14th, but anyway, uh, who's next? Miss Johnson, you're recognized. Thank you so much, Mr. Um, in just 100 days, President Trump has managed to deport children with cancer, illegally detain US citizens, and completely abandon due process in this country.
▶ 0:43:40It is outrageous to me that Republicans Congress and in the Senate are tolerating the complete abdication and violation of due process as outlined in the fifth amendment to the United States Constitution. And let me just read that for refresher if people need to be reminded. The fifth amendment of the United States Constitution.
▶ 0:44:07Now let me remind everyone the fifth amendment was passed at the same time the first amendment was passed for freedom of religion. The freedom of the press was also passed at the same time the second amendment was passed for the right to bear arms. These amendments are the holy grail of talking points on the Republican party. But where is the talking point for the fifth due process?
▶ 0:44:31The fifth amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the federal government from depriving any a y any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. This means that the government must follow fair procedures before taking away a person's freedom or property.
▶ 0:44:56And what we have going on right now is a swoop and steal campaign by ICE to swoop into communities, snatch people by masked agents who won't even have the courage to identify themselves, haul people off the streets, thrown onto a plane, and flown away from their community, their family, and their right of access to a court hearing.
▶ 0:45:23That is the foundational tenant that this country is founded on. What is going on? Where has where is the soul of this Congress to not stand up and defend the rights of due process, a foundational tenant of the formation of this country and silence when a two-year-old child is removed without parental consent, without a process, without anything in this country.
▶ 0:45:53It's outrageous when you have the administration has terminated the contracts of all of the uh legal aid counselors. When you have a six-year-old with headphones on at a hearing unaccompanied by any legal representative for their deportation, that is outrageous and should be a moral affront to everyone in this room, everyone in this building, and everyone in this government.
▶ 0:46:20And the fact that it not is unconscionable in and of itself. And what we have here is a gross misuse of funds. I live in Texas. I've been to the border. So much of our border is geographically not possible to build a wall. And many of you may not know this, but it is a mockery of what's happening at the wall.
▶ 0:46:43Do you know there's an app by like rock climber people that joke about how they can get over this wall in six seconds or less, but yet we want to quadruple our budget to it. 46 billion dollar. That is such a wasteful use of resources at a time when we are focused on waste, fraud, and abuse.
▶ 0:47:07That $46 billion could pay for the funding of cyber security education, a a bill we had in this committee not too long ago, that $46 billion could give much needed pay increases to Border Patrol. It could it could fund timely processing so that people could come into this country, get a hearing, and not be released without an opportunity to have a hearing for six years. But we're not doing that.
▶ 0:47:34We're just ignoring the rule of law and we're throwing money out of a pet project for a president who campaigned that another country was going to pay for it and it was complete BS. It's time for responsibility to act and to prevail in this room, in this building, and in this Congress because this is outrageous. This complete annihilation of due process. Thank you, and I yield back. Gentle lady yields. I Mr. Chairman, Mr.
▶ 0:48:04Chairman, um I ask unanimous consent to enter for the record uh the Fox News article that federal charges have been filed against an illegal immigrant who allegedly stole uh our Secretary of Homelands purse while she was eating with her family. So, so ordered. Um I now recognize Miss Poe for five minutes. Thank you, Mr. chairman and uh to our ranking member uh Thompson.
▶ 0:48:35Um first of all, let me just say that as a member of this committee and I've said this before, I take very seriously my responsibility to support and advance policies that keeps our homelands uh homeland safe. I am supportive of comprehensive border security. Our sovereign sovereignty as a nation depends on it.
▶ 0:49:03That is why just a few weeks ago, I visited St. Diego to see firsthand how our brave Customs and Border Patrol agents keep our country safe and secure. In order to truly fix our broken immigration system, we have to work in a bipartisan manner to advance real solutions.
▶ 0:49:28Last year, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate came together to craft the strongest border security bill in years. We should build o off of this momentum. But unfortunately that is not what we are doing today. This markup is not about border security.
▶ 0:49:52This markup is not is is is is actually a part of a bigger effort to support President Trump and giving tax breaks for billionaires at the expense of my constituents and your constituents.
▶ 0:50:12As we expect to see in the coming weeks, Republicans will pay for these tax breaks and spending increases by cutting over $800 billion for Medicaid. If the Republican budget is enacted, crucial health care services would be ripped away from New Jerseyians.
▶ 0:50:38In my district alone, I have 200,000 constituents who rely on Medicaid. This includes nearly 100,000 children and 23,000 seniors.
▶ 0:50:55At a time when inflation is squeezing the budgets of families all across New Jersey, the Republican plan would add over $14 trillion to the national debt. Today, our committee should be exercising our oversight responsibilities. We should be hearing directly from Secretary Christy Dome.
▶ 0:51:24Did we forget that Congress is the Article One branch? The Department of Homeland Security is not working for my constituents. The chaos of mass firing and closures are having realworld consequences on public safety in my home state.
▶ 0:51:46Why are why are state fire departments in New Jersey waiting months longer than they should be for reimbursements? How could cutting the cyber security and infrastructure security agency make hospitals, water systems, and power infrastructures any safer? What would be dismantling of FEMA mean for the ability of New Jersey to prepare for the next flood or hurricane?
▶ 0:52:16If we are writing a $69 billion check, we should be hearing directly from the Department of the Homeland Security about what is working and what is not. Let us hear, let me show, let me show and let's make sure that we show and that I show our constituents that we are making the Department of Homeland Security work for them.
▶ 0:52:45Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. Gentle lady yields. I now recognize Mr. Carter for five minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let's be very clear about what's happening here today. Despite the name of this committee and despite the claims from across the aisle, today's markup is not about sec securing our border.
▶ 0:53:09It's about cutting taxes for the wealthy and gutting programs like Medicaid and SNAP. Plain and simple. In my district in South Louisiana, nearly 300,000 people are on Medicaid, are now at risk of losing their health care under Republican budget plans.
▶ 0:53:31This figure includes nearly 130,000 children under the age of 19 and 33,000 seniors over the age of 65 in my district alone in Louisiana.
▶ 0:53:46At a time when American families are struggling with rising cost and access to health care, my Republican colleagues have decided to prioritize giveaways to billionaires and special interest over the needs of everyday people. And let's talk about how we got here. Congressional Republicans have utterly failed in their most basic oversight duties.
▶ 0:54:10They're focusing through a massive bill with a single appearance from Secretary No, without one hearing, without one word of testimony on DHS's actual budget needs priorities. That is legislative malpractice. Worse yet, this bill will supercharge the administration's extreme deportation agenda.
▶ 0:54:38We're seeing dangerous rise in forced disappearances of immigrants without due process. Many of whom have done nothing more than exercise their First Amendment right and have not been convicted of any crime by any of our justice systems. Speaking out in this country should never be a deportable offense.
▶ 0:55:02Even if we don't like what we hear, we're not obligated to agree with or like what we hear to be protected by free speech. It's unamerican and it's unconstitutional. Just last week, I had the opportunity to visit several individuals detained by ICE in two facilities in Louisiana.
▶ 0:55:25People whose only crime was daring to speak out against what they felt were I met with Makmu Khalil, a lawful permanent resident and Colombian grad student detained after peaceful pro pro Palestinian advocacy. Someone who has said publicly that he is against terrorism, against Hamas, merely concerned about his homeland and the devastation happening in Gaza.
▶ 0:55:55As he sat in jail, the government denied his request to attend his son's recent birth. His own it his story is heartbreaking but now no longer unique. Makmoud exercises first amendment rights to criticize the government. For that he now sits behind bars facing deportation. Mcmood's case is one of many.
▶ 0:56:18Across the country, individuals are being detained and deported not for violating immigration laws, but for raising their voices and for attending protest, for posting social media for seeking a better life. This is not hypothetical. Advocacy organizations, legal experts, and watchdog groups have all documented an alarming pattern of retaliation against immigrants and visa holders who dare to speak out.
▶ 0:56:48When government uses immigration enforcement as a weapon to silence dissident, it violates the most basic principles of our democracy. The first amendment does not have an asterk next to it. It does not say freedom of speech just for citizens. It protects everyone on our soil, no matter their immigration status.
▶ 0:57:13When we allow political expression to become deportable offenses, we not only betray the constitutional values, we send a chilling message to all communities that their rights are conditional and precarious. The United States should be a beacon for freedom, not a cautionary tale. Makm Khalil and so many others like him deserve better from us.
▶ 0:57:40And now the cruelty of this administration deportation agenda has reached a horrifying new low. Deporting American citizen children. Recently in my hometown the district of district of New Orleans, US-born citizens children removed from this country, ripped from their communities, their schools, and in one heartbreaking case from across access to life saving medical care.
▶ 0:58:07One of those children, a four-year-old battling with a rare form cancer. Instead of receiving the care and stability they need, this child and their family were targeted for deportation and hurriedly put on a plane and sent to Honduras. This is not border security. This is state sanctioned trauma and it's unconstitutional. The American people are watching and as a recent poll shows, they do not support ripping families apart.
▶ 0:58:37They do not support criminalizing speech. They believe in the rule of law and due process. This bill is not about safety. It's about security. It's about power. It's about politics in the sense and the expense of our most fundamental values. I urge you to dig deep into your hearts. do the right thing. Don't follow the political talking points. Do what's right for the American people. I yield back. Gentleman yields.
▶ 0:59:07I'd like to uh state that as I have been as fair as possible on the uh letting people go past the five minutes. Um I u today is going to be a long day if we do that. So we will fairly on both sides of the aisle restrict to 5 minutes today. So please keep your you didn't you you went a little over about a minute 20.
▶ 0:59:34Oh I I was trying but you're my age so you probably didn't hear that. It's all good. Um I should have started today with that comment but um yeah let's do our best today to keep it within the five minutes everybody. Um, I now recognize uh Mr. Garcia for five minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I I think it's pretty clear that Republicans have called us in today to oversee one of the biggest ripoffs in American history.
▶ 1:00:04We already know what this plan actually means. It's trillions in deficit finance tax cuts for the wealthiest in this country. 880 billion in cuts that will decimate Medicaid. Medicaid covers 80 million Americans, low-income people, the disabled, long-term care for the elderly, substance abuse treatment, and 41% of all births in this country. That's what's being threatened today and as part of this budget proposal. And that's not all, of course, with an an additional $230 billion in cuts that also threaten food assistance.
▶ 1:00:34Now, this is one of the biggest wealth transfers from the poor to the rich in American history. And it comes at the same time that Donald Trump is destroying our economy with a crazy and erratic tariff agenda. It's a complete ripoff for the American people. Now, we should believe in a country where we take care of each other, where billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share, where everyone deserves food, healthcare, and an affordable place to live. Now, in our Homeland Security Committee today, truly disturbing things are happening.
▶ 1:01:03Now, even though border crossings are at an all-time low, which I remind the committee actually began under President Biden, we want to give Donald Trump a giant slush fund for his extreme, toxic, and lawless deportation agenda. Now, Secretary Noam currently spends much of her time dressing up as an ICE agent and doing propaganda tours of foreign prisons. Now, this bill would give her a huge budget increase with absolutely no accountability.
▶ 1:01:29And we know the administration is already trampling on the rule of law and we shouldn't be voting to empower them today. I want to begin by also uh under unanimous consent introduc into the record a poll from Fox News showing that Donald Trump actually now has a negative approval rating on immigration. Mr. Chair, so ordered. And why is the American public turning on the president on immigration? It's because the president is now destroying our due process system in this country.
▶ 1:01:56In the case of Kilar Brigo Garcia, there's a 90 Supreme Court ruling that is demanding his facilitation back to the US and the Donald the Donald Trump administration is flouting the Supreme Court. Of course, they've admitted they made a mistake and yet they still refuse to bring him back. In the case of Andrew Romero, who came to the border seeking asylum because he was fleeing persecution for being gay.
▶ 1:02:20He came to his appointment at the border that we gave him as a government and then was taken to a foreign prison with no due process. This is not the country that we should be proud of in this system of immigration. We now have evidence that that Donald Trump is deporting people with no due process. He's willfully denying and ignoring the Supreme Court. We cannot continue to afford to afford to continue to spend more and more resources on a toxic, extreme, and unconstitutional agenda.
▶ 1:02:50Everyone here supports border security. If you're convicted of a serious crime, I think we can all agree that you shouldn't be here. But this does nothing to bring down the cost of living for workingclass and middle class families. We are empowering an administration that is attacking our constitution, our safety, and our middle class. And we should vote no on these budget increases today. Thank you, and I yield back. Gentleman yields. Uh I now recognize Mr. Magaziner for five minutes. Thank you, Chairman.
▶ 1:03:19We need more funding for Homeland Security and border security. I was supportive last Congress of the bipartisan plan from the Senate to increase funding for border security, and I support more funding now. But what I cannot and will not support is the Trump administration locking up people with no due process, including people who are charged with no crimes, separating parents from children, sending people to foreign prisons, deporting children who
▶ 1:03:50need cancer treatment. It doesn't have to be this way. Our government can be effective without being cruel. And Donald Trump's disregard for due process puts the freedoms of all Americans at risk. Here's what I'm talking about. Andre Hernandez Romero, and I'd ask my colleagues, do me the the courtesy. Put down the phones for just a minute and listen to this one story.
▶ 1:04:18He is a gay makeup artist who worked for a television station in Venezuela. He fled Venezuela because he was being persecuted by gangs linked to the dictator Maduro for his political beliefs and his sexual orientation. He made the grueling trip north to our border and presented himself at a port of entry to ask for asylum. If you remember nothing else about his story, remember this. He did not enter our country illegally.
▶ 1:04:47He did not enter our country at all. He didn't cross the border. He didn't sneak across. He did the right thing. He presented himself at a port of entry and asked for asylum. He did it the legal way. And when he was interviewed at the border, officers found that he had a credible asylum case that was likely to be approved at a full hearing. But he never got a full hearing. Why? Because instead the Trump administration shipped him to the torture prison in El Salvador.
▶ 1:05:18He was never accused of a crime. has never been linked to any gang and never entered the country illegally. The only rationale that the administration has ever provided for why he was sent is that he has two tattoos, one that says mom and one that says dad. He is still there in that prison in El Salvador today and has never received his hearing. I'll give you another.
▶ 1:05:44Fabian Schmidt, a German American green card holder living legally in New Hampshire with permanent US resident status. He was returning home after visiting his father in Europe and was taken to a prison in Rhode Island and has been held there for nearly 2 months. When he was detained, he was stripped naked, placed in a cold shower, and was denied his medications leading to his hospitalization. He has not been charged with any crime.
▶ 1:06:13We still don't know why he's in jail. The Department of Homeland Security has provided no justification for his imprisonment at all. His only record, simple possession of marijuana in a DUI in 2015 and 2016. That's it. That's it. He has an 8year-old daughter whose father has been locked up in prison for the last two months. And nobody knows why.
▶ 1:06:43During the course of this markup, you will hear many stories like this of children with cancer deported and unable to receive treatment, families separated, and people thrown in jail with no criminal charges and no explanation. None of this is necessary. Andre Romero could be at his asylum hearing and Fabian Schmidt could be home with his daughter and this country would be no less safe.
▶ 1:07:09What should scare all of us is that the Trump administration seems to think that they are above the law and can lock people up and send people to foreign jails with no charges and no evidence. Look, we need to fund border security. Of course, we do. But as a Congress, we have a responsibility to ensure that the administration uses its enormous power responsibly, that innocent people are not locked up and tortured. That is our job.
▶ 1:07:37If Congress doesn't hold this administration responsible, who will? And I'll tell my Republican colleagues right now, look, I'll support more funding for border security if you work with us to include language to make sure that the administration uses its awesome responsibly, that we do our duty as a Congress to prevent executive overreach and ensure that innocent people are not locked up without due process. So, let's withdraw this bill.
▶ 1:08:08Let's work together on a better one that combines funding with accountability. We can do both. And I yield back. Gentleman yields. I now recognize the ranking member. Very much, Mr. Chairman. I think you can tell from uh the Democratic side of committee we're in absolute opposition to this package. Mr.
▶ 1:08:37Chairman, this amendment in the nature of a substitute is about throwing enormous amounts of taxpayer money at the border to buy the votes of Republicans who are reluctant to support massive tax cuts and giveaways for billionaires. As you heard from my Democratic colleagues, we are appalled at how the Trump administration is mismanaging and dismantling DHS and ignoring due process and the rule of law.
▶ 1:09:05The Republican Reconciliation Bill steals money from American taxpayers and gives it to the Trump administration to decimate DHS and attack the It funds deporting kids with cancer by cutting health care coverage for other kids with cancer.
▶ 1:09:25Trump and Gnome are unconstitutionally dismantling DHS, firing hundreds of civil servants, freezing grants, eliminating the watchd dogs who protect Americans, and failing to respond to Hurricane Helen's devastation in North Carolina.
▶ 1:09:45Under Trump and Secretary Nome, DHS is detaining and deporting children with terminal cancer, punishing students for engaging in protected First Amendment activity, and denying due process to individuals, including those in the country legally.
▶ 1:10:04As already has been said, although are fundamental to anyone who's charged in this country, that you have to have a right to face your accuser and you have a right to have counsel and you also have a right to understand what you're being charged with. Congressman Carter talked about individuals we visited last week in Louisiana.
▶ 1:10:27Uh both who haven't been formally charged, but unfortunately access to counsel and other things are being denied, but they are also over a thousand miles from home. And so there's nothing uh American and or humane about that. Trump and Gnome are fragrantly ignoring lawful court orders, including those from the Supreme Court.
▶ 1:10:51A US lawful permanent resident rots in an Elsa Salvadorian maximum security prison while being denied due process in direct violation of a federal judge's order in a unanimous Supreme Court order.
▶ 1:11:08When the Supreme When the Trump administration spends its resources harassing, rounding up, and deporting American citizens, legal permanent residents, and international students in the name of border security, it is ignoring real threats from terrorism, domestic violence, extremism, and gun violence.
▶ 1:11:31When the Trump administration dismantles FEMA, every American is more vulnerable to natural disasters and their devastating aftermath. We're about to head into another hurricane season. Every member of this committee, if something happens, you're going to ask, "Where is FEMA?" Well, if the administration gets its way, FEMA will not be here anymore.
▶ 1:11:58There won't be a cavalary available to come to your rescue. When the Trump administration guts CISA is putting critical systems, cyber security, power infrastructure, water system, hospital and ambulance services at risk of attack. The Trump administration has spent its first 100 days causing incredible harm to DHS and American people.
▶ 1:12:25Homeland Security Republicans have failed at their most basic oversight duties and are now trying to ram through a $69 billion bill without any testimony from our MIA Secretary of Homeland Security. This bill spends 10 times the amount on the border wall as it does for Customs and Border Protection.
▶ 1:12:49And I remind my colleagues, this is a border wall that our current president said Mexico was going to pay for. This entire effort is just a partisan exercise for Republican members to demonstrate their loyalty to Trump and their billionaire donors. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and I yield back. Gentleman yields. Mr. Kennedy, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr.
▶ 1:13:18Chairman, the bill we take up today is a shameful reminder that the priorities of our Republican colleagues are putting Americans at risk. Gutting Medicaid, threatening Social Security, and running roughshod over the Constitution, ignoring due process, and deporting citizens. It's misguided. It's wrong, hateful, cruel, and illegal.
▶ 1:13:46Democrats understand the importance of doing our duty as elected officials to secure the homeland and undertook efforts to do so through bipartisan efforts just last year. These priorities included supporting hardworking border personnel, combating drug trafficking, and ensuring people are processed properly, securely, and efficiently at ports of entry all along our borders.
▶ 1:14:14Throughout these negotiations, House Republicans had their chance to address Porter challenges and fix our broken immigration system effectively. Instead, they chose politics over people. And we're seeing that play out once more again today.
▶ 1:14:33Today's committee print doss out 46.5 billion dollar in funding to pay for President Trump's PET project without doing anything to improve emergency management or protect FEMA from this administration's plans to dismantle the agency entirely and while cutting vital services to Americans.
▶ 1:14:56More broadly, this reconciliation package executes tax breaks for billionaires and the ultra wealthy and leaves communities stricken by disaster high and dry. Not to mention the fact that it's funded by catastrophic cuts to Medicaid that'll take away health insurance and nutrition assistance for children and families that need it most across the United States.
▶ 1:15:20The underlying proposal we're discussing today spends exorbitant amounts of money to do what's best for Donald Trump, not the American people who live in work communities stricken by disasters or who depend upon federal programs just to put food on the table. I cannot in good faith support such a misguided partisan bill that does nothing to meaningfully promote emergency management or stop Trump's targeted dismantling of the Department of Homeland Security.
▶ 1:15:51It makes wrongful and devastating cuts to vital services that will inevitably hurt the most vulnerable in my district and all across America. doles out billions of dollars to a department with leadership that's proving under this administration that there is no regard for due process, morality, humanity, or democratic principles. With that, Mr. Chairman, I back. Gentleman yields.
▶ 1:16:20Uh I now recognize Mr. Goldman for 5 minutes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We're here today ostensibly to fund the Department of Homeland Security through a partisan reconciliation bill that uh intentionally and very clearly bypasses uh any cooperation with Democrats. I want to talk for a minute about what is actually in this bill, which is pretty remarkable.
▶ 1:16:50First of all, twothirds of the funding in this bill goes to the border wall. Now, you can make arguments about the border wall all you want. Obviously, we know it's a pet project of the president. Um, would it be better if we had a border wall to keep the border Probably. But is it really the most effective use of 46 billion dollars? Of course not.
▶ 1:17:20Because not not included in here is any funding for the actual effective methods of keeping the border secure. We live in a technological world right now where building a wall where we've seen people scale it very easily where we've seen it fall down by the because of the wind is a relic from the 1950s.
▶ 1:17:48That should not be what our government is spending $46 billion on. But worse, let's talk about what is not in this bill. There is no money for emergency management for FEMA. Now, this is not a partisan issue. Red districts suffer from natural disasters certainly as much or more as blue districts.
▶ 1:18:14And I can assure you to my Republican colleagues that when your district gets a flood or a tornado or a hurricane, you are going to be coming to FEMA begging for money.
▶ 1:18:34And I don't want to hear a single word from any of my Republican colleagues about where is FEMA when they need emergency management support because you are voting for a bill that includes nothing. Nothing for money that you will need and you will need it. You are being But do not worry, there is money for FEMA.
▶ 1:19:04There is money for FEMA. $300 billion dollar. You know what that's for? For Donald Trump to play golf. $300 million to reimburse local law enforcement for presidential protection related to activities by the president. million. Donald Trump has played golf 24 out of his first 99 days.
▶ 1:19:34That is a quarter of the days. So you are funding a bill that does not give any money for natural disasters, that does not repay towns, cities, states for the tremendous amount of money that they have paid out for our immigration system to operate. No. And that's red districts, too.
▶ 1:20:05But we are going to make sure Donald Trump can play golf because that's where our $300 million of FEMA money should go to. It's a disgrace. And it's a disgrace that none of my Republican colleagues will speak up against this money for golf, against the obvious and egregious due process violations. I know you. I know you are good people.
▶ 1:20:34I know you care about due process. You care about the rule of law. And I know in your private moments when you think about Kilmar Garcia and you see that the administration admitted that he was wrongly deported and sent to a prison in Salvador that you know that the president should simply correct the mistake.
▶ 1:21:05bring him back home so he can go through the proper court system. When are you going to speak publicly? When are you going to speak out for simple due process which is the bedrock of our country? Because now it's going from Kilar Abrau to American citizens and who knows when it will be next. Donald Trump's not listening to me, but he will listen to you all.
▶ 1:21:32and I urge you to speak up for the good of our constitution. Gentlemen's time has expired. I now recognize Mr. Swallwell for 5 minutes. We're 100 days in to this administration and the president promised he would lower prices on day one.
▶ 1:21:59Donald Trump is 0 for a 100. He's 0 for 100. Prices are not going down, they're going up. The Trump tariff tax is raising prices on the four out of five items in every American's Walmart shopping cart. Your 401ks, they're 2011ks. That's the Trump slump.
▶ 1:22:28Americans were anxious about the economy when they voted last November. They wanted their costs to go down. They didn't want the chaos to go up. So, what are we doing here? What are we doing here? What in hearing achieves lowering costs for the American people?
▶ 1:22:54You know how far you have deviated from lowering the costs for American people. This is where you are today. You will make it easier to deport more American citizen children cancer. Think about that.
▶ 1:23:20Today's vote will make it easier for the president to deport more American children with cancer. That makes me sick. I have a seven-year-old, a six-year-old, and a three-year-old. You don't have to be a parent to understand how cruel this is.
▶ 1:23:45that in the last two weeks, a four-year-old was separated from his father, a US citizen, and deported with his mother while he was suffering stage 4 cancer and undergoing cancer treatment.
▶ 1:24:03That's where we're at right One of our colleagues to expedite the deportation of kids with cancer said we should arrest 100 more judges. Arrogant elitist black robes have been raping our core principles for decades. If the DOJ needs a list, I have it. That was Mr. Higgins on this committee.
▶ 1:24:31If he were here, I would yield to him to tell us who are those 100 judges and what have they done? This committee is charged with making us safer.
▶ 1:24:47Instead, the geniuses in charge of the Department of Defense have invited uncleared individuals into classified signal group chats.
▶ 1:25:03The president is getting rid of the cyber security force that protects small and medium-sized businesses across We are so far away from lowering the costs for hardworking Americans. At the end of the day, I'll catch up with a very precocious seven-year-old.
▶ 1:25:31I'll ask him, "What did you do today at school?" He never gives me a satisfying answer, but he's gotten smart enough to also ask me, "What did you do today at work?" And do you know what I'm not going to tell him? I didn't make it easier to deport American children with cancer. What will you say? Yield back.
▶ 1:26:02Gentleman yields. Mr. Mr. Chairman, recognize. I ask unanimous consent to enter this article into the record from USA Today. US child deported to Mexico with parents after brain surgery. So order. Would anyone else like to make a comment on the amendment in the nature of Sorry, Mr. Chairman, just briefly unanimous consent request.
▶ 1:26:26an April 10 letter that I sent to acting director Miss Bridget Bean at SISA uh formalizing my requests around their workforce reorganization. order. Would anyone else like to make comments on the amendment in the nature of the substitute? Hearing none, we will now move to amendments to the amendment in the nature of the substitute. Are there any amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute?
▶ 1:26:58Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Ranking member, you're recognized. Well, clerk needs to Mr. Chairman, um I reserve point of order is reserved.
▶ 1:27:24The uh clerk will distribute the amendment.
▶ 1:28:30This is six. Yes. Clerk will report the amendment. Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security number 006 offered by Mr. Thompson of Mississippi. Without objection, the reading is dispensed with and gentlemen uh ranking member is recognized for five minutes on the amendment.
▶ 1:29:00Thank you very much. Uh Mr. Chairman, this amendment is straightforward. You've heard from majority of our uh my colleagues here on the Democratic side. My amendment prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from using any funds to aid in or effectuate the removal of a US citizen from the United States except in compliance with treaty obligations and federal extradition laws.
▶ 1:29:29Every day we are witnessing an assault by this administration against the constitutional constitution and our nation's values. Just last week, the Trump administration deported three US citizens to children to Honduras. Let me repeat that. The Trump administration deported three US citizen children to Honduras. One of the children is a four-year-old American with stage 4 cancer.
▶ 1:29:59This child was sent away by our government without any medication. His family had no opportunity to consult a doctor before his illegal and unconstitutional removal at the hands of a cruel administration. Another child is a 2-year-old American.
▶ 1:30:18She was sent to a country that she's never known against the wishes and the constitutional rights of her father who remains here and whose pleading pleadings were ignored by ICE. The Trump administration tried to argue after the child's deportation that it's okay to remove the 2-year-old girl from her country because they got the mother's consent without proving it in court.
▶ 1:30:45In fact, the Trump administration wouldn't even answer the phone when the judge called to verify the mother's wishes. I shouldn't have to remind my colleagues that it's illegal and patently unconstitutional to deport a US citizen. Even the Trump appointed judge overseeing the case had a quote strong suspicion that the government just deported a US citizen with no meaningful process unquote.
▶ 1:31:16For example, ICE denied multiple requests by the family to release the two-year-old girl from the custody and did not offer the child's mother and any alternative. Right now, the committee has the obligation to make sure the Trump administration does not continue to remove Americans from their homeland. We already know that the administration's long-term goal.
▶ 1:31:42The administration is piloting a $6 million deportation pipeline to Salvadorian prisons meant for terrorists and violent gang members to soon hold Americans. Don't believe me? Then listen to President Trump's own words to the president of El Salvador from earlier this month and I quote, "Homegrrons are next. The homegrowns you got to build about five more places.
▶ 1:32:10The presidents want five more prisons to hold Americans in a foreign country, presumably forever. The American people and especially our children should not be kicked out of their own country. Spending any DHS funds for this illegal agenda does absolutely nothing to secure the border or strengthen our national security. It's just a betrayal of the Constitution. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment. I yield back.
▶ 1:32:40Gentleman yields. Would anyone wish to comment or on on the amendment to the amendment? Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman. Yeah. I withdraw my point of order. Point of order is withdrawn. Are there any other comments on the amendment to the amendment? There being no further discussion, chairman. U Mr. Huawe, you're recognized. Thank you. Uh Mr. Chairman, I wanted to give Mr.
▶ 1:33:10Higgins the opportunity because I mentioned him earlier and he wasn't here. He tweeted yesterday that we should arrest a 100 more judges. Arrogant elitist black robes have been raping our core principles for decade. If the DOJ needs a list, I have it. I'm willing to yield to Mr. Higgins if he could tell us who those 100 judges are and why they should be arrested. Yeah, we're here, Mr. Swallwell to um address this amendment and this bill.
▶ 1:33:39Uh we're not going to have a back and forth colloiquy today. Um so I'm not going to allow that question. Uh you have uh 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Well, I I welcome Mr. Higgins in his time, if he really has a list of 100 judges and why they should be arrested to tell us because the chilling threats on our judges, whether it was Brett Kavanaaugh and the sick individual who wanted to assassinate him or the recent threats against judges who have made orders against Donald Trump's immigration
▶ 1:34:10policies, they have no business uh in our country or our dialogue. And so if Mr. Higgins does have names and does have reasons. I think the American people deserve to know and the judges uh for their own sake uh should hear. And with that, I'll yield back. Gentlemen, would anyone else wish to comment on the amendment to the amendment? Mr. Goldman, you're recognized.
▶ 1:34:37is almost impossible to be controversial. If my Republican colleagues cannot agree that United States citizens should not be removed from this country by the Department of Homeland Security, what are we as a country? Where are we? It's a very simple amendment.
▶ 1:35:04It is an absolute travesty that this amendment is germanine because this has happened. And we hear that American citizen children with cancer are only removed at the request of their mother who's being removed. And how do we know that?
▶ 1:35:33Because the Department of Homeland Security says so. That mother was not allowed to speak to a lawyer. They were not allowed to speak to the father of the children. They were not allowed to speak to the doctors treating a child with stage 4 cancer.
▶ 1:35:56Obviously, that treatment would be a lot better in the United States than in the country to which they're sent. So, we're just supposed to take the word for from the Department of Homeland Security that oh, the mother wanted the child to stay with her and not get the excellent medical treatment that this country provides.
▶ 1:36:25and instead go to who knows where with the mother. Well, we have information now today because finally after the mother was deported, she was able to speak to lawyer. And in fact, her lawyer reports no, she was not asked whether she wanted to bring her United States citizen child with her.
▶ 1:36:52She was not in fact informed of all of the her rights and what the situation was and what the rights of her child are. And so we now have to address an amendment that says no funds shall be used by the Department of Homeland Security to deport American citizens. This is simple.
▶ 1:37:20How can you not support an amendment that says we should not deport American citizens? I know you will vote against this. I know you will because I'm sure you will vote against every single one of the amendments that we put forward today because as one of your colleagues has said, this is your bill and god forbid you would work in a bipartisan way to unfortunately necessary
▶ 1:37:51amendments, but at some point, and I'm going to say this over and over and over again, are you going to let this administration continue to do things that you know are wrong because you're scared that the president will attack you and support a primary opponent? Will you stand up for what you know is right?
▶ 1:38:18or will you continue to stay silent because you don't want to upset a bully mob boss in the White House. There is no reason why anyone should vote against this and I hope you all think hard about it before you do and I yield back. Gentleman yields.
▶ 1:38:42Do any other members wish to speak on this none, there being no further discussion, a question now occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Thompson. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say No. In the opinion of the chair to nos have it and the amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute is not adopted. Mr. Chairman. Yes. The gentleman recognized.
▶ 1:39:11On that I ask for a recorded vote. Recorded vote is requested. Pursuant to committee rule 7C, further proceedings of this question are postponed. Are there any other amendments to the amendment and the nature of a substitute? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Mr.
▶ 1:39:41Mr. Carter is recognized. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at desk number 15. For what? Mr. Chairman, what purpose does gentleman seek recognition? I reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. The clerk will report the Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mr. Carter of Louisiana number 015.
▶ 1:40:09Without objection, the reading is dispensed with the gentleman. The clerk will distribute the amendment,
▶ 1:41:21Without objection, the reading is dispensed with and the gentleman, Mr. Carter, is recognized for five minutes to speak on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Last week, three little children who are citizens of United States of America and citizens of the state of Louisiana were unconstitutionally detained by ICE, then unconstitutionally trafficked out of this country to Honduras.
▶ 1:41:48One of those little children is a four-year-old boy with a rare form of cancer. It's stage four and that little boy is going to die if he doesn't get back to the United States where he belongs. I'm shocked and it takes a lot to shock me these days that I even have to propose this amendment to prohibit funds from being used to deport minor children who are citizens of this country.
▶ 1:42:18But unfortunately, we're here. Look, it's already illegal to deport citizens. As federal courts have said, quote, "Any ICE officer would know, it is illegal and unconstitutional to deport, detain for deportation or recommended deportation a US citizen." End quote.
▶ 1:42:44Moreover, to quote federal courts, an ICE officer who actively participates in the detention and or removal of a person who he knows to be a US citizen or upon minimal investigation would discover is a US citizen would be deemed to know that such conduct clearly denies that person's liberty without due process. End quote.
▶ 1:43:12So, the ICE field office director in New Orleans and every ICE officer who aided or affectuated the removal of these little citizen children from the state of Louisiana to Honduras were trampling on the Constitution. They said to hell it.
▶ 1:43:33Can't say that about our Congress cannot allow taxpayer dollars to be spent for unconstitutional actions that harm little children who happen to be US citizens. I've seen people on the internet and some of my Republican colleagues say that children's mothers somehow consented to the deportation of their children. Let me dispel this myth.
▶ 1:44:00First of all, as a Trump appointed judge in Louisiana said, quote, "The court doesn't know that," end quote, because the Trump administration refused to pick up the phone when the judge called to speak to one of the mothers about her so-called consent.
▶ 1:44:18Second, a mother cannot give meaningful consent to the deportation of her citizen children while she is under duress and held by ICE with no access to her lawyer while her lawyer is pleading with ICE to get into the room and while she cannot get into get into contact with the father.
▶ 1:44:42What is a mother to do if she doesn't know whether ICE will let her kids go on the side of the road or just house them in a different cell to suffer alone? There's no lawful consent that could be given under those circumstances.
▶ 1:44:58Third, and finally, the father of these children did not consent to their children's unconstitutional deportation to To quote the Supreme Court in Troxel v quote, "The liberty interest of parents in the care, custody, and control of their children is perhaps the oldest of the fundamental liberties interest recognized by this court." End quote.
▶ 1:45:28Yet again, ICE and DHS ignored the Constitution and deported children citizens. What is fascist? fascist hell has this country become in just the first three months of the Donald Trump presidency. Let me repeat that. What in fascist hell has this country become in just the first three months of Donald Trump's presidency?
▶ 1:45:55We cannot sit back and let ICE deport citizens, especially children. My tiny constituents may die in a foreign country because of the ice field office in New Orleans and the actions of the Trump administration, which Republicans apparently want to spend more money on. Where is the human decency? Let's get these citizen children back. Congress has planes. We should go get them.
▶ 1:46:25Bring them home from Honduras. get these children back home to their fathers. Gentleman's time has expired and get the gentleman upon his point of order. Hospitals. Gentleman's time has expired. Does Mr. G? Mr. Chairman point of order. I withdraw my point of order. Point of order is Do any other members wish to speak on this amendment? Mr. Chairman, Mr. Magazine is recognized for five minutes. Mr. Chairman, I speak in support of Mr. Carter's bill.
▶ 1:46:53It is outrageous that the Trump administration is deporting children who are US citizens and pose no threat to the United States. What world are we living in where my Republican colleagues are willing to accept this? And I just want to add some context here.
▶ 1:47:15As far as I'm aware, in none of the cases where US citizen children have been deported were their parents accused of any crime in the United States pose any threat to public safety. And it seems that they were denied the opportunity to even consult with a lawyer before they and their children were deported. April 24th in New Orleans, US citizens aged four and seven.
▶ 1:47:43The four-year-old has a rare form of late stage cancer. The mother was not able to speak with family members or any lawyers before she and the children, including the US citizen child with cancer, were deported. Not even allowed to talk to a lawyer.
▶ 1:48:02That US citizen's rights were Family number two, April 22nd, a 2-year-old US citizen deported to Honduras with his mother and sister. Now, picture that you are the father of 2-year-old. The father, and we know this from legal filings, the father received a call from an ICE officer who said that the mother was there and that they did not have much time to speak, but they were going to be deported.
▶ 1:48:32The father was able to speak with the mother for only a minute. He heard his daughter's crying in the background. He told the officer that their daughter was a US citizen and could not be deported. The officer said that she that the daughter would not be deported. The father began to give the mother the phone number of their attorneys, but before he could, he heard the officer take the phone from her and hang up the call.
▶ 1:49:01And they were all deported, including the 2-year-old US citizen. No opportunity to speak with a lawyer. Barely any opportunity at all to speak Why? What was the urgent threat posed by 2-year-old? None. And this is the slippery slope. They start with people who are undocumented. Then it's legal immigrants in the United States. Then it's US citizens who are two years old.
▶ 1:49:30If they keep trampling on rights, pretty soon everyone's rights are going to be under threat. This is how it happens. We have to draw the line. So, if nothing else, can we at least come together as a committee and as a Congress and say no to deporting children who are US citizens, especially when no access to legal counsel has been afforded. Can we at least do that? And I yield back. The gentleman yields.
▶ 1:50:00Is there any other members wish to speak on this amendment? Mr. Chairman, Mr. Thompson is recognized. Uh, thank you very much. It must be really tough for my colleagues on the other side to vote against this. I mean, I'm a father. I'm a grandfather. I'm a godfather. I'm an uncle. I'm a cousin to children and who are all American citizens.
▶ 1:50:26And all we're saying is say, "Look, I don't do children this way. Uh, through no fault of their own, we're gonna deport them." And I would hate if somebody did a relative of Bennett Thompson's like that or a relative of anyone else's like that. We are a better country than what's being exhibited in this bill.
▶ 1:50:52uh just being mean to children is not the way to go. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment. It makes sense. Uh children didn't ask to be born in this country. But if they are, they should be afforded every right that an American citizen uh is provided. And it can't be just based on innuendo or what somebody said.
▶ 1:51:22Uh we talked about the the said a mother uh said well we don't have proof other than what the other person said. There's no video. There's nothing. And and so I think what we have to do is error on the side of what makes sense. Uh we're a nation of laws. Uh children are here. uh it's a blessing to have them if you're fortunate.
▶ 1:51:49Uh but you also have other children that you you help with. And so I implore uh my Republican colleagues do a little uh before you vote against this bill uh because it's absolutely tough I think to vote against children. Most elected officials will say that children are some of the people we have support.
▶ 1:52:20This is an amendment that children. We should not be about punishing children who have not broken the law. Being an American citizen is not illegal. Therefore, you should not be deported. So I ask my colleagues to support the amendment made by the from Louisiana. Yield back. The gentleman yields. Any other members seek recognition.
▶ 1:52:48There being no further discussion, the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Carter of Louisiana. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nose have it and the amendment to the amendment in the nature of the substitute is not adopted. Mr. Thompson is recognized. On that I ask for the yays and nays. Recorded vote is requested pursuant to committee rule 7c.
▶ 1:53:15Further proceedings on this question are postponed. Are there any amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to be further considered? Mr. Mr. Chairman, you have an amendment at the desk. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Mr. Guest. Chairman, I seek recognition. I reserve a point of order. Gentleman reserves a point of order. The clerk will distribute the amendment.
▶ 1:54:06Thank you. The clerk will report the amendment.
▶ 1:54:31An amendment to the amendment the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mr. Magaziner number 023. Without objection, the reading is dispensed with the gentleman. Mr. Magaziner is recognized for five minutes to speak on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment is a simple one. It aims to prevent President Trump from sending United States citizens to foreign prisons like the prison in El Salvador.
▶ 1:55:01As United States citizens, we have inalienable rights. the right to due process, the right to free speech, and the right not to have our own elected leaders send us to foreign prisons and then claim that those rights no longer apply. If it can happen to someone else, it can happen to you. And I would just urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
▶ 1:55:29I know we don't agree on everything, but if we can agree on nothing else, can we at least agree on not sending US citizens to rot in foreign prisons? And this is not an idle possibility. President Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to send US citizens to prisons in El Salvador. He said to the president of El Salvador, quote, I said the homegrowns next. The homegrowns. Elon Musk said, 'Great idea.
▶ 1:55:59And Trump said, 'I do it in a heartbeat. Donald Trump has instructed the attorney general to look into deporting US citizens to other countries. During a White House press briefing, the White House spokesperson said that the president has been discussing this idea quite a few times. Can we just cut this off now? Let's not send US citizens to foreign prisons. This is insane. It is outrageous.
▶ 1:56:27And every American should be terrified by this prospect. What we have right now is an outofcrol president who believes that the law does not apply to him, who believes that he is above the constitution. But no, we are a country of laws. We are a country where every US citizen is protected under the Constitution and US citizens should not be sent to foreign jails. So, I'm just going to stop there because this is simple. It is cut and dry.
▶ 1:56:56And I would just urge all my colleagues, you're going to have to vote on this and think about how that vote is going to age over If US citizens are sent to be tortured and possibly die in a foreign jail because we allow it to happen. How is that vote going to age? Let's just cut this off right now. It has nothing to do with making the border more secure. It has nothing to do with making our country safer.
▶ 1:57:26This is about protecting the fundamental rights of American citizens. It is about protecting the Constitution that we all swore an oath to uphold. Let's do the right thing here. And I yield back. Mr. Chairman. The gentleman yields. Mr. Guess is recognized. I'd like to withdraw my point of order. The gentleman withdraws his point of order. Mr. Chairman, may I be recognized? Mr. Goldman, you wish to speak on this amendment? Yes, I do. Mr. Goldman is recognized to speak on the amendment.
▶ 1:57:57Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are um we're dealing with an amendment uh that at its core relates to using US funding, US resources to pay for people who are in this country to be housed at one of the brutal, cruel prisons in the world.
▶ 1:58:27This prison would violate the eth amendment if it were in the United States. Of course, it's not in the United States. So, there is no ETH amendment in El And I I bring this up because even though Mr. Abrego Garcia is not a citizen. Um, and so this amendment itself does not directly relate to him.
▶ 1:58:54The idea that the president of the United States would say, "I have no ability to bring him back from El Salvador prison when we are paying for him to be there." And you don't have to take my word for it.
▶ 1:59:14The vice president of El said to Senator Van Holland when he went down there, "Well, why are you keeping him?" "Because we're being paid to keep him here, and if we weren't being paid, then we would happily turn him back over." So, let's call a spade a spade here.
▶ 1:59:33We all know that it is entirely false and bogus to claim that he cannot be returned to the United States from El Salvador. Let's just agree, can we all, that that is not actually the reason why the president of the United States has defied a nine nothing Supreme Court order.
▶ 2:00:00And I think we should also be able to agree that the word means, as very conservative appellet judge Harvey Wilkinson said, to actually do something. How about doing something by stopping payment for Mr. Abrego Garcia's That would certainly be facilitating.
▶ 2:00:30That is sufficiently easy enough. And that is at the power of President Donald Trump to do. So let's get rid of this fiction that he can't be brought back. He can easily be returned by President Trump. At a Judiciary Committee hearing a couple weeks ago, even former Speaker N.
▶ 2:00:57Gingrich acknowledged that given the admitted mistake quote unquote of deporting Mr. Abrego Garcia to a country where there was an order that he should not go to. He said he should be brought back. Wh why why can we not all agree that he should be returned to this country to go through due process?
▶ 2:01:26I don't know whether he's a member of MS-13 or not, but neither does the president. And he doesn't get to decide that. In our country, a court gets to decide that based on evidence presented to the So, I urge once again my Republican colleagues to speak up, to urge the president, you could even do it privately.
▶ 2:01:52You don't even have to do it in public, but I urge you to call over to the White House and to encourage the president to correct his own admitted mistake and return someone so they can get the due process that they deserve that the Supreme Court has said unanimously.
▶ 2:02:19such far-left activist as Justice Kavanaaugh, Justice Alo, Justice Thomas, Justice Gorsuch, Justice Coney Barrett, three of whom Donald Trump nominated. They all say he needs to be brought back because of due process. And you all sit silently while he defies the Supreme Court order.
▶ 2:02:51on, you're better than this. I yield Gentleman yields. Would anyone else wish to speak on the amendment? Mr. Mayor, as you're recognized. Thank you, Chairman. I I just for the record want to actually read the amendment that the gentleman from Rhode Island um has entered for a vote. It's very simple, and let me read it into the record.
▶ 2:03:16None of the funds made available by this title may be used by the Department of Homeland Security, its employees or contractors to aid, promote, or effectuate the detention or incarceration in a foreign prisoner of any citizen of the United States except in compliance with treaty obligations and federal extradition laws and policies.
▶ 2:03:40I just need to make sure as our constituents are listening what my colleagues are about to vote on. I don't know how many of you when you were campaigning, you said, "Listen, and I'm going to make sure that we're also going to be using your taxpayer dollars to deport you if you're not in agreement with the president of the United States." I don't think any of you said that.
▶ 2:04:02But the idea that you would actually go on record to vote to deport US citizens to a prison like Sika is unconscionable to me. You have said that you have signed an oath to protect the Constitution and you would actually go as far as saying in a time that you're saying at town halls, well listen, we have a deficit. We are broke. that you're going to use taxpayer dollars to deport United States citizens.
▶ 2:04:32It just unimaginable. So, what I'm asking of you is to affirm the idea that your constituents are smart and they're watching and they read. And what this amendment says, pretty simple. It shouldn't even have to be an amendment because it's constitutional.
▶ 2:04:51The Department of Homeland Security cannot use the taxpayer money, the money that has been appropriated for Social Security, for Medicaid to deport United States citizens. You said that you had a problem with people coming here the illegal way. But now you're willing to deport United States citizens to a prison, which by the way, its own government officials have said on record, you cannot leave.
▶ 2:05:20And if you leave, you're leaving in a body bag. So just for the record, you're about to vote to authorize the Department of Homeland Security to deport United State citizens to foreign prisons in which the government itself of these countries have said you cannot leave that prison. And if you do, you're leaving in a body bag.
▶ 2:05:44I just want to make sure that I put that on the record as you're thinking about why you ran for office, who you represent, and representing and upholding the Constitution. With that, I yield back. Gentle lady yields. I now recognize a ranking member. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Again, this is a common sense uh amendment. I it's it's unfortunate that we have to offer it because it's already uh in law.
▶ 2:06:13But if we have to try to prevent monies being spent in support of an illegal act, then so be it. As a child uh in elementary school, uh we learn the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Uh a lot of our members wear flags in their lapel talks about how much they love America, how much uh this democracy is great.
▶ 2:06:41But one of the tenants of this democracy is that not only uh if you are accused of something, you get to face your accuser. Uh you get to provide uh an adequate defense. If you can't, we'll help pay for it because we're going to give you the benefit of the doubt. What we've done is taken the benefit of the doubt away from American citizens and said it doesn't matter. Uh if you don't look like somebody, we'll deport you.
▶ 2:07:11Uh if you do look like somebody, we'll still deport you. That's not who we are. Uh, and it's so unfortunate because I would not question patriotism on this committee because you signed an oath after being elected to this office to do and follow the law.
▶ 2:07:34clearly, what's the problem with saying you can't deport American citizens? What's the problem with saying we're not going to spend any money deporting American citizens uh to a foreign country? In some instances, they've never been there, don't know anyone. Uh and being mean doesn't make you legal.
▶ 2:07:59So, I encourage my colleagues that at some point when we vote, uh you could have a constituent or someone in this same situation, could be a family member, and you want every opportunity uh for the law to prevail in keeping that person here in America. Uh I encourage you to think about it.
▶ 2:08:23Uh and it's really almost an embarrassment that we have to make an amendment that's already the law and the fact that you're going to vote against it for whatever reason other than Donald Trump is telling you you either vote my way or I'm going to primary you come next election. But you know this is America. We have to stand on principle.
▶ 2:08:53One man can't run everything. One man can't have his way in every instance. One man can't be right 100% of the time. And I just can't understand how adults, for whatever reason, won't challenge a president when they know that president is wrong. I yield back. Gentlemen yields.
▶ 2:09:21Would anyone else care to make a comment on the amendment to the amendment? Hearing none. Uh the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Magaziner. All those in favor say All those opposed say no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute is not adopted. Mr. Chair, uh ranking member, you're recognized.
▶ 2:09:49Uh on that I ask for the recorded vote. A recorded vote is requested and pursuant to committee rule 7c further proceedings on this question are postponed. Are there any additional amendments to the amendment? Mr. Ramirez as you're Thank you Mr. Chairman. I ask um I have an amendment at the desk and it's uh Ramirez 14. Mr. Chairman, I say be recognized.
▶ 2:10:19You're recognized. I reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. The clerk will distribute the
▶ 2:10:54Not going to see any mama doesn't need anything.
▶ 2:11:25clerk will report the amendment. An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mrs. Ramirez of Illinois number 014. Without objection, the reading is dispensed with. The gentleoman is recognized for 5 minutes on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Mr.
▶ 2:11:42Chairman, my amendment uh Rome's 14 prohibits the use of funding to facilitate the removal from the United States of any noncitizen to a third country prison except in the cost in the case of lawful extradition. Now, while the Trump administration and unelected border zar Tom Holman continue to defy the laws of the United States, we here in Congress make sure that DHS uses its funds appropriately.
▶ 2:12:09And we should not be sending people to dangerous foreign prisons where they have no chance at due process or proving their innocence, particularly when they have not had their day in court and have not been subject to an extradition request. Many of the people sent by the Trump administration to be tortur tortured and jailed in El Salvador have not been convicted of a crime anywhere in the world.
▶ 2:12:35And Trump is sending them to a foreign prison where they may effectively be held for a lifetime sentence without notice, without due process or an opportunity to contest the charges. The Supreme Court unanimously said it is against the law to rob people whom the administration seeks to remove to a foreign prison of due process. They must have the chance to challenge the removal in court.
▶ 2:13:02But the Trump administration seems incapable of resisting their fascist inclinations. They are effectively giving a co-equal branch of government the middle finger. If Donald Trump and Tom H. Homeman continue to ignore the laws created by Congress as well as by the Supreme Court of the United States, it's going to be up to us, the first branch, to hold them to account.
▶ 2:13:28That is why my amendment prohibits DHS funds from being used to remove from the United States any non-citizen to a third country prison. I for one stand up for the rule of law and Mr. Chairman, I'd like to be able to enter into the record uh unanimous consent the letter I send u to the committee on April 16th requesting a sec oversight um as immediately as possible. So ordered. Mr.
▶ 2:13:58Chairman, I'd like to withdraw my point of order. Uh point of order is withdrawn. And with that, I yield back. Gentle lady yields. Uh would anyone else care to speak on the none. The question now occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Ramirez. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it.
▶ 2:14:27The amendment in to the amendment in the nature of the substance. Mr. Chairman adopted. I request a recorded vote. A recorded vote is requested pursuant to committee rule 7c. Further proceedings on this question are postponed. Are there other amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Uh, Mr. RmIrez or Mr. Garcia, you're recognized. Great. Mr. Chairman, you're recognized. I reserve a point.
▶ 2:14:56I'll reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. Clerk will uh report the amendment. The clerk will The clerk will distribute the amendment.
▶ 2:15:50Mr. Chairman, may I begin? Clerk will report the amendment. Amendment to the amendment, the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mr. Garcia of California number 025. Without objection, the reading is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for five minutes on his amendment. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to just introduce this amendment. It's a common sense amendment that will reinforce what numerous courts, our Supreme Court have already said.
▶ 2:16:19Now, in this country, no one can be deported without due process. This amendment will block the administration from using any resources of any kind to remove people by using outdated laws without due process. Without these safeguards, it doesn't matter if you are a citizen or not. You could be documented or not. You could be an innocent law-abiding person and still face consequences. Now, if someone chooses to decide or maybe the Trump administration that you are an alien enemy of the United States, there could be serious consequences to follow.
▶ 2:16:49Now, maybe someone in government doesn't like your tattoos or the color of your skin or your social media presence or what you're saying on a college campus. If you can't see a judge, no one can protect you and you have no due process. Not even the Supreme Court can protect you if the president of the United States can ignore it, as he's doing so today. And we should make no mistake, this threat is real. Donald Trump explicitly said in the Oval Office that he wants to send quote homegrowns to El Salvador.
▶ 2:17:19Now, maybe my friends on the other side of the aisle are fine with everything Donald Trump is doing, but without the rule of law, people should be very afraid for our future, the future of our country, and the future of due process. A future president could come after a different group. And that's why this moment and this amendment is so important. This is about the Constitution. Now, we know that Donald Trump has already sent innocent people to El Salvador with absolutely no due process.
▶ 2:17:45The Supreme Court in a 90 decision has ordered the return of an individual who has had no due process. We also know that many of the folks that have been deported have no criminal records, have not faced or had access to judges or even been able to call their families. He has sent them instead to a brutal foreign prison with no oversight that could happen to anyone. And we also know now that US citizens are being deported with no due process.
▶ 2:18:14Now, we heard earlier from um my my colleague, Representative Magazina and others about Andre Hernandez. Uh Mr. Romero was a gay designer and hairdresser who was falsely accused of gang affiliations because of simple tattoos that he had. He has no criminal record, is from a community that celebrates the King's Festival, which is why he had a crown tattoo, and now he's in danger.
▶ 2:18:41And even though he passed a credible fear interview, he's being held in horrific conditions. And let's remember, he actually went to his appointment he was given by our own government, showed up to the appointment, and then was deported with no due process. So he's asking he's doing what we've asked him to do, and then being sent to an El Salvador prison. And no one's heard from him now for over a few weeks.
▶ 2:19:04We know that Donald Trump has no credible evidence that he was involved in any sort of gang activity and instead is violating his rights of due process of which every person in this country has. Now, a lot of us, myself included, weren't born into the protections that all citizens have. I was I was an immigrant. I came here as a young child. I've had to go through paperwork. I've had to stand in long lines. I've learned English. And I've gone through many of the things that other migrants in this country go through.
▶ 2:19:33I've lived a large part of my life not a US citizen. And so for me and for many others, this is also very personal. The Constitution should be protecting all of us and is the backbone of the rule of law. This amendment is for due process for what I believe are true American values and I urge everyone to support it and I yield back. Mr. Chairman, gentleman yields. Would anyone else uh Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my point of order. Gentleman withdraws his point of order. Would anyone else wish to speak on the amendment? Mr. Trman. Mr. magazine, you're recognized. Uh, Mr.
▶ 2:20:03Chairman, I have a video clip that I provided to the clerk that I would like to be played uh at the outside of my five minutes. Without or without objection, go ahead. And I would ask that my five minutes begin at things are going in a radical direction. And then there then there's an overcorrection. So the overcorrection is lack of due process. The overcorrection is like round them all up, ship them to jail.
▶ 2:20:32Like that's like some things that you say when you're not thinking things through. Like what do you do about all the criminals? Take them all and send them to El Salvador. Yeah. What what about due process? No that. Well, here's the problem with that. What if you are an enemy of let's not say any current president. Let's pretend we got a new president, totally new guy in 2028. And uh this is a common practice now of just rounding up gang members with no due process and shipping them to El Salvador.
▶ 2:21:02Um you're a gang member. No, I'm not. Prove it. What? I got to go to court. No. No due process. That's dangerous, Joe. That's dangerous. That's dangerous. That's dangerous. That's We got to be careful that we don't become monsters while we're fighting monsters. I think due process exists for a reason.
▶ 2:21:20And the reason is it is horrific for someone to be accused of something they didn't do, be imprisoned for crimes they didn't commit, and then live in a cell, live in a cage with a bunch of people who did commit. Here it is. Benjamin Franklin. It's better 100 guilty persons should escape than one innocent person should suffer. That that is wisdom. Yeah. That has survived hundreds of years. It's incredibly accurate and it is the foundation of freedom.
▶ 2:21:49Like we have to make sure that these people are actually guilty otherwise we become monsters. You can't like what is that when you fight monsters be careful that you don't become one. Become one. Yeah. Yeah. That's very important. It's very important. You know you can't do that. You know it's one of those things where to support one side of this you have to deny some like basic human values either way.
▶ 2:22:16like to support just rounding people up and just assuming they're all gang members. I don't I'm not saying they're doing that, but this is the worst case scenario, right? They get a bunch of people in a room, they rope them all in and one guy's just someone's cousin picking someone up to give him a ride home. That's possible. And now you're back on the one innocent person with And now you're right back.
▶ 2:22:33And what if that dude is not doing anything wrong and he's got some stupid tattoos and they decide that this guy's a gang member and now now you're in a prison in El Salvador and you're not even from El Salvador and now you know you were just a hairdresser or you were a tattoo artist or whatever you are. You came over here and maybe you got a green card and maybe you don't. Maybe you were just given asylum because a lot of people from Venezuela were given asylum in America and then you get shipped to El Salvador where you're not even from El Salvador.
▶ 2:23:01So that the fact that that exists scares the [ __ ] out of me. Well, look, I don't agree with Joe Rogan on everything, but I think that's very well said. Due process exists for a reason, so that mistakes don't get made and innocent people don't accidentally get shipped to prison, particularly prison in a foreign country. And let's be clear, this administration is capable of making mistakes.
▶ 2:23:30They accidentally fired all the people who guard the nuclear stockpile and then had to rehire them. They put war plans in a unsecured signal chat and invited a reporter in by accident. They put up insane tariffs and then the market tanked and they rolled a bunch of them back. The list goes on and on. They said they were going to cancel the social security hotline and then realized that was a mistake and walked that back.
▶ 2:23:57This administration is capable of making mistakes just like anyone's capable of making mistakes. The whole reason we have due process, the whole reason we have courts is so that people don't get sent to jail on a mistake. That is why Mr. Garcia's amendment is so important.
▶ 2:24:16Yes, let's deport criminals, but let's have due process to make sure that the people we're deporting actually are criminals and not innocent people who are being shipped to foreign prisons by accident. I yield back. Gentleman yields. Would anyone else wish to speak on the amendment? Mr. Chair, Mr. Ranking member, you're recognized. I I yield for as much time as he uh needs. Mr.
▶ 2:24:46Garcia. Oh, no, sir. I was just going to ask for a recorded vote. Oh, okay. I I'll take my time. It's coming up. Yeah. Thank you. Let me let me say that again. We are arguing due process. It is clear that uh in America, due process is fundamental. Uh we fought wars uh in this country uh to abolish slavery. We did a lot of things in this country to make us better.
▶ 2:25:16And right now we're headed in the opposite direction with some of these draconian acts that are being uh taken up by this administration. We're just trying to reset the table fundamentally to follow the law. We're not trying to change the law. We're trying to reinforce the current law as it exists. What we are seeing now is not who we are as a country.
▶ 2:25:42Uh I implore my Republican colleagues to do soul searching and see whether or not what we are offering is radical foreign idea uh called democracy. And if you agree with us, you'll support these common sense amendments. Now, if you don't agree with democracy, then you'll oppose it. I yield back. Gentleman yields. Would anyone else wish to speak on the amendment?
▶ 2:26:14Hearing none. Uh the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Garcia. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed, no. No. And the chair, the opinion of the chair, the nos have it. The amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute is not adopted. Mr. Chairman, you're recognized. On that, we ask for a recorded vote. Recorded vote is requested and pursuant to rule 7c, further proceedings on this question are postponed.
▶ 2:26:42Are there any other amendments to the amendment the nature of the substitute? Mr. Swallwell. All right. Amendment at the desk. Swallow has amendment at the desk. Mr. Chairman, I seek to be recognized. Uh, you're recognized. I reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. Clerk will distribute the amendment. We don't know.
▶ 2:27:24Oh, is he next? Thanks. Uh, Mr. Mr. Chairman, I jumped my dear friend from Michigan. Uh he's number five. I'm number six. Shri, I'm sorry. No problem. I'll withdraw and I'll go next. So excited, Mr. Chairman, about this amendment. The gentleman withdraws his amendment. Um I I Yeah, Shri was next.
▶ 2:28:00Okay. Uh, so I think the confusion is that the this is the Tanadar amendment that's been distributed, but uh, so this is the amendment we're on. Okay. All right. We're on this amendment that just got passed out, so there's no reason to withdraw, right? Yeah. Okay. All right. Clerk will report the amendment. An amendment to the amendment the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mr.
▶ 2:28:29Tanadar number 031. Excited. Uh Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as read. Without objection, the reading is dispensed with. The gentle uh gentleman is recognized for five minutes on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
▶ 2:28:46uh since the very first day of American experiment with democracy, this nation has functioned under a system of checks and balances protect the constitution and the rights of all people within our borders.
▶ 2:29:07Within that system which has kept the people of this nation free for more than 200 years, it is emphatically the province and duty of judicial departments to say what the law is. As Chief Justice John Marshall put it in Marbury versus Madison.
▶ 2:29:32Put simply, the Constitution makes the Supreme Court the final word on the constitutional limits of government power, not the president. Nevertheless, the Trump administration has repeatedly engaged in activities that conflict with decisions and orders of the Supreme Court of the United States.
▶ 2:29:54For example, the Trump administration wrongfully deported a Maryland man despite an immigration judge having granted him withholding of removal. Trump's own lawyers said that the deportation was an accident and the Supreme Court ordered that the Trump administration facilitate the man's release from the custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case
▶ 2:30:25is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador. Nevertheless, the Trump administration has ignored the Supreme Court and done nothing. That poor man is still rotting in a jail in El Salvador and his family suffering having lost a husband, father, provider. Congress must not enable such lawlessness and fascist fanatism.
▶ 2:30:55If we do not stop it now, there will be no democratically elected Congress to stop it later. My amendment would prohibit any of the DHS funds under this reconciliation from being used by the Trump administration to engage in activity that conflicts with the opinion or orders of the Supreme Court.
▶ 2:31:18If Congress cannot stand up for the Constitution and laws of the United States, then every person in this country is at risk of being Trump's next It is our duty to uphold the oath we took and stand against petty wannabe fascist. The least we can do is stop funding unconstitutional activities that conflict with opinions and orders of the Supreme Court.
▶ 2:31:49I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and I yield back. Gentlemen Gentleman yields. Would anyone else wish to speak on the amendment? Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman, I would draw my point of order. Uh point of order is withdrawn. And um Mr. Ranking member, you're recognized. Again, this is another common sense amendment uh to reaffirm uh that the United States of America is a nation of laws. Uh common sense.
▶ 2:32:18It says when the Supreme Court makes a ruling, that's it. Nobody can come in and change it just because they don't like it. A lot of us have uh been to court on cases. Some we won, some we lost. Uh we didn't try to impeach the judge because we didn't like it. But clearly, you can't ignore the edicts of the Supreme Court.
▶ 2:32:42So our plea as Democrats to the Republicans on the committee, follow what the Supreme Court uh point blank. That's it. uh if you don't like it, you can't ignore it because it's still the law. And and I compliment the gentleman from Michigan for offering it, but it's al so unfortunate that we have to offer something that should be understood by every law-abiding citizen, but it's not.
▶ 2:33:12I yield back. Gentleman yields. Would anyone else wish to speak on the amendment? Hearing none. Question is now occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Thanodar. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed say no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nose have it and the amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute is not adopted. Mr. Chair, you're recognized. Uh on that I ask for a recorded vote.
▶ 2:33:40Recorded vote is requested pursuant to the committee rule. Further proceedings on this question are postponed. Are there any amendments to the amendment in the nature of the substitute? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Uh, the ranking member has an amendment at the desk. Mr. Chairman, I seek to be recognized. I You're recognized. I would like to reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. Clerk will distribute the amendment.
▶ 2:34:04You got Clerk will report the amendment.
▶ 2:34:33An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mr. Thompson of Mississippi number 004. Without objection, the reading is dispensed with. The gentleman uh the ranking member is recognized for five minutes on the amendment. Thank you very much uh Mr. Chairman.
▶ 2:34:51Uh, Secretary Gnome and other officials in the Trump Musk administration continue to openly discuss dismantling FEMA, the one agency dedicated to assisting America's in the aftermath of disasters.
▶ 2:35:07Secretary Gnome has even proudly declared, "We're going to eliminate FEMA." This reckless effort to dismantle FEMA with hurricane seasons five weeks away is misguided and a direct threat to the well-being of Americans who rely on federal disaster relief and emergency support during their most vulnerable moments.
▶ 2:35:34The FEMA we have today is a result of Congress in collaboration with stakeholders and informed by the lessons learned from larger scale disasters and emergencies like Hurricane Andrew, Katrina, Sandy, Harvey, and Maria. The Oklahoma City bombing and the 911 terrorist attack.
▶ 2:35:57building a framework from which FEMA operates critical programs that serve as a lifeline to communities after disasters. For the life of me, I can't understand why right now Arkansas and Mississippi have requested disaster declaration uh from the president and he's refusing to give it. North Carolina is struggling. Uh we are better country than this.
▶ 2:36:25Usually when state and local resources are overrun, FEMA is the cavalry. They always come with the necessary resources to do it. Uh if you don't believe me, my Republican colleague, talk to your local EMA director. Uh Mr. Chairman, I want to quote some statistics. Uh it said that 95.5% of US residents live in counties with recent disaster declaration.
▶ 2:36:55All Senate and 95% of all House of Representative districts have had at least one federally declared disaster uh in its time. Washington County, Vermont has the highest number of disaster declarations in the nation. Uh, New Hampshire, Vermont, Kentucky, Vermont, Vermont, Kentucky, Kentucky, and Kentucky follows often.
▶ 2:37:23California, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Iowa, Vermont, Alaska, and Mississippi have over 25 disaster declarations. Each 80% of states have more than 10 disaster declaration. So clearly, we need FEMA's help. Uh unfortunately uh this administration wants to do away with it.
▶ 2:37:49Uh my amendment ensures that none of the funds in this bill can be used to plan for or assist and implement any action that would diminish or eliminate the essential functions and responsibilities of FEMA. My amendment will ensure that this committee does its part to stop the Trump administration's ongoing attack on FEMA and its vital support to American communities.
▶ 2:38:18Wouldn't it be nice if we had the FEMA director come before this committee and talk to us? Uh we've not had it. Wouldn't it be nice to have the Secretary of Homeland Security to come and talk to us why she wants to get rid of FEMA? uh we can't get them here, but she can go all around the world for photo ops, but she can't come to the committee of jurisdiction. We can do better than that. We're a better country than that.
▶ 2:38:45And I hope after this hearing, we can get some of these people to come and answer the questions that we read on Twitter and other social media uh platforms, but you can't come before the committee of jurisdiction. Uh, my amendment will ensure that this committee does its part to stop the Trump administration's ongoing attack on FEMA and its vital support to American communities.
▶ 2:39:14Already said, June is almost here, beginning of hurricane season. Some of the states that are represented by members on this committee will be adversely impacted uh unfortunately by these disasters. Uh disasters don't choose what party or they don't choose anything. They just happen and when they happen, FEMA is there as the cavalary to back up state and locals.
▶ 2:39:42I don't see why we need to do away with it. States don't have the capacity to do it and obviously locals don't either. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting my amendment and I yield back. Gentleman yields. Uh anyone else, Mr. Chairman would I would drop my point of order. Point of order is withdrawn. Anyone else care to make a comment on this amendment? Mr.
▶ 2:40:07Chairman, I want to uh insert in the record uh an article called Rebuild by Design. So ordered. Anyone else wish to speak on the amendment? Hearing none. The question now occurs on the amendment offered by ranking member Thompson. All those in favor say I. I. All those opposed? No. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it and the amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute is not adopted. Mr. Chair, you're recognized.
▶ 2:40:36On that, I ask for a recorded vote. A recorded vote is requested pursuant to committee rule 7c. Further proceedings on this question are propo are postponed. Are there any other amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute? Mr. Chairman, Kennedy has an amendment. Yes, sir. I have an amendment at the desk number 28. Clerk will distribute the amendment. Mr. Chairman, you're recognized. Reserve a point of order. Point of order is Mr.
▶ 2:41:04Chairman, I ask for unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as read. Okay. Thanks. So ordered. You were in a state legislature. You were in a state legislature. Yes, sir.
▶ 2:41:34Yeah, I thought so. They do it in the states. Clerk will report the amendment. An amendment to the amendment. the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mr. Kennedy of New York number 028. As Mr.
▶ 2:42:04Kennedy requested, it's read. The gentleman is recognized for five minutes to speak on his amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My amendment is simple. It states that none of the funds appropriated by the underlying bill may be used to reduce or diminish FEMA personnel or operational capacity. Over the last 100 days of President Trump's second term, we've seen a barrage of attacks against FEMA.
▶ 2:42:32There has been a systematic targeted effort to undermine and dismantle the lone federal agency responsible for helping communities when disaster This administration has eliminated over 200 FEMA employees, cancelled emergency management programs, and is now planning to make it harder for communities like mine to qualify for disaster assistance.
▶ 2:42:59FEMA was already short staffed before Elon and his teenage cronies stormed into the headquarters. Now, with 20% of its workforce reportedly leaving, the AY's resources will be even more scarce. Just as severe storms are making their way across the Midwest and Eastern Great Lakes as we speak.
▶ 2:43:21As ranking member of the subcommittee that oversees FEMA, it's my duty to defend the agency and it hardworking professionals who conduct its life-saving mission. Attacking the workforce responsible for helping communities recover makes us less safe and puts lives at risk. My amendment ensures that no funding allocated through this legislation can be used to gut the agency or hand further buyouts to hundreds of FEMA staff.
▶ 2:43:50While Trump tells Americans they're on their own when disaster strikes, whether it's a hurricane, wildfire, flood, or snowstorm, my amendment makes clear Democrats are standing up to protect emergency response, strengthen preparedness, and build resilience. Every member here will one day have to answer a simple question. When disaster struck, did you fight to protect your constituents or did you play politics with their safety?
▶ 2:44:21Disasters don't discriminate. They often strike without warning. Every one of our communities is vulnerable and we owe it to our constituents to be ready. Americans deserve a government that shows up in a crisis, not one that strips away resources for communities when they need it most. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. With that, I yield back. Gentleman yields. Would anyone else wish to speak on the amendment?
▶ 2:44:51Hearing none. Uh the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Kennedy. All those in favor say I. All those opposed, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it. The amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute is adopted. Chairman, you're recognized. On that, I ask for recorded vote. Ranking member ask for a recorded vote. Pursuant to committee rule, further proceedings on this question are postponed. Are there any further amendments to the amendment in the nature of the substitute? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Mr. Swwell, you're recognized.
▶ 2:45:21Are well has an amendment. Reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. Clerk distribute the amendment.
▶ 2:45:51All right.
▶ 2:46:21will report the amendment. An amendment to the amendment in the nature of substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mr. Swallwell number Without objection, the reading is dispensed with. The gentleman is recognized for five minutes on the Don't doge our veterans. That's the simple nature of this amendment.
▶ 2:46:46They have served our country with everything within them. They and their families have sacrificed on behalf of this country. And for so many of them, when they complete their service to our country in the military, they go to another government agency. They go to FEMA. They go to the Secret Service.
▶ 2:47:14They go to Customs and Border Patrol. They go to ICE. They work for the Coast Guard. They work for TSA. It's a bridge from their service to take the skills that they've acquired and to have a fulfilling career so that they can protect our country and also provide for our families. This amendment simply says, do not fire our veterans.
▶ 2:47:43and that no funds and no act in this title may use to be to terminate the employment of any veteran who works at the Department of Homeland Security. Of all the people who we should value who serve our go our government, we should put our veterans first. So if you vote for this amendment, you are voting to protect our veterans and their jobs.
▶ 2:48:08If you vote against this amendment, you are voting in favor of firing our veterans. And I yield back. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to withdraw my point of order. So ordered. Point of order is withdrawn. Uh do any other members wish to speak on the amendment. The gentle lady from Texas, Miss Johnson, is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to thank my colleague for bringing this amendment to protect our veterans.
▶ 2:48:34I think that um the discussion of the veterans is something that we need to have in this context because there are many veterans um on this committee in that serve in this body but who fight to defend the values of democracy across the world. They risk their lives. They lose their lives.
▶ 2:48:52they um to protect due process, to protect our constitutional values, that you're not going to be hauled up and yanked out of this country as a um without your opportunity of due process in court. And veterans have put their lives on the line. We fly the flag around here. We pledge allegiance to the flag every day.
▶ 2:49:15And the reason we have such pride in our country is because of the sacrifice that veterans make to keep not us not only safe here on our homeland but to advance the dem the democratic values that we share across the world and to protect those values. They die for those values. They give their whole lives for their values. Their families sacrifice for these values.
▶ 2:49:41these values that this today is dismissing like a piece of trash. Because when we ignore the constitutional principles of democracy that veterans defend with everything they have, it's reprehensible what is going on in this country for the wrongful deportation of United States
▶ 2:50:12citizens. Veterans, they didn't sacrifice their lives for that. and when they come in and they get rehired to your point in a remployee program to be summarily dismissed again dishonors their sacrifice. So I just thank you so much for your amendment and I encourage all of our colleagues here today to support it and with that I yield. Gentle lady yields. Are there other members who wish to speak on the amendment? Mr.
▶ 2:50:43Chairman I yield Mr. Kennedy. Mr. Mr. Kennedy, you're recognized. Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, first I want to thank my colleague, uh, Rep. Swallwell for bringing this forward. Uh, and I want to say thank you to all of our veterans that serve on this committee, all the veterans that are in this room and the Veterans of America. Um, our veterans deserve better than what this administration has been treating them, how this administration has been treating them.
▶ 2:51:13With great disrespect and quite frankly, uh, not living up to the promise that this nation made when our men and women signed up and answered the call and put on that uniform.
▶ 2:51:30And what we've seen as thousands of our great veterans that have so nobly served this country in service that once they were done, they came back to public service to continue serving our great nation in the federal government.
▶ 2:51:51And one of the privileges I have is serving on the Veterans Affairs Committee and we're constantly dealing with issues around veterans.
▶ 2:52:04That includes the fact that when these arbitrary cuts happened from this administration, there was zero attention paid to our military veterans who make up a third of the federal workforce, half of whom are service disabled veterans.
▶ 2:52:31And so this is a way to protect our veterans from any further disrespectful cuts that hurt Further cuts into the promise that was made to our veterans.
▶ 2:52:53And this is a simple common sense protection that ensures that our veterans get treated with the dignity and the respect that they have earned and that they deserve. And I'm uh proud to support it. Thank you. I yield back. The gentleman yields. Are there any other members who wish to speak on this amendment? Mr. Chairman, ranking members recognized. Uh thank you so much. I appreciate my colleague from California offering this amendment.
▶ 2:53:21our veterans uh when they are engaged uh in going to the military, we make promises. We talk about health care. Uh we talk about uh if you stay long enough for retirement, but if you choose to come out either early or retire, uh you can go back to school. Uh you can purchase a home. Uh there are a lot of things we make affordable to veterans.
▶ 2:53:48But the other thing we do is we offer something called veterans preference for employment with the federal government. So we give you a little plus up if you are a veteran. That's because we care about you. And so what you're saying is, okay, we're going to care about you a little more. It doesn't matter whether Elon Musk or Donald Trump or whomever come after your job. Uh we're going to protect you because you're a veteran.
▶ 2:54:18right now. Uh if you've heard the stories that I've heard from veterans, they feel like uh uh they've been lied to. Uh they put their lives on the line, but they come back here and all they want is a job. They get to the job and then they get an email from somebody they don't know telling them they're fired or they got 5 days to do whatever. That's not how we treat our veterans.
▶ 2:54:47So, I support this resolution from the gentleman from California and I would encourage my Republican colleagues who every so often admit their love for veterans to support it. Also, the gentleman yields back. Do any other members wish to speak on this amendment? There being no further discussion, the question now occurs on the amendment uh offered by uh Mr. Swallwell.
▶ 2:55:17All those opposed or I'm sorry, all those in favor say I. I. All oppose say no. The opinion of the chair of the nose have it. The amendment to the amendment nature of substitute is not adopted. Recorded vote please Mr. Chair. Recorded vote is requested pursuant to committee rule seven Charlie. Uh further proceedings on this question are postponed. Are there any other amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute? No. Mr. Chairman, Mr.
▶ 2:55:47Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. P number one. Mr. Chairman, what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? I reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. The clerk will distribute the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I ask that a unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as read. Uh, very well. The clerk will um still distribute the amendment.
▶ 2:56:48clerk will report the amendment. Amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by objection read dispensed with the gentleoman is recognized for five minutes for the amendment. Thank you Mr. Mr. Chairman, let me begin by saying that since the tragic attack on 911, Congress has invested in dozens of homeland security programs to keep Americans safe.
▶ 2:57:18These FEMA grants support first responders, protect house houses of worships, and help local government keep critical infrastructure secure. Since January, the Trump administration has held hostage FEMA grants under the a so-called funding freeze.
▶ 2:57:40Programs that this committee has supported, such as the nonprofit security grant program, has been subjected to this freeze. FEMA has persisted in blocking over $1 billion dollar including those that support wild uh wildfire prevention, flood mitigation, and disaster preparedness.
▶ 2:58:07That that is why in February, New Jersey joined 22 other states in a lawsuit to unlock these funds. Under court order orders, FEMA has refused to release the money. Even if the administration relents and obeys the court order, the damage has been done. FEMA now has a history of not paying rightfully owed owed to our communities.
▶ 2:58:38That is just wrong. My amendment would stop FEMA from any more delays. It would prevent the agency from withholding grant funds that our communities have already been awarded. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and let the first responders do their jobs.
▶ 2:59:01We must protect the integrity of FEMA's programs to ensure that communities have the resources that they need to stay safe and rebuild. With that, Mr. Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my point of order. Point of order is withdrawn. Do any of the members wish to speak on the amendment? There being no further discussion, the question now occurs on the amendment. All those in favor say I. I.
▶ 2:59:31I. All oppose? No. No. Depending of the chair, the nos have it, the amendment to the amendment nature of substitute is not adopted. Miss Sam, on that we ask for a recorded vote. Court of vote is requested. Pursuant to committee rule 7c, further proceedings on this question postponed. Are there any other Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the Um, for what what purpose does the uh general lady? Mr.
▶ 2:59:59Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be uh considered as read. Very well. The clerk uh Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. The clerk will distribute the amendment.
▶ 3:00:56Clerk will report an amendment in the nature of a substitute to the committee. print by the Committee on Homeland Security. That objection, the reading is dispensed with. The gentle woman is recognized for five minutes to speak in favor of the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, what this amendment does is it ensures that the federal government does its job with respect to FEMA and does not abdicate all of their obligations to the American people, to state and local governments.
▶ 3:01:25In 2021, Texas was hit with a devastating winter storm that killed 246 people. And when Texans were left without power for days, it was FEMA and President Joe Biden who quickly came to support Texans. If we did not have FEMA and President Biden's support, that recovery would have been incredibly difficult and painful for our state. The Trump administration is hellbent on leaving states and locals on their own during these disasters.
▶ 3:01:53And Donald Trump has said for himself that he has considered abolishing FEMA. And this is outrageous. FEMA is the guard post. Natural disasters don't pick Republican or Democratic states. disasters hit us without with reckless abandon.
▶ 3:02:17And the other problem is natural disasters often involve more than one state, which is why we need a co a coherent federal response. Nature's hell hath no fury. But what we do have now is a federal government that is going to say, "We care.
▶ 3:02:40Y'all just are on your own willy-nilly reckless." The fact that the federal government is telling the American citizens, "We're not here for you in the time of the most utmost crisis for you. When your life is upended, when your home is destroyed, your business is leveled, family members may be killed because of increasing storm intensity and devastation.
▶ 3:03:07And so what this committee is now doing is saying the federal government, we're just not going to do our job. We're going to turn it over to other levels because we don't care and we're not going to pay attention to the plight of the American people. FEMA has been a program that has been the safety net for multiple states. Republican states, Democratic states, purple states, the American United States.
▶ 3:03:35It's North Carolina, it's Georgia, it's Florida, it's California, it's Texas, it's New York, it's Ohio. Every state in this country has benefited from FEMA. Every one of your constituents have benefited from FEMA. FEMA is crucial to getting the business lifeline of our country back up and going so people can slowly get their lives put together as quickly as possible.
▶ 3:04:06And what my amendment does is says the federal government is going to do its job. We expect everyone in the American public to go do your job and we're telling the the federal government to do its job. In fact, what this but the Republicans, if you don't support this amendment, you're basically saying, you know, hardworking folks out there in the United States, you have to go, you do your job every day because we're not going to be here for you because we're not going to do our job. And I think that is absolutely wrong.
▶ 3:04:35The federal government should do its job. It needs to protect people. It needs to be there for the American public in the event of a natural disaster and continue to fulfill its obligations under FEMA. And I urge my colleagues to support this bill and my amendment. And I yield back. Gentle lady yields back. The gentleman still assist on a point of order. Um I I um I withdraw my point of order. Point of order is withdrawn. Do any other members wish to speak on the amendment? Hearing none.
▶ 3:05:04Most ranking members recognized. You know, again, this is a common occurrence offered by this amendment that we all will face at some point. uh Florida, Georgia, North California, several other states are already having recently declared disasters.
▶ 3:05:31Uh Mississippi is operating uh a disaster uh already. I can't uh those states having to shoulder that burden themselves. many of the states in their parishes or county, their EMA director is part-time.
▶ 3:05:51And so you you got a situation where you pushing a burden on local communities that they don't have the capacity uh to to manage. And and again, FEMA's role is when all state and local resources have been overrun, they are the cavalary. They come and fix things.
▶ 3:06:17Uh I shudder to think had we not had a FEMA when 911 occurred. There's no question it was there. We all embraced it. My area of the country uh were devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
▶ 3:06:35And and so I don't understand why we're trying be so mean to people in their weakest moment by denying them access to federal resources that we've designed. And the worst thing that we can do is have 50 individual FEMAs at each state.
▶ 3:07:01You have no you have absolutely no standard. And part of what FEMA has put in place is a standard for disaster response and recovery. And so even the least of these in time of disaster deserves a government that cares.
▶ 3:07:24I encourage my colleagues to support uh this common sense amendment and I would ask my Republican colleagues to reflect on the disasters that you've had in your respective districts and what would have happened had FEMA not been there to respond and I yield back. Gentleman yields. Any other further discussion? There being none, the question now occurs on the amendment. All those in favor say I. I. Oppose say no. No.
▶ 3:07:54In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it. The amendment to the amendment initiation of substitute is not adopted. Mr. Chairman, I ask for a recorded vote. Recorded vote is requested pursuant to committee rule 7c. Further proceedings on this question are postponed. Are there any other amendments? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. M. Lady is recognized. U Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as read. So ordered. Mr. Chairman, gentleman is recognized. I reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. The court will distribute.
▶ 3:09:11Without objection, the reading is dispensed with. The general lady is recognized for five minutes to speak on the amendment. Thank you, uh, Mr. Chairman. Today, I am offering an amendment in response to the deeply troubling actions taken by the Department of Homeland Security regarding student visa rev uh, revocations.
▶ 3:09:31My amendment would ensure that none of the funds made avail made available by this title by this title may be used to deport, remove or expel any non-citizen student whose legal status was terminated or whose visa was revoked unless the department first provides notice of the termination or revocation to the affected academic institution and provides clear guidelines to the public and the department's workforce on activities that may result
▶ 3:10:01in the termination of legal status of a student. The great state of New Jersey is home to some of the nation's premier institutions of higher learning including Ruckers NJIT, Princeton University, Montlair State University, and St. Peters University. These schools are reporting a sharp and unexplained rise in student visa re revocations.
▶ 3:10:28In many cases, these revocations are made without warning, justification, or even notification to the universities involved. This is devastating for countless students across our country who are beginning in the midst of, or nearing the completion of their studies in a land they believed was full of opportunity. Many are now being forced to abandon the progress, research, and innovation they have achieved in their respective institutions.
▶ 3:10:57This not only disrupts their futures but also sets our nation back. The current process lacks transparency, consistency and basic fairness and it is causing chaos for students, families and institutions in my district and across the nation in districts. The current pro the these students are not national security threats.
▶ 3:11:23They are innovators, STEM scholars, public health researchers, and future leaders, and educators. Their presence supports both our local economy and our national competitiveness.
▶ 3:11:38Yet, DHS's actions have indiscriminate, disruptive, and frankly Reports indicate indicate that more than 1500 students across 250 colleges and universities have had their visas revoked in the past month alone. We cannot allow this lack of transparency to continue.
▶ 3:12:02DHS must implement transparency notification and oversight measures before further harm is done. This is not just a policy failure. It's a moral one. and I urge my colleagues to support my amendment so we can restore fairness, communication, and accountability to the process. With that, I yield back. Gentle lady yields. As the gentleman says, go ahead. I withdraw my objection. Point of order is withdrawn.
▶ 3:12:30Are there any uh further discussion points on this amendment? Hearing none. Um the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Miss McCyver. All those in favor say I. I. All oppose say no. The opinion of the chair, the nos have it. The amendment is not agreed to. Chairman, uh on that I ask for the recorded vote. Recorded vote is requested pursuant to committee rule 7c. Further proceedings on this will uh question will be postponed. Are there other amendments? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
▶ 3:13:00The gentle lady is recognized. Uh Mr. Chairman, I ask that unanimous be consent that the amendment be considered as read. So ordered. Gentlemen, I reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. The clerk will distribute.
▶ 3:13:24Without objection, the reading is dispensed with and a gentle lady from Texas is recognized to speak in favor of the amendment for five minutes. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um my amendment addresses students, non-citizen students um who are subject for termination to be provided two things. notice of the basis for why and a meaningful opportunity to challenge notice and due process before we terminate your rights to continue your studies in this country.
▶ 3:13:55Across the country and in the districts, we've seen thousands of international students at hundreds of colleges have their visas revoked or legal terminate legal status terminated without notice. Earlier this month, DHS and ICE terminated the legal status of 4700 international students without even notifying their colleges or the students themselves.
▶ 3:14:18More than 260 international students in Texas and 19 in my district at the University of Texas at Dallas. The department based these terminations on minor infractions like traffic tickets and dismissed charges. In some case, ICE targeted students who were never ever arrested and had zero infractions of any kind.
▶ 3:14:43These are kids who have been vetted, screened, and gone through arduous processes to come and study and further their education in the United States because we have the best academic system in the world. Stripping these students of their legal status has nothing to do with border security. It does nothing to make us safer. It just turns lives upside down and it helps inflate ISIS deportation quotas.
▶ 3:15:12It's talking points at the expense of lives. It also makes any international student think twice before wanting to attend a US university. This doesn't just affect international students. Many colleges and local communities rely on funding from inter international students to help subsidize the cost of enrolling Americans and growing their economy.
▶ 3:15:35Last year alone, international students added $44 billion to the US economy and supported more than 378,000 jobs. After losing again and again in court over this issue, the administration finally licked its wounds in reverse course this past Friday. But it's too late for the many students already forced back to their home countries after investing years and money into their education.
▶ 3:16:03My amendment makes sure this nonsense doesn't happen again by preventing DHS from removing any international student without providing that that student again due process. Again, due process, this has been a subject of conversation all day today. Are we a country of laws? Yes or no? Are we a country who respects due process as required by the fifth amendment of our constitution? Yes or no?
▶ 3:16:30Right now, the silence in this room by those of the other side is indicative that you don't care. Where is due process? Where's your respect for it? Are you going to support these amendments that stand up for the rule of law? I guess the Democratic Party is the rule of law party. Is that where we are? Because that's what's happening.
▶ 3:16:57The Democratic Party is standing up for the rule of law and due process in this country and Republicans are abdicating it. It's outrageous. And due process has to mean something. That is the whole foundational tenant of our constitution. Due process under the law. We are so lost right now as a Congress, as a country.
▶ 3:17:26If this is where we are, I can't believe it. And the American people can't believe it. And we have an opportunity to actually stand up for our constitutional principles and values and lead to say, you know what, the rule of law means something in this country. Due process and our constitution means something in this Scary times.
▶ 3:17:55I yield back. Gentle lady yields. Mr. Chairman, gentleman's recognized. Point of order. Point of order is withdrawn. Do any further any members wish to speak on this amendment? Hearing none. The question now occurs on the amendment offered by Miss Johnson. All in favor say I. I. Oppose say no. The chair. The nos have it. The amendment to the amendment is not agreed to. Mr. Chairman, recognize vote. Recorded vote has been requested pursuant to committee rule 7c. Further proceedings as question are postponed.
▶ 3:18:25Are there any other Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. The gentleman is recognized. Uh, Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be considered red. So ordered. Gentleman is recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. Clerk will distribute.
▶ 3:19:03Without objection, the reading is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized to speak in favor of the amendment for five minutes. Can you get me? Make sure I read the right one. Mr. Mr. Hernandez, you're recognized as speaking in favor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Mr. Chairman, since 1996, the United States has deported at least 94,000 military veterans.
▶ 3:19:29These men and women chose to risk their life to serve this country and swore an oath to protect it, a country that they weren't even born in. And it's often because, like many other immigrants, they believe in the American dream. There's about 700,000 foreignb born veterans and another 45,000 foreignb born active service members in the US armed forces right now.
▶ 3:19:49Allowing the continued deportation of veterans with this bill turns our back on the thousands of men and women who have served honorably and courageously. Allowing the use of taxpayer dollars to deport veterans not only breaks apart military families, but also slaps them in the face for their sacrifice. We owe it to all veterans, regardless of their immigration status, to have the opportunity to remain in the United States.
▶ 3:20:16My amendment prohibits the Department of Homeland Security, from using any funds in this bill to remove any US military veteran who was honorably discharged. I hope my colleagues across the aisle can agree that Congress honors service and we shouldn't deport it. I yield back. Gentleman yields. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my point of order. One of order is withdrawn. Would anyone else like to comment on the amendment hearing? None.
▶ 3:20:45The question occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Hernandez. Who who who offered this one? Okay. Yep. I was out of the room. Sorry. My apologies. Um all those in favor say I. I. All those opposed? No. No. Any opinion of the chair? The eyes have it or the nos have it and the amendment is and the nature of a substitute is not adopted. Mr. Chairman, you're recognized. On that, we ask for a recorded vote.
▶ 3:21:16Recorded vote is requested pursuant to committee rule 7c. Further proceedings on this question are postponed. Are there any other amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Ramirez 13. Mr. Ramirez has an amendment. The clerk will distribute the amendment. Mr. Mr. Chairman, you're recognized. I reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved.
▶ 3:22:30clerk will report the amendment. An amendment to the amendment the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mrs. Ramirez of Illinois number 013. Without objection, the reading is dispensed with. The gentleoman is recognized for five minutes on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The president's use of a military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to detain migrants unconscionable.
▶ 3:22:59The president said the facility would be used to hold the worst of the worst. Secretary Nag agreed. But media reports show that the administration has wasted millions of taxpayer dollars to fly nonviolent low-risk detainees with no serious criminal record to a maximum security prison in Guantanamo. In fact, one migrant at the facility was arrested for riding his bicycle on the wrong side of the road.
▶ 3:23:28Another was charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly shoplifting at Target. So, how much does sending migrants to Guantanamo Bay cost? I'm sure my colleagues who are supposedly all concerned about cost cutting measures to fund tax cuts for billionaires are interested in knowing. $40 million just to temporarily jail 400 400 migrants for six weeks. Let me repeat that.
▶ 3:23:55$40 million to temporarily jail 400 migrants for six weeks. The American people might be surprised to know that over three million of that went into just propping up tents. Tents that failed to meet basic standards and they couldn't even use them to house migrants. In fact, many of those tents have already been taken down. My amendment is pretty straightforward.
▶ 3:24:21Not a single dollar should be wasted to violate people's due process, the word we've been using all day, and traffic migrants to an offshore prison in Cuba. With that, Mr. uh chairman, I'd like to also enter into the record um with unanimous consent a letter I sent to the committee on February 20th around Guantanamo oversight. So, order. Thank you. With that, Mr.
▶ 3:24:49Chairman, I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and I yield back. Gentle lady yields. Would anyone else wish to? Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my point of order. Point of order is withdrawn. Would anyone else wish to comment on the amendment? There being no further discussion, the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Ramirez. All those in favor say I. All those opposed, no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it. The amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute is not adopted. Mr. Chairman, you're I request a recorded vote.
▶ 3:25:19Recorded vote is requested pursuant to committee rule 7C. Further proceedings on this question are postponed. Are there any other amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Kennedy number 29. Mr. Kennedy has an amendment. Mr. Chairman, you're a point of order. Point of order is reserved. The clerk will distribute the amendment.
▶ 3:26:05Thank you. clerk will report the amendment. An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mr.
▶ 3:26:34Kennedy of New York number 029. Without objection, the reading is with and Mr. Kennedy is recognized for five minutes on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 3:26:47The Trump administration appears committed to destroying our economy as well as key partnerships with our allies around the My amendment would insert language to prevent CBP from imposing, collecting, or enforcing any tariff on goods imported from Canada, except as required to comply with obligations under international agreements or authorized by an act of Congress.
▶ 3:27:16Simply put, President Trump's tariffs on Canada are attacks on hardworking families across the US. This is especially true in Western New York, which relies on stable, reliable, and regular trade with Canada to fuel our regional economy. Trade with our neighbor to the north supports tens of thousands of jobs in my district alone.
▶ 3:27:39Every year, Canada purchase over half a billion dollars in economic goods from my district, New York's 26th. In the last 100 days, we've seen a game of tariff roulette ensue, including the imposition of tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, as well as a 25% blanket tariff on non USMCA compliant Canadian goods.
▶ 3:28:06This has been and continues to be detrimental to local US economies in both Republican and Democratic districts. As prices on everyday goods continue to skyrocket and our Republican colleagues threaten to cut Medicaid, we need to do what we can to make the cost of living lower for hardworking people in this country. Prohibiting tariffs on our Canadian partners will keep the cost of goods down.
▶ 3:28:33And I believe this is something all of our colleagues can support. This amendment puts a stop to Trump's reckless tariffs against our Canadian ally unless they've been negotiated under international agreements. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Mr. Chairman, gentlemen, yield. You're recognized. I withdraw my point of order. Point of order is withdrawn. Would anyone else care to make a comment on the amendment?
▶ 3:29:00There being none, uh, the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Kennedy. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. No. In the opinion of the chair, the nos have it. And the amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute is not adopted. Mr. Chairman, I'd like to request requests a recorded vote pursuant to committee rule 7c. Further proceedings on this question are Are there any other amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute? Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. Hernandez number 28.
▶ 3:29:31Mr. Hernandez has an amendment. Mr. Chairman, you're recognized. I reserve a point of order. Point of order is reserved. Clerk will distribute the This will probably be the last one
▶ 3:30:01we do before votes, just to let everybody know. Uh, and when we do recess, we'll, reconvene 30 minutes after the last vote called. The last vote is called. Cook will report the amendment.
▶ 3:30:27An amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute to the committee print by the committee on homeland security offered by Mr. Hernandez number Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the amendment be considered as Uh so ordered. Um Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of I think you already did that. Yeah, I withdraw my point of order.
▶ 3:30:56The gentleman withdraws his point of order. Um the without objection, the reading is dispensed with and the gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes on the amendment. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Residents of Puerto Rico and all the Commonwealths and territories are American citizens who deserve the same access to FEMA grant resources as those living in the 50 states and Washington DC.
▶ 3:31:17While Puerto Rico currently receives state homeland security grant program funding, excluding territories and commonwealths from the text of the underlying bill sends a harmful message that we are less important. After disasters like Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico experienced delayed and insufficient federal support. including in the text of this bill the term territories will ensure that Puerto Rico is not excluded as an afterthought in a future national emergency response.
▶ 3:31:47My amendment would ensure that $2.5 billion in FEMA grant funding in this bill would go to communities like mine who deserve representation and opportunity to compete for federal funding. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and I yield back. The uh gentleman yields. Uh would anyone else care to comment on the amendment?
▶ 3:32:15There being no further discussion, the question now occurs on the amendment offered by Mr. Hernandez. All those in favor say I. All those opposed say no. No. In the opinion of the chair that the nos have it and the amendment to the amendment in the nature of a substitute is not adopted. On that we ask for a recorded vote. A recorded vote is requested pursuant to 7c. Further proceedings on this question postponed.
▶ 3:32:44Are there any other amendments to the amendment in the nature of a substitute? Have they called? Okay. We'll stand in recess until 30 minutes after the last vote is called.