▶ 0:03:34Subcommittee on Homeland Security will come to order. I am pleased to be joined by the subcommittee's uh distinguished ranking member, the gentle lady from Illinois when she gets here. Um, welcome, Secretary Gnome. Um, Last week, the Office of Management and Budget released the skinny fiscal year 2026 budget request. While we await the details of the full request, the focus of the hearing, this hearing will be a discussion of the department's priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.
▶ 0:04:05First, I want to address a few housekeeping items. Members will have differences of opinion on how the department should be run and what policy should be in place, especially as it relates to border security and immigration enforcement. However, I am asking members on both sides to keep today's discussion civil and focused on the work we need to do as appropriators to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
▶ 0:04:28I will uh I I will, by the way, I I guess I would be remiss if I if I didn't welcome the chair of the full committee who is here. Um but now I'd like to turn to my colleague, Mrs. Underwood, for her opening remarks. Thank you, Mr. chairman for holding this hearing to conduct oversight of the Department of Homeland Security and welcome Secretary Gnome to your first hearing here. On this subcommittee, our job is to keep our country safe and to safeguard our values as Americans.
▶ 0:04:55Last year, working together, we secured consistent increases for border operations funding and helped bring encounters at the southern border down and seizures of narcotics, including fentanyl, up through critical investments at our ports of entry, CBP officers, and increases to homeland security investigations.
▶ 0:05:17Normally, I would focus my questions for the secretary on the details of the president's budget, but I would be remiss if I did not mention that we are holding today's hearing without an actual budget for fiscal year 2026 to review. And the skinny budget released last Friday is filled with more is filled more with politics than facts. So, let me begin with some facts that I think are important for the American people to hear about what you're doing with their money.
▶ 0:05:45Because three months into this administration, America is more vulnerable than it's ever been. Our homeland is not secure. In the first 100 days of the Trump administration, you have slashed our nation's cyber defenses, letting Russia, China, and Iran steal our top secrets and Americans personal data.
▶ 0:06:09You've wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on illegal detention and deportation, including some people who are trying to come into this country, quote, the legal way, within our broken immigration system. despite by the department's own admission, southern border encounters already at record lows.
▶ 0:06:27Sent emails to US citizens that read, "Please leave the United States immediately." Removed US citizen children, including those with terminal illnesses. raise the price tag of future disasters by cutting billions from projects across the country to make our infrastructure more resilient, including a bipartisan program that was enacted into law by President Trump himself and taken millions
▶ 0:06:57of dollars away from the DHS workforce and operations for what appears to be taxpayerf funed political advertisements. During our member day hearing last month, I also raised the unacceptable and unconstitutional decisions this administration has been making with the funds provided to the department by this committee, including the sudden and unexplained termination of DHS grants to states, universities, and nonprofit organizations, the cancellation of the disaster relief funds
▶ 0:07:28brick program, violations of the fifth amendment right to due process enshrined in the constitution, and reduction ctions and force of parts of the departments office of civil rights and civil liberties, office of citizenship and immigration services unbudsman as well as the office of the immigration detention unbudsman.
▶ 0:07:48I also have serious concerns with the administration's decision to revoke the bargaining rights for DHS personnel with an exception made for unions that have vocally supported the president in the name of efficiency and combating waste, fraud, and abuse, but without any evidence to back those claims. Mr. Chairman, these are programs that Congress debated and ultimately funded. Our role as appropriators is to write the law and responsibly fund the government.
▶ 0:08:16and the executive's role is to execute that funding pursuant to the law. It is no secret the administration has ramped up immigration detention beyond what Congress funded. Increases to ICE at the expense of other national security programs and initiatives that members on both sides of the aisle voted for undermines our core work and congressional intent.
▶ 0:08:41DHS is cashing checks it simply doesn't have in hopes that reconciliation passes and will cover their shortfall. That is an incredibly risky strategy and only sets up essential national security agencies for failure or violations of the Anti-Deficiency Act. How does that secure the homeland? There have been bipartisan discussions surrounding the organizational structure of the Department of Homeland Security.
▶ 0:09:10Whether it's making FEMA an independent agency or transferring components like the US Coast Guard or the US Secret Service to other departments, we will never shy away from discussions about how we can improve the department.
▶ 0:09:24But absent an enacted law from Congress making changes to the department's organizational structure, this subcommittee will continue to conduct oversight over all existing DHS components and provide for their continued funding in the Homeland Bill. I know that there are many areas in this bill that share bipartisan support, and I am so proud of the relationship that Chairman Ammedday and I have built.
▶ 0:09:51I know that even in this highly partisan environment, he and I are committed to welcoming ideas for how to improve the department and better manage the department. But the Trump administration's actions have pushed us to unprecedented and to a sobering moment.
▶ 0:10:09America is a democracy, not a In a democracy, we are organized around the rule of law and those laws are based on a core set of constitutional rights. You may be familiar with the bill of rights.
▶ 0:10:26It includes the fourth amendment which forbids unreasonable searches and seizures, the fifth amendment which guarantees the right to due process, and the sixth amendment with which protects the right to a fair trial and legal counsel. As we endeavor to secure the homeland, we must continue to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. That is not a secondary mission.
▶ 0:10:52Let me conclude and take a moment to recognize the dedication and commitment of the women and men of the Department of Homeland Security who carry out the department's vital missions that help protect the American people from a wide range of threats. Again, I want to thank the chairman for holding this hearing. Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working with you on a bill that reflects those shared priorities, keeps our country safe, and upholds our shared values as Americans. I yield back. Thank you, Madame Ranking Member.
▶ 0:11:20Um the uh the chair now recognizes the chairman of the Full Appropriations Committee, Mr. Cole, for his opening comments. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Before I go to my prepared remarks, I just want to say what a pleasure it is to see our former colleague here and uh how proud we all are of you, your success as a governor, your success uh in this administration in his opening days.
▶ 0:11:43I don't know anybody that's been more effective in less time than you have uh and the men and women that you lead and clearly lead so effectively. So, I just want to thank you so much uh honestly as a friend and a colleague, but somebody that really appreciates the public service that you've already uh rendered this country in multiple multiple ways. We're proud of you. Um thank you again, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Underwood. Thank you, Madam Secretary. We really appreciate you being here today.
▶ 0:12:13Let me begin by commending the brave men and women of this department who stand on the front lines each day to protect the homeland. Under new leadership, they've been empowered to fully carry out that fundamental duty. From day one, the Trump administration has made clear that protecting America is not negotiable. And this White House has taken immediate action to strengthen the security of our nation's borders and enforce existing immigration laws. The contrast from the Biden administration could not be clearer.
▶ 0:12:43Policies that allowed an open and lawless border have ended, and the message is clear. Illegal migrants, including violent offenders, will no longer have an open invitation. Criminal cartels and traffickers, will no longer be enriched. And the safety of our citizens will no longer be put last. Uh, in less than a 100 days, we've watched our southern border go from chaos to closed.
▶ 0:13:06The decisive actions and common sense measures of the Trump administration have led to an historic turnaround, driving illegal crossings to record lows and ensuring removal of dangerous criminals. President Trump and his cabinet, particularly you, Madam Secretary, have delivered on the promise to have the most secure border in modern American history, and our nation is safer as a result.
▶ 0:13:29It's imperative that investments for effective border security enforcement are strong and I'm dedicated to working with the members on this committee and across the capital to ensure the department is properly resourced. Secondly, I appreciate that the DHS mission doesn't end here. Living in tornado alley, Oklahomaans are no strangers to devastation caused by natural disasters.
▶ 0:13:52Even now, a slowmoving storm and record-breaking rainfall is responsible for significant flooding in my state that's already resulted in the loss of life and a state of emergency declaration by our governor. When state and local resources are exhausted, we do rely on FEMA to bring additional capabilities that save residents, remove debris, and help our fellow citizens rebuild. This isn't a partisan issue. It's one that concerns states regardless of politics.
▶ 0:14:20I look forward to a discussion on ways to reform FEMA and improve federal emergency response capability while eliminating inefficiencies and wasteful spending. Programs like the building resilient infrastructure in communities or brick uh grants have provided many communities with the means to mitigate the next disaster before it strikes, potentially saving taxpayers even more money.
▶ 0:14:43I support efforts like these that give local communities, including those in rural Oklahoma, resources to prevent further destruction. Madam Secretary, I know we're both committed to ensuring a safer and stronger uh communities across our nation. And thank you again for being here today. I look forward to your testimony. More importantly, just thank you for the job you're doing for the American people. Uh the results have been spectacular and immediate beyond I think what any of us could have expected.
▶ 0:15:11and that's a no small measure to the manner in which you've led. So, we're grateful for your service. That, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, the chair wishes to put on the record that that I have received no requests from anybody in the administration, the minority, or the majority that I do an opening statement. Accordingly, I will not be one. Not Not unusual.
▶ 0:15:41Um, Madame Secretary, without objection, your full written statement will be entered into the record. With that in mind, we would ask you to summarize uh your opening statement to within five minutes. But, gentle lady from South Dakota, the floor is yours. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Ranking Member Underwood, and members of this committee for giving me the honor of being before you today.
▶ 0:16:02Uh, as a former colleague of the House of Representatives, um, I recognize the important role that you play in oversight over the federal government and our agencies, and I'm grateful for the chance to come here and talk about all of the good work that the Department of Homeland Security has done, the employees, and the people who walk alongside us each and every day to follow through on what President Trump has committed to the American people, and that is to make America safe again.
▶ 0:16:26having uh today I'm very proud of the accomplishments that we've tackled and we've delivered the most secure border in American history at the southern border. We have obtained near total control with daily encounters now down 93% uh since President Trump took office. March saw the lowest number of border encounters in recorded history in the history of the United States of America at just under 7,200.
▶ 0:16:52Uh that means that it there were days where we had less than 200 encounters um which again is the lowest in recorded history. Under the previous administration, US Customs and Border Protection was at times encountering over 15,000 people a day, which mean efforts were diverted into processing and facilitating an invasion of our country instead of doing their jobs. This astonishing turnaround is a testament to the resolve and to the leadership of President Trump to make America safe again.
▶ 0:17:21And it is accomplished by the incredible work of the people of the department. The secure border has allowed uh the border patrol to zero in on cartels and their illicit activity. And President Trump has designated six different cartels and criminal gangs as forest foreign terrorist organizations. This has allowed us to use a whole of government approach to go after drug traffickers, human traffickers, and in March fentanyl traffic at the border fell by 54% compared to the previous year.
▶ 0:17:50We are enforcing immigration laws to identify, to arrest, detain, and to remove dangerous illegal criminals out of our country. And we're prioritizing individuals that have committed crimes in our communities. Aliens are a threat to our public safety and to our national security and especially those that are affiliated with terrorist organizations such as Trenagua and MS13. This includes those who have final orders of removal in place are a priority for this administration.
▶ 0:18:19We've also worked with President Trump on his America First Trade uh agenda through the US Customs and Border Patrol actions and enforcement. The Biden administration hollowed out America's industrial base and they shipped our jobs overseas. Well, President Trump is changing all of that. His actions are proving that tariffs are an effective negotiating tool to address trade imbalances. And in fact, companies are reshoring jobs here in America every single day.
▶ 0:18:46The Department of Homeland Security is reforming and rethinking federal improvement in in our involvement in emergency response and management as well. President Trump recently announced new members to the FEMA review council review council which I will co-chair with the Secretary of Defense. Now, this council is charged with fixing a broken system and it is a system that will when fixed return power to state emergency management directors to make America safe again.
▶ 0:19:13And we're also taking steps to defend the nation's transportation systems, which are vulnerable to targets and attacks. The Transportation Security Administration is responsible for ensuring the security of all of those that travel. In a single day, there are over 45,000 flights and nearly 2.9 people travel on our airlines and our passengers in the United States.
▶ 0:19:37We're fulfilling our obligation to enforce and to launch Real ID in order to follow federal law that was enacted nearly 20 years ago. Validated IDs will secure travel, safeguard our elections, and make sure that we never experience and work to prevent uh a 9/11 attack again. As technology advances, so do the threats to our nation. And that's why cyber security is so crucial to our future.
▶ 0:20:02Countries like communist China have both the capability and the intent to infiltrate and to uh potentially disrupt our critical infrastructure systems. The Homeland Security Department is responsible for 10 of the 16 different critical infrastructures. And despite these threats, the Biden administration instead used SISA to play politics and to police speech. Under President Trump, we've been working to get SISA back on mission and to make sure that they're focused on cyber security.
▶ 0:20:29Now, the Coast Guard is the only branch of our military and our US armed forces that is under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, and it has many different missions with specialized needs going forward. As we secure our southern border, the cartels have shifted their activities to our maritime borders. And the Coast Guard has already surpassed fiscal year 2024 in the amount of drug interdiction numbers that they have encountered. and they have also excelled at search and rescue and illegal interdiction.
▶ 0:20:58Since the Coast Guard is facing our greatest readiness crisis right now since World War II, we need to act to make sure they have the tools, training, and equipment that they need to be the tip of the spear in our national security response. We have a plan to reinvigorate the Coast Guard, and this is a critical component of our homeland security mission. Now, with Force Design 2028, which some of you may have heard about already, we will transform the Coast Guard into a more agile, capable, and a responsive force.
▶ 0:21:29And since I took office as one of the most one of the responsibilities that I have is reforming the Secret Service in the wake of the July 13th assassination attempt on President Trump. We have reassessed the Secret Service needs. We've refocused recruitment away from what the Biden administration was prioritizing with DEI objectives and instead bring people in with experience and with training that align with the AY's zero fail mission. These accomplishments are just a portion, Mr.
▶ 0:21:58Chairman, of what the department has achieved in just a 100 days. And with the support of this committee, we'll be able to make the department more efficient and more effective into the future. I want to thank Chairman Cole for his kind words. It has truly been one of my greatest honors to have been able to serve with him in his advocacy for the people in his district, but not just the people in his district, but the history to which he's represented uh the people of the United States. He's a true statesman that works across the aisle to come up with solutions.
▶ 0:22:26I'm so grateful for all of you, but I'm grateful for the people that work every day in the Department of Homeland Security. They are examples of bravery and dedication, patriotism, and perseverance. It's our responsibility to give them the resources that they need to meet the challenges of the day, to give them the training and equipment that they rely on to be successful for the American people, but we also have to remain accountable to the American taxpayer and make sure that we're spending money appropriately and where it should be spent to serve them the best.
▶ 0:22:56So, thank you for the opportunity to be here today. And with that, Mr. Chairman, I look forward to your questions. Thank you, Madam Secretary. I'm going to hold off on my questions until the members have got done to see if some of them are duplicative. And so, Miss Underwood, the floor is yours for questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This weekend, the president made the remarkable statement that he quote doesn't know whether he has to uphold the Constitution. You, however, have taken a different position both in your confirmation hearing and when you took the oath of office.
▶ 0:23:26You said that you were committed to complying with the Constitution. Do you still stand by that statement? Absolutely. I believe President Trump as well. Let's start with article one, which gives Congress and only Congress the power of the purse. No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law. But this administration is freezing, terminating, and even clawing back federal grants and awards that were already signed into law.
▶ 0:23:53These are taxpayer dollars that were appropriated by Congress for the specific purposes that we laid out. So, Secretary, let me ask you, do you believe the administration has the authority to subvert appropriations law to freeze and terminate congressional the administration and the Department of Homeland Security used our authorities that we have to evaluate every grant that was in front of us and made statutory requirements but also to make sure that they were being spent appropriate.
▶ 0:24:23So, of course, the president is within his authorities, this is my time. Thank you so much. Of course, president the president is within his authorities to drive policy decisions within the bounds of federal law and the constitution. But that's not what you've been doing. What I'm asking is whether you believe the you have the authority to ignore appropriations law. Do you believe that the constitution gives the executive branch unilateral authority to withhold funds appropriated by the legislative branch?
▶ 0:24:49We have evaluated grants to make sure if they're being spent appropriately and work that is underway and was authorized has continued. Other grants that have not been started and have not been authorized or obligated, we have re-evaluated. And I think you're talking specifically about grants potentially within FEMA that were non-d disaster related grants. I'm talking broadly, ma'am. And article 2 does not give the executive the authority to withhold funds. Period. And multiple courts have weighed in to agree. Multiple courts have ruled in agreement.
▶ 0:25:19Congress controls the power of the purse. That is a fact. That's not a question. That is a fact. And so if the president disagrees with certain spending, Congress passed the empowerment act to create a legal process to seek recisions. And we expect him to follow the law. This administration is not just ignoring the constitutional power of the people's elected representatives. It is also violating the fundamental right of individuals.
▶ 0:25:44Do you believe that the Constitution grants everyone in our country the right to due process, including non-citizens? The administration has the authority to Ma'am, I'm looking for a yes or no question. Yes or no? Do you believe the concept? Yes, ma'am. Do you not conducted my time? Mr. Chairman, time is yours. Okay, Secretary Gnome, I'm just looking for a yes or no here. Do you believe the Constitution guarantees due process to everyone in America? Due process is exactly what this Congress lays out.
▶ 0:26:14Okay, ma'am. I'll take that as a no due process. Excuse me. I'm trying, ma'am. I'm trying to ascertain your understanding of the law as it applies to your department and you as it leader should be able to give us a yes or no answer because judge after judge has ruled that the law is not being followed. Do you believe that the US government has the authority to deport American citizens? No. And we are not deporting US citizens. I'm so happy to hear that you do not believe that the law gives you that authority.
▶ 0:26:43Um because the federal government has no authority under US laws to deport any American citizen. And as I know everyone viewing this hearing today knows that several American citizens have been deported to date. Secretary Gnome, that was not a question. Secretary Gnome, that oath that we both swore before taking office was to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Not the president, not a political party, the Constitution.
▶ 0:27:12And that's what we're going to keep doing here at the appropriations committee. Thank you. I yel back. Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma, the chairman of the appropriations committee for questions. Mr. Cole, the floor is yours. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Madam Secretary, again, great to have you here.
▶ 0:27:31Uh, in your service, you've prioritized detaining and removing literally the worst of the worst in our country that have arrived here illegally, including those that have committed violent crimes against our fellow Americans. I think we're all in support of that effort. Uh, can you tell us, and you may not have this information, I'm just curious, how many illegal aliens have committed serious offenses against our own citizens?
▶ 0:27:56Yeah, there are tens of thousands of illegal aliens that have committed crimes against uh individuals in this country and we have worked very hard to make sure that those are the individuals that we're going after and deporting as soon as possible. There have been over 160,000 repatriations uh targeting these individuals, returning them back to their home countries and facing consequences and legal action because of that.
▶ 0:28:20President Trump has told us to make these individuals a priority uh and to also make sure that we're identifying those with final removal orders to remove and overwhelmingly the American people have supported this. Uh, one of the things that I would say is that was unfortunate was uh, the Biden administration closed an office within ICE that helped us better track criminal activity by illegal aliens and to give resources to uh, those families to let them be informed on when cases were in court, if the perpetuator of their crime was
▶ 0:28:50going to be released, if they were in custody. The Voic's office within ICE was opened under the first Trump administration and President Biden closed that office, I believe, to cover up exactly how many crimes were committed against people in this country by illegal aliens. U we have reopened that office. We believe that that data would be helpful and they're continuing to work with people who have been victims of illegal crimes and illegal alien activity in this country.
▶ 0:29:15But uh those data and that information, I don't think we'll ever truly know how much crime was committed and how many were committed against American citizens because the Biden administration refused to track those victims and those crimes as they were perpetuated. Well, I commend you for reopening the office. Uh let me just as a quick followup ask you and again this may be information that uh is not readily available.
▶ 0:29:37I'm curious if we know how many illegal aliens have actually currently have final orders for removal uh from an immigration judge and we just haven't had an opportunity to to you know execute those orders. Well, that is the challenge that we have is that we have literally millions of illegal aliens that have overstayed or are here illegally that need to have a final order um as issued.
▶ 0:30:03Uh we have uh hundreds of thousands that are being going out and targeted and and being removed from this country today that ICE is working every day in coordination with all other areas of our government uh to get them removed from our country. Um but we do need have a backlog because this was not a priority under the last administration.
▶ 0:30:23Uh so we have u up to a million cases that are backlogged that need to be processed by an immigration judge uh in an immigration court in order to make sure that we are having those final remover orders and that we can take action on them. I want to commend you. You mentioned your statement about um you know pushing on the Real ID Act. I know that's not an easy thing to do and I'm sure when the day comes we about 30% of the people as I understand it that travel still don't have that documentation.
▶ 0:30:52Um amongst the things you have to consider what kinds of IDs are acceptable. I would encourage you as you do that to look carefully at tribal IDs. I know certainly in South Dakota but in Oklahoma we have a lot of our citizens that use those as primary sources and clearly they need to meet the standards you lay out. But uh whatever you could do in that regard to both keep those folks informed and work with them so they get into compliance would be very appreciated. We do uh tomorrow is the day that Real ID will finally be enforced.
▶ 0:31:23It's been a law that's been in place for over 20 years. 81% of the travelers that travel uh by airline in the United States today are already compliant. So they have IDs that already uh they will be able to use just like they normally always have been. We will be honoring passports, other federally recognized IDs, tribal IDs will be recognized. So, thank you, Mr. Chairman, for that. And what will happen tomorrow is folks will come through the line uh and we'll be issue their ID and show it.
▶ 0:31:50If it's not compliant, they may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step, but people will be allowed to fly. Um, we we recognize that this is a security issue. Um, Congress has had many, many years to re-evaluate it and decide if they wanted to change the law or to stop it and the Biden administration chose that it should go into place on May 7th and we intend to follow the law.
▶ 0:32:12So, uh, we will make sure that it is as seamless as possible and that travelers will get to stay on their intended itinerary, but we are telling people that this law will be enforced and it will allow us to know individuals in this country uh, who they are and that they're authorized to travel. Well, I'm about out of time. Uh, so I'm going to mention a quick thing and then probably submit it for the record so you have time to respond. I am very interested in the brick grants which again we did pass when President Trump was there.
▶ 0:32:42Uh, would love to be updated as you figure out how you're going to reform those. But they have been extraordinarily valuable I think to communities and like all grants they can be used correctly or or misused. I don't have any problem with evaluating things particularly uh in the last frenzy days of any administration. Sometimes a lot of stuff slips through that you wish hadn't in retrospect.
▶ 0:33:04But uh please uh know that there's strong bipartisan support for that program as there was when President Trump uh you know introduced it and worked with signed it into law back in 2018. So, uh, love to know more when you can about your plans to reform those grants, but hopefully keep them operating. You bet. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yield back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, the chair now recognizes the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Quayar, the floor is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:33:35Madam Secretary, it's good to see you. Um, I was going to show you, but I think the rules don't allow me to show you just something to because I just want to talk about basics, but hopefully we can sit down later and I can show you what I'm referring to. Uh, want to talk about some of the basics. I live at the border. Uh, I've lived all my life there. Uh, want to talk to you about rivers.
▶ 0:33:55So I want to talk to you about kariso canaine technology that's needed aerostats and and cameras that are not working and some infrastructure basics that are needed for border security. Um my area Laredo uh it's the largest inland port bigger than LA bigger than any other place in the country. We get 18,000 trailers a day. We're about to expand from eight lanes to 18 plus another bridge. We got two of them to rail bridge. So trade is very important to us.
▶ 0:34:25Uh but when we talk about illegal crossings, we've been the second lowest crossing uh in the country and we still are out there. I think right now latest numbers, 30 people, maybe 40 people a day coming through my area, which is almost nothing. So thank you for that. Uh river roads, the river roads, and I wish I could show this just to show you, but the river roads go this way. Let's say the river's here. the river roads I mean the the roads go this way.
▶ 0:34:53So border patrol can go here but they can't go across. So what we're asking is for river roads to follow uh the river itself and I think that would be a big investment uh a good investment that we need. Uh so one is the river roads. The other thing is the kariso cane. the kariso cane. I know you got some folks from uh people that are very familiar, but the cariso cane will grow almost the size of this uh and and it's not good for border patrol.
▶ 0:35:21I think Tony Gonzalez and folks that are from the border understand, you know, we ought to get rid of that Kariso Kane on our river, but get the Mexicans to do that. I'll show you the the the maps and I know you've been out there, but it shows you that Kariso Kane is on both sides. If we can clear that up, get the Mexicans to do that, that will be good for border patrol. Um, so River Roads, Kariso Kane technology, uh, in my area, uh, only one-third of the cameras are working.
▶ 0:35:51And if you ask some of the other border patrol, they're not working. Basically, it they're using the RF uh, RVS, which is an old model. They're trying to get the A towers where more uh uh better to use uh or whatever technology, but this old technology is like going to a car and you fix it and they keep coming. The same thing they're doing right now. They keep bringing uh folks are coming in to to fix it up. Onethird of the cameras are working, twothirds are not working. That's not uh right.
▶ 0:36:22Procurement process needs to be better uh so they can move faster to uh uh buy that technology. And finally, there are dead spots. Even now with the modern technology, border patrol can be in certain areas and dangerous areas and they don't have the technology and radio uh that's working. Aerostats um uh the military has a lot of them in surplus.
▶ 0:36:48The problem is in the past past administrations, they've uh hired contractors that uh that you know homeland was paying too much money. So we need to look at those aerostats that are available from the military surplus itself. Um border patrol I think right now we got 19,327. We funded 22,000 and we need to hire uh more. Uh of the men and women in blue were 26,334.
▶ 0:37:18We're still below the modeling. So we need to hire uh those officers. So those are some of the things and and I know I gave you a whole bunch of things but there's the basic things that are important to border uh patrol. Uh last point as we try to hire new border patrol that I know the reconciliation has something that will affect them that has to do with social security uh supplement. I've talked to a lot of border patrol agents and right now they're crunching the numbers.
▶ 0:37:46Do I retire at the age uh of 52 or do I 57? what's going to happen with that supplemental. So instead of focusing on the border, they're human beings and they're focusing on that. I know that's another committee, but those are the basics that I don't I know I don't have enough time, but I would love to follow up with you and your uh folks on. Absolutely. I will certainly do that, Congressman.
▶ 0:38:07And I want to thank you for talking about the technology needs and uh the investments that we need at the border in order for these agents to truly do their job and do it with excellence. I I will tell you that recruitment at CBP is up over 50%. So, as we've allowed them to go back and to do their jobs, um we have had more and more interest in people, more applications coming in, and I think that's a fantastic trend that as people talk about how discouraging it was over the last several years by them not having their hands tied that now that they actually get to secure the border and work for the American people that
▶ 0:38:38they're recruiting more and more help to be assisting along the way. Thank you. And we'll follow up on the rest of these conversations. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Quer. The gentleman from Florida, Mr. Rutherford, the floor is yours for questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Secretary Gnome. I I have to say, it's already been mentioned a couple times, the amazing speed with which you all turned around the southern border.
▶ 0:39:04And I know that a big piece of that was your endorsement of the 287G program. Uh, you know, I I fought with Secretary Morcus, your predecessor, to try and expand that program.
▶ 0:39:20He refused to do it, even though his own acting ICE Secretary said in a hearing before this committee that 287G was the best thing since sliced bread because it protected officers and the community. And so I I want to thank you for that. you all came in and overnight, it seems, added 300 agencies to the 287G program.
▶ 0:39:46That's an amazing accomplishment and I think that's a reason for a lot of the success uh that you've seen there. Uh in fact my my own agency where I had started 287G back 15 years ago uh we were part of operation title wave and uh just great success in in Florida with all the sheriffs and chiefs coming together 1120 illegal aliens taken off the street
▶ 0:40:16um 63% of which uh madam secretary actually had criminal arrest and convictions prior to that. So, uh, two two questions 287G. Number one, what can we do to help you get more agencies involved? And number two, what what do you need from the standpoint of technology? You just mentioned the technology.
▶ 0:40:41What can we do to help you get get those agencies trained and the technology that they need to get into those databases so that we can actually run these 287g programs which are better than sliced bread. Yeah. Uh it it top efficiency. Yeah. Well, thank you Congressman for talking about this program because it is incredibly important to our strategy of having the enforcement that we need to really address the criminal activities that we've seen out on the ground.
▶ 0:41:10Um 287G is a partnership between um our officers, ICE, um CBP that brings everybody to the table. It's an agreement that's signed with local law enforcement or state law enforcement that allows us to operate in a task force model to go out and and make sure that we're having more bodies, more people uh more people a part and backup of these operations on the ground going after dangerous criminals.
▶ 0:41:34We have today, I believe, 598 agreements out there across the country, over 6,200 different officers that that has brought alongside of us to work alongside of us to protect our communities and they've done incredible work. You referenced what was done in Florida on Operation Title Wave. uh those 1120 dangerous criminals are off the streets now today and they are people that um were here illegally um broke our laws and now they are having the opportunity to face consequences and to go home to their home countries.
▶ 0:42:03I would say that we're looking for more agreements like that across the country and we'll continue to build on it. What Florida did by having a whole estate approach is what we want to build out and model in every other state as well. And we've had partnerships from the DEA, ATF, DOJ, um state highway patrols.
▶ 0:42:20We've had, you know, obviously ICE, US Marshalss, CBP, um local law enforcement, cities, um county sheriffs, people have been who've committed their whole life to upholding the law um and having the scales of justice apply equally to everybody are a part of this team.
▶ 0:42:38And it has been wonderful to see people jump in and be a part of it to make sure that we have not just um the authorities that we need to go out there and to work, but also to have the local knowledge and the people in their community that really want to be a part of the solution and making them safe again. Well, we look forward to continuing that. I I want to ask very quickly. I I don't have much time left, but I want to I want to ask about these recalcitrant countries that um you know, we have 1.2 million deportation orders out there.
▶ 0:43:07uh that are waiting uh for these countries to take them back. I I was I was shocked under the Biden administration that Secretary uh claimed he couldn't couldn't send them home because I wouldn't take them.
▶ 0:43:22Uh but now I understand that uh that now that you're in charge of uh DHS and the Trump administration, State Department working together that uh there's been some change in in that and can you talk a little bit about uh how that's going? Yeah, so the Department of State is the entity that negotiates travel documents and the ability to repatriate people back to their home countries. and they've done phenomenal work in giving us the opportunity to do that.
▶ 0:43:52Um there are some countries that are still refusing to take their own citizens and I would reiterate that every single country has a responsibility to take their citizens back. Um and that has always been something that has been an international uh common sense agreement that has existed. Uh many of the countries today even as they are working with us aren't taking um their citizens home um very quickly. they may limit us to one or two planes a week.
▶ 0:44:20Um, Mexico had a limitation on us for quite a period of time, even a limitation on what kind of aircraft we could use. And so working with those countries is a diplomatic um job that consistently needs to be stayed on top of. So many times while we have people that um are um brought into our facilities and ready to be returned home, uh getting those travel documents and the permission to return them to their countries is incredibly important. Thank you very much for getting them out. But I assume my time's expired. I yield back.
▶ 0:44:51Chair recognizes a gentleman from Hawaii, Mr. Case. The floor is yours for questions. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Madam Secretary, I appreciate your rosy report on the Department of Homeland Security. Uh I have a different view on where the department is today and where you and by you I'm going to refer to the president, the administration, and you as secretary are taking it as reflected into your actions and budgets, not just in your words. Um but I think it's important that we start by uh some points of agreement.
▶ 0:45:20First of all, I think you would agree, I hope you would agree, that the 270 or so thousand members of the of the DHS workforce, if that's what the figure is now, and we would like to find out what the figure is at some point, spread across your 22 departments, all deserve our praise for their dedication for serving our country every day, and they also deserve our professional respect.
▶ 0:45:42I think we would also agree uh that the efforts to um legally reduce illegal immigration and il illegal drugs of the past couple of years uh across our borders are paying off and should be continued. So I agree with you on those things. Um overall however and focusing on the budget because this is the appropriations committee. uh what little you have shown us thus far of your FY 2020 uh 6 budget.
▶ 0:46:08Uh it looks like you are definitely overfunding some efforts mainly for messaging purposes at the expense of some other efforts that are really critical such as cyber security disaster prevention and mitigation transportation security and you're using budget gimmicks to misdirect and conceal your intent. on your budget gimmits gimmicks, you claim a 65% increase in DHS's overall budget targeted at the border, drugs, and the Coast Guard.
▶ 0:46:36But all of that increase or more is loaded into your separate reconciliation bill. You have essentially for this purpose purposes of this committee levelfunded DHS and loaded all of the extra money into reconciliation. First of all, aside from uh completely sidetracking this particular committee which is supposed to be doing that funding, um you should know if you don't already that this is not an appropriate use of reconciliation. Um it's intended to maintain the illusion of responsible budgeting.
▶ 0:47:06It certainly is holding needed DHS increases which many of us would support in other situations hostage to your overall reconciliation plan of continuing tax cuts for billionaires and slashes in critical pro programs like Medicaid. So the question I have and this is a rhetorical question since I'm making a statement here is why don't you just come into this committee and say it straight. We need a 65% or more increase in DHS to actually protect our national security.
▶ 0:47:37Your increase is also heavily skewed to the border generally and CPB specifically, some 20 billion, all of it in reconciliation. And nobody disputes that CPD needs help. I've been to the border three times myself. I've spent time uh with the agents and certainly personal and equipment costs are necessary.
▶ 0:47:55But a question that I have from an oversight perspective is um if you are claiming such success at the border which without spending all of this extra money which you're there for which you're now asking for do we need to do that at the expense of other programs and I mean the non-personnel stuff you're also loading half of your reconciliation increase into the US coast guard $21 billion and everybody agrees that the coast guard needs help.
▶ 0:48:20critical in the Indo Pacific where you have actually withdrawn from the Indo Pacific uh which I think was a tremendous mistake. Why don't you just ask for that in your base budget rather than trying to hide and extort it in reconciliation?
▶ 0:48:34Um, your budget also ignores and even attacks other critical functions of DHS, the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency or SISA, which I think we would all agree is critical to direct national defense, but also civilian infrastructure, which is the most exposed right now and the reliance of foreign countries on our expertise to help them with their cyber security. And yet you propose to to reduce SISA by 20% in your base budget.
▶ 0:49:04Um and I don't think that you can claim that that's all somehow Biden uh misdirection. FEMA another example of misbudgeting in my view. Um you first of all collectively have directed very um incorrect and outright mean criticism at FEMA which is just undeserved by FEMA. And it's time to put the political campaign behind us and acknowledge that FEMA is doing a good job.
▶ 0:49:30They did an outstanding job on Maui and I sat with them on Maui when they were trying their very best and did their very best while their president was criticizing their work. We don't need this and further we certainly need to fund them adequately. Transportation security administration same basic um um observation a critical agency which you have not adequately funded. So fundamentally my time is running short. Um obviously this is a critical agency.
▶ 0:49:59Um, it deserves to be led responsibly and transparently. Um, it deserves to be budgeted for transparently and responsibly and until we get there, um, I do not feel safer under your leadership at DHS. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, if I can respond quickly. Um, thank you for your comments and, um, I'd like to respond to you. If I don't have time today, I will in writing or in answers to other questions.
▶ 0:50:24But we have focused on making sure that we're going forward with a Department of Homeland Security that focuses on what our mission is and that is to secure America's homeland and to do that while being accountable to taxpayers. So every single component I have 23 different departments we have gone back to their mission statement on what they were intended to do and put them back on mission. So in SISA instead of doing censorship, misinformation, disinformation, they're back to securing our critical infrastructure. TSA.
▶ 0:50:53All we're doing there in the reductions is reducing empty FTEEs that were never filled or don't have TSOs in them now and asking for TSA officials to do work that that they were intended to do, not to do unskilled technical work by monitoring exit lanes. So, I could go through all of them that you mentioned, FEMA as well. The president has indicated he wants to eliminate FEMA as it exists today and to have states have more control over their emergency management response. He wants to empower local governments and support them and how they respond to their people.
▶ 0:51:23So, um, thank you for identifying what you're concerned about and I look forward to having conversations with you so that I can answer the questions that you have and reassure you that this Department of Homeland Security is accountable. Um, but it is also going to fulfill the mission for which it was created after the horrific events of 911. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, the floor belongs to the gentleman from Washington State, Mr. New House for your questions. Well, thank the gentleman from Nevada and the lady from Illinois as well.
▶ 0:51:50Uh, thank you, Secretary Gnome, for being here with us to discuss this is this is our agency, the Homeland Security. I want to focus on a couple things that uh I've spent a lot of time working on, and when you were in the House, you did too, and I want to thank you for that. Uh, that has to do with agricultural labor.
▶ 0:52:08Uh I was I was very delighted to hear President Trump in early April make several and I thought were very important comments about uh the agricultural labor force as well as um some of the um what would you call hotel uh entertainment kind of uh workers whose current workforce u certainly are uh lack of legal status. So I'm talking about H2A and H2B.
▶ 0:52:36He proposed a plan to allow undocumented agricultural workers an opportunity to touch back with the ability to come back to the United States with achieving a legal status. Um I can't overestim or overstate the importance as you know of an agricultural labor force to produce food and fiber in our country.
▶ 0:52:57So I wanted you to if you could provide any kind of an update that you could share with us on the discussions there at the cabinet level, but also in that same vein, a major cattle producer and processor in Washington in Idaho uh recently shared some of their concerns with the I believe it's called the termination of parole process for Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans.
▶ 0:53:23Um, apparently the workforce there up to 15% of of their workforce is made up of those of people from those countries and so I wanted to give you an opportunity to either speak with us about that or follow up with my staff later. No, thank you so much for talking about the important uh programs that we have to facilitate a workforce in this country that have contributed so much in certain industries and different areas um going forward.
▶ 0:53:51President Trump has been very clear that he believes that people that are here illegally need to go home. Um he has backed that up with his policies that you don't get to come into this country and have the law apply to some people and not others, that the scales of justice should apply equally to everyone and that uh individuals who are here illegally um need to face consequences for that and go home. I think one of the reasons that you've heard us recently talk about self-deportation is because our preferences is that the individuals who are here illegally um self-epport.
▶ 0:54:22We will facilitate purchasing their plane ticket and a stipen once they return to their home country so they have the opportunity to do exactly what you talked about by touchback. They have the opportunity to come back to America then and to do it the right way. um there they will face the consequences for breaking our laws originally, but we want everybody to have the opportunity to be a part of the American dream.
▶ 0:54:43If individuals who are here illegally wait until we have to go and find them, arrest them, deport them, spend up to $17,000 by getting them back home to their home countries. President Trump has been very clear they will never get the chance to come back. So, I would encourage everyone in this country that um is in these industries to proactively tell the story. That's why you've seen us aggressively carrying the message to people that the United States is now following the law.
▶ 0:55:11Uh that we are now securing our borders and that we're getting uh people out of our country who broken our laws, but if you do work with us that you will have the opportunity to come back. Um those visa programs are ones um that we continue to have discussions with the administration with many of you on. There's some latitude given to the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, but I will remind you that Congress consistently maintains the authority to determine how many are issued in this country and if they are issued into the future.
▶ 0:55:41And so we always will follow that as that goes forward. Um, and as you talk about um, the importance of of what the work we do at the Department of Homeland Security, um, I know that working with these folks that are in these different industries that we will continue to have those conversations with all of you. When we talk about different policies that the department is following, uh, many of times it's Congress, it's the House of Representatives and Senate who sets the policy that we are following and gives us the authority to do and take the actions that we are. Okay. Very good.
▶ 0:56:11Look forward to working with you for on that. And just in the short amount of time I have left, um the harbor maintenance tax. Yes. Uh a lot of countries are essentially bypassing that, bringing uh goods, importing them to the United States through either Canada or Mexico and forgoing paying any kind of tax that way. Um in your, you know, certainly we have a lot of elicited drugs coming through. We need to get a handle on that as well.
▶ 0:56:37But you in your testimony, you highlighted the importance of of the CBP enforcing tariffs on imports, and this seems to be to be a an appropriate place to put a lot of time and energy. I'm going to just so you know, I'll have some legislation here shortly addressing this kind of stuff, but I wanted to draw your attention to the the a lot of the work efforts that other countries are going through to to uh avoid paying that tax.
▶ 0:57:02Yeah, thank you for pointing that out and for talking about it in this committee hearing because I think a lot of people don't realize that that's one of the factors that we're dealing with too at the federal level is having other countries unfairly um manipulate their processes to avoid paying what is due to the American people. Um since President Trump has been in office, uh CBP has made 21 different enforcement actions on tariffs.
▶ 0:57:26Uh so they've put in place that many adjustments and changes to other countries as goods and services come into this country um and have done it with excellence. I'll remind everybody that CBP is the oldest law enforcement agency in the country and has collected tariffs um for many many many years. Uh um and so uh they have adjusted and done well um with President Trump negotiating with these countries to finally treat our consumers and our country uh fairly um when we've been so mistreated in trade agreements in the past.
▶ 0:57:56Well, thank you. But that is a part of the discussion that the president continues to have with with these other entities that have manipulated that. Very much appreciated. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The gentle lady from Texas, the floor is yours for questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and and madame ranking member. Uh, Secretary Gnome, thanks for being here. Appreciate it. I represent I'm proud to represent my border community of El Paso, Texas. Born and raised there, third generation border resident. My kids are fourth generation.
▶ 0:58:27I have a lot of questions and I've structured them in a way that they should be simple yes or no. So, I'm going to ask that that you please respond as simply as possible so I can get through as many of my questions as possible.
▶ 0:58:41Uh my first question is when the Department of Homeland Security makes a mistake, will you assure this committee and Congress that that DHS that you will acknowledge that mistake, uh take accountability for it and rectify it most importantly? Yes. Thank you. Um and I'll follow back up with that question.
▶ 0:59:04I I want to first one of the first topics I want to talk about is what Donald Trump, President Trump said recently, homegrowns are next. And I'd like to enter into the record an NPR story. Homegrown are next. Trump hopes to deport and jail US citizens abroad. I was happy to hear your acknowledgement that that is not legal.
▶ 0:59:27Um, but I am curious about the reconciliation bill and the appropriations requests that you will make. Will any of the funding either through appropriations or through reconciliation be used to execute this policy idea of Donald Trump's, which is deporting US citizens abroad? We have not deported any US citizens. And so that false media narrative that you've heard out there just simply isn't true.
▶ 0:59:57What I would say, so my question, yes or no, will it comes to reconciliation reconciliation be used for that? The reconciliation dollars that we've asked for is $175 billion that will be focused and is reflected in. Yes or no? Will it be used for those purposes which Donald Trump acknowledged? We're going to continue to use the authorities and follow the constitution to implement policy. Reclaiming my time. I I'd like to now focus on US citizens who were deported.
▶ 1:00:28Um, in fact, three children so far, likely more children, one of those children with cancer who was deported without the medication necessary to address that child's cancer. Again, a US citizen.
▶ 1:00:45Um the lawyers have said that they were not given the the family was not given an opportunity um to make plans for the kids um and so they were de deported um essentially again US citizens.
▶ 1:01:00I have a question about the forms that that ICE is supposed to utilize when engaging with parents who have children who the parents who are being deported and the US citizen children. Um, one of those forms is ICE 71-078 or the caregiver designation at arrest form.
▶ 1:01:26Were any of the individuals who were deported who had US citizen children deported with them? Were they given an opportunity to sign that form? when these um the specific cases that you're referencing with these children, it was the parents choice to take their children and and did ICE follow through on the policy to keep families together? Ma'am, ma'am, ma'am, reclaiming my time. I I told you at the top of this, ma'am, reclaiming my time. I said the the questions are really simple.
▶ 1:01:56Yes or no? Were these was that form used in any of those cases? I will get back to you on that specific form. I don't know the number, but I do know these mothers are the second form. Ma'am, reclaiming my time. Ma'am, please reclaiming my time. I'd like you to avoid the filibuster so I can get to all my questions. Please answering your questions. So, the second ICE form that I'd like to ask you about is ICE form 71-76.
▶ 1:02:25Um, which is also uh it's pre- removal parental interests election form. Can you get back to me on that? Were Were all of the parents allowed to sign that? Um, are the parents allowed to speak to lawyers before they're deported or to speak to their US citizen spouses before they're deported? They are given the opportunity. Okay. So, you can guarantee that every every one of those parents, we followed all the normal policies and procedures.
▶ 1:02:53So they were they were allowed they were allowed to talk to a lawyer as it is authorized by yes. Everything was handled appropriately and correctly. Did they all get to talk to a lawyer? Okay. Reclaiming my policy. Um Mr. Chairman, unfortunately I'm out of time. I have a number of other questions we'll get to in the next round. Thank you. Gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Sisammani. The floor is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:03:23And uh thank you, Secretary Nolan, for being here with us today and for uh your testimony and your leadership uh your leadership and that of all the men and women that you uh serve with as well in the Department of Homeland Security. Uh like you, I come from a border state and though the northern and southern borders are vastly different, I know you understand firsthand the challenges that our communities at the border face as well as uh the value that they bring also to our states and our region.
▶ 1:03:52The security this that this administration has been able to deliver to our southern border is in such a short period of time is astounding and so well appreciated by those who live and work in these communities. I know I hear it all the time. This is the number one feedback I get from my constituents regarding the results that we've seen from this administration and your leadership has played a key role in that. So, thank you. In the district that I represent, which is uh much of the Tucson sector of Border Patrol, we have historically seen high numbers of gotaways.
▶ 1:04:20I understand there have been around 65,000 gotaways this fiscal year. Um what resources uh or what resource investments for both technology and infrastructure are you planning to make and how those will be reduced in the numbers for the future? The gotaways of course um are troubling. We we've seen a lot of the the reported numbers come down, but these gotaways uh that's that's I know it's a key issue for you as well and the focus.
▶ 1:04:48So on that and then and then then particularly could you speak on to the technology that we'll be using in in these rough terrain areas like southern Arizona which is so different from uh other border areas including my friends in Texas. When you go to Arizona it's just broad terrain rough some areas hard to even build any kind of barrier or wall. So technology plays a big role there. Can you speak to that? Yes.
▶ 1:05:09Thank you so much for talking about the fact that as we've secured our border and as we've um addressed the challenges and in the areas of the southern border and northern border where we saw a lot of folks crossing illegally um and we've uh put more resources in those areas or what was necessary to really follow our federal law and keep American people safe. Uh we've seen that some of the traffic has pushed to other other areas, maybe areas that weren't well traveled before. Um and now gotaways are trying to take advantage of that.
▶ 1:05:39They also have pushed heavily towards the maritime uh borders and out into the waters. The Coast Guard is seeing much more traffic. They're also seeing the cartel activity out there of trafficking of drugs and human beings and technologies that they're having a difficult time keeping up with. Um the Coast Guard has been neglected for many many years and they don't have the airframe and they don't have the cutters to keep up and even to manage and maintain the horsepower needs that they have to catch and interdict some of the smuggling activities that are going on.
▶ 1:06:09You referenced some of the rough terrain and what we need to do as far as um CBP and investment on this border. Uh, frankly, we're going to use uh the latest and greatest technology that would be available to us as far as surveillance equipment, cameras, um satellite uh images when possible, and also the Aerostar like uh Congressman Quaar was talking about um some of those technologies in areas to help those vulnerable areas uh have more eyesight to truly know what is crossing there so that we can interdict
▶ 1:06:39it before it comes into our country. I would talk exclusively too about um you know how we've been able to diplomatically work um with the country of Mexico. Um President Trump's strong leadership has helped Mexico be more proactive than they ever were before, too. And so in my conversations with government officials, uh they've indicated to me there could be as many as 500 to 600,000 illegals that never reached our border because when they got to Mexico and heard that our border was closed, they turned around and went back.
▶ 1:07:09So, um, a combination of solutions is needed. You absolutely have to have a president that cares about keeping us safe. We now have that in President Trump, but also making sure that we have the people and the equipment necessary uh, for CBP and for ICE to do their job, but then the technology, which you referenced, uh, which is needed. We have scanners, um, that we need at ports of entry so that we can scan our our shipments, um, our rail, and even our air freight. much of that.
▶ 1:07:37We don't necessarily know what's coming in in containers uh and small packages. Um those those technologies are critically important and why you see a request in increase in funding to address those challenges that simply were neglected for too long under the Biden administration. Excellent. Thank you so much for that. You know, you mentioned the the diplomatic conversations to swell. I think that's something that doesn't get enough attention of uh the power of strong leadership in the White House now and the reaction of not only Mexico but the rest of Latin America on this.
▶ 1:08:06I think that's key and we want to partner with Mexico and other countries on on this. Um with the little time that I have left, do you mind just speaking on the morale of the agents and your efforts on recruiting and retention? I think that goes hand inhand with the technology piece as well. Yeah, I the morale of the Department of Homeland Security agencies and departments and the employees that work there um is fantastic. We have incredible numbers in recruitment, people who want to be a part of the agency um that are signing up and submitting applications.
▶ 1:08:34I referenced earlier that CBP has um over 50% I believe it's 54% increase in recruitment. ICE as well um maintaining and and excelling at its recruitment efforts and getting officers and people who want to be a part of the team or coming out of retirement. Um we have the Coast Guard is at 108% increase of its recruitment.
▶ 1:08:56uh people that understand the mission and they want to be a part of of of the many different skill sets that the Coast Guard can bring to partnering with our military departments, but also going out there and helping at the border and continuing on with their search and rescue mission. And then you look at the Secret Service, uh, because of the recruitment efforts that we've had and putting those agents back on focusing, uh, hiring expertise, um, hiring experience instead of DEI programs, the Secret Service recruitment is up almost 200%.
▶ 1:09:26Um, the applications we've gotten have been fantastic by telling our story and that they can be a part of an agency that protects the most powerful in the world. Um, it truly has been inspirational. So, um, I believe that that some of the narrative that the Democrats have used to attack the Department of Homeland Security just simply isn't true. Um, the people that are wanting to come and work for us are inspirational and they're true Americans. Thank you for that, Chairman. I yield back. Gentleman from Texas, Mr. Gonzalez, the floor is yours for questions.
▶ 1:09:56Uh, thank you, Chairman, and thank you, Madam Secretary, for being here. I hope you know how committed this uh committee is to working alongside you and the president to get this done. And here we have the the chairman of the full committee sitting throughout throughout the entire duration. So this is just the first of many things. Uh I want to thank you for making your first official trip as secretary. You went to the border, right? You went to Del Rio in my district and you saw it firsthand. It was you're you're not new to this as governor. You were very active along that.
▶ 1:10:25U so on that note, I want to get your opinion on um states being reimbursed for some of the fundings, particularly Texas. What are your thoughts on Texas again being reimbursed for some of the funding that we've had to pay for this? Yeah, it's been incredible the partnership um that Texas has put together with the federal government and how they stepped up so many times.
▶ 1:10:46Uh when the Biden administration did not secure our border, Texas filled the gap and and when I was governor, I deployed my national guard there to facilitate and help as well as did other governors in the country. um and did what we could to get by until we had a new president that truly cared about keeping America safe. Um there have not been any uh decided uh decisions on reimbursing states, but I know many of the governors have asked for it, and we've appreciated their help.
▶ 1:11:13And so that's an ongoing conversation with every um you know, new agreement or new ask we have of states. If we're asking them to commit to the 287G program, um seeing what we can do to help meet their financial needs is incredibly important. if it's asking the National Guard to step up or even past spending that they've incurred. I know that President Trump is appreciative of the efforts and the partnerships and wants to continue those conversations.
▶ 1:11:39Yeah, you know, representing half of the nearly half of the southern border, we've been ground zero for it and Texas and but it's not just Texas. I mean, you mentioned you mentioned your home state. Uh, everyone has really pitched in in a big way and it's not fair. For the last four years, a lot of a lot of our states have been on our own and had to pay out of pocket. I think it's a great opportunity for the federal government to to reimburse some of these states. I'm certainly committed to making sure Texas gets reimbursed for some of the funding we've done along the border.
▶ 1:12:05I'll tell you what, it was it was very difficult to get anything out of your predecessor every time he came before this committee other than lying to us and saying the border was secured when we know it wasn't. One thing that we did get out u I I last year I submitted a letter to the ICE director asking him how many convicted crim criminal illegal aliens were in our country and this is what I got back. Your This is literally part of his response. Your letter requested the number of non-citizens on ISIS docket convicted or charged with a crime.
▶ 1:12:34As of July 21st, 2024, there were 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories on na on ISIS's national docket. That was nearly a year ago. Do you do you by chance have any any updated numbers on how many convicted criminal aliens we still have loose in the country? We believe we believe we have more uh than that and are continuing to do an assessment.
▶ 1:12:59And of course, every day we continue to see crimes uh in this country that are perpetuated by individuals that we didn't necessarily know that we are here. What I will tell you is that the president under his leadership has already uh arrested and is prosecuting uh and held accountable over 250 known terrorists, people who are on the known terrorist watch list.
▶ 1:13:22Um, we have over 65,000 individuals that just ICE alone has arrested that are criminal aliens, uh, that are being held accountable for their crimes in their communities. Um, we also talk extensively about different governors that we've been able to work with. Uh, many of them are have people within their facilities that have committed crimes that they've been arrested and they're holding and detaining them.
▶ 1:13:45um if they are illegals, many times they're facing their consequences in their jail and prison time before they can be returned to their country. So um you know these by virtue of being in this country illegally, you are breaking the law and you are a criminal. And we've seen the previous administration pervert and manipulate uh their data and information uh to give us numbers that don't necessarily square with what the facts are on the ground.
▶ 1:14:11So, um, there's many, many more criminals in this country and we're going to continue to target and go after them to make sure that we're protecting families. I tell you what, one of the last administration was terrible at transparency and I think it's a great opportunity for uh, President Trump along with yourself and other secretaries to just be transparent to the American public. Show them what we're dealing with. Once again, when we got that number back, it was I I, you know, was jaw-dropping to see there. My my last point, I only have 26 limited time left.
▶ 1:14:40Um, you know, myself and and and Michael Guest, my good colleague from um uh from Mississippi, both sit on the homeland uh authorizing side. We've been working very hard through reconciliation. One of the things that I would highlight for you, we talked about many things, is infrastructure, in particularly checkpoints. Checkpoints, not necessarily along the border, but in our interior, both at the southern and the northern border, I think are very, very important. Please don't lose sight of that.
▶ 1:15:06in Eagle Pass in particular, that checkpoint is way outdated for the amount of traffic that's been in there. I'd flag that for you. Look forward to working together and chatting more on how we build this out. Absolutely. Great. Thank you. Uh with that, chairman, I yield back. Gentleman yields back. Chair recognizes Mr. Guest from Mississippi. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:15:26Uh Madam Secretary, first I want to thank you uh the men and women that you serve with for uh the incredible success uh that you have been able to accomplish in just a short period of time. Um just looking statistics uh and I believe that that is the greatest measure when we're looking at whether or not agencies are successful or not. Comparing statistics from one agency to the other, one year to the other. Uh we know that last month CBP reported 11, 2017 encounters across the southwest border.
▶ 1:15:56Uh looking back a year, so March of 2024 uh under the Biden Harris administration, 189,000. Uh March of 23, 193,000. March of 2022, 222,000. Uh so looking at just the metrics of of what you and your men and women who serve with you have been able to accomplish again I I believe is incredible.
▶ 1:16:22Uh so when you leave here uh please return to those men and women uh and thank them on behalf of all not only the members of Congress uh but all the people from across this great nation who were in gratitude for their continued service. Um, as uh, Representative Gonzalez said, he and I both serve also on the authorizing committee.
▶ 1:16:42Uh, and last week we were able to mark up legislation uh, that included roughly $46 billion for additional walls, barriers along the southwest border. Uh, and I know that that is something that particularly between Republicans and Democrats, we have had a fundamental disagreement.
▶ 1:17:00Uh, and I would ask if you would just kind of take a moment to talk about the importance of the investment and walls uh and um uh borders uh barriers along the southwest border uh and how that not only does that make our nation safer uh but the importance that it is providing to uh the men and women who serve at CBP to make sure that they can better perform the duties that we've taxed them with.
▶ 1:17:28Well, thank you uh for talking about the importance of having not just um enforcing of our laws in this country, but also infrastructure and security procedures that give us a wall. And that wall may look different based on what the topography is or the geographical location in this country uh on our southern border, but also on our northern border.
▶ 1:17:48And then when you talk about our maritime borders as well, um we can't neglect the fact that we have needs there and uh infrastructure that would help us um make sure we know what's coming into this country, who's coming into this country, and if it's appropriate and if they should be. Uh since President Trump has been in office, we have installed 77.8 miles of new border. Um that includes steel ballard um fencing, but it also includes temporary uh border and some waterborne as well.
▶ 1:18:15We have 11 contracts that have been awarded uh to put in over 40 miles of new border as well. And we still have five contracts that are pending. And I want to thank you for focusing resources to continue to make sure that we're building infrastructure and and building in wall um and uh making sure that we're having what we need for each area to address the concerns that are there. Um that that border wall um will be built that is steel in areas that it's appropriate for.
▶ 1:18:43Uh but the other areas may require us to do buoys. Uh if we do have um you know waterborne areas such as you know the Rio Grand and places like that that it is required and then having technology um and cameras and uh the ability to see uh distances where we may not uh have the ability to put in fencing and even uh concertina wire and panels that would be used and are putting in temporarily right now as well.
▶ 1:19:12So, um, the diversity of what happens, um, is incredibly important. We're addressing the needs as they see fit. But we're going to continue to move forward with putting up that infrastructure because it does slow down traffic. It sends a message and it gives our CBP officers more opportunities to truly address the security concerns that we've had in the past. Uh, and Madam Secretary, in the last roughly minute that I have, I want to address an issue that near and dear to my state. uh March uh the 15th, we had a series of tornadoes that came through Mississippi.
▶ 1:19:42Uh half a dozen individuals uh lost their lives that day. Uh it impacted roughly uh 20 counties, so roughly a quarter of our state was impacted. Uh shortly after the storms, uh I along with many of the other elected officials, uh we went and we visited those areas uh that were impacted. And I'll tell you that some of the damage has been extreme. uh our governor uh and MIMA quickly requested uh disaster assistance.
▶ 1:20:09Uh but at this point uh the review of that process uh is still pending and I understand that that takes time. Uh and I don't want to rush anything. Uh but I would ask uh you uh if you could make sure that you could do everything to expedite that request. Uh it is impacting my local jurisdictions with debris cleanup. Uh it is impacting people as they seek to recover. Uh so I would just ask that you personally see if uh anything could be done to expedite that request.
▶ 1:20:38Uh and with that, Mr. Chairman, I would yield back. Yes, gentlemen yields back. Yes, I will certainly get back to you and follow up with that. I'm not sure if that decision is still with us or at the White House, but I will I will follow up with you. And I want to thank you for talking about the fact that you're sitting there waiting for the federal government to respond. Uh President Trump's heart is with the American people and recognizes they don't deserve that.
▶ 1:21:01If we had the ability to give resources to a state so they could respond in a more timely manner and do a better job than where the federal government has failed, it would be entirely appropriate. So, thank you for that and I'll follow up with you. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Secretary. Uh the chair now recognizes the gentle lady from Iowa, Mrs. H. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh good morning, Madam Secretary. Thank you so much for joining us. Uh really appreciate your commitment to getting uh Homeland Security back to mission.
▶ 1:21:28you know, we saw such a a straying from that in the in the previous administration and President Trump's uh border security promises were really delivered on day one and continue to be executed on. So, I just want to say thank you for that. Um, under your leadership, those illegal encounters at our southern border are dropping to historic lows. Our immigration laws are finally being enforced. The border wall is back under construction. DHS is finally working again on protecting the homeland. No new laws, but we have a new president and a new secretary. So, I want to say thank you.
▶ 1:21:57Um, last year before this committee, Secretary Mayorcis at the time came before us um, pushing the Biden administration's $4.7 billion dollar southwest border contingency fund. All that really was was a slush fund, we know, designed to bypass Congress and bankroll those failed policies and sanctuary cities doing their bidding. He claimed it was to manage surges, but those surges were of their own doing. Um, sending a clear signal to illegal immigrants, the traffickers, the cartels that our border was open for business for them.
▶ 1:22:26That wasn't enforcement. That was actual chaos at our southern border by the taxpayers's dime. So, I see that as just one of the many blatant attempts for Secretary Morcus at the time and uh President Biden to misuse those taxpayer dollars intentionally without accountability. Um but again, under President Trump and your leadership, we have reversed course there. Um programs like the shelter and services program that enabled that abuse have been gutted and their funding is now going to real border enforcement.
▶ 1:22:53So, I'd like to drill down a little bit, Madam Secretary, on the misuse of those dollars under the last administration. Can you walk us through some of the specific programs or activities under the Biden administration that enabled this crisis and how you've worked to unwind those programs? Well, it was um the shelter and services program, which you referenced specifically.
▶ 1:23:14Um those dollars were taken and manipulated to facilitate illegal activity and housing for illegal aliens and criminals that were in this country uh and gave them a place to set up shop and to conduct their trafficking uh their drug uh dealing and also um their crimes against their communities that they live in. And the prime example is the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.
▶ 1:23:37Uh filled with hundreds and hundreds of illegal aliens, many of them criminals, part of foreign terrorist organizations such as TDA and in fact in fact Lake Riley's killer stayed there um and paid for by the American taxpayer courtesy of Joe Biden uh and those who supported him and his leadership in this country.
▶ 1:23:56Um that's what we're working to address is to make sure that those dollars are no longer continue to be used in such a manner um and that programs like that that have been misused um are used for ways that secure this country and really follow through on what the mission of the Department of Homeland Security is and that's to keep the American homeland safe and secure and to protect our communities. Um we have many of the grants and different dollars that we have out there being re-evaluated.
▶ 1:24:22We're also utilizing um several different programs and working with other diff different cabinet secretaries to make sure that our housing programs, our food assistance programs, our shelter services programs, even programs within um other agencies, um that if people are illegals and that it wasn't the authority of Congress and never the determining decision by Congress to make them be u people who took advantage of those programs or to have access to them, that that was ended.
▶ 1:24:52um that no longer was this president going to allow money to be diverted different than what was authorized to be utilized to facilitate people who were in this country illegally and breaking our laws. And you mentioned the number on the terror watch list already held accountable 250 and we know there are more and I think that Americans need to understand you are doing that work to help keep us safe, apprehend these dangerous people that were uh just let to roam free in our country.
▶ 1:25:16I I certainly as a Midwest mom, you know, like you um understand that we need to prioritize that um and make sure you have the resources necessary for detention beds um as well as the enforcement side. So, as we work through um fiscal year 26, the the considerations that we need to be taking a look at and reconciliation as well, what um additional authorities or potential congressional actions do you see as necessary to making sure you can execute on your mission?
▶ 1:25:42You know, I would say the Department of Homeland Security is one of the largest agencies in the federal government, but has one of the smallest budgets. Um, and it really is about when you look at what you're doing for fiscal year 26 and when you're looking at the reconciliation package is to really determine where your priorities are, um, where Congress's priorities are. Um, what is the responsibility of the federal government? What did our founders task us with as far as ensuring for the American people?
▶ 1:26:07and what rights did he remain with the people and with the state and every decision that gets made here should be facilitated through that lens to make sure we're spending money appropriately. I always say and have said for many many years um no matter what topic comes up, what program um what agency, there's always going to be lobbyists who show up. Um there's very few people who show up in the room to lobby for the American taxpayer. Um and the job that you do in oversight is incredibly important.
▶ 1:26:36And I come uh to this role today, not only as a wife and a mom and a grandma, but also as a business owner, um someone who's been an employee for many different people, served in Congress, served in our legislature, but also as governor. And um people need that leadership that recognizes what the priorities are. And so every different component that I have under my responsibility, we are putting back on mission and making sure that they are fulfilling the duties to which they were created.
▶ 1:27:06So um thank you for considering the reconciliation package. It will be uh considering the amount of people that are in this country illegally, many of them perpetuating crimes. Uh we need the resources to continue doing what President Trump has promised the American people uh to get these individuals out of our country and make sure that they come into our country if they self-deport when they come back that they do so the right way um and that they can be a part of the American dream in the future. Thank you again to you and President Trump for redirecting those resources where they are intended to go.
▶ 1:27:36Really appreciate that. And Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Chair now recognizes for second round uh the ranking member from Illinois. Uh Miss Underwood. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh Secretary Gnome, you've you've designated the Army's 250th birthday parade in Washington DC on June 14th as a national special security event, meaning DHS will use taxpayer funding to help with enhanced security and support.
▶ 1:28:02June June 14th is also President Trump's 79th birthday. At the same time that this administration is cancelling critical cyber security and disaster recovery funding under the guise of so-called waste and abuse, it's being publicly reported that this event will involve a full military presence crossing the PTOAC from the Pentagon to Constitution Avenue.
▶ 1:28:26We recently received your fiscal year 2025 spend plans for the Secret Service, but the costs for this event were not included. What do you estimate you'll be spending on this and how do you plan to pay for it? I can get those details and get back to you. I don't have them with me today, but I will certainly take that as a followup to your question. Okay.
▶ 1:28:44Do you plan to designate NSSE for the birthdays of other branches of our armed services that do not share their birthday with the president, but also happen to be celebrating their 250th anniversaries in I will uh look and work with the administration and uh with the different departments and agencies to identify what would be appropriate for all of those and we'll continue to keep you updated on that as well. Now I want to focus on SISA for a moment.
▶ 1:29:11America is under constant and growing threat from cyber criminals and foreign adversaries as we're still seeing with Salt Typhoon. Last week you said we should quote just wait for the president's grand cyber plan. But you have not waited to erode the department's cyber defense capabilities by removing resources and personnel from SISA and other components. Meanwhile, bad actors are burrowing further into the critical infrastructure of this country.
▶ 1:29:36On what date can we expect to receive the president's cyber plan and why are you moving forward now with workforce reductions and other changes to relevant DHS components without it? Yes, this is uh mission is to hunt and harden and to work with our state and local entities on critical infrastructure.
▶ 1:29:54So to support um cyber security uh infiltrations that would happen from enemies and bad actors when it comes to electrical grids, water systems, support those states, those small and medium-sized businesses that can't afford that kind of defense system themselves and to go and walk alongside of them. I think one of the most alarming things that I heard when I was first nominated for this position, but before I was sworn in, I got briefings from SISA and from the leadership team and the people that were there.
▶ 1:30:20And one of the things that they shared was me with me was that they were aware of Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon, but they didn't know necessarily how they had happened yet or how to stop them into the future. That was alarming to me. It was alarming to me that we had the nation's top leading cyber security agency that didn't know how to stop the PRC and our enemies from coming in and hacking into our systems. And if we think a pandemic was scary, wait until the PRC and China comes in and shuts down our electricity.
▶ 1:30:48Obviously, we that is what SISA is focusing on is making sure that we're approaching cyber security and the importance that it is. I had a direct question. Yes. Do you know when the president's cyber plan will be released? It will be coming out shortly and that is the president's prerogative. I have been advising him on what that will look like despite the growing cyber threats. Your budget cuts nearly half a billion dollars half a billion dollars from the main agency charged with protecting our federal networks and so much more.
▶ 1:31:15So if you are so outraged by the threat of the PRC and our federal networks, why are you cutting half a billion dollars? When you recently spoke at the RSA conference, you said that we needed to put CISA quote back on mission. But let's be clear that mission is designated for you.
▶ 1:31:32We in the congress told you in the department and SISA how to execute on that mission and you all have been moving money away from SISA and that does not help achieve that mission. Lastly, Secretary, as a nurse, I have always prioritized taking care of the health of our DHS workforce and giving them the tools that they need to do their jobs, not just physically, but mentally.
▶ 1:31:59DHS has made great strides in recent years here with popular programs that provide personnel and their families with the resources that they need and the support um for the mental health of our agents and officers. I hope that these programs can continue for fiscal year 2026. And I'm curious if you agree that this is a priority for the department and will we see continued funding for it in the budget request? Absolutely. We will continue to focus on the priorities of the health care needs of all of our employees. Great.
▶ 1:32:28Um well, although we disagree on many other issues, I hope that taking care of the hardworking men and women at DHS can be an area of shared values and bipartisan success, and I'm looking forward to working on them together. I yield back. Thank you. Thank you. Uh, madame ranking member. Um, the floor is now belongs to the gentle lady from Connecticut, the ranking member of the appropriations committee who got here as quick as she could. Thank you, and the floor is Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:32:57My god, this is twice in one day here, so it's great to see you. We're just we're we're we're hearing hopping here. So, uh, thank you so much, and I want to thank the ranking member, uh, Underwood for holding the hearing today. and uh welcome to you uh Madam Secretary and thank you for appearing before the uh the subcommittee today.
▶ 1:33:16I I I just want to begin with a message to your workforce if I might and that's I'm grateful very grateful for the work that they do from search and rescue efforts um of the Coast Guard to our first responders on the ground after natural disasters to those keeping us safe in the air and on the ground and at sea.
▶ 1:33:35Um, I I I I want to start with um some big picture questions because I think we know very little uh of the details about where the $646 million cuts within FEMA's grant programs will come from.
▶ 1:33:53Uh it is no secret that there are numerous reports um of of of you if if we need to correct the record stating that you want to quote eliminate FEMA within the Department of Homeland Security.
▶ 1:34:08Um, I'm concerned about the direction that the administration is taking um uh with regard to to FEMA cancelling programs like brick, uh, a program enacted into law by President Trump in his first term without any evidence of waste, fraud, and abuse alongside the freezing of grants. And now 2026 budget requests targeting even more of of FEMA's resources.
▶ 1:34:35And um just right now in in terms of looking at um u at at of the cancellations um the science and technology director directors, centers of excellence and office of university programs of the um uh as I mentioned the FEMA administered grant uh uh frozen virtually all grant obligations
▶ 1:35:05pending a review as it determines whether it will try to choke off funding for unacceptable political reasons. Resources for states and communities to respond to disasters, secure firefighting equipment, protect against terrorism, secure our ports, and much more is being held up. And as I mentioned, the cancellation of the brick program, um funding to support hazard mitigation, reduce the toll of future disasters, save lives. That money is not going out.
▶ 1:35:32Research has shown mitigation efforts like brick save a minimum of $6 for every dollar invested and save and save more than double when including mitigation of economic impacts. So, uh, federal disaster relief should be readily available across the United States regardless of where you live. Uh, natural disasters happen everywhere. They should not be concerned about the federal government turning their back on them when they need the help the most.
▶ 1:36:01We need to give constituents what they need when they're facing tragedy that they will not be stranded due to political discord. Uh my ask of you is what is your plan with regard to FEMA? Are you planning to eliminate FEMA? Your testimony references that you want to quote eliminate dysfunction of the current agency. I'm unclear.
▶ 1:36:23I don't know if my colleagues are clear on what you mean by dysfunction and I'm concerned that you're causing more dysfunction within the workforce that should be preparing itself for the pending hurricane season. Well, thank you for your question uh and uh the discussion on this topic today.
▶ 1:36:40President Trump has been very clear since the beginning that he believes that FEMA and its response in many many circumstances has failed the American people and that FEMA as it exists today should be uh eliminated and empowering states to respond to disasters with federal government with with all due respect where is the evidence of the failure of FEMA? I I I don't know about everybody else on this.
▶ 1:37:05I my state Connecticut is hit very very hard um with a supertorm st Sandy every community in some way or another has been hit by that and the FEMA on the ground people come in work with the families deal with getting the funding out where is the evidence of the failure of FEMA Congresswoman we still have claims open from Hurricane Katrina we have fire claims that are still unpaid to people who said
▶ 1:37:35they were due them 7 to 8 to 10 years old that they have never been paid by FEMA. So, one of the worst things that the federal government can do is to stand up in front of the American public and say, "We will be there. We will walk alongside you in the most horrible time of your life and then never follow through on it." What the president has said is he's sick and tired of federal agencies, the pick and choose who wins and who loses. He wants to make sure that the federal government's commitment when it makes a commitment that it follows through.
▶ 1:38:02So he's going to empower the federal government is abdicating its commitment to the American people who find did certainly under Joe Biden's administration. Let me just say this to you office of professional responsibility office of professional I I because I knew you were going to go there. As you know FEMA's office of professional responsibility under the Biden administration there was no evidence no direction or agency or field leadership to discriminate against disaster victims based on political affiliation which was a charge. I'll follow up with you.
▶ 1:38:32Well, and I will follow up. I will follow up and I follow up with my colleagues quite frankly and to really listen to people whose whose uh states communities have been devastated and what role FEMA has played. I don't know how many millions and millions of dollars went out in Louisiana. Actually, I've asked my staff to calculate that when when when Katrina hit and the response was overwhelming. And the response has been overwhelming.
▶ 1:39:02If you want to make corrections, that's fine. We all agree with that. Yeah, we can we can point to thousands and thousands of Well, if you wouldn't mind getting this committee, if you wouldn't mind getting this committee, the information and the evidence where you talk about the dysfunction of the agency and where it has really failed. that would be important to those of us who are ex, you know, are appropriating dollars.
▶ 1:39:29Uh, and it would appear that the administration overall has a way in which they're looking at dismantling the federal government. The states will never have the amount of money because the federal government isn't going to pass that money to the states to be able to deal with what happens. It's when the federal government comes in and be able to give a hand to do that.
▶ 1:39:50And I think it's very clear from what you said that both yourself and the president really want to dismantle the federal government and the agencies that have provided service to the American people uh for decades. I I I thank the chair for your time and yield back. Thank you, Madame Ranking Member. Uh Mr. Rutherford, the floor is yours for round two. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:40:13Uh, Madam Secretary, as a sheriff and first responder in the state of Florida, we've had many hurricanes. Uh, and FEMA has come in and in assisted. U, but I can tell you in the state of Florida, uh, we pretty much handle those events, uh, through our regional domestic security task forces. problem.
▶ 1:40:40One of the problems that we have with FEMA, and we've even talked about it up here, is how do we get FEMA to pay the bills uh that are due and instead of cities and states having to pay the interest on all of that money for years. So, those are some of the areas where I where I know the frustration levels are off the chart.
▶ 1:41:03And and so that that's one of the things I'd love to to work with uh the folks across the aisle on is let's address these things. Um because it's it's it's not FEMA shows up and everything's okay. It's it's quite the contrary actually. So uh but but I do want to ask uh about this.
▶ 1:41:24In your in your written statement, you you mentioned the designation um the administration's designation of the six cartels and two transnationals uh as terrorist organizations and um you know these these FTOs foreign terrorist organizations uh that designation is critically important and and I know a lot of uh discussion has been had about SISA and And uh
▶ 1:41:54but can you talk just a little bit about to put some minds at ease I think how how is it that this that this designation I'm sorry that this designation sorry about that you're good but how this designation uh actually helps with the administration being able to work sharing information between the civilian Ian and the military
▶ 1:42:25uh to actually go after these folks who are who are killing our citizens with their drugs. I I think it was 23 we had over 107,000 uh Americans die of poisoning coming across the uh the southern border. Uh they're also looking to weaponize drones to be used against our against our law enforcement officers at the at the southern border. They're the ones helping to finance all of this or were financing all this mass migration.
▶ 1:42:56That that designation I think is critically important and I I don't think people appreciate it enough. Can you talk about that? Yeah, certainly Congressman and thank you for the question because it is critically important what President Trump has done by defining exactly who these people are and what these organizations do and what they're um what they're trying to do to the United States of America.
▶ 1:43:19Um by designating these um gangs and cartel members as foreign terrorist organizations, it allows us in a new way to partner law enforcement activities um and consequences in partnership with other cabinet areas within the federal government, including the Department of Defense, all military branches underneath that as well. Coordination, sharing of information and and how a whole of government approach to how we conduct enforcement operations.
▶ 1:43:45It also gives us an opportunity to um access background information, criminal um records that um that we need and that we can share internationally as well. And clearly when you look at the cartels and their activity um their partnership and their facilitation of other countries and their software, their technology to launder money for the Chinese, the PRC businesses that are out there that are seeking to destroy the United States of America.
▶ 1:44:13that um partnership that they have built over the years and the sophistication to which they operate, we have to be prepared for. Um we have to recognize what they are, what level they're at, how they're continuing to recruit members and affiliates, and how more and more dangerous uh they get to be uh the longer that they operate in the United States without consequences.
▶ 1:44:33So that partnership with that we have with the department of defense, our military and all branches u but then also bringing all of the authorities of the president of the United States to the table to go after these criminal organizations um really recognizes them for what they are. They are terrorists. They are perpetuating terror and fear in our communities. Um and we have to make sure that we take them out now. Yeah. They're not just drug organizations. Correct. Correct. They are laundering money, trafficking individuals, killing our children.
▶ 1:45:03And I, you know, I've said this for many years about China. China doesn't just steal our IP, manipulate their currency, build up their military to someday have a conflict with the United States of America. They're systematically killing our next generation of Americans. And just Yes. to infiltrate our country and to kill off our young Americans, knowing it weakens us far into the future. Thank you, Madam uh Secretary. And I I yield back, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Rutherford. Mr.
▶ 1:45:31Quer, floor is yours for five minutes for a second round. Thank you, uh, Mr. Chairman. Uh, Madame Secretary, let me go back to the basics of what I think are needed. Uh, we talked about Kaliso Kane River Roads. Uh, but there's also in the middle of the river, there are islands and I got them in the Laredo area. I got them in the Stark County. I don't know if my colleagues have. the bad guys will come in and use those islands and then jump over.
▶ 1:45:57Uh we've talked to the International Boundary Water Commission and our Border Patrol folks. That's one area that we ought to focus on to get rid of those islands and it be better for the flow so the river uh water can go down there to other places. So uh islands is in the middle of the island of the areas.
▶ 1:46:17Uh the other thing is buoys actually years ago I brought it up to border patrol but I said as long as you talk to the international boundary water commission so it can be okay. I know the state of Texas had one but it was like a quarter of a mile and the river is 1,200 miles. So it's like a stamp in the middle of a football field. So we got to look at areas that they will be necessary uh if if we use that.
▶ 1:46:45But as long as the International Boundary Water Commission is involved, uh retirement, I'll go back to the retirement. It's another committees that looking at this retirement, but there will be to be 2,325 Border Patrol agents that will be eligible to retire this year. They're looking at that change. Depending what they do, the other committee, we could lose a lot of folks by the end of the year. So, we got to make sure that the other committees are working with you.
▶ 1:47:14Uh I I would say also that you said that recruitment is up 50%. But we got to close a deal. Uh that is actually hire the border patrol agents and one of the big problems uh is the polygraph. The polygraph exam is the biggest problem to hiring border patrol agents uh on that and we can uh follow up uh on that particular issue.
▶ 1:47:40uh port technology not only in between but at the ports 86% of the people that are caught at checkpoints and uh at the ports of entry are not illegals they're actually US citizens according to the US sensing sentencing commission. So we got to put the technology also at the port of entries so we can move legitimate trade uh and commerce um playing defense on the 20 yard line. I've been talking about this and I think you all are doing some of that.
▶ 1:48:10Uh I rather play defense on the 20 yard line with Mexico, Guatemala and the other places than our one yard line. There is language that we have proposed but with all due respect the private administration was not interested in this but there's language that can give you certain authorities where you can play more on the 20 yard line.
▶ 1:48:31uh which is again because the le more people we stop over there less people will come to our border itself uh technology I know that we've talked about technology but the drone uh threat is very real in fact just to uh let you know a couple weeks ago a border patrol drone in the Lorettto sector was taken down by the cartel operators which means that cartels now have technology that can take down law enforcement drones uh and they
▶ 1:49:02do the surveillance. They know what we're doing. And by the time we get through our procurement process to get our drones, you know, years ago, they don't have any procurement uh rules. They just go to Best Buy and buy all the Best Buys and they just use offtheshelf things. So, you know, I hope we can look at that uh technology.
▶ 1:49:22Also, uh the other thing is again um and I'm sorry I've been communicating with the Border Patrol uh uh unions on this that uh the dead zones that we talked about. It is a real problem. It is a real problem. There are areas where we can't they can't even talk uh and communicate. So those dead zones are are are very important. Uh finally uh I think it was brought up uh the uh the uh infrastructure.
▶ 1:49:50Let's not forget about the basic infrastructure and I'm talking about checkpoints, uh, Eagle Pass, Freer, Laredo, and I know we've already put $15 million or doing on design in the Laredo one. That checkpoint, because Laredo is the largest inland port, but if that checkpoint uh was a port of entry, it would be the fourth largest port in the whole country.
▶ 1:50:14The reason we had a problem where some migrants died on on those trailers is because border patrol will look and if the lines are a mile long, they will just wave them and the bad guys know have an idea where to put them. So they wave that trailer with the migrants that died in San Antonio. So checkpoints like uh like uh Mr. Gonzalez has mentioned the basic stuff is very very important. Finally, I'll just uh I'll close up with a border wall.
▶ 1:50:43uh on the border wall. Uh again, uh I think you said where appropriate, which is important. The state of Texas, I've always said don't condemn, but maybe if you look at the possibility of leasing, the state of Texas put it in the law, don't condemn land, but you go ahead and you ease them. And now there are land owners that preempted the federal government because they the state will uh lease out and not uh condemn uh itself on that.
▶ 1:51:12So, I can go on a border wall for a long time, but keep in mind that the largest, and I'll close with this point, the largest amount of people that got here before this last flow uh were visa overstays. And and by the way, the large the biggest violator was Canada. Not asking for a wall with Canada, but it was visa overstays, especially from Canada. So, we just got to look at data driven solutions and look forward working with you. Absolutely. Thank you, Congressman. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Gentleman from Washington state, Mr.
▶ 1:51:42House, the floor is yours. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh before I get cut off by the gentleman from Nevada, I and I if I talk too long, I No, I just wanted to extend an invitation to you, Madam Secretary, to come out to my district to visit the the Spokane border se sector as well as the uh Orville station and and also inland Washington, but we have a Coast Guard navigation team in Kenowak. So fantastic.
▶ 1:52:11As a sharing border states, it would be a good thing for you to see. I just wanted to say one thing. The recent skinny budget proposed notable cuts to SIS as you've as you've heard many of my colleagues mention several times.
▶ 1:52:26I just wanted to mention that last summer and in March I believe CISA provided some farmers and ranchers in my district a briefing and training uh on protecting food uh from farm to table with cyber security and protective emphasis workshop. But I just wanted to encourage you to look at that. I think it was very wellreceived and I think it would be a good thing for a program to continue uh using.
▶ 1:52:54Um let me ask about U I believe state local partnerships truly are important uh for the agents and the officers at DHS DHS to execute their their mission.
▶ 1:53:13How have sanctuary jurisdictions or state or municipal governments hindered the AY's mission to protect the Well, I would say every day it is thwarting our efforts to be able to go out and help make our communities safe and secure. Um there have been times where we've gone out um and targeted bad actors and criminals in communities that are guilty of rape, murder, violence, domestic abuse, drug trafficking, human trafficking.
▶ 1:53:40And when we've gone in to do those operations, we have not had the backup of local law enforcement. We've not able to have leaders that have walked alongside of us in support of securing their communities and been there for ICE agents that are out there putting their lives on the line uh to help secure and get these bad criminals off their streets. And those individuals are protecting them with um you know, their decisions, their political rhetoric.
▶ 1:54:05They're also filing lawsuits against us and the authorities that we're exercising to try to jam us up in court rather than giving us the opportunity to go out there and really follow through on what our commitment has been to this country. So, the sanctuary jurisdictions have been um have been fighting um this administration in trying to do what the American people asked President Trump to do in November, and that was to make their communities safe again.
▶ 1:54:31I will tell you that when I've been out on the front lines with many of these agents when they've been doing operations in the early morning sweeping up criminals, um they are doing the hard work and many times in partnership with local law enforcement in cities. So we appreciate that partnership and where we can get it. In sanctuary cities, it becomes much more of an operation that has to have more people.
▶ 1:54:53we have to commit more ICE agents um more federal officers there because the local community has not and the leadership there has not um been supportive and then also I would say it makes it more dangerous we have seen violence against our ICE officers go up over 300% um and I think that's because of the um the rhetoric out there by local mayors and governors um who have um you know put out misinformation and perpetuated lies
▶ 1:55:24about law enforcement and what they're trying to do to help communities. I remember the morning I was in New York City, um we were conducting ICE operations on on known criminals that were guilty of um violent abuses and breaking the law. We had community members that were walking by on the street that were taking their kids to school and when they would walk by they would say, "Thank you. Thank you for being here." Yet their leadership was not there to support and back up our operations.
▶ 1:55:51So, um, I would ask people in these communities to challenge their mayors, challenge their governors to come to the table and to help us because, uh, I don't know of anybody who wanted to raise their kids in a community that was filled with criminals where it wasn't safe to go out at night and where they couldn't walk their kids to school and not have to worry about if they were going to get there safely. Thank you. I'm going to switch topics really quick in the short amount of time we have left. Tariffs. Yes, we both come from agricultural states.
▶ 1:56:19I fully recognize the importance of tariffs to help level the playing field and provide a fair opportunity for our producers to compete on world market. But I also remember uh in 2018 retali retaliatory tariffs on agricultural products which which felt the brunt of of those efforts.
▶ 1:56:39Uh could you could you talk just a little bit if I could without putting you it's not a gotcha question but I just wanted to express the uh the concern that agriculture doesn't need any more challenges right now. Uh could you talk a little bit about some of the conversations maybe that you're having at the executive level about retaliation? Yeah, thank you for that. The I've worked on food policy for 30 years.
▶ 1:57:06Um, so I not only am a farmer and a rancher, but I immediately started working on state and federal programs and I recognized that our food policy in this country is a national security issue. Um, and keeping farmers out on the land producing our food uh is imperative to making sure that we can feed ourselves and another country doesn't control us by controlling our food supply.
▶ 1:57:26So, President Trump recognizes this and we've spoken for hours about the importance of having farmers here in this country growing our food and having many farmers, not allowing just one or two big companies or conglomerates control that supply because it makes food affordable and available to every single American. Um, the president Trump, if you remember back during that period of time, was there for farmers.
▶ 1:57:47um he helped them with assistance when those retaliatory tariffs came into place and he recognizes that that this negotiation that we're having now with these countries has to happen to level the playing field. We've been treated unfairly in trade agreements for many many years. When I was in Congress, I served on the Ways and Means Committee um which many people refer to as the committee that has the most ways it can be mean um because it has taxes and trade and tariffs and all the different jurisdictions as far as um what can what can happen.
▶ 1:58:17But I would say specifically uh working on trade agreements. While I was there, I recognized how we could come to a trade agreement and and um facilitate that. But then we also would as soon as our shipments of soybeans hit the shores of China, they would reject it for different sanctions or regulations such as sanitary or phytoanitary reasons and and would manipulate um how they interpreted those agreements and didn't adhere to them.
▶ 1:58:42Anyways, so President Trump is is all in to make sure that we rectify the wrongs of the past and make sure that we're treated fairly and get our jobs back home here in America. So, so far CBP has collected uh over $ 32 billion worth of tariffs um since April 2nd has gone into place and they've adjusted and done that and these countries are feeling uh the pain enough that they're coming to the table and having negotiations with this administration to make sure that we're treated fairly and our farmers and ranchers
▶ 1:59:13are treated fairly in the future. Appreciate that, Mr. Chair, but I will yield back. You don't have any time to yield back. The gentle lady from Hawaii. The floor is yours for five minutes. Texas. Well, you know, it went so long. Not even close. Chairman, there might be an ocean coming there from a different direction. Is yours for five minutes for follow-up questions as long as they're not like Mr. New Houses. Thank you very much. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 1:59:40Um, Madam Secretary, I have a question uh related to something more close to home for me in the community in El Paso with DHS employees. For decades, uh, CBP employees who work at our land ports of entry have been contractually allowed by CBP to have an offsite location for their union.
▶ 2:00:05And this off-site location was com is completely funded by union dues, not by taxpayer money. And again, this was something agreed to in their contract. I was shocked and alarmed to learn that they were told by DHS they could no longer be offsite and they were forced to come into a DHS facility in El Paso. Um it's a it's a conference room, media training room.
▶ 2:00:32Uh so that part of their contract um that a longstanding agreement uh was violated in my eyes. Are you aware of this at all? Uh I have heard about it, but I would I have not I don't know the details of that agreement. So I can follow up with you and get that back to you. Um and if you would lay out the concerns for being colllocated, I think that would be fantastic for me to know. Uh we will um we'll we'll make sure to communicate with your team. would love to work with you on this.
▶ 2:01:02The same has not been true for the Border Patrol Union. Um so there is a there's disperate treatment and um additionally just to to very quickly lay out why it's important for union members to be able to speak to their union leaders in private and being located in in a small conference room media training room offers no privacy. There are other issues um but I look forward to working with you on that.
▶ 2:01:32I do know that you know the difference in the two unions um is important and there's I'll I'll look into how those were interpreted and I also know that the the one union is located under the Treasury Union as well and that defines some requirements and for how it's regulated and set out going forward. So, I'll see if that is the determining factor on why there was a difference in how uh the locations were determined.
▶ 2:01:56And and I would ask um Madame Secretary that you please allow the El Paso Union to continue to be housed offsite. It is their preference uh doesn't impact uh the budget or appropriations. They pay for it. Um so I I don't see a reason why this longstanding decadesl long uh um situation should be changed. So would ask for your support uh for that please. I'll look into it. Okay. Perfect.
▶ 2:02:25I also wanted to ask you about this NBC News story. Uh and I'll enter into the record this article as well. US citizen family traumatized after ICE raided their Oklahoma home in search of someone else. And according to the local affiliate KFOR, uh, which was reporting on this story, immigration agents raided the home last week. They had a search warrant for the home, but the suspects listed on the warrant, were no longer living in the home.
▶ 2:02:56The family was forced to wait outside in the rain. During the search, a mother and her girls, all US citizens, their money was taken, their laptop, their cell phone. I asked you at the top of the my our first round if you believed it was important for DHS and if you would attest to the fact that DHS needs to rectify any mistakes.
▶ 2:03:19If this were a mistake, will you ensure that this family, this US citizen family gets its property back in a timely manner? Well, in that particular situation, uh the warrant uh for that situation was on the house and the facility, not on the individuals that were there. Um and so that house was being used for human smuggling. Uh and so those operations were conducted against the facility.
▶ 2:03:43And even in that situation, there were some individuals there with uh the same last names and some of the similarities. If it were a mistake, Madam Secretary, we believe everything was done appropriately and we'll continue to make sure that it is done and handled appropriately. All right.
▶ 2:03:58Well, appreciate you looking into it that not my constituents, but um you had mentioned in your testimony and you've said previously that the focus of your agency is to go after the worst of the worst people who are here illegally, but we have seen reporting and spoken to uh individuals, we meaning Congress, um that in fact there have been abuses on that front. People with legal protections have been deported.
▶ 2:04:27I laid out in the first round, US citizen children. I don't know. And I asked, and you said you'd get back to me about whether parents actually filled out the ICE forms that are normally used for those processes. Um, US citizen families with nothing to do with human trafficking. And now, um, DHS employees as well, uh, in my view have been subjected to an abuse of power.
▶ 2:04:55And we all took we all swore an oath to the constitution. This is a democratic republic. Rule of law is important. Due process is important. And ultimately that will be my northstar. Um not just in this hearing but throughout everything that uh I work on as a member of Congress. I thank you Madam Secretary and Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 2:05:21I want to thank the member and I want you to know that during the course of your questioning, we have moved your district back into Texas. My flight is shorter now as a result. Thank you. I I was just hoping you weren't paying attention. I thought the folks out on the islands could use some help, but we'll we'll go on from there. Mr. Sisammani, the floor is yours for your second round of questioning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um Secretary, you know, so the the first set of questions that I had were more on the security side. I want to shift gears a little bit.
▶ 2:05:48Uh, matter of fact, I I just guided a a group of freshman members on the Republican side to the border in Arizona with the intention that they see the full picture of the border. We have obviously the security aspect that has been key as central to the conversation that we have trade and commerce at the border and we've got immigration as well going on. So, it's important that that I think um my colleagues and everyone that is that is maybe not from a border district can understand that there's a lot more that happens at the border than than just one aspect of it.
▶ 2:06:18what I call the three buckets of of the conversation around the border. So, with that in mind that as an immigrant myself, I um I know how complex the immigration system is. I became a citizen in 2006 and then 16 years later, I became a member of Congress. No other country in the world would give you that opportunity. I believe in the American dream and fighting for for that American dream that that so many people still seek.
▶ 2:06:41Uh there's been much media attention again on the on the increase in deportations and removal of of aliens which I remain fully supportive of. Uh that being said, I think we should also um be highlighting and incentivizing those who are going through the process legally and those that are seeking to come into the country um through the legal channels and make that process less burdensome in order to disincentivize the use of cartels and and bad actors.
▶ 2:07:09In my family's experience, it took us 13 years from the moment we came into the US to moment we became US citizens. There there there have to be some improvements around these around these guidelines. So, can you speak uh on how your budget request will facilitate easier legal pathways for potential immigrants? Yeah, absolutely.
▶ 2:07:27and you've correctly identified um part of the problem that we've had in this country for many many years is that it takes far too long for a person to legally come through our immigration process and to become a US citizen and that needs to be fixed and that was broken when I was here on the hill and it's was broken when I was governor and I still see as the Department of Homeland Security Secretary that that needs an issue that needs to be solved. Um we need to make sure that we're getting more immigration judges.
▶ 2:07:53Um, I've been having conversations with our attorney general, Pam Bondi, and with the Department of Justice on what we can do to get more judges uh to the table so that we can process not just backlogged claims, but illegal applications to come to this country as well. And then more immigration courts.
▶ 2:08:09So when you look at not just the fiscal year 26 request but also reconciliation dollars, it is to address the needs that we have to address the invasion, secure the border, to make sure that our ICE officers have enough backup help, equipment, and tools going forward. Uh to make sure that we're addressing what has happened here criminally and illegally, but also addressing within our other agencies what we can do to make sure that we're processing those legal applications and getting that taken care of.
▶ 2:08:38Um, President Trump is determined to do that. Um, and uh, we have that addressed in the budget request from the different cabinet secretaries and agencies to make sure we have the resources to start getting after that backlog. Excellent. Excellent. You know, on the same topic of when we look at immigration and we look at workforce as well, those are very much attached. I just had um, Secretary Lori Chavez Dreamer uh, in Tucson yesterday. We visited different sites that work on this.
▶ 2:09:05We spoke at length about the need for more robust workforce programs and ways to ensure that workforce needs meet our community's needs. Uh still the the utmost constant thing I hear from industry of what they need is workforce. Can you speak to any plans the administration has to create additional avenues to meet these through immigration potentially?
▶ 2:09:25So, you're talking about meeting workforce needs, visas and green cards of um you know, I would say that the president recognizes the value in what we've had in programs in the past, but also recognized how they've been misused um and how Congress um many times lays their prerogative on how many are authorized, how many are directed um through law that the secretary has the latitude to issue and will continue to work with you to find solutions that really meet the needs that we have in this country.
▶ 2:09:54Um, you know, the president believes that we have a workforce here that deserves jobs that pay very well with benefits and a future here in the United States of America, but also that we need to continue to keep the American dream open for immigrants who want to come here legally.
▶ 2:10:08So um having with other countries and having access to their background checks um to make sure they can participate in our visa programs um is very important and as long as we have the ability to do that um and continue to know who's coming here, why they're here, and if they have the opportunity to become citizens um then it's something that would be a benefit to this country if the president recognizes that the need is there. I think that's very well put.
▶ 2:10:33I think having that balance always of making sure our border is secure, we know who's coming in, that opens the door and allows us to focus on the immigration system that works for the people coming in, but but primarily for our citizens and and what the country needs and that has to do with workforce as well. So with that, thank you so much for partnering with us on that and finding um multiple solutions to this problem in different areas at the same time is not easy, but you're doing a masterful job. So thank you so much. Thank you. With that, I yield back, sir.
▶ 2:11:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for not or vice chairman for not challenging the Dan New House award. And uh and and now I'd like to rep uh uh recognize the gentleman from Oh, she's gone from Texas. Mr. Gonzalez, the floor is yours for a second round. Uh thank you, Chairman, and uh thank you, uh Madam Secretary. Some could argue you have one of the toughest jobs in Washington, right? We had Elon show up with two hats. Maybe you should have shown up with three hats, right?
▶ 2:11:33Part of DHS that I worry about is it's a Swiss Army knife of the federal government. Seems like everything is in there. And we alluded to this earlier. How did DHS start? It started after 9/11 when ex Islamic extremists murdered Americans.
▶ 2:11:50And so I worry we we covered a lot of topics today and I know the border gets a lot of attention and I know there's a lot going on in the cyber space but I think back to some of the fundamentals uh and I think back to 911 and I I worry I go what look look at I look ahead and I see uh you know the the World Cup coming our way and I see the Olympics coming our way. I want us to make sure that we're not only focused on today but we're also focused on tomorrow. Um, please keep that at the forefront of it.
▶ 2:12:18At the end of the day, you know, right now we're we're we're we're feeding tomahawks to Houthis every day in Yemen. And it reminds me a whole lot of pre 911, right? I spent five years in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one knew about al Qaeda. No one knew where Afghanistan was on a map. It's very eerily similar. And I'm The American people are really counting on you to make sure we're safe.
▶ 2:12:41On that note, I mean DHS has lost its way over the last course of the the the last several years in the last administration. And I want to flag for you an office in particular, the Office of Immigration Detention on Budsman. I mean, this was literally an office funded by taxpayer dollars that was that had billboards up that, and I quote uh said throughout Texas said, "Your brother in immigration custody has rights. We're here to help." I mean, it's complete nonsense.
▶ 2:13:10And once again, where are our taxpayer dollars going? So, as you're uh once you're off to a very fast start, much appreciated. But as you're going through these and you're tackling these different, please look at at at that program. You know, I know in our fiscal year 25 budget, we zeroed that out, but unfortunately, we couldn't get that over the finish line. So, I I'd ask for you to really take a look at Congressman, we we have looked at that already.
▶ 2:13:35we have uh recognized the abuses that happened um and many times that office was perpetuated on suing themselves um and coming up with ways to cost the taxpayer more and more money. So we've put them back to what um the size that they should be and addressed um how it was misused and abused and we'll continue to do so into the future to make sure that that isn't uh weaponized against the American people in the future. Uh thank you for that and and what I also want to thank you for something that is working.
▶ 2:14:03Uh these HSEled task forces work. You've seen it all throughout the country. Uh it's how do we pull our resources? This isn't a federal issue. It isn't a state issue. It isn't a local issue. It's all of us. We're all in on this together. And in my in my experience, those task forces really work. So when it comes to funding, when it comes to legislation, uh once again, please, if you would, they're working. I I'm I'm hearing it from constituents all over the country. My good friend Juan Ciscomani, I know it's working in Arizona. It's certainly working in Texas.
▶ 2:14:34And then the other thing I want to mention is Stone Garden funding. Once again, this is something an area that I believe is a false a force multiplier. It it gives funding to our local law enforcement that are acting in the immigration space. This works. One of the issues that that that I see is sometimes it's a little too stringent. It's a little too it almost like the federal government is discouraging local law enforcement from being involved. Maybe that's something we can tackle together. I'd love to hear your ideas.
▶ 2:15:03Not now, but you as we as you get as as you work through things on how we can once again make sure that our programs are working for the American people, not against us. I agree. Yeah, I think that'd be fantastic. I've heard it's a highly effective program and if there's ways to get more participants and streamline chairman, I yield back my minute of time. Thank you. Thank you for being a leader. The chair uh the chair now recognizes the ranking member of the entire committee with a excellent sense of patience.
▶ 2:15:32The gentle lady from Connecticut, the floor is yours. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman and ranking member. Um um Madam Secretary, earlier this year, the administration unveiled a a thinly veiled propaganda ad about border security. This is about $200 million paid for by American taxpayers, I might add. And the ads the ads are supposedly about border security, but honestly, if you see the ad, it's like a political ad. And all of us know what political ads look like.
▶ 2:16:01Uh the even the conservative KO Institute says the ads are a perfect example of wasteful government spending that Doge should cut. I also might add that and this is a a a a direct quote um and Madam Secretary, it says that earlier this year that President Trump had instructed you on how to fashion the campaign.
▶ 2:16:30He said, and again, I quote, "I want you in the ads. I want your face in the ads." Gnome recalled at the uh Conservative Political Action Conference, adding that Trump told her for the first ad, quote, "I want you to thank me for closing the border." Now, that is re that's politics. Um, quite frankly, at at at its worst uh worst.
▶ 2:16:58I I I understand that on April 30th, your department awarded an additional $6.7 million to a political consulting company called People Who Think, bringing their total award for this ad to 11.6 million. Your department has also awarded $35.5 million for this ad to a company called Safe Safe American Media. And my understanding is that you used funding originally appropriated for CBP and USCIS for these awards.
▶ 2:17:29This sounds like a payout to Republican political consultants uh to fund ads that do more to tout the president than to secure the the the border. Um I you know how are the contracts awarded competitive process? If so, why is US spending USA spending say that the contracts were given an exclusion from the Doge group's limitation on spending awards? This is $200 million. Somebody just talked about billboards.
▶ 2:17:59This is a $200 million ad campaign taking the money from uh CBP and USCIS to promote uh a a political adv advantage. Uh it it's really kind of the height of arrogance. Um you you you you're looking for more money from us to do that, but you're going to take a portion of the money that we have given you and you're going to spend it on political advertising.
▶ 2:18:25I mean that really is u in Yiddish the word is hutzbah. It really is uh that you you know engaged in here. So um I know you're going to tell me Yeah, I would. I would. And I I foresee you that you're going to tell me that these were all competitively bid. they were etc. And through the exact same process as any other ad campaign would be done. Absolutely.
▶ 2:18:47Um and I would tell you that it's not $200 million and that President Trump was very clear from the very beginning that he recognized that the fake news in this country was not going to tell the truth of what the work had been done at the border to secure this country. And these ads aren't only playing in the United States, they're playing in other countries where we had the largest invasion coming into this. Overwhelmingly, if you look at the data on the ground in these countries where these ads have been all due respect, the flow has stopped.
▶ 2:19:14With all resp um with all due respect, this is a political ad campaign. Uh and it really let's just not try to sugarcoat it. I had just somebody talk about billboards and you talking about how use of taxpayers dollars. These are taxpayers dollars as well. Let me move to the program. I mentioned earlier, this is the brick program.
▶ 2:19:41Uh in in early April, FEMA cut the building resilient infrastructure and communities program claiming and I quote, "Under Secretary Gnome, DHS is eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse." End quote.
▶ 2:19:55When the committee staff asked for evidence of waste, fraud, or abuse in this program or the authority used to end the program, FEMA said that the due diligence for these projects can take a long time and failed to give examples that met GAO's definition of waste, fraud, or abuse. The the legal authority you used to cancel most of these projects was not was also not provided. And I'm just going to make this flatout statement.
▶ 2:20:23You do not have nor does the president have the legal authority to abregate what the appropriations committee appropriates. The power of the purse. It's in the constitution. And I think if I heard right in the last couple of days, the president wasn't sure that we should abide by the constitution. But we tried to abide by the constitution. Those of us who raised our right hand and said we will abide by the constitution. There is no legal authority.
▶ 2:20:50There is no inherent authority to claim the appropriation funds can be used for other than the than what they were appropriated for. Um I don't know that you can reex basic questions from your agency on essential programs that the communities represent or rely on. You all can't you should just say waste, fraud, abuse, and you think that that covers it. Well, Madam Secretary, I will tell you it doesn't.
▶ 2:21:19We're going to challenge that and you have no authority reference says that we are operating under the authority that the Department of Homeland Security have no abate these funds are being appropriations to make sure that they are being the power of the person to resides you all directed and not there keep it in mind because it is the constitution of the United States. very familiar with happy to have this conversation take place off the clock.
▶ 2:21:46But now we're going to move to the gentleman from the Mag Magnolia State for your second round of questioning. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh Miss N, I want to let you know what a refreshing hearing this has been. uh to have someone who comes before this committee who's plain spoken, who has a desire to secure the border, a desire to enforce the law, to have someone in your position who's willing to get out from behind a desk to leave Washington uh to go there uh and be there on the front lines with the men and women
▶ 2:22:16who serve. Uh, I just want to thank you for not being the typical bureaucrat who routinely would come before this committee time and time again under the Biden Harris administration uh, who really had no idea because they had not been down there uh, serving uh, and alongside the men and women who were serving. So, so thank you for your leadership uh, and thank you for being plain spoken. Uh, and thank you for what you stand for.
▶ 2:22:42Um, as we continue to secure the border, as we see those, uh, numbers continue to hold, um, I believe at some point the DHS will be able to reallocate resources to the interior. Uh, that once those allocations or those resources have been reallocated that we'll see those numbers uh, uh, uh, of sec interior enforcement, we'll see those numbers increase.
▶ 2:23:03Uh and one of the things that we have to do as we are contemplating uh this appropriations package for next year uh is we have to figure out the number of detention beds. Uh and I know that the detention beds have been something of a contention uh with the previous administration. Uh they always came in with an extremely low number of detention beds. Uh knowing that Republicans then would always plus up that number to make sure that we had the number necessary.
▶ 2:23:29Uh and so I guess my question as we're looking at putting uh next year's budget together uh and as we're looking at at funding detention beds, what is the number of detention beds that you feel, Madam Secretary, that you are going to need going forward? The president has been clear from the beginning with um with his advisers in the White House on Homeland Security that we need much more capacity in detention bs uh in the country.
▶ 2:23:53Um, we have upwards to 50,000 people that are in detention centers today that are moving out of the country, moving to go home to their countries that we're negotiating and working on travel documents and repatriation with. Um, but we have the ability to go out and act quicker in this country, but need the space in which to hold them until those processes can take place.
▶ 2:24:13So we need upwards to an additional 50,000 beds, 60,000 beds in order to make sure that we have the ability to not slow down enforcement operations and bring bad actors and criminals and those with final removal orders into our authorities so that we can move them out faster. So um you know the the mad secretary if I'm not trying to cut you off, but a lack of detention beds could be a real deterrent to your men and women being able to perform the mission that they need to do. Absolutely.
▶ 2:24:41And so if Congress wants to get serious about protecting the American people, then we're going to have to fund not only the manpower that you need, but we're going to have to fund the detention bed so those individuals can be detained, they can be brought before a judge, and then they can be ordered to be removed. Is that correct? That is correct. And I would I would also just clarify and make a point that the request from reconciliation 175 billion is for this uh term of this president for the four years.
▶ 2:25:07And you see in the numbers that were released by OM uh this last week that the $43 billion that would be the increase into this budget is from the reconciliation one quarter% of what that total would be and want to switch gears in my last minute and a half and talk about DHS centers for excellence. Uh I know that those are those are where DHS partners with AC academic institutions uh really across the nation.
▶ 2:25:32Uh some of those institutions include Texas A&M, uh my alma mater, Mississippi State University, the University of Nebraska, Arizona State. Uh and I know as DHS is seeking to kind of realign mission areas, I've seen that there's consideration of either reducing funding or in some cases uh cutting the Centers for Excellence. Um, I want you to know that, um, while I am very, um, want to make sure that I'm a great steward of taxpayer money, uh, particularly at the center at Mississippi State, I've been there firsthand.
▶ 2:26:02I've seen the great work that they've done on unmanned aerial systems. Uh, I believe that they are an incredible return on our investment. Uh but I I would like to just ask you very quickly a as if you could share a little bit about how the department plans to invest in these critical research functions uh that I think are important to the mission of DHS. Yes.
▶ 2:26:23And that's that's the evaluation that's happening and uh two of those have already been re-evaluated uh in Nebraska and Alaska and we will continue to do that with the rest of the allocations that go to centers of excellence throughout the country. But um it it we have to look at how these dollars are being spent to align with a mission that is the Department of Homeland Security um cyber security, terrorism, defense, building out and hardening our systems to protect our national security.
▶ 2:26:48So that's what's undergoing uh now um in your state and we will continue to evaluate that and stay in communication with you. Thank you, Madam Secretary, and I yield back. You know, for a guy from the Magnolia State, you had a hard time getting into schools in in Mississippi, I guess, huh? You named every school in the nation except Mississippi State or something like that. But that's not the purpose of this hearing. The gentle lady from Iowa is recognized for your second round of questions. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 2:27:17Um, thank you again for your patience, Madam Secretary. And we know obviously states like mine, Iowa and South Dakota are not necessarily border states, but uh certainly every state did become a border state under the previous administration with that chaos we saw and the the consequences of that poorest border really reach uh far beyond the Rio Grand River there, the deadly fentanyl coming into our communities, uh the adversaries taking advantage um and exploiting our immigration system. And so that's what I kind of want to touch on is um the adversaries and what they were able to do. Um specifically China.
▶ 2:27:48Um to put in perspective, in the first seven months of fiscal year 2024, more than 27,000 Chinese nationals uh were encountered at the southern border. Under President Trump, we've seen that number drop significantly reflecting that clear shift in uh deterrence and enforcement. So can you walk us through what specific mechanisms have been put in place to ensure that these individuals from adversarial nations are are now being thoroughly vetted um and how that process has changed since the previous administration? Yes.
▶ 2:28:16And you know every country is being treated the same as far as how we are treating the folks that are there um and and here illegally. um people that came into this country um from China uh and from other countries are all being vetted and and uh their background checks uh being gone through. And I would say some of the reasons that we've had to reevaluate some of the programs that were abused under the Biden administration is because countries weren't participating with us. They weren't sharing their information.
▶ 2:28:43And one of the things I've challenged Canada with um in a lot of the discussions that we've had over recent months was they weren't taking their own citizens back home that were here in this country illegally and they weren't sharing all of the criminal background checks of individuals who were in our country illegally. They weren't telling us who they were or what they had done if they had human smuggling in their background or crimes. And so that was some of the access that we were asking them for.
▶ 2:29:06We were grateful that they addressed for instance um designating a fentanyl zar and and doing but that information sharing is critically important and we do not have that kind of partnership with China. Uh we didn't just see Chinese nationals infiltrate our country over the southern border. They're coming over the northern border as well and we see um needs on the Great Lakes region and uh people coming in. It's easy to access Canada and once they do then then they drop down into our vulnerable areas.
▶ 2:29:34So we have continued to maintain resources and strengthen them at the northern border as well. But we work closely with Interpool um that has an agreement with many different countries uh to do vetting and background checks and criminal background information sharing on on folks across the world. Um but many of the times when the state department is negotiating on repatriation and travel documents, they are having discussions on what we can do to share information.
▶ 2:30:00When I made trips to El Salvador, to Colombia, and to Mexico, those trips were made so that I could get those governments to share more information with us. In fact, one of the things that we did while we were there is sign new agreements with those countries to share more data and information, to have them give us biometric information that they collected um to give us um more thorough travel documents of individuals that were of concern here and had been breaking our laws.
▶ 2:30:25And so um having those discussions gives us more information to make sure that uh this country is safer into the future. Do you feel like those conversations have helped to um inform broader national security efforts across departmentally and you know when we think about the the real risk here it's these international uh transnational criminal gangs the cartels um state sponsored networks you know obviously we talk about the Chinese nationals and the reason the the PRC is not cooperating and the CCP is not cooperating is because they are intent on infiltrating our country.
▶ 2:30:54So you feel like all those rel we've seen many many times where information that we got on somebody who was here that may have been on our terrorist watch list uh suspected terrorist watch list or someone who was a very dangerous part of a foreign terrorist organization. That information may have been shared with us from another country uh because of those security agreements that we have in place.
▶ 2:31:19And when countries do not um adhere to um sharing that type of information, they don't get the privileges necessary that have been granted to them in the past. And we've seen that um with visa overstays. We've seen that with lack of information sharing that perhaps they don't get to continue in programs that are under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security um because they haven't been willing partners to help us secure our country. Certainly accountability is back and uh appreciate that. So, thank you so much, Madam Secretary. Thank you. I yield back.
▶ 2:31:51Thank you. Um, Madam Secretary, you've been kind of a marathon runner. It's uh, it's 12:30 and and I have endured all these questions along with you. Good. And and so now I'm not going to be a hypocrite and ask a bunch, but I am going to highlight a couple things since you have a bunch of your staff here. um because we're kind of at the going forward uh going forward place and so information as you've just alluded to in terms of international stuff is important here as well.
▶ 2:32:20Um several people have have talked about the brick pro program in FEMA and what I think is missing in the evaluation is um you know your initial reaction is okay so a bunch of stuff got cancelled.
▶ 2:32:35So it's like okay why and um it's like listen if there was an analysis done and it was like hey this flunked it was whatever whatever the answer that we don't want is well um and I'm not saying you guys did it but it's like hey we ran an algorithm or OM did something or whatever and and it got cancelled. So it's like well then tell us who at OM so we can go to them and say we'd like to know why you did that. Um which I think is is a legitimate thing.
▶ 2:33:04So, I what I think I'm going to do is instead of saying, you know, the hard question and well, you'd commit to do a case by case review. It's like you guys got other stuff to do than a case by case. What I'm thinking about doing and the committee members that are still here, thank you for is to say, listen, each member, you got three things you you want an answer, a specific answer for, give them to us to transmit on and they'll get and they'll do that analysis, right? Um, so that's my thought on that. Um, I'm not a sister guy.
▶ 2:33:34You know that. I mean, I can I can barely use one of these all god knows who's listening right now. But anyhow, having said that, when I see when I see and I get elections and redirection and all that other sort of stuff, but but when I see here we go and and we've got Chairman Green and other folks going, "My god, China's kicking our butt." And blah blah blah. And it's like, well, we did this many through. Not that you did, but anyhow, this many retired, this many got this, this many got that.
▶ 2:34:04Um, and then I look at at the skinny budget, it's like, by the way, we're taking more. And I think somebody got into it. Um, it it's like, what is the plan? So, when And you've been there long enough, you know, when somebody goes, "Hey, you guys uh presided over cutting a half a billion dollars in CISA to do other stuff. Um, what was that based on?" Clearly, we don't want to be in the position. and won't be in the position of well I don't know that's what they said they needed.
▶ 2:34:33Um not that there's a trust factor there. There's not but it's like we need some building blocks for whoever the the CIS of people are whatever. It's like what's the plan for us to be kicking China's butt or whatever you want to however you want to describe it and how we're still okay on that civilian sector stuff. Um, and that's and by the way, that's stuff we need because when it comes to markup for this committee to transmit it on to the bigger committee, I mean, we need solid ground for that sort of stuff.
▶ 2:35:03TSA, uh, same thing. I I'll tell you what I've heard so far is that the that the state of the equipment that they're using, whether they're screening your purse or your check baggage or whatever, um I'm I'm familiar with one situation where it's like, hey, the equipment's 15 years old. Nobody services it in in that neighborhood.
▶ 2:35:25They got to uh have somebody come over the hill from California, and by the way, if it that takes a while, and in the meantime, they're not screening the bags before they go on the plane or it takes forever. So, I'm going to be focusing on what are you doing to upgrade just the same as you are on the board. Like what are you doing to upgrade that technology? Um and and the last thing I've got before we get to thank you Jesus closing statement.
▶ 2:35:50Um the last thing is um and we've got around the edge of it when we talk about ICE operational tempo. Mhm. I get I can't tell you how of or how quick it's going to take me to get Amade from apprehensed apprehended through whatever the process is and on a plane going back to where he belongs. But we need some structure for um hey we're just blowing and going and and we we'll just let you know.
▶ 2:36:19It's like somebody I would think that there would be an idea to say listen this may change but right now from what we know for running the outfit for four months this is kind of our average from from stack them and rack them and and three hots in a c to we're going to the airport some basis that when you're asked that question not you but us how come you what are you doing with detention beds it's like well listen they got 51,000 now but here's what we
▶ 2:36:49think the operational tempo is going to be. And by the way, if it changes, then all it takes is we got an uptick, we got a down tick, but we don't expect it to, but some sort of thing to say, listen, the average cost of the of shipping somebody out. It takes us, we need a detention bed for six days on the average or whatever it is. I don't And that's the problem, Madam Secretary. I don't know what it is.
▶ 2:37:11So, when we say and you know, somebody said, "Hey, well, how many more beds you need?" It's like I get you're trying to be responsive, but there there's no ability to go say here's what the number is based on. It may change, but here's what it's based on right now. And so that would be that would be necessary on this stuff. So listen, they wrote this stuff and they did a great job. Thank you.
▶ 2:37:39Before we wrap up, uh, reconciliation significant investments. Yeah. Okay, that's all good. We all Somebody said that. Um I know the department hopes to be made whole with reconciliation, but in the meantime, you need to live within your means. It's our job as members to make sure the department is appropriately spending the money Congress provides, as well as to ensure the department has the resources that it needs to execute its mission on an annual basis.
▶ 2:38:06That work begins in earnest today as we begin the 26 process. We will move quickly but not hastily working with every member to produce a bill that will pass the house and floor as we have done in the last few years. I expect the department to be a good partner in the process and I ask you for your commitment that communication between this committee and your department will be significantly better moving forward. That's not a what's he mean by that? It's like we need better communication.
▶ 2:38:36I'm interested in going in going forward. We expect to receive uh routine briefings and reports from DS DHS on time and any changes and programs and policy. It is your absolute prerogative to make changes. Please tell us um to be proactively communicated so that we can work collaboratively and to secure the homeland. Here's my promise to you. We won't surprise you. Please don't surprise us.
▶ 2:39:02Um, while everybody else is is good with that, sometimes, you know, I'm I'm a lot older than you are, so sometimes I react poorly. True. Um, for for the get back questions that members of the subcommittee had today, we ask that you respond in 15 business days. There will be some additional questions members provide in writing. We ask you to respond to those in 30 days. And here's the part you've been waiting for. I'd like to thank you, Madam Secretary, for being here today. The subcommittee stands adjourned.
▶ 2:39:34Thank you, Mr. Chairman.