amendment number 15 will not be offered. it is now in order to consider amendment number 18 printed in part krmp of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from georgia seek recognition? ms. greene: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 18 printed in house report 118-559 offered by ms. greene of georgia. the chair: the gentlewoman from georgia, ms. greene, each will control five minutes. ms. greene: thank you, mr. speaker, my amendment would effectively fire secretary mayorkas as secretary of the homeland security for the atrocious job that he is doing with our southern border and our overall security of our nation.

. . . . earlier this year the house of representatives passed impeachment articles against secretary mayorkas to make him the first cabinet secretary to be impeached since 1876. if the house impeached secretary mayorkas, we should certainly not pay him. here's some real-life consequences of alejandro mayorkas' failures. rachel moran, a mother of five from maryland, was brutally raped and murdered by an illegal alien from el salvador who mayorkas 'allowed to enter our -- allowed to enter our country as gotaway. a 13-year-old girl in new york city was violently raped at knife point and kidnapped, 13 years old in broad daylight -- old, in broad daylight, by a vicious illegal from ecuador. he's a monster who previously was caught crossing the border with a 3-year-old child on his

back in 2021 and then he was released into the united states of america under secretary mayorkas. 12-year-old joslin was strangled to death and dumped in a creek in houston, texas, by two illegals from venezuela who were released under secretary mayorkas earlier in year. i can't understand and comprehend why my colleagues across the aisle want to keep this going. 12 years old, this child was. 20 years old, kayla marie hamilton, was raped and strangled to death by an illegal ms-13 gang member who was apprehended but subsequently released under mayorkas and by the way, he was covered in gang tattoos. they knew exactly what he was. but secretary mayorkas' -- under his leadership these monsters get released into our country. 22-year-old laken riley was

brutally kidnapped and murdered by an animal from venezuela who was released into our communities under secretary mayorkas and not prosecuted in the justice system in the state of new york. no more americans should have to die because secretary mayorkas refuses to enforce the laws of our country. secretary mayorkas' policies are escorting murderers, rapists, criminal trespassers, gang members and terrorists into american communities. mr. speaker, i reserve. the chair: the gentlelady from georgia reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois rise? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the chair: you're recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise in strong opposition to this amendment. the secretary of homeland security plays a critical role in our national security. secretary mayorkas has served in his role admirably and has been an honorable public servant for decades, including service as a u.s. attorney, the director of uscis and the deputy secretary

of homeland security. if my majority colleagues were sincere about addressing and ending the humanitarian crisis at the border they would not have rejected the opportunity to even debate one of the toughest bipartisan border bills in history, simply to appease the desires of those who wish to keep chaos on the border for political gain. and when the president and secretary mayorkas requested additional resources to secure the border, my colleagues across the aisle ignored that too. even after they demanded that we take care of our own border first before we consider providing any funding to ukraine and our other allies. my colleagues and i remain ready to address the challenges facing the department of homeland security, to work towards building a modern immigration system that reflects the realities of the world we live in today, and advances the best interests of american families, businesses and communities. in addition, i would be remiss if i didn't point out that this amendment raises serious constitutional issues. punishing the secretary is not the way to happenedle policy disputes -- handle policy disputes. unfortunately this amendment

prioritizesislative theater over the american people. i urge my colleagues to vote no. and i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady from illinois yields back. the gentlelady from georgia is recognized. ms. greene: mr. speaker, how much time do i have remaining? the chair: the gentlelady has two minutes remaining. ms. greene: thank you. my colleague across the aisle talks about secretary mayorkas and his so-called critical role in our nation's security. yet secretary mayorkas has allowed over 360 individuals on the terrorist watch list, they were caught at the southern border, while we have no idea how many terrorists are in the interior of our country. two million, two million that we know of have gotten away, how many of the two million are terrorists? he has enabled a 7,000% increase in illegal crossings of chinese nationals ever since 2021 when he took the job. his open border is allowing

fentanyl to pour into our communities, which is killing 300 americans every single day. i would argue the ukraine war is not murdering any americans. but yet this house of representatives and the people ashingtonre oessed with using american taxpayer dollars to fund that war while fully ignoring the war on our southern border. according to georgia narcotics association, approximately seven out of 10 pills on the street are laced with fentanyl coming across the southern border. yet my colleague across the aisle says that we're ignoring the humanitarian crisis at the southern border. no. what this government is doing, this administration and secretary mayorkas is doing is ignoring the humanitarian crisis all across our country. fentanyl is a weapon of mass destruction that is murdering americans. that should be the issue this house cares about. secretary mayorkas' policies

have killed americans, bankrupted communities, overrun schools, besieged towns, drowned hospitals and incapacitated law enforcement while empowering cartels and foreign entities. mr. speaker, i reserve. the chair: the gentlelady's time has expired. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from georgia. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. ms. underwood: mr. chair. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. underwood: i request a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from georgia will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 19 printed in part c of house report 118-559.

for what purpose does the gentlewoman from georgia seek recognition? ms. greene: mr. speaker, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 19 printed in part c of house report 118-559 offered by ms. greene of georgia. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentlewoman from georgia, ms. greene, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from georgia. ms. greene: thank you, mr. speaker. my amendment prohibits the department of homeland security from working with the state department to establish something they call safe mobility oes. as if legalizing and enabling the invasion of america is not enough, the biden administration wants to create offices down in foreign countries to bring more people in and help them invade the united states. it's unbelievable. and they want the american

taxpayer to pay for it. secretary mayorkas is not only allowing illegals to invade our country, he's actively importing these terrorists and rapists into our country through the establishment, taxpayer-funded, by the way, safe mobility offices. in a recent abc interview, mayorkas bragged about this fact, stating, we have built safe mobility offices in colombia, ecuador, guatemala, costa rica, to reach people where they are. so they don't have to take the perilous journey. i can't even believe this is a real thing. he's not discouraging our preventing these illegals from invading our borders, he's showing them how to do it and he's making it easier for them to come by establishing offices in those foreign countries, bringing them in and telling them how to come to the united states. according to the state department, the safe mobility

initiative is one of the many ways the united states is facilitating access to safe and lawful pathways from partner countries in the region at no cost to them. so refugees and vulnerable migrants don't have to undertake dangerous journeys in search of safety and better opportunities. i bet americans would love to feel safe -- i bet americans who have lost children and family members to illegal alien crime, rape and murder would love for their family members to be safe and their dead family members to have better opportunities. oh, no. the biden administration won't allow it. they've got to open up offices to bring more people in. once aliens apply, experts from international organizations help individuals assess which legal pathways might work for them. if the individual qualifies for

resettlement into the united states, which according to the biden administration everybody gets resettlement into the united states, they get a bus ticket, a plane ticket, a train ticket to any of the 50 states that they want. then the individual will undergo expedited refugee processing under the safe mobility initiative. expedited. so our taxpayers are paying for offices in these foreign countries to recruit people to come to our country and be expedited in at the cost of the american people. this is outrageous. it is infuriating. it is embarrassing. and it's pathetic. mr. speaker, i'll reserve at this time. thank you. the chair: the gentlelady from georgia reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois rise? -under i claim time in -- ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the chair: the claire recognizes -- the chair recognizes the gentlewoman for five minutes.

ms. underwood: thank you, mr. chairman. safe mobility offices are strategically situated in central and south america and intended to be an alternative way for individuals to seek lawful pathways to the united states other than the dangerous journey that many migrants resort to in an effort to flee from persecution ordaining rouse conditions. they are good, commonsense policies, and my colleague across the aisle may be interested to know that these offices are also a useful tool in combating illegal border crossings. globally we are facing the greatest displacement of people since world war ii. that is why these offices are also in partnership with canada and spain. now let's talk about the effect this amendment would actually have on the department of homeland security. taking away options for lawful pathways only further burdens border patrol and customs and border protection with more encounters. these safe mobility offices enhance our security posture because it allows the vetting of individuals before they ever set foot on u.s. soil.

it also takes money out of the cartels' pockets because it prevents individuals from paying smugglers and coyotes thousands of dollars to get them through our borders. finally, it takes the burden off of our already jammed immigration courts that are managing over three million cases and counting. i hear so often my colleagues on the other side of the aisle complain about the chaos at the border and yet when the administration comes up with innovative solutions that aim to establish a more orderly, a more efficient and a less chaotic border environment, it's met with resistance as demonstrated by amendments like this one that we are debating today. i urge my colleagues to vote no and i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady yields back. the gentlewoman from georgia is recognized. ms. greene: thank you, mr. speaker. talk about burdening border patrol. we could talk about the over 12 million illegal aliens that have flooded into our country ever

since joe biden took office, all under the direction of secretary mayorkas. yeah, that has definitely burdened border patrol. talk about innovative solutions. oh, i think we could call it innovative if you're talking about completely invading the united states of america by the biden administration and secretary mayorkas and his creative ideas of innovative solutions, opening offices in foreign countries to recruit people to come to the united states and be expedited wherever they want to go. this is a slap in the face of every single american. it is a complete embarrassment. it is outrageous. we have over 34.5 -- $34.5 trillion in debt. that is our nation's debt right now. and this is what the democrats want to do, is open up and spend money to open up more offices to bring more people in?

yeah, you talk about overwhelming border patrol. this is overwhelming the american people. mr. speaker, i urge all of my colleagues in the house to pass my amendment and at this time i yield. the chair: the gentlelady yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from georgia. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it's now order to consider amendment income 20 printed on part c of house report 118. for what purpose does the gentleman from wisconsin seek rec incision. >> i offer amendment 20. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: offered by mr. grossman of wisconsin. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. grossman,

and a member opposed each will control five minutes. chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. grossman: i yield myself such time as i may consume. amendment number 20 seeks to address an often underdiscussed part of the ongoing border crisis. mr. grothman: the surge in immigration, recent years have witnessed an unprecedented increase in the number of migrants from these four countries attempting to cross the southwest border. in 2020, border patrol agents apprehended about 17,500 illegal entrants from these nations. that was the final year before president biden. this number surged more than 10-fold in fiscal year 2021 to 181,000 and sky rocketed to over 600,000 in fiscal year 2022. from 17,000 to 600,000. these numbers are common in the

increase during this administration. understanding the factors behind this dramatic rise is crucial to understanding the challenge it poses. the biden administration's approach to border security has played a significant role in this surge. look no further than the introduction of the parole process targeting nationals of cuba, haiti, nicaragua, and venezuela. initially create as a limited parole program for venezuelans, this program expanded significantly in january of 2023. now it offers parole to up to 30,000 nationals per month from these countries. remember, we used to have 17,000 in a whole year. now 30,000 per month. this policy has led to a system of all carrots and sticks, incentivizing illegal entries without adequate deterrents. through the end of may, over 462,000 parolees have entered the u.s. this surpasses the current population of new orleans, just from these poor countries. and poor exceeds the annual immigration limits set by

congress. despite these parolees lacking visas or legal rights to enter, thee been grant work authorizations, potentially impacting the wages and working conditions of american workers. the administration claims that each applicant undergoes robust security vetting and requires a u.s.-based supporter. however, this system is rife for taking over. the limited cooperation from hostile governments and the lack of a stable government from haiti. when i've been on the border, the only country that they get a criminal background check from is canada. my amendment is straight forward. none of the funds appropriated by this act can be used to run the parole program. correct these misguided priorities, prioritize existing immigration laws,en and sure that our border security measures are both effective and humane. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman from wisconsin reserves. for what purpose does the

gentlelady from illinois rise? ms. underwood: the underline bill already includes a provision that would effectively end the current operation of the program referenced in this amendment. that's because applicants must use the mobile app from abroad to submit information that's then used to conduct background checks. and the majority bill already includes a harmful provision that prevents the use of the app to facilitate the parole of migrants into the united states. setting aside the redundancy of this provision is worth spending a moment discussing the harmful impact of preventing this program to continue. the parole process in place for cubans, haitians, nick waggians and venezuelans royals the department an opportunity to not only provide an alternative to the dangerous journeys that many migrants use to flee from persecution and dangerous conditions, it enhances our security posture because it allows the department to vet

people before they arrive. and it has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of these individuals being he countered between ports of entry at our southern border, with chips with having a more orderly and chaotic environment. i really do wish that many colleagues across the aisle who talk all the time about wanting to secure the border would start working with democrats to provide d.h.s. the resources it needs and stop trying to prevent it from executing programs that are actually working. instead of ending programs that are reducing chaos at the border, we should be discussing how to build upon the successes of these efforts. this amendment has no chance of being enacted. i, a no vote on this amendmentment, and i yield back. the chair: the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. grothman: i yield two minutes to mr. turner from ohio. the chair: the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. turner: thank you, mr.

speaker. i thank my friend and colleague for his leadership on this issue. i ask strong support for this amendment, which prohibits funding to be used for the parole program titled processes for cubans, haitians, nick waggians, and venezuelans. more than 10,000 haitian migrants have settled in my congressional district in springfield, ohio, send there by the biden administration's unlawful use of the immigration parole program. i'm going say that again. 10,000 haitians have settled in my congressional district in springfield, ohio. america is a nation of immigrants, and ohio has undoubtedly been enriched by those seeking tremendous opportunities our country has to offer. but the biden administration policies incentivize migrants to locate in the united states rapidly and in large numbers moving to small and rural communities like in my community. you cannot find a city in this country that would be able to sufficiently handle this kind of surge. the city of springfield is strained with infrastructure

housing and schools all pushed to the limit. last year, the community of springfield formed an immigration accountability response team to address this unprecedented population explosion. these biden policies are wrong, and put these people and the city of springfield in impossible circumstances. i urge their strong support of the amendment and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin. mr. grothman: i urge all members to support this systemment and reserve the balance of my time. the chair: there's no time left on the amendment. i'm south korea the gentleman has one minute -- i'm sorry, the gentleman has one minute left. mr. grothman: this is another example of this administration clearly violating the limits on parole stabbed by congress. none of the migrants being paroled into this nation and under this program have a legal basis to enter. i urge all members to support this amendment and i yield back the balance of time. the chair: the question is the

on the amendment. those in favor say aye. those opposed no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is in order. chair recognizes -- miss underwood j. i request a recorded vote. the chair: this will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 29 printed in part c of house report 1 is 18-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? >> i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: number 29, printed in part c of house report number 118-559, offered by mr. mccormick of georgia. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from georgia, mr. mccook mile an hour, and a member opposed each

will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from georgia. mr. mccormick: i rise to offer my amendment, to the fiscal year 2025 homeland security security appropriations bill. my amendment would add language to section 212 of the bill to make sure that no federal funds can be used to dismantle, demolish, remove, or damage barriers on the u.s.-mexico border that are placed there by state governments. the crisis at our southern border has never been worse. since president biden took office, there have been easily over nine million encounters nationwide, and over 7.5 million at the southwest border specifically. there have been around two million known getaways and over 350 encounters with those on terrorist watch lists, massive numbers of aliens who are considered inad missable by law

entering our country with about 400,000 from cuba, haiti, nicaragua, and venezuela, mass paroled into our country. we are willfully and knowingly allowing murderers, rapists, and spies into our country as a byproduct of the biden administration's attempt to skew future elections. they do not care about the carnage and would literally be happy to be king of the ashes. the border crisis is also creating a public health crisis. the fiscal year, there have been over 13,000 pounds of tent nell seized -- fentanyl seized. that's enough to kill billions of people. we've seen the 110,000 people who have died from opioid overdoses. that's just what we stopped though, 13,000 pounds. in the meantime, the president and his allies have said time and time again that nothing can be fixed without congressional

action. i'm all for congressional action. this body passed h.r. 2 over a year ago. the bill that would go in and fix issues in the code by doing things like raising the standard for credible fear determinations and requiring most migrants to arrive at official ports of entry and to have their asylum cases processed. sadly, it's not surprising that this bill hasn't seen the light of day in the do nothing senate. here's the other reality. immigration law hasn't changed significantly in years. the border crisis was never this bad before. under president trump, even under president clinton and obama, as a matter of fact, obama ran on border security. let that sink in. we didn't see the same absolute humanitarian crisis that's going on today. this is the fault of the current administration. in response to the negligence of this administration, texas under the leadership of governor

abbott started operation lone star to secure the border. his plan included the placement of more than 100 miles of razor wire along the border. and what was the administration's response? to oppose texas every step of the way, even go so far as to cut razor wire installed by texans. this is completely unacceptable. it's an example of the administration starting the problem and then preventing anyone else from fixing it. since biden has done nothing to secure our sovereign border, my amendment would prevent this and guard the ability of texas, arizona, new mexico, and other border states to protect their citizens and their border. with that, i reserve. the chair: for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois rise? miss underwood: i claim time in opposition. the u.s. constitution grants the federal government the sole authority to control immigration and secure the nation's border. that includes determination who is allowed to enter the country

and how the borders are to be secured. and for good reason. it is critical that we have uniformity and consistency in our immigration and border security policies across all states. the federal government protects our national interests, while maintaining positive relationships with neighboring countries. with this amend am, we are placing border patrol in the unfortunate position of being unable to properly secure the border where a state independently or allows the construct of border barriers, such as a wall or fencing. furthermore, this amendment would impede the ability to carry out its mission, and they would indicated it would be challenges if this language were enacted. champ, this provision would prevent an extreme life and safety risk to as sum seekers and other migrants who may need to be rescued. border patrol agents regularly save migrants from drowning, and

preventing the removal of wire or other structures on the border will cause an increase in drowning deaths, which would further place our law enforcement officers and agents at risk. i will vote no, and i encourage my colleague to do the same. i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. mccook mile an hour: i want to quote the protect our national interest. that's the justification of removing barriers to illegal invaders. protects americans' interest. the same people who would do harm to our american citizens through fentanyl overdoses, rapes, murders, crime, and then consuming american resources at a time when we cannot afford it. biden's executive order is too little, too late. it won't fix the border crisis and would still give tacit legal permission to about one million illegal immigrants every year. that's if he didn't tell agents

to ignore his own guidance. further, biden's latest legal action, amnesty for 500,000 based on their marital status, will only encourage more immigrants to break the law. and cross the border to do something else. this policy of the administration has shown that they aren't seriously attempting to secure the border and solve this problem, and with that i am prepared to close. the chair: the chairman has raised to close. mr. mccormick: i want to secure the borders while the president refuses to do that. this is a 80% issue in the american public. this is an issue of we the people protecting our house. . with the policies of this current administration, we at the very least must make sure we allow state governments to protect their citizens and protect their borders. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from georgia's time has expired. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from

georgia. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 30 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. molinaro: mr. chairman, i have an amend a the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 30 printed in part c of house report 118-559 offered by mr. molinaro of new york. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman the gentlemanfrom new york, mr.d a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. molinaro: thank you, mr. chairman. my amendment is very simple. it is a modest increase to funding for the u.s. customs and border protection agency, helping to ensure the securing

of our southern border. there is little question this administration has created a crisis at our border. every state across america is facing the significant challenge of millions of undocumented individuals crossing into the country, in some cases even being transported to cities and states across america by this very administration. and with that comes significant increases in human trafficking and the drug trade increases, fentanyl and synthetic opicrossg american lives and devastating communities all across the country. my own state of new york admittedly through a bad policy decision of a mayor in new york city and the governor of new york has become a border state. hundreds of thousands of individuals being relocated to the state of new york all at the same time, making an enormous crisis even worse. in our own state we've seen individuals transported from downstate to upstate, all with the sanction and the incentivizing from this president and this

administration. every tool, every resource, every additional dollar we can provide customs and border patrol is critically necessary to not only securing our border but saving lives as well. congress needs to put a greater focus and greater dollars, but at the same time, at the same time this crisis was created by the president. and it's time that this crisis comes to an end and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois rise? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: thank you, mr. chairman. while i can support additional funding for d.h.s. components in fiscal year 2025, i must respectfully oppose this amendment. we're debating increasing a multibillion-dollar agency by a miniscule amount at the detriment of the office of the secretary. which is consistently under attack by this majority. the office of the secretary and executive management has already been cut by 23%. listen, i support the men and

women of c.b.p. but let's not continue with these amendments to message your opposition to the biden administration on the backs of the other career public servants this amendment will undoubtedly impact. i oppose this amendment and i urge my colleagues to do the same. and i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. molinaro: i certainly wasn't going to take dollars from border patrol to rededicate to border patrol so it seemed quite clear to me that we ought to take it from the office of the secretary and if it were up to me, not only would i not have hired secretary mayorkas, i would have called for his resignation immediately. if it were up to me, i'd eliminate him from the office as it is but that's not a message, it's critically important we give the tools necessary for c.b.p. to do its job and it's important we hold the administration accountability and it's critically important americans understand there is one side of the aisle who is fighting to secure the border and we will continue to do so. i ask support for my amendment and i yield my time. the chair: the gentleman yields

back the balance of his time. the question is now on the amendment offered by the gentleman from new york. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 32 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama seek recognition? the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 32 printed in part c of house report 118land 559 offered about -- 118-559 offered by mr. mooree resolution 1316, the gentleman from alabama, mr. moore, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from alabama. mr. moore: mr. chairman, i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the chair: the congressman is recognized. mr. moore: mr. chairman, i rise today in support of amendment 32

that expresses congressional opposition to t.s.a.'s use of facial recognition technology at american airports. facial recognition technology encroaches on privacy of american citizens. this gives the government unprecedented surveillance capabilities that can track a person's movement in real-time. at a time when the government already conducts warrantless searches of our data through the fisa program, we should not give our weaponized government another inch when it comes to mass surveillance, especially without a sophisticated system of checks and balances. t.s.a. has expanded its facial recognition technology at our american airports. while t.s.a. states that the program is optional, it has stated the intent of the t.s.a. is to expand this technology beyond security checkpoints and require that passengers undergo facial recognition scans every time they travel. further, there are several airports that i have traveled to that do not have sufficient signage alerting passengers that they have the option to opt out of this intrucive technology. in april of 2023, t.s.a.

administrator admitted at the south by southwest conference that we will get to a point where we require biometrics across the board. the potential for misuse of this technology extends far beyond airport security checkpoints. once americans become accustomed to the government's facial recognition scans, it will be that much easier for the government to scan citizens' faces everywhere, from entry into government buildings, to passive surveillance on public property like parks, schools and sidewalks. this powerful surveillance technology as deployed by the t.s.a. does not make air travel safer. as a matter of fact, the 3% error cited t.s.a. represents more than 68,000 mismatches per day along with 2.3 -- of all the 2.3 million travelers. recent news reports that hundreds of passengers have bypassed t.s.a.'s security checkpoints entirely in recent years, suggest that t.s.a. should focus on fundamentals. not expanding its facial recognition program. and with that, mr. chairman, i reserve. the chair: the gentleman from

alabama reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois rise? yundz-under ilaim -- ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: thank you, mr. chairman. the use of facial recognition technology which is still a fairly new capability requires robust oversight and internal controls, including a privacy impact assessment by d.h.s.'s privacy office. i know that the department of homeland security and t.s.a. have been taking important steps in that direction, including department-wide governance policies and allowing travelers going through t.s.a. checkpoints to opt out of the use of this technology. and more work needs to be done to address the potential for biases and inaccuracies in the algorithms, particularly regarding their ability to accurately recognize individuals from different demographic groups. as well as ensuring that travelers are aware of their right to opt out of the facial recognition screening process. but i believe we should continue to lean in to address these challenges. to ensure the appropriate

protections and safeguards are in place. while also embracing and investing in modern solutions that not only strengthen our security and expedite the traveler experience with d.h.s., but also improve the lives of everyday americans. i oppose this amendment and i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman from alabama is recognized. mr. moore: mr. chairman, i want to thank my colleague from massachusetts, ms. pressley, for co-sponsoring this amendment and i.d. encourage my colleagues to support this -- and i'd encourage my colleagues to support this amendment as well. with that, mr. chairman, i'm prepared to close. i encourage all of my member and friends to support this important amendment, mr. chair. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from alabama. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the aaye have it -- ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 37 printed in

part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. mullin: mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 37 printed in part c of house report 118 an 5 at offer -- 118-559 offered by mr. mullin of california. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from california, mr. mullin, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. mullin: i yield myself such time as i may consume. america's urban search and rescue teams are vital task forces that deserve adequate funding so they can continue to bring hope during our country's darkest hours. deployed across the country whenever a major disaster strikes, these task forces have pulled victims out of the rubble after the world trade center collapsed. searched for those stranded in flooded homes during hurricane

katrina, responded to raging wildfires in maui and answered the call to help with many other disasters across america and the world. these heroes have been there for our nation when we've needed them the most. while we cannot forecast the next national emergency, congress must proactively support the needs of these task forces so they may adequately prepare for the next moment they are called into action. that's why i'm leading a bipartisan group of lawmakers with representatives young kim from california and jill tokuda from hawaii to advocate for an $18 million increase in federal funding for america's 28 urban search and rescue task forces. this would prevent cuts to funding the task force received in 2024 and it would meet the actual expenses that local fire departments and other first responders have on the ground. our proposal is also extremely modest. it represents just $2 million

per task force. it is the least we can do to ensure emergency responders have the training and equipment they need when a disaster strikes. i am grateful to have their support and the support of task force leaders from across the country for this effort. and with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? mr. kim: mr. speaker, i rise -- mrs. kim: mr. speaker, i rise to support this amendment. the chair: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for five minutes. mrs. kim: thank you, mr. speaker. and i want to thank my california colleague, representative mullin, for yielding. i rise in support of this bipartisan amendment to provide much-needed resources to the fema operations and support account for the national urban search and rescue response system or usnr. this increase is offset by the management directorate for

operations and support account. usnr has been critical in disaster response efforts in the aftermath of the major wildfires, hurricanes and tropical storms across the country, including in california. we are reminded of the importance of this program as communities in our area face a scorching heat wave and a threat of devastating wildfires and i'm grateful to orange county fire authority chief's leadership as the western representative for nine usnr task forces in our region. unfortunately costs associated with operating the task forces have increased with higher labor and equipment costs and more deployments. my amendment ensures usnr's task forces are equipped with the tools needed to protect our communities so i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and i yield back the balance of my time.

the chair: the gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. mullin: i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from california. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the agreement -- the amendment is agreed to. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: i rise as the designee of the gentlewoman from connecticut and i move to strike the last word. the chair: the gentlewoman is recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: mr. chair, i yield to the gentleman from rhode island, mr. magaziner. mr. magaziner: thank you to the gentlewoman for yielding and thank you, mr. chair. the most solemn duty that we have as members of congress is to keep americans safe. unfortunately instead of focusing on the very real threats facing our homeland, too

many house republicans are playing politics, trying to defund the f.b.i. and the department of justice, refusing to take action on gun violence and p cheer leading for vie -- and cheer leading for violent extremists like those who attacked this capitol and the people in it on january 6. putting their political agenda ahead of keeping everyday americans safe. and let's not forget it was house republicans who killed the bipartisan plan to secure the border because donald trump told them he would rather have an issue to campaign on than fix the problem. shameful. when asked to explain his opposition to the bipartisan border security bill, one house republican even said, quote, let me tell you, i'm not willing to do too damn much right now to help a democrat and to help joe biden's approval rating, end quote. putting politics ahead of securing the border. ... putting politics ahead of the

bill. this is opposed by house republicans and cuts funding for regional counter terrorism efforts that keep americans safe from both domestic and foreign terrorism and cuts all funding to help states and cities manage the impact of migration. i sit on the homeland security committee, and i saw as house republicans brought in officials from states and from cities to talk about how difficult it is to deal with the challenges of migration in their communities. if they're watching now, this budget that the house republicans are proposing zeros you out, cuts you off. they are saying to you, our your own at the state and local level to deal with these challenges. the opinion american people want house republicans to stop playing political games and work together across the aisle with democrats to secure our homeland. for this reason, at the appropriate time, i will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee for further work. my amendment would secure our homeland by providing an additional $51 million to customs and border protection, to improve information sharing

and prevent people who are on the watch list from entering our country. to enhance security at ports of entry and combat fentanyl trafficking by purchasing equipment, including license plate readers and substance detection devices. it would also provide over $150 million to detect radiological and nuclear materials and biohazard threats and prevent terror attacks, and restore funding and authorities to combat domestic terrorism, domestic extremists like those who violently attacked police officers and tried to stop the people's votes from being counted on january 6. i ask my colleagues, let's put americans first by working together across the aisle, the way people expect of us, to secure our homeland and keep people safe instead of advancing the extreme agenda of the former president, who, by the way, was just convicted of 34 criminal counts. at the end of the debate, i will insert into the record the text of this amendment. i hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to

recommit, and i yield back. the chair: mr. chair, i -- ms. underwood: mr. chair, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlewoman yields back. the chair reminds members not to engage in personalities and please address the chair. for what purpose does the gentleman -- the unfinished business is the request -- let's try this again. it is now in order to consider amendment 38 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? >> i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment 38 in house report 118-559, norman of south carolina. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman

from south carolina, mr. norman, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from south carolina. mr. norman: my amendment prohibits funding for the purchase of electric vehicles. we have a member here in congress who owns a dealership who is burying his electric vehicle, which doesn't work, as a testament to how useless these vehicles are. i rise to support my amendment that prohibits funds for the purchase of electric vehicles. as part of the department of homeland security's climate action plan, whatever that is, the agency responsible for the safety and security of our nation is wasting your hard-earned taxpayer dollars on e. v.'s. d.h.s. has set a goal transitioning 50% of the vehicle fleet to zero emissions vehicles by 2030 in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. where is the goal to reduce the

number of illegal immigrants entering this country? d.h.s. is proud to become the first federal agency to debut the electric vehicles for law enforcement. how does an electric vehicle help a law enforcement officer do his or her job better? how does an electric vehicle protect our nation? d.h.s.'s website says it is implementing a new approach to meet climate crisis, whatever that is, which includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions. mr. speaker, this is a joke. what about the real crisis that's threatening our nation? the crisis at the border. the crisis that has resulted in many, many deaths that are reported daily. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. thank you, mr. chair. first we should all support sensible steps to reduce the government's greenhouse gas emission. electric vehicles have the

potential to significantly improve federal fleet efficiency and reduce vehicle operation and maintenance costs. prohibiting the department from buying one type of cutting-edge technology just because some of my colleagues want to score political points and continue to deny the existence of climate change is shameful and impractical. transitioning our federal fleet to electric vehicles where possible is not part of some woke agenda. it's a matter of practicality, risk mitigation, efficiency, and safety. i support these efforts, and i believe the american people support the cost savings, cleaner air, new jobs, and healthy environmental future that will come with working to achieve our climate goals. this amendment is just another partisan policy rider that gets us no closer to a final enacted bill for the department before the close of the fiscal year. i oppose this amendment and urge my colleagues to vote no. i yield back.

the chair: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. norman: the crisis at the border is invasion that's now taking place. over 9.6 million illegal immigrants encounters since the biden administration took office 3 1/2 years ago. over 1.8 million got aways who evaded border patrol since the biden administration took office 3 1/2 years ago. over 50 illegal immigrants with ties to isis infiltrating our nation. over 27,000 chinese communist nationals encountered in fiscal year 2024. i don't know how much longer we're going to have to put up with the killings that are taking place two days ago, but 13-year-old girl who was dragged under a bridge, tortured for two hours, rape and had then killed. how long will my friends on the opposite side of the aisle put up with this kind of insanity? since the biden administration took office, it has opened the

borders to anybody, anywhere, any country, without any. i urge my colleagues to support my amendment to ensure d.h.s. is focused on the true mission, to secure the nation from the many threats that we face and to keep america safe. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: those in favor say aye. those opposed say no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 39 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from south carolina seek recognition? mr. norman i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 39 printed in part c of 559, offered by mr. norman of south carolina. the chair: pursuant who house resolution 1316, the gentleman from south carolina, mr. norman,

and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from south carolina. mr. norman: mr. speaker, i rise in support of my amendment that prohibits funds for t.s.a.'s quote, inclusion action committee. in august of 2020, t.s.a. announced the inclusion action committee, which it describes as a coalition of diverse leaders focused on measuring the current state of diversity and inclusion at the t.s.a. the committee was instrumental in creating a gender-neutral option for the t.s.a. precheck to serve nonbinary and gender noncon forming passengers and allow applicants to select their gender based on their self. regardless of the sex assigned at birth. this is flat-out insanity. where else does this work in our society? can i go to a bank and say i'm bill gates and i need a $10 million loan?

can i go to any nfl team and say i'm a star football player and get automatically on the team? it's insanity. how does letting a confused man check a box, calling himself a woman, make our country any safer? is this really what we should be focusing on? the committee also came out with a report of best practices to support an inclusion-diverse environment. where is the report of the best practices to secure our border, which has been open for the last 3 1/2 years? the department of homeland security has utilized over 50 airports to process more than 400,000 inad missable aliens through this unlawful cuban, haitian, venezuelan mass patrol programs, as well as any other country. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves.

for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois see? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. thank you, mr. chairman. there's probably no agency in the department that interacts with everyday americans, our constituents, more than the transportation security administration. t.s.a.'s interaction with the traveling public is one that should reinforce t.s.a.'s commitment to the safety and security of the traveler and their experience with t.s.a. that is not just limited to screening baggage. it means respecting all travelers, including travelers from diverse, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, and the lgbtq+ community. t.s.a.'s recognition should be celebrated, not handicapped. whether this majority wants to accept it or not, we are a diverse nation. that's what makes us great. this amendment is simply another pointless culture war and waste of our time. i oppose the amendment and urge my colleagues to vote no, and i

yield back. the chair: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from south carolina is recognized. mr. norman: this is insanity. for those listening in the balcony, i'm sure, if they flew here, they had to present a valid i.d. and a valid verification, a valid ticket before they got on the airplane. now with illegals, no photo i.d., no verification or information, just a piece of paper provided by the illegal immigrant. this is a blatant mockery of the united states law. instead of securing our transportation system, t.s.a. is more worried about diversity and feelings. as a side note, can i go up to the t.s.a. agent and claim to be a pilot and get into pilot seat? no, i can't. it's insanity to even say that. it is amazing this is even something we have to spend time on debating much as i explained from my last amendment, d.h.s.'s mission is to secure the nation from the many threats we face and to keep america safe.

t.s.a.'s mission is to protect the nation's transportation system, to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce. how does an inclusion action committee that advocates for a woke diverse agenda make our nation a safer? the answer is it doesn't. an it's insanity even to have to debate this on the floor of the house of representatives, with all the other crises that are we're facing. i urge adoption of this amendment. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman fsouth carolina. those in favor vote aye. those opposed vote no. in the opinion of the chair theys have it. the amendment is agreed to.

it is now in order to consider amendment number 42 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. ogles: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment 42 printed in part c of house report 118-559 offered by mr. ogles of tennessee. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from tennessee, m oes, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. ogles: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise in support of my amendment to cut the budget of the office of homeland security by $10 million. we want our government to function and there must be consequences for poor performance. we have a record number of

illegal aliens flooding across our borders. he could secretary mayorkas' so-called leadership, the border patrol's migrant encounters have reached five times the rate they were even under the obama administration. nearly 371,000 illegal aliens were apprehended in the united states in december alone with over 5.4 million illegal alien apprehensions occurring between fiscal year 2023 and present day. we know this failure comes from the top. that's why this body voted to impeach secretary mayorkas for his willful and systematic refusal to comply with the law and is a breach of the public trust. my amendment proposes a measured cut to the office of the secretary to make it clear we find his work unacceptable. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman from tennessee reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois rise?

ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: i rise to oppose this amendment. it is among the majority of cuts in the base bill. eill eliminates funding for the ombudsman and for the prevention of programs and partnerships and slashes funding for family reunification projects and includes several undefined cuts to travel and personnel and other base activities and includes no additional funding for much-needed investments in the public's electronic health records management system, nor does the bill address the growth and workload for the office of civil rights and liberties. it also holds important investments in the new office of homeland security statistics which serve as the foundation of evidence-based decisionmaking across the department's diverse set of mission responsibilities. this amendment requires deeper

cuts that further harm important priorities. for example, the office of health security is funded within this account and it provides employee wellness and suicide prevention services for the department's work force. this account also provides funding for child well-being specialists to oversee the care of kids in c.b.p. custody to ensure they receive the proper level of care and helping ensure border patrol agents can perform their duties. amendments like this are unserious and unhelpful. i urge my colleagues to vote no and yield back. the chair: the gentlelady from illinois yields back. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. ogles: mr. chairman, i think this is serious. actions have consequences. inaction should also have consequences. a 12-year-old girl intending to connect with her 13-year-old

boyfriend, instead was intercepted by two drunk illegals and they took her, they raped her, they strangled her and two hours later, they tried to get money to leave the country. i pause because this is serious. we have a secretary that's not doing their job. mr. chairman, this is a modest cut. it's not going to turn out the lights but sends a clear message that your job is to protect american citizens. it's not diversity. it's not political points. it's to protect america. 400 individuals were just designated as potential -- having potential ties to terrorists but weren't apprehended because they weren't on the terror watch list.

inaction has consequences. this is serious. this cut is meant to send a message. enough is enough. i urge adoption of my amendment. and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee, mr. ogles. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 43 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. ogles: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 43 printed in part c of house report 118-559 offered by mr. ogles of tennessee. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. ogles, and a member opposed each will control five minutes.

the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. ogles: thank you, mr. chairman. executive order 14019 allegedly promoting access to voting is an effort to divert federal resources to partisan politics. this dangerous executive order instructs a wide range of agencies, including the department of health and human services and the small business administration to engage in voter turnout operations. worse, it instructs agencies to partner with approved third-party organizations to assist them in their voter registration and other election focused efforts. who will approve these organizations? what criteria will be used? the executive order doesn't say. congress has never granted the administration any authority to approve such groups or specified any criteria for doing so. this executive order is illegal. we all know how this will play

out. the biden administration will partner with groups focused on mobilizing democrat voters. the executive order instructs agencies to let these groups use federal property to conduct their voter registration initiatives with the assistance of federal employees. the use of federal resources may free up their resources for political operations elsewhere. 13 states attorneys general wrote to president biden in opposition of this order. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman from tennessee reserves. the gentlewoman from illinois, for what purpose do you seek opposition's? ms. underwood: i rise in opposition to this amendment. it is absolutely disheartening to learn any member of congress would actively work to undermine voting rights in this country. yet once again, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are demonstrating they have no

regard for democracy and no desire to uphold every american's right to vote. that's why they are so desperate to draw district lines to choke out the voices of vulnerable and underrepresented americans. and now with this amendment, we see another one of their tactics which is cruel and un-american and it's an anti-democratic provision by the majority. this team seeking to suppress access to voting and removing steps the administration is taking to ensure that our elections are fair and free from outside influence. executive order 14019 on voting access will help ensure that all americans can exercise their right to vote such as voters in underserved communities, voters who are younger and older and rural and urban, new citizens, service members, and veterans, native americans, voters with disabilities, and voters with language access concerns.

every member of this body should support these ideals. while the amendment would allow the administration to continue these actions for service members, voters with disabilities, and native americans, it would remove such efforts for other populations, and that should tell you everything you need to know about their real intentions. the cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency, also known as cisa, is funded through this legislation. and cisa plays a critical role in election security. for example, the agency is working with the department of justice to combat the increased threats to election officials and election workers. how is that a bad thing? honestly, i cannot comprehend how anyone who holds a public office in our country could possibly support an amendment that attacks the very foundation of our democracy. this amendment does nothing more

than threaten the integrity of our electoral process by limiting cisa's ability to ensure safe and secure elections for all u.s. citizens. i will vote no and i encourage my colleagues to do the same. i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady from illinois yields back. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. ogles: mr. chairman, we all understand the importance of maintaining the american people's faith in our elections. we understand that voting and access to the ballot box is important. but my colleague spoke to the idea of outside influence, and that's exactly what this order does, it brings outside influence on to federal property. the attorneys general, the 13 attorneys general raised objections because with individuals, outside groups being hosted on federal property, if there's a violation, those a.g.'s may have

problems or troubles prosecuting the state law because it's on federal property. so this creates a conflict between the federal government and the states as pointed out by attorneys generals. it seems impossible this executive order can be carried out without violations of the anti-deficiency act which prohibits the use of funds for purposes not authorized by congress. the administrative procedures act and hatch act. congress must clear this up. this amendment is clean. it's clear. it blocks some of this undue outside influence. i urge adoption of my amendment, and i yield back, mr. chairman. the chair: the gentleman from tennessee yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is -- ms. underwood: i request a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee will be

postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 44 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. ogles: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment 44 printed in part c of house report 118-559 offered by mr. ogles of tennessee. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. ogles, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. ogles: thank you, mr. chairman, my amendment prohibits the secretary of defense which requires individuals to wear masks to prevent the spread of covid-19. this may seem like an old argument but when we see the testimony of fauci talking about how much of the recommendations were made up and fictitious, i think it's important we keep this conversation in the forefront. i think we remind individuals

that our government overreached authority and infringed on liberty. i think it's important we draw a line in the sand and tell the secretary of defense you can't make a mandate and you can't offer a mandate that forces someone to wear a mask. mr. chairman, i reserve. the chair: the gentleman from tennessee reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois claim recognition? ms. underwood: i claim opposition. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. underwood: d.h.s. does not develop independent policies on these issues but rather, implements policies that originate with the c.d.c. second, vaccines and masks are for safety of self and others. if enacted under this amendment, the department would struggle to ensure the health of the traveling public in the face of a pandemic. this amendment undermines public health and the department's authority to ensure the safety of the traveling public. instead, it needlessly prevents

risk control measures at great risk to our communities. i oppose this amendment and i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady from illinois yields back. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. ogles: thank you, mr. chairman and appreciate my colleague's sentiment. but i would argue this bill needlessly allows for the secretary of defense to infringe on the medical relationship between an individual and their doctor. it needlessly forces someone to wear a mask when there is no science to back it up. i mean, there was a "new york times" article by the leading epidemiologist thomas jefferson, not to be confused with thomas jefferson, that the gold statistic in masks, n-95, was not effective at blocking the covid-19 virus. it's important that anything infringing on someone's liberties be based in fact and science, not on conjecture and panic. with that, mr. chairman, i offer this and ask adoption of my amendment.

i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from tennessee yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 45 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. ogles: i have an amendment the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 35 printed in part c of house report 118-559 offered by mr. ogles of tennessee. the chair: pursuant to the house resolution 1316, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. ogles, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. ogles: thank you, mr. chairman. following hamas' brutal attack on october 7, this administration said all the right things. joe haden said he was -- joe

biden said he was able to offer all important means to support the government in israel. the acting u.s. ambassador to israel said he was sickened by the images coming out of southern israel of dead and wounded civilians at the hands of terrorists from gaza. the white house said it unequivocally condemned the unprovoked attacks by hamas terrorists against israeli civilianings. of course, the office of palestinian affairs defunded on this attack called on israel not to respond to the crimes of rape and murder. aside from that, the u.s. response couldn't have been stronger. fast forward to june 2024, the biden administration is withholding precision guided munitions as israel is facing down a existential threat from hezbollah. . they're attempting to undermine israel's democracy by telling the israeli government not to defend the israeli people zero, security interest.

meanwhile, american citizens taken hostage by hamas on october 7 have died in captivity. this administration's response continues to be insufficient. to propose a cease-fire that is essentially on hamas' terms, and most importantly, it preserves hamas. we've done little to apply pressure on the negotiations, particularly in qatar. to use their extensive leverage against hamas on getting americans back, and we've seen the biden administration cave to the demands of student protesters who chant kill the jews in arabic. there's an old expression in the history of the polynesian war when he says what men did once in private they now do in private. he spoke of this in the context

of the dying athenian morality. die fear hamas' goal of promoting international terrorism has emboldened far more public demonstrations of antisemitism. we've seen pro-terror activists wielding bear spray while preventing jews from using the entrance to their synagogues in l.a., seizing a building and holholding custodial staff hoste at columbia university, and other outrageous. it is one sign among many of our growing societal rot. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman from tennessee reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. thank you, mr. chairman. last november i joined my democratic colleagues in sending a letter to president biden to urge him to designate the palestinian territory for temporary protective status and/or authorized deferred enforcement departure for palestinians in the united states. i called on the president to take this action because i knew it would save lives, and i

applaud the administration for taking this action. the administration's policy includes important exemptions too, such as for individuals convicted of felonies or who otherwise pose a public safety threat. we know that many civilians remain in danger in gaza after the horrific attacks by hamas on october 7. the humanitarian conditions in gaza continue to be appalling and children have been disproportionately harmed. this amendment is cruel and unjustifiable. furthermore, even if it were adopted, it likely would not accomplish anything except creating chaos related to the implementation of a policy that involve agencies that are not only in d.h.s., but also in the department of state, justice, and labor. the funds made available by the department of homeland security appropriations act do not impact the funded operations, which would create confusion, even within d.h.s. about how to implement this amendment if it

were enacted. this amendment is nonsensical, and it ignores the realities much how our agencies actually work to solve pressing issues. i do not understand why we will want to be a nation that sends civilians into dangerous, war-torn conditions to needlessly put their lives at risk. i urge my colleagues to vote no, and i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady from illinois heels back. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. ogles: if this administration supported israel as much as it has worked to preserve hamas, this war would be over and american hostages would be returned. of course, it doesn't. rather than signal its support for hamas' extermination and israel's right to defend itself, joe biden now wants to keep thousands of hamas sympathyers in the united states. on february 14, 2024, perhaps chosen to demonstrate the administration's relative affinitiy for the so-called palestinian cause, joe biden announced he was extending

deferred enforcement departure for palestinians, allowing up to 6,000 palestinians to stay in our country through august 13, 2025. think about that. hamas has just been organized, and they attacked, and they raped, and they killed. and what does this administration do? it defends hamas. it allows palestinians sympathizers to stay in our country. enough is enough. this is the united states of america. it's time to secure our border. we get to decide who comes in, and by george, we get to decide who has to leave. i would urge adoption of my amendment, and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee. those in favor say aye. those opposed say no. in the opinion of the chair the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. ms. underwood: mr. chairman.

the chair: for what purpose does the lady seek recognition? ms. underwood: request aroid, please. the chair: further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 46 printed in part c of the house report 1118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. ogles: i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: offered reply mr. ogles of tennessee. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. ogles, and a member opposed will each control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. ogles: environmental justice is a concept closely intertwined with d.e.i. principles. rather than seeking to use federal resources to mitigate environmental harms as

effectively and efficiently as possible, advocates of environment a.m. justice want resources allocated based on their misguided notion of equity, or marginalized communities. d.h.s. owes all americans a fair treatment, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or any other factor. it also owes taxpayers to dedicate its resources to where they can provide the most benefit. whatever some critical theory professor might claim, we all know that the weather is racist. a tornado will not check the race of a homeowner before damaging a house. the temperature reaches 100 degrees in your town, it will be 100 degrees for everyone. the existing environmental justice strategy for 2021 through 2025 sets such goals as expand department-wide arain of environmental justice consideration says that might result from this programs, policies and activities. further, the integration of environmental justice principles

into d.h.s. lines of business, prominently promoting mitigation, adaptation and resilience, strengthen the outreach of communities and stakeholders. it goes on and on and on. does not say anything about providing resources in the case of a strait jock event. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: this amendment seeks to defund environmental justice efforts at the department of homeland security. as we continue to face unprecedented climate events, including extreme heat, poor air quality, flooding, and natural disasters of all types, vulnerable communities, vulnerable americans have been struggling to adapt. and it is no secret that minority communities have been disproportionately impacted. i want to remind my colleagues on the other side of the aisle that many of the communities that would benefit from environmental justice efforts exist in their districts too. they exist all over the country,

and we need a whole of government approach to environmental justice to meet their needs. for too long, minority and low-income populations have endured disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects from various local, state, and federal governmental policies. environmentaljustice strategies are a responsible step toward righting those wrongs. d.h.s.'s implementation of the efforts does not prevent it from securing the border, responding to disasters or defending our critical strain structure. on the contrary, these efforts strengthen d.h.s.'s outcome by ensuring that the department considers the impact on human health and the environment of historically marginalized and low-income populations as it executes its mission. why would we want to prevent the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, disability

status, or income with respect to d.h.s.'s execution of its responsibilities? i will vote no, and ien courage my colleagues to do the same. thank you, and i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady from illinois yields back. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. ogles: thank you, mr. chairman. i appreciate my colleague's perspective. prior to being in congress, i was a county executive. one of my departments was emergency services, mr. management, county fire. we also had a county hospital and a county health department. and what i can say is during my tenure, i witnessed tragedies, tornadoes, fires, and in each case, those first responders, those in charge of deploying resources, did so without concern for race, color, creed. they responded to a disaster. the idea that resources would be diverted for justice when i can speak for the men and women on

the front lines, color, they don't see by the way of color. they see people, their friends, their neighbors in need. and i trust they'll do the right thing. there's procedures and mechanisms in place if there is truly an injustice that can be resolved. with that, mr. chairman, this is a good amendment, at a time of burdening debt, we've got to start cutting. this is wasteful. i urge adoption and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from tennessee. those in favor say aye. those opposed say no. in the opinion of the chair the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 48 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? >> i rise as designee as the gentleman from new jersey, and i have an amendmentment at desk. the chair: the clerk will

designate the amendment. the clerk: number 48 print in part c of house report 118-559, offered by mr. gottheimer of new jersey. the chair: pursuant to 1316, the gentleman from new jersey, mr. gotten jeimer, and a member oppose ready each control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from new jersey. >> i rise in support of the bipartisan amendment to increase the budget of nonprofit program by $30 million. i want to thank my dear friend and colleague and great leader from new jersey, the great congressman bill pascrell, and the gentleman from new jersey, chairman mccaul, for his leadership in spear heading this fortunate. mr. gottheimer,: i want to thank my great friend for his phenomenal leadership and all he does for his state to support all those who benefit from this important legislation. the nonprofit grant program is all about protecting religious freedom and houses of worship, schools, and community centers,

including temples, churches and mosques, the very places everyone should feel safe, especially when you need to protect religious freedom now more than ever. nonprofit security grants fund physical barriers like bulletproof glass, technology to help with threats like cameras and the hiring of on-site security officers. on top of that, these critical grants equipment our nonprofits with the training and education that they need to stay secure. this program is vital and majorly oversubscribed, especially given this moment we are living in. application requests 679 million funding this application, sorry, requested $679 million in funding this year for a program that only has about $130 million available. as a result, 42% of applicants, fewer than half, received funding despite their need for thesis resources to protect the families in our communities more than ever. here in america, the greatest country in the world, we must

ensure that religious freedommen showers. we must protect everyone from hate and discrimination. unfortunately, new jersey is a hub for antisemitic hate. nearly one in 10 of incidents incidents record occurred in our state. we led the state in shameful attacks. they're almost quadruple the number of assaults, insults, and death threats reported right here in our country in 2023 as compared to the prior year. a lotting to the anti-deaf television meg, which is a leading provider of facts and resources for this kind of information, nonpartisan, 2023 was worst year for antisemitism since they began collecting data in 19 want. there are more than 8,000 reported in too 23. antisemitism is just part of the story. we must reject hate and bigotry in all forms, wherever it is. we're seeing disturbing incidents of anti-asian racism

in northern new jersey and in the tristate area. in new jersey, rutgers center for islamic life was vandalized, shameful, as the suspect chairbed artwork and plaques. our communities also under attack. a march survey from the american asian foundation found that one in five had been physically assaulted. it's disgusting and completely unacceptable. we must ensure that all people are safe on college campuses, in our neighborhoods income our schools, our churches, our mosques and synagogues. that's what the nonprofit security grants are all about and why this program is so important. as the only jewish member of new jersey's congressional delegation, always the only jewish member of the committee, this is very personally for me. i believe strongly in our american values, one of which is freedom from fear. to safeguard these freedom that is we hold so dear, we must invest in our security to combat

hate since i was sworn in, i've been focusing on claws millions of dollars through this very program to protect our religious institutions. these vital grants from my district this year alone to protect them. they come to me every day and ask for hem i urge my colleagues to support this amendment. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman from new jersey reserves. .does any member claim does any member claim opposition? seeing none the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. gottheimer: i yield back. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from new jersey. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 50 printed in part c of house report 118-559.

for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. roy: i rise as a designee of mr. pfluger and i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 50 offered by mr. roy of texas. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from texas, mr. roy, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. roy: i thank the chairman. i do have an amendment at the desk and make clear this is on behalf of august pfluger, my colleague from texas who has been a champion on this issue since he's been in congress. the issue before us is that we take up the homeland appropriations is the policy the administration put forward, and indeed, some members of the chamber that put forward and would limit the ability to transport people that come here illegally and have been released

into the united states by the administration into texas and would limit the ability to transport these individuals to other places in the country. we refer to this as the remain in texas policy, which we texans take significant issue with. the impact on the state of texas cannot be overstated. texas, more than any other state in the union, has been bearing the brunt of the wide open border policies that have endangered the american people now for 3 1/2 years, something we hope to end soon. but we in congress have a duty under article 1 to do something about it. that is why we put forward, i believe, a good d.h.s. appropriations bill. we made clear we need to secure the border in the process. but what we are not going to do is allow funds to be used to limit the ability of texans to alleviate the damage being done to our state. we've spent now, i think, $13 billion with a "b." $13 billion dollars with a "b"

to carry out the duties the federal government is to carry out under the constitution of the united states. that's what texas has had to do. we've been able to defray some of the traffic and decrease some of that traffic to the other states but we shouldn't have to put up razor wire or have to put up and move our d.p.s. troopers down to the border instead allowing them to do their job to patrol the rest of the state, particularly because in the rest of state there are massive amounts of fentanyl pouring into our schools and killing people of our community. under no circumstances should any funds on this bill be used to limit the ability of the governor of texas or any of the other leaders of texas or other leaders in other states from transporting people out of texas so other states have to bear the burden equally or at least partially -- not even close to equally, by the way, but partially as much as texas has. in particular, take kenny county, texas, where we had

testimony in the judiciary, the leadership, the county attorney from kenny county, texas. prior to the biden administration policies being implemented, in 2021 they had about 150 arrests. do you know how many they've had in the subsequent three years? 7,000 arrests in a county of 3,000 people. we've had documented evidence of individuals who have been unable to go get 911 services in kenny county because the sole ambulance in the population of 3,000 in kenny county was out going and dealing with issues of the illegal aliens. but people who live there and that's their home and pay taxes, a person died because they weren't able to get the 911 response because it's being consumed and those activities are being used to deal with the issue that the federal government not only refuses to do but in fact is purposefully putting gas on the fire. i've here to advocate for the

amendment being offered by mr. pfluger to say that nothing in this bill shall be -- that no funds shall be able to be used to implement such a policy. with that i will reserve. the chair: the gentleman from texas reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: i oppose this amendment not because i oppose the remain in texas policy, but we're debating nonsense. why are we wasting time to prohibit the implementation of nonexistent policies. we heard a rumor of this becoming a policy over a year ago, right? and despite the accusations since, the administration does not suggest they're moving forward with this one. we can prevent amendments of rumors going into effect and we would be loaded with nonsensical references to nonexistent policies. digging up old, rumored policies

that never went into effect and no longer is being discussed is a waste of our time. if i didn't know better, i'd say my majority colleagues are running out of ideas on how to find failure with that the biden administration is doing to secure our border. i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: my simple question of the gentlelady since she yielded her time back, then my question would be what's the problem? if it's a policy not being implemented, i would tell you it's a $13 billion rumor. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from texas. those in favor say aye those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. the chair understands that amendment number 52 will not be offered. it is now in order to consider

amendment number 53 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. rosen dale: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 53 printed in house report 118-559 offered by mr. rosen dale of montana. the chair: pursuant to resolution 1316, the gentleman from montana, mr. rosendale, and member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from montana. mr. rosendale: thank you. my amendment number 53 would prohibit funds from being used to enforce mayorkas' amendment, the strategy to protect the labor market, the conditions of the american work site and the dignity of the individual. with a stroke of a pen, secretary mayorkas eliminated a essential method of interior enforcement by requiring our immigration and customs

enforcement agents to fight with one hand tied behind their backs. the memo prohibits i.c.e. from conducting work site enforcement operations except in extremely limited circumstances. there are currently at least 16.8 million illegal aliens in our country and estimates suggest that upwards of 65% of the illegal aliens are employed. business owners and ranchers in montana work hard to make sure they follow immigration law and this memo punishes law-abiding businesses who refuse to hire illegal aliens. this memo tells employers they no longer need to follow the law and literally incentivizes the hiring of illegal aliens. additionally americans should not have to compete in the labor market with illegal aliens who are depressing wages and keeping good paying jobs away from american citizens. president biden and secretary

mayorkas' refusal to allow i.c.e. to do their job and enforce our nation's laws is a clear dereliction of duty and presents a risk to our country's national security. simply put, my amendment would allow i.c.e. agents to do their job enforcing immigration law with the most effective methods possible. under president pump, work site -- president trump, work site enforcement practices made it clear there would be consequences for breaking the law and putting all businesses on a level playing field. while impeaching secretary mayorkas was a needed first step, we must use the appropriations process to fix the policies that he's enacted. it's time we protect the small businesses and the owners and the workers and force secretary mayorkas to let i.c.e. do its job. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman from montana reserves.

for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: i claim op position. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: many are subjected to strenuous work while making substandard wages. the d.h.s. memo referenced was a reasonable step to combating worker exploitation and the problems that follow. we still have so much work to do. even the department has noted that the most pernicious aspect of our country's unauthorized employment challenge is exploitative employers. yet i don't see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle bringing forward amendments that would comprehensively address that issue. there's no denying that mass work site operations further threaten those who are most vulnerable to speak out about labor violations which has downstream impacts such as driving down wages and work conditions. adoption of this amendment only empowers bad employers and undermines the enforcement of

our country's core labor standards to the detriment of all workers. i oppose this amendment and i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from montana is recognized. mr. rosendale: thank you, mr. chairman. under fortunatelily, because of complete disregard of the time limit that takes place in this chamber every single day is because there's no consequences. there's no downside. there's no hammer. and that's what we have to have. in secretary mayorkas' own memo he says on the first page, in addition, unscrupulous employers harm each worker competing for a job by exploiting undocumented workers and paying them substandard wages. the unscrupulous employers create an unfair labor market and unfairly drive down their costs and disadvantage their business competitors who abide by the law.

once again, they're not offering, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, anything about fixing this problem. if we allow, allow, not direct, but allow i.c.e. to do their job we can start identifying and deporting these illegal aliens hurting our labor market and american workers. thank you very much. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from montana yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from montana. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment -- ms. underwood: i request a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from montana will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 54 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek

recognition? mr. roy: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment printed in part c of house report 118-559 offered by mr. roy of texas. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from texas, mr. roy, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. roy: i thank the chairman. in the wake of 3 1/2 years of abject failure, but worse than that, purposesful action by the executive branch of the federal government to undermine the security of the american people, empower cartels and empower china, allow little children, little girls get sold into the sex trafficking trade for political expediency for the radical progressive democrat left, all of that, in the wake of that with dead americans with laken riley and elizabeth medina and kayla hamilton, with all the horrific stories, the stories of

a 12-year-old little girl getting raped, a 13-year-old little girl getting raped. now the administration wants to continue the lawlessness by the use and abuse of executive power to grant amnesty. that's the goal. that's the aim. our colleagues on the other side of the aisle, our radical progressive democrat colleagues, they view this as political opportunism, nothing more or less. it's not about the huddled masses being invited to the united states. this is not about anything of the sort. this is about political power. that's what this is about. that's what this is about. and as a result, 53 human beings roasted in the texas heat in a tractor-trailer in san antonio, texas, which i represent. because my colleagues, radical progressive democratic colleagues, and because of the radical progressive regime in the white house, the other end of pennsylvania avenue, they care more about political expediency by these human beings. that's the truth. they care more about political

expediency than the individual americans dying from fentanyl poisoning or any of the individuals that i just described who were murdered, raped or killed because we're allowing criminals to be released into the united states, illegally, unlawfully, using and abusing parole authority and now, and now the administration wants to grant amnesty. why? oh, trust us, it's out of the goodness of our hearts, we are told. no, it is for the political expediency of setting up future voters, but importantly, and more presciently, this is all about creating more incentive for more people to flood the zone, to flood the border, to come into this country. that's what it's about. doesn't matter about whether it empowers cartels. doesn't matter about whether it empowers our enemies. doesn't matter what it means for the security of texas or anybody else in this country. it's all about flooding the zone with more numbers. legislation that we have before us, the amendment that we're putting forward, would prohibit the use of funds from promoting

such a foolish amnesty plan by this radical administration that refuses to follow the law. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: first let me clarify the policy being attacked by this amendment. i'm sorry, first let me clarify what the policy being attacked by this amendment actually does. this policy does not confer a few path to status or citizenship. the people who benefit from the policy are already eligible for a green card, but the policy removes a barrier that would require almost all families to be separated for 10 years before the undocumented immigrant could be eligible for a green card. on average, these immigrants have been in the united states for 23 years, are married to u.s. citizens, and must still go through a lengthy green card process. with this policy in place, people get to go through the legal steps of getting a green card without being separated for a decade or longer before their

family. any advocate for family values and unity should support this new process, which only applies to a limited sub set of immigrants. instead of being attacked, we should all applaud the biden administration for advancing this policy. it demonstrates the united states prioritizes family unity over archaic and harmful bureaucrat i can processes that serve no value and certainly provide no deterrent effect. i urge my colleagues to support this new policy and vote no on this amendment. i yield back. the chair: the gentlelady yields back. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: mr. chairman, i would yield 90 seconds to my defend from texas, mr. self. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. self: i rise today in support of the amendment to prohibit any government funding for the biden administration parole and n place mass amnesty scheme. this clearly demonstrates the biden administration is not and has never been serious about securing the border.

his process would grant mass amnesty to approximately 80,000 inad missable alien spouses of american citizens per month. and make no mistake, the timing of this executive order was purposeful. on june 21, the supreme court issued its opinion in department of state versus munoz and concluded that a u.s. citizen spouse does not have a fundamental liberty interest in her alien spouse's admission into the united states. the biden administration rolled out its executive order directly contradicting this opinion just three days prior. the decision was obviously leaked to the biden administration. this is another example of in your face tyranny. this administration is lawless. we must not pass a d.h.s. appropriations bill that funds this mass parole order that would grant amnesty to possibly thousands of criminals and further endanger communities across the nation, particularly in light of the cynical and

lawless timing of this order. i urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: reserve. i appreciate my friend from texas, mr. self. agree. i associate myself with his remarks. the unilateral action by this executive branch is nothing new. they've been doing it with with student loans and all sorts of laws, where they ignore the law, endangering american people. this would give permanent residents a path to citizenship of illegal alien spouses. that is being done through unilateral action by the executive branch. this is not how we are supposed to make policy or law. it is important for us to use the power of the purse to push back, and i urge adoption of the amendment. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from texas. those in favor say aye. those opposed say no. in the opinion of the chair the

ayes have it. the amendment -- for what purpose does the gentlelady seek recognition? ms. underwood: i request a recorded vote. the chair: further proceedings will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment 55 print in house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. roy: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: house report 118-559, offered by mr. roy of texas. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from texas each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. roy: i thank the chairman. this amendment will prohibit homeland security appropriations from being used to carry out president biden's climate executive orders. people might wonder why this is

important. president biden and secretary mayorkas have been doing a massive amount of damage to this country with wide-open borders, not only do they evan danger the american people, they literally lied, been caught lying, about their own border patrol agents that they accused of whipping when they knew whipping haitian immigrants when they knew full well it wasn't true. they've been targeting, undermining, attacking their own personnel, their own law enforcement community, going after border patrol. simply because border patrol wants to do their job. that's not it. that's not all they're doing. the president's executive orders are undermining our national security and making us beholden to china and the rest of the world by undermining our ability to produce reliable energy. all in pursuit of radical progressive democrats' vision of unicorn energy policy, which is unreliable to be able to carry out and be competitive in the world. e.v.'s are piling up on lots as we speak. dealers can't unload them.

they literally can't. they can't sell them. why? i don't know, if i want to get in my car in austin, texas, drive to mittland, i have to stop three times on the way and can't even find charging stations. aside the fact the cars are more expensive, unliable, and difficult to repair. meanwhile, unreliable energy is dotting our grids across the country, including texas. instead of pursuing logical policies like nuclear, if you care about co2 production, or clean burning natural gas, which has been driving down co2 production around the world, we instead are choosing to litter the landscape with windmills and solar panels, which, by the way, are made out of what, materials from china, which by the way, come from what, forced child labor, which is going out and forcing children to have to go out and be in work camps to go mine the cobalt for batteries, mine the bat minerals necessary for solar panels. they have to be buried in the ground.

they produce unreliable energy, puts us behind the rest of the world in energy production, when three billion people don't even have reliable energy. we're literally shooting ourselves in the economic foot. that's what we're doing. and we're doing it all because, i don't know, the feels. i don't know, put a sticker on your tesla while you drive around and feel good about yourself and pat yourself on the back, when you're at any time denting co2 production. you can get rid of every internal card in a america, and you can't produce it around the world by less than 1.5% at all. and the radical climate change executive order by the president are undermining our national security, forcing the d.o.d., forcing the d.h.s., forcing all these executive agencies to weaken their ability to be product and i have get their job done. can you imagine border patrol can't even talk right now on radios, they can't even communicate when they move along the border, if they're even allowed to man the border, while instead they're changing diapers in some room in one of the ports

of entry, because they've been dumping people in. now they're going to be stuck down there trying to recharge their batteries, hoping they can find the people crossing the river. if you set out to destroy a country, if you set out to literally destroy a country, i don't know how you can come up with policies better than the radical progressive democrats who want to remake this country in their radical leftist image. i reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: thank you, mr. chairman. this is yet another attempt by my colleagues across the aisle to defend any effort by the biden administration to tackle the climate crisis and help our communities become more climate resilient. it is obviously misguided, anti-science, and will put all of us at greater risk of harm as a result of climate disasters. only flawed and short-sighted thinking would presume that the climate crisis does not intercept with so many of the

issues relevant to the mission, including migration, national security, and disaster relief. i will vote no, and i encourage my colleagues to do the same. i yield back. the chair: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: it's important that we adopt these amendments to restrict the executive branch from carrying out the executive orders. and i would urge adoption of the amendment. i yield back. ms. underwood: the amendment is offered by texas. those in favor say aye. those opposed say no. in the opinion of the chair the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 56 in part country of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from nevada seek recognition?

>> i rise on behalf of congresswoman stefanik to offer and support amendment 56. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment 56 pursuant in part c of house report 118-559, offered by mr. amodei of nevada. the clerk: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from nevada, mr. amodei, and a member poises ready each control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from nevada. mr. amodei: i rise today in support of the amendment. our conference has been quite clear about standing with israel in their fight against a brutal and inhumane terrorist organization that not only committed the deadliest attack on the jewish people since the holocaust, but continues to hold innocent men, women, and children as hostages. i also recognize the jewish community has been the target of increasing antisemitism, which was one of the reasons for the amendment that we did earlier regarding supplementally fema's program for protection against

bigotry. bigotry has no place in america. it certainly has no place in the department of homeland security. a d.h.s. immigration adjudication officer was exposed celebrating the october 7 terrorist attack online. it was later revealed that she previously worked for the palestine liberation organization, also known as the p.l.o., which has some people would call it a troublesome reputation to put it kindly. the reputation is in the tank when it comes for antisemitic policies and things like that. secretary mayorkas confirmed for us that she was still employed and on paid administrative leave in april during the budget hearing this last april. and the department confirmed to my staff within the last two weeks that this continues.

continues to be the case. this is unacceptable. the department has had more than eight months to investigate and terminate this employee with cause. pursuant to the civil service applicable regulations. while the secretary in the biden administration refused to do the right thing, i would invite the members of the house of representatives to terminate this employee. we must do the right thing and act with urgency to force their hand. i urge my colleagues to vote yes, and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the chair: the gentlelady is recognized for five minutes. ms. underwood: thank you, mr. chairman. i appreciate the temptation to take congressional action against government individuals when we hear they've done something that we find offensive. but as lawmakers, it's important that we defend the core principles upon which our country is founded, and that includes the system of checks and balances. we know from the secretary's testimony earlier this year that

there is an active investigation related to the trump-era hire and that she's been placed on leave and is not performing the duties and responsibilities for which she was hired. we must allow this process to work. ironically, the bill that we're considering today would consult important departmental resources that are met to strength up its personnel security vetting policies and procedures, such as a kit of nearly $14 million to the office of the chief security officer. it's a shame that throughout this process my majority colleague continue to criticize the temperature for not doing its job, while attempt they positive pose cutting the resources to address the concerns i would be remiss if i didn't point out that this amendment raises constitutional issues. i urge my colleagues to vote no and i yield back. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from nevada. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of

the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 57 printed in part c of house report 118-559. mr. steube: i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 57 printed in part c of house report 118-559 offered by mr. steube of florida. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from florida and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. mr. steube: i rise in support of my amendment sending funds to the department of veterans affairs to process claims. this is a similar amendment that i led on the funding bill for the v.a. i was pleased my amendment was

included and ensure that the v.a. focuses its resources on veterans and not illegal immigrants. i wrote a letter after seeing reports that i.c.e. was processing medical claims for illegal immigrants. we continue to see record numbers of illegal crossings. this will increase the burden on v.a. workers. the v.a. serves for veterans. the v.a. has fallen short on its mission and i quote to fulfill president lincoln's promise to care for him that have borne the battle for his widow and children. veterans continue to experience unacceptable wait times in receiving medical care. under the biden administration the disabilities claim backlog has exploded. last week, 273,000 outstanding

disability claims that have been pending more than 125 days. this is unacceptable and the v.a. personnel should never lift a finger for illegals. i ask my colleagues to support this amendment to ensure that v.a. personnel works for veterans and not illegal immigrants held by i.c.e. the chair: for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. this is an administrative function to process third-party medical claims in c.b.p. and i.c.e.'s. those seeking medical attention should not be denied access to care and third-party medical providers who provide care

deserve to be paid in a timely and accurate manner. the v.a.'s financial services center has that capability and we are fortunate. this is not unlike how the department ofagriculture's national finance center is the finance center to process the payment of paychecks for thousands of employees across the federal government. this amendment does not prevent i.c.e. from providing medical care. but make it. mr. morrison: expensive not only for d.h.s. and local medical service providers seeking reimbursement for the services they provided. i urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. steube: the money appropriated for the v.a. and veterans should not be used to provide middle claims for illegal immigrants and i yield back. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the

gentleman from florida. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the gentlelady from illinois. ms. underwood: i request a recorded vote. the chair: further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from florida will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 58 printed in part c of house report 118-559. mr. tiffany: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 58 printed in part krmp of house report 118-559 offered by mr. tiffany of wisconsin. the chair: the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. tiffany and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from wisconsin.

mr. tiffany: this amendment would prohibit the expenditure of funds what is known as t.p.s. for nationals of el salvador. it is a tool provided by congress that allows the president acting through department ofhomeland security to allow foreign nationals to remain temporarily in the united states if conditions in their home country are too dangerous to send them back. the intent was to authorize a short reprieve from removal with the ideal that they would be repatrioted when conditions improved. this narrow authority has been abused. nationals of el salvador were granted t.p.s. in the aftermath of an earthquake. that was in 2001 more than two decades ago. mr. speaker, types have changed. since 2001 americans have had four presidents. el salvador has had five.

they boast the lowest homicide rate not to mention a robust that has while watching, gourmet, scenic volcano hikes and all-inclusive resorts. i'm glad they recovered from the 2001 earthquake and they have combated crime and promoting economic crime. the t in t.p.s. stands for temporary. t.p.s. was never intended to operate to provide rolling amnesty for hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals. i ask for a yes vote on the amendment. and i yield. the chair: the gentleman yields -- reserves? reserves. for what purpose does the gentlelady from illinois claim reek recognition in.

ms. underwood: throughout the debate today it's not clear if our colleagues saw today's announcement and the presidential proclamation issued by president biden to suspend temporarily and the joint interim final rule issued by t.h.s. have been in effect for three weeks resulting in a significant reduction in the number of encounters. under that interim final rule, asylum is limited for those who cross the southern border unlawfully or without authorization. and while it is still early, the border patrol seven day encounter average has decreased to 40%. and the immigration and nationality act outlines the conditions under which a country may be designated for temporary status and requires periodic reviews to determine whether the

conditions of this status continue to be met. based on the latest review, the secretary extended el salvador through march 9 of 2025. since the earthquake of 2001, el salvador has suffered from hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters making it difficult for the country to recover and allow for the safe return of individuals currently receiving t.p.s. benefits. they continue to struggle with gang violence, crime and general insecurity and instability which poses risks to the safe return of any refugee. take these concerns to the authorizing committee if the gentleman feels that it should be amended. but singling out a country through this amendment process is an inappropriate way to handle this manner. vote no. and i yield back.

the chair: the gentlelady yields back. mr. tiffany: i would like to recognize the gentleman from knife for 30 seconds. mr. amodei: i want to put on the record i associate myself with the remarks of mr. tiffany and i support the amendment. mr. tiffany: i reserve. the chair: the gentleman has the only time remaining. mr. tiffany: i would just add, mr. speaker, in response to the comments we just heard from the other side of the aisle that tell the american people who have suffered through the fentanyl deaths that are the number one killer of people in america, tell that to the american people as they see terrorists come into this country. tell this to the people of america that see murders including people dying in my district clear up in northern wisconsin. we have heard about continuous natural disasters.

there is always natural disasters. we let people come in because they have natural disasters. this is t.p.s. temporary. 20 years is plenty of temporary. it's time to stop the temporary protected status of el salvador. and i yield back. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from wisconsin. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. ms. underwood: mr. chairman, i request a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6, rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from wisconsin will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 59 printed in part c of house report 118-559. for what purpose does the gentleman from wisconsin seek recognition? mr. tiffany: i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 59 printed in part c of house

report 118-559 offered by mr. tiffany of wisconsin. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 1316, the gentleman from wisconsin and a member opposed each will control five minutes. mr. tiffany: this amendment is very similar to the prior amendment. it prohibits the expenditure of funds to extend temporary protected status to nationals from honduras. that t in t.p.s. is important because it stands for temporary. in the case of honduras, this was issued in response to a hurricane. when did the hurricane make land fall? october of 1998. bill clinton was in the white house. gasoline was a buck five and and the first blackberry wouldn't hit store shelves for another year, yet this temporary amnesty

continues. conditions in honduras has improved. they elected a new president in 2022 completing a transfer of power. honduras marketing zip lining, visits to world heritage sites and some of the caribbean's best beaches and all inclusive resorts. if it is safe enough to welcome tourists, isn't safe enough to welcome the people of honduras back home. t.p.s. was never intended to be the hotel california that illegal aliens can check in any time but can never leave. i ask for a yes vote and i reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves. ms. underwood: i claim time in opposition. the immigration and nationality act outlines the conditions under which a country may be

designated for temporary protected status and requires periodic review to determine whether the conditions continue to be met. based on the latest review, the secretary extended honduras' designation through july 5, 2025. since the devastation caused by hurricane mitch in 1998, honduras has continued to suffer from hurricanes, floods, tropical storms and other natural disasters making it difficult for the country to recover and allow for the safe return of individuals currently receiving t.p.s. benefits and continues to struggle with gang violence, drug trafficking and crime which pose risks to the safety and well-being. i encourage my colleagues to take their concerns to the appropriate authorizing committee if the gentleman felts the i.n.a. should be amended.

i urge my colleagues to vote no and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from wisconsin is recognized. tifer. mr. tiffany: this is to deny funding for something that is no longer temporary. this has become, rename it p.p.s., permanent protected status and this is the appropriate venue to deny the funding to allow the president to continue to use this like every other means like parole and all other type things to allow people to come into our country. what country around the world hasn't had a natural disaster? when are we going to let come in when there is a hurricane, typhoon or earthquake? that is what we are being set up for. when we hear gang violence, why is there so much gang violence in those countries?

in part because we have open borders. i was to panama three years ago and i saw what was going on down there when hundreds and thousands of people were going to come in through the gap and tens of thousands of people making their way up through central america including honduras and that is what is destabilizing these countries. if we passed h.r. 2 if we with a pass h.r. 2 and had a president that chose to secure the border, we'd see safer countries. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from wisconsin. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. ms. underwood: mr. chair. the chair: the gentlelady from illinois is recognized. ms. underwood: thank you. i request a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from wisconsin will be

postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from nevada seek recognition? mr. amodei: mr. chairman, i move that the committee do now rise. the chair: the question is on the motion that the committee rise. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly, the committee rises. mr. speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union, having had under consideration h.r. 8752, directs me to report that it has come to no resolution thereon. the speaker pro tempore: the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports that the committee has had under consideration hrment r. -- h.r. 8752 and has come to no resolution thereon.

pursuant to clause 12-a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess for a period of less than is a minutes. -- 15 minutes.

free mobile video app or online at c-span. org. c-span, your unfiltered view of politics. an organization put oul on the topics respondents wanted to hear. amongst registered voters overall, amongst the topics they want to hear about it tomorrow night's debate, the top talk it -- top topic is inflation, followed by border security, health care, the topic of social security, and the national debt. that is the top five topics amongst all registered voters who participated in the poll. for those who supported president biden, here is what they found were the top issues they wanted to hear tomorrow night, abortion and climate change being tied at 62. health care followed that with

60. as far as other hot topics for them, the topic of guns and the topic of social security. those are amongst those who supported president biden. among those who supported former president trump, the top topic for them, border security at 81% of those responding, second is inflation, and then the matter of national debt coming in, with topics of taxes and other related topics and corruption being one of those topics they wanted to see debated tomorrow night. for the category of neither candidate, supporter of neither candidate, they determined that amongst those, the top topic, inflation, followed by matters of health care, national debt, and then social security, border security, as well. and it comes to tomorrow night's debate and the things you want to see discussed, whether it b