>>19160999
DHS funding bill
Funny, these are the two Minority Committee Members that criticize the bill and say democrats can’t support it. Their comments on last two pages 190-191
MINORITY VIEWS
We thank the Chairs of the Full Committee and Subcommittee for engaging with us in drafting this report. The process of working with the subcommittee Chairman has been a good one, consistent with the tradition of this subcommittee. While we acknowledge that there are several bipartisan funding initiatives in this bill,unfortunately, we cannot support it.This bill makes flawed investments, contains harmful policy riders, weakens our national security, and abandons the values of our nation.
Unfortunately, this bill does not support the DHS workforce, as evidenced by its undermining the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workforce throughunfairly implementing the TSA pay restructuringcommitted to in the last Congress. This is a reversal of bipartisan commitments made in the last Congress to the TSA workforce,cutting fundingfor workforce pay andcollective bargaining initiatives by over $469 millionfrom the request.
This bill continues to waste billions of dollars on an ineffective border wall. We know from history that walls do not work. As a result, this bill fails to adequately resource areas
where we know there are significant threats, like our ports of entry and interior Border Patrol checkpoints. Rather than smart investments in personnel, technology, and infrastructure, this bill does the opposite,funding a border wall that provides a false sense of securityand leaves our nation vulnerable to trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit narcotics.
It is imperative that we provide DHS the investments necessary to adequately enforce our immigration laws. Instead,this bill slashing funding for humanitarian programs by over $796 million, increases immigration detention capacity and
while simultaneously cutting critical oversight of our immigration detention facilities. This includes several cuts throughout DHS to programs intended to advance the interests of underrepresented and vulnerable populations,including cuts to the Family Reunification Task Forcethat was established after the family separation travesty under the previous Administration. It alsoeliminates discretionary fundingfor refugee processing, shifting the burden of those costs back onto other applicants and petitioners in an already backlogged and overwhelmed system.
The reality is that the bill fails to adequately plan for and propose real solutions to address the rise in irregular migration around the world As the Secretary testified to the subcommittee in March, ``Violence, food insecurity, severe poverty, corruption, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and dire economic conditions have all contributed to a significant increase in irregular migration around the world.'' Specifically in the Western Hemisphere, the real and growing number of migrants fleeing failed, authoritative regimes, such as Venezuela and Nicaragua, along with other humanitarian crises such as what we're witnessing in Haiti, is driving hundreds of thousands to seek refuge and asylum in the United States and other countries.
The history of our nation is one of unprecedented immigration, refuge, and fight. We reject the false dichotomy that we must leave our values at the door as we look to protect and strengthen our nation's security.
Domestic violent extremism poses one of the most significant threats to the United States, and threats from malign foreign influences continue to threaten our cyber networks, our critical infrastructure, and our democratic elections. Yet this bill fails to protect our communities from these dangerous threats by underfunding programs that enhance regional preparedness and response capabilities, cutting requested funding to combat terrorism, extremism, and cybersecurity attacks by over $232 million.
This bill also guts funding for climate-change, climate-resiliency, and facilities transformation initiatives by over $748 million. This leaves Americans vulnerable to the growing
number and increasing severity of natural disasters by failing to deliver needed resources to mitigate loss of life and property, combat climate change, and support climate resilience.
The bill includes unacceptable policy provisions that we cannot in good conscious support, such as provisions targeting underserved, underrepresented, or vulnerable populations, misguided and harmful law enforcement and funding limitations, restrictions that weaken our defenses and resiliency, and restrictions that jeopardize the health and safety of Americans.
As the appropriations process continues, we look forward to working with the majority to develop final legislation..
Rosa DeLauro.
Henry Cuellar.