David Joyce

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4367, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I begin by thanking the chairwoman of the full committee, Ms. Granger, for her leadership and her tireless efforts to bring these appropriation bills to the floor. I also thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, my good friend, Mr. Cuellar, who has worked with us in good faith on the bill despite some disagreements on policy. Lastly, I have enjoyed my time sitting next to the ranking member of the full committee, the gentlewoman from Connecticut, not once, but twice in the last few days. The bill before us today provides $62.8 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, an increase of $2.1 billion above the fiscal year 2023 level. In addition, the bill also includes $20.3 billion for disaster response and recovery activities, including to support communities after the devastating wildfires in Maui and Hurricane Idalia. One of the most pressing challenges this country faces is a border security crisis that has raged under the Biden administration. Two million migrants illegally crossed the border in each of the last 2 years, and we are on track for that same amount this year. Just yesterday alone, there were 11,000 migrant encounters. Let me repeat that--nearly 11,000 migrant encounters in 1 day. Regardless of your definition of border security, it is clear that the policies of this administration are not working. The reason is obvious. The White House is sending a message to cartels and migrants that the border is open, and there will be no consequences if you cross illegally. This bill forces the Biden administration to do what it has not and will not do on its own--act to address the border security crisis. The funding and policy provisions included in this bill are in lockstep with the provisions of H.R. 2, which together will put us on a path to securing the border. Unlike recent Homeland Security appropriations bills and the President's request, this bill returns to a tried-and-true border security approach by investing in methods to both secure the border and deter those who have no legitimate basis for entry. This bill includes $2.1 billion for physical barriers with explicit conditions that the funds be put on contract quickly. The chief of the Border Patrol and other border security professionals have confirmed time and time again that walls work. The bill also provides nearly $500 million to hire more Border Patrol agents to reach an end strength of 22,000 agents. The bill increases funding levels for border security technology, so our agents and officers have the latest, most effective equipment to detect and deter illegal activity. Stopping fentanyl and other narcotics that have been ravaging our communities is a priority for all of us, so this bill provides $305 million for nonintrusive inspection equipment at our Nation's ports of entry. Detention is a deterrent to those who seek to abuse our immigration system and falsely claim asylum. As a result, the bill provides funding for 41,500 detention beds, which is 16,500 more than this administration requested, to ensure that ICE has adequate capacity to detain those with final removal orders or who pose a risk to public safety, as well as migrants who illegally cross our borders. To counter the growing strength of Chinese influence in the Indo- Pacific, the bill provides an additional $335 million to the Coast Guard for fast-response cutters. Also, to increase our presence in the Arctic, the bill provides funds for the Coast Guard to acquire a commercially available icebreaker to extend U.S. sovereignty and counter China and Russian expansion into the polar regions. Simply put, the bill before us today ensures that the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, who work tirelessly on our behalf, have the resources and the tools that they need to protect this great Nation. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Hinson), a distinguished member of our Appropriations Committee.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Meuser).

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I thought we were here to talk about the Homeland Security appropriations bill, and I look forward to having further discussion and reviewing these amendments. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 723, I offer amendments en bloc.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, this bipartisan en bloc amendment before you is comprised of 23 amendments offered by my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. This en bloc contains proposals that would strengthen the underlying bill, and I want to highlight just a few. The en bloc will provide additional funding to bolster investigations for exploited children with Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations. It will increase the nonintrusive inspection equipment at CBP ports of entry to improve detection of fentanyl and other opioids that plague communities across our country. It would also increase funding for FEMA grant programs, for firefighters and other first responders, and for physical security for nonprofit organizations at risk of terrorist attack. Lastly, I want to highlight a proposal that would strengthen our National Urban Search and Rescue Response System. I was on the ground in Maui last month and learned firsthand the critical role these teams play in saving lives and protecting communities in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The base bill includes a modest increase for this program, but I strongly support the proposal to further increase funds for this force- multiplying Federal asset. Again, I thank my colleagues for their participation in this process, and I urge Members to support this bipartisan en bloc. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner).

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I believe we are on the bipartisan en bloc amendment. To that point, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner) for an encore performance on another amendment.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman).

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, the amendment offered by the gentleman from California is well-meaning, but ultimately misguided. We are averaging nearly 10,000 encounters at the southern border on a daily basis, near record levels. My bill addresses the challenge by funding an additional 1,800 Border Patrol agents to relieve the burden on our overworked agents along the southwest border. Taking funds dedicated to the Border Patrol agents and instead using them to hire additional customs officers dilutes our efforts to secure the border between the ports of entry. Additional officers may be needed to help with legitimate trade and travel that crosses the border, but we have to address the immediate crisis caused by this administration's disastrous border security policies. If you turn on the television, you can see the flood of migrants heading north on trains, crossing the border in an uncontrolled fashion. It must stop, which is why we desperately need additional men and women in green uniforms to help us gain operational control of the border. I reluctantly urge my colleagues to vote no on this amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, this amendment seeks to strike several provisions that are crucial to ending the open border crisis that this administration has created. While I have heard it just portrayed as somehow being cruel and being done by names that are called MAGA or other things, if I am not mistaken, it was just this morning on the news that I happened to see the mayor, I believe a Democrat, from New York saying they can't take any more; the Governor of New York, a Democrat, saying they can't take any more; the Governor of Massachusetts declaring a state of emergency; the Democratic mayor of Chicago, same issue. I guess it is our problem, and we are attempting to fix it. The Biden administration continues to subvert the law and implement policies that are detrimental to our border security, our national security, and our overall sovereignty. This bill includes several provisions to mitigate the misguided and ineffective policies of the Biden administration that have been exploited by transnational criminal organizations, human smugglers, and cartels. For example, the bill prohibits funds to implement the administration's prosecutorial discretion guidance, which encourages DHS attorneys to administratively close nonpriority cases, allowing aliens to continue living in this country without having any legal basis to do so. Additionally, this bill includes a provision prohibiting asylum officers from making determinations about an alien's credible fear claims instead of actual immigration judges. These are only two of the main provisions in the bill that seek to reverse the damage done in the past 2\1/2\ years and halt the migration crisis in its tracks. To strike these provisions would be to tell our constituents that Congress approves of this administration's catastrophe at the border. Nothing could be further from the truth. While they may not admit it, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle know that what is happening at the border right now is nothing short of a catastrophe. Mayors and Governors throughout this country alike are speaking out on the impact of the illegal migration crisis on communities across the Nation and are calling on this administration to acknowledge and resolve the problem at the border. This amendment would only make the disaster worse. Mr. Chair, I urge defeat of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. JOYCE of Ohio. Mr. Chair, the amendment before you seeks to strike a provision in the bill that requires the prioritization of detention and appropriate GPS monitoring technology for aliens going through immigration proceedings. As we continue to see record levels of migrant encounters under this administration, and our nondetained docket continues to grow exponentially, we must use every available tool to compel the Department to enforce the law. Striking the provision will give the Biden administration a free pass to continue releasing migrants into the country, a total disregard of the law. We cannot allow the administration to continue the status quo that has ravaged our communities. Mr. Chair, I urge defeat of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.