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Chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee urges vote to end DHS shutdown, backs FY2026 appropriations bill
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Summary
The chairman urged committee members to approve the fiscal year 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, saying it was a bipartisan, bicameral package that includes funding for body-worn cameras and de-escalation training and calling for a vote later the same day to end a more-than-three-week DHS funding lapse.
The chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee urged lawmakers to approve the fiscal year 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill and to vote later in the day to end what he described as a shutdown that has left Department of Homeland Security operations on hold.
He said the committee had produced "a full year bill on a bicameral, bipartisan basis" and highlighted reforms negotiated across the aisle, including funding for body-worn cameras and "de-escalation training." The chairman called the measure a compromise effort and said it should not be held up again: "Later today, we will vote on this bill for a second time in 2 months. It shouldn't be necessary." He added, "vote yes, end the shutdown."
The chairman criticized Democratic objections to parts of the package, saying Democrats were pushing "proposals which would prevent the enforcement of immigration law" and that it was disappointing to have to cajole colleagues to support what he characterized as bipartisan reforms. He also framed the bill as urgently needed because, he said, "The Department of Homeland Security has now been shut down for more than 3 weeks with no apparent end in sight."
In describing the consequences, he listed components of the department affected by the funding lapse, saying "We're ignoring TSA and all the stuff you're gonna hear throughout this? We've got Secret Service. We've got FEMA. We've got all of these things going on, Coast Guard." He said the impasse was harming everyday Americans for whom "utility bills, mortgages, car payments, and grocery bills don't stop coming."
The chairman also praised the administration's work on border policy, calling it "one of the biggest successes of the present administration" and suggesting critics were focusing on investigations in specific locations — citing operations in the Twin Cities — rather than the broader accomplishments. He argued there remained money for operations such as ICE and for border infrastructure work, and expressed frustration that those issues had been elevated above other homeland priorities.
The committee record in the transcript ends with the chairman urging members to support the bill and yielding the remainder of his time. The transcript records the chairman's statements and the scheduled vote but does not record the committee's vote or any amendment activity.
