Washington, D.C. – Today, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) delivered the following remarks while leading debate on the House Floor in support of H.R. 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act.
Watch Chairman Cole's remarks here.
Read Chairman Cole's floor remarks, as prepared, here and below.
"Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I consume.
"Last year, Democrats initiated the longest full government shutdown in U.S. history. It severely impacted families, agencies, personnel, and services across the nation. What should have been a lesson in how not to treat hardworking Americans has instead become routine for Senator Schumer and Senate Democrats.
"Today marks day 41 of the Department of Homeland Security shutdown – already the longest partial shutdown on record. And in just three days, it will surpass even last year’s historic lapse – further compounding the harm to our national security and the workforce charged with protecting it.
"There are many ways to measure the damage – yet every metric reflects a burden on our citizens. We can look at time – DHS has been comprehensively shut for close to 50% of the fiscal year. That’s nearly 100 days of dysfunction and counting. We can look at personnel – more than 100,000 employees have missed paychecks. We can look at travel – airports across the nation are experiencing severe lines and delays as TSA callout rates soar. We can look at contingency funds – FEMA’s disaster relief fund is nearly empty. The list doesn’t end there, yet it makes clear exactly what Senate Democrats have chosen.
"But today, we are once again providing our colleagues across the aisle an opportunity to stop the chaos. Life doesn’t offer many second chances – but here on the House floor, this afternoon offers many Democrats a third chance to get it right. I’m proud to say my friend and fellow appropriator – Juan Ciscomani – has introduced the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act.
"This legislation comprehensively funds DHS. It resources critical security efforts, pays personnel, and gets our frontline back to full operational strength. It doesn’t pick and choose which parts of homeland security matter – it ensures missions and personnel are supported across the board for the rest of the fiscal year.
"Rep. Ciscomani put it plainly in a recent piece he wrote, saying: “This should not be a partisan issue. Paying the people who protect our country should be the bare minimum expectation of a functioning government. It is about respect. It is about responsibility. And most importantly, it is about safety.”
"He is exactly right. This isn’t a game. We are dealing with real security objectives, real community impacts, and real livelihoods. Congress has a basic responsibility: fund the government, pay the workforce, and protect the homeland.
"Republicans have consistently voted to meet that duty, and I urge Senate Democrats to follow our example. With that, I call on everyone to vote yes, end this shutdown, and keep our nation safe.
"I reserve the balance of my time."
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