[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 98 (Friday, June 26, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1612-E1613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT 2010

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 24, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration of the bill (H.R. 2892) 
     making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security 
     for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2010, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Chair, I rise in support of the Department of 
Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2009 and the employees of the 
Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The service and dedication of 
the men and women that work to ensure the safety of our country is 
admirable.
  This bill responds to the public safety needs of our communities in a 
time of hardship by providing $800 million in grants to fire 
departments, of which $380 million is provided for the Assistance for 
Firefighters Grants program used to train, hire and retain our local 
firemen

[[Page E1613]]

and women. It funds an increase in the number of border patrol agents 
to 20,019, providing additional jobs and better national security. I 
also support the provisions requiring DHS to monitor the medical care 
of all detainees held in immigration detention facilities and to direct 
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to report to Congress on 
steps it has taken to ensure that all detainees are receiving proper 
medical care and attention.
  I remain concerned about provisions in the bill regarding prisoners 
held in the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. I commend President 
Obama's pledge to close Guantanamo Bay, but this bill fails to ensure 
that the rule of law and our commitment to universal human rights are 
being upheld for detainees.
  Section 522(a) of the bill requires the Department of Homeland 
Security to conduct extensive threat assessments for all detainees held 
at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility as of April 20, 2009, and to 
place all detainees on the ``no-fly'' list unless there is Presidential 
Certification to exclude them on such a list. This section also 
prohibits any funds in the act from being used to provide detainees 
with any immigration benefits, including refugee or asylum 
classification. The treatment and detention of hundreds of foreign 
nationals held indefinitely and illegally without charge at Guantanamo 
Bay has violated our most basic democratic principles. The burden to 
right this wrong by ensuring due process for the remaining 245 falls on 
the U.S. The detainees held at Guantanamo Bay must be afforded habeas 
corpus protections. We must have the confidence in our own U.S. system 
of justice to try the detainees.
  I will continue to work to ensure all have equal protection under the 
law. I urge my colleagues to support passage of this bill.

                          ____________________