[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 24 (Thursday, February 12, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              FUNDING THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the importance of 
funding the Department of Homeland Security. Playing partisan politics 
with DHS for ransom because you are unhappy with the President's 
executive order on immigration is inappropriate.
  There are only 16 days--more importantly, there are only 6 
legislative days--remaining before the Department of Homeland Security 
runs out of money. This is America's security at stake.
  The events in Paris recently showed us that terrorism remains a 
threat around the world. It is also a domestic threat.
  Why in the world would we want to put American citizens at risk, in 
harm's way?
  Yet the majority seems to be content to risk our national security by 
defunding Homeland Security. It is either my way or the highway. The 
opposition insists that Congress dismantle the administration's 
immigration priorities, but they have yet to offer or bring a solution 
to the floor to fix our broken immigration system. If you have a better 
approach, then bring it to the floor for debate and we will vote on it.
  In the valley that I represent, the San Joaquin Valley, this bill 
would have a devastating effect on farmworkers, farmers, and farming 
communities.
  I ask us to come together. Let's fund Homeland Security and put the 
American people first.

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