[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 24 (Thursday, February 12, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S951-S952]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I have come to the floor, with just 16 
days left until the Department of Homeland Security shuts down, to 
again call for Congress to pass a clean full-year bill to fund the 
Department of Homeland Security. With our Nation facing very real and 
very dangerous threats--Senator Murphy was just on the floor talking 
about the ISIL threat and pointed out what the risks are--it is time 
for us to put politics aside and do what is right for the security of 
our Nation.
  If we don't pass a full-year bill to fund the Department of Homeland 
Security, we will not be able to make critical investments in border 
security, maritime security, and in nuclear detection activities.
  If we don't pass a full-year bill, grants to protect our cities and 
our ports from terror attacks would be halted, and new grants to police 
and firefighters will not be awarded. If we don't pass a full-year 
bill, we are shortchanging counterterrorism efforts, and we will put 
our Nation's cyber networks at risk.
  Senator Mikulski and I have filed a clean, full-year funding bill 
that is on the Senate calendar and ready for action. Our bill fully 
funds these key security priorities, but if our colleagues on the other 
side of the aisle don't want to support a bill that Senator Mikulski 
and I have filed, certainly we can support a clean Republican bill that 
includes the funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
  Our bill--our clean bill--is based on the bicameral, bipartisan 
agreement that was reached in December by Senator Mikulski and 
Congressman Hal Rogers. The legislation was agreed to by Democrats and 
Republicans, and it was the result of bipartisan, compromised 
negotiations. Not everyone got what they wanted in the bill, but it is 
a good budget that strengthens our Nation and protects against the many 
threats we face.
  Appropriations bills are only possible because of the art of 
compromise. Senators from both parties identify priorities important to 
them or their States. They work with Members of the Appropriations 
Committee on bill language, funding priorities. Everyone works together 
to influence the final product. All Senators have the opportunity to 
participate in crafting appropriations bills.
  In fact, there doesn't seem to be any disagreement about the funding 
and how it is allocated in the appropriations bill before us, in the 
funding bill for Homeland Security. Senator Cochran, who chairs the 
Appropriations Committee, came to the floor and touted all of the 
benefits in the funding bill for Homeland Security. Senator Hoeven, who 
chairs the Subcommittee on Homeland Security that I am the ranking 
member of, came to the floor and, similar to Senator Cochran, touted 
what is on the bill. I have been on the floor, Senator Mikulski has 
been to the floor many times to talk about what is in the funding bill 
for the Department of Homeland Security and why we need to pass it.
  This morning I wish to highlight a few more of the priorities in a 
clean, full-year bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, 
priorities that will be at risk if we can't pass a clean bill.
  There is bipartisan support that the Homeland Security appropriations 
bill includes strong funding for fire and SAFER grants. I know the 
Presiding Officer understands these programs because he has been the 
Governor of his home State. So he knows how important those fire and 
SAFER grants are to local fire departments, to first responders because 
they help purchase new equipment, they help with training exercises, 
and they can help fire departments cut down response times and save 
lives.
  There is also bipartisan support that the Homeland Security funding 
bill include grants to help our Nation's largest cities protect against 
terror attacks. There is funding for port security grants, State and 
local law enforcement grants, emergency preparedness grants. There is 
bipartisan support for funding to upgrade the FEMA Center for Domestic 
Preparedness in Anniston, AL.
  There is a compromise most of the people on the Democratic side of 
the aisle didn't agree with, to deny President Obama's request to 
increase air passenger fees and reinstitute the air carrier security 
fee.
  The Coast Guard needs to continue the acquisition of its eighth 
national security cutter, which is so important for our maritime 
security. Republicans and Democrats secured $627 million in the bill 
for the cutter.
  We have all seen how devastating the attacks were against Sony when 
it was hacked. Cyber attacks are an area of security that former 
National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft called ``as dangerous as 
nuclear weapons.'' That is why Republicans and Democrats pushed for 
full funding for DHS cyber security activities.

  The increase to the southwestern border of unaccompanied children and 
families last year is a major concern for States along our southern 
border--States such as Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. It has been a 
key priority for a number of my Republican colleagues, and for all of 
us who are concerned about border security, to meet the statutory 
mandate of 34,000 detention beds for undocumented immigrants that is 
required for the Department of Homeland Security.
  The clean funding bill includes support for those 34,000 detention 
beds, and it also includes funding to meet Republican requests to build 
3,000 new family detention beds in Texas.
  The National Bio and Agro-Defense facility construction in Manhattan, 
KS, which is an effort to help us deal with threats against our food 
supply and other bioterrorism threats--in a clean funding bill will 
receive the final amount needed to begin construction.
  Senator Roberts and I talked about this today. One of the things he 
pointed out is he has been working on this project for 16 years. There 
is $300 million in this clean, full-year bill. If we don't pass this 
bill, if the Department of Homeland Security shuts down, if we are in a 
continuing resolution, then this funding is at risk and they may have 
to rebid the project, which will drive up costs. That makes no sense.
  There was bipartisan agreement to include $12 million for the 
National Computer Forensics Institute in Hoover, AL, to support the 
expansion of basic and advanced training for State and local law 
enforcement personnel, judges, and prosecutors to combat cyber crime.
  These important investments in counterterrorism and cyber and border 
security are not controversial. That is not what we are arguing about 
here. We are arguing about whether we are

[[Page S952]]

going to debate what the President did with respect to immigration, and 
we should not be having this debate on the Department of Homeland 
Security's funding bill. We can have that debate. I am all for it. I 
was happy to have that debate when this body passed comprehensive 
immigration reform 2 years ago, but we should not be having this debate 
on this bill. The House should understand, just as the Senate 
understands that. We should not be having that debate on this funding 
bill for Department of Homeland Security.
  We need to come together to pass a clean bill--a bill that was the 
result of bipartisan negotiation and bipartisan compromise. We have a 
bill on the Senate calendar to do just that.
  I am hearing from communities all across New Hampshire--we are 
hearing from communities across the country--about the need to pass a 
full-year funding bill.
  Last week the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of 
Counties, the International Association of Emergency Managers, and the 
International Association of Firefighters joined our call for a clean, 
full-year funding bill because they understand, as I know we all do, 
how disastrous failing to fund this agency would be. Three previous DHS 
Secretaries, two Republicans and one Democrat, have done the same.
  Earlier this week, the National Fraternal Order of Police joined that 
call for action.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have the letter from the 
National Fraternal Order of Police printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                          National Fraternal Order


                                                    of Police,

                                Washington, DC, February 10, 2015.
     Hon. Mitch McConnell,
     Majority Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Harry M. Reid,
     Minority Leader, U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. John A. Boehner,
     Speaker, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
     Hon. Nancy P. Pelosi,
     Minority Leader, House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator McConnell, Mr. Speaker, Senator Reid and 
     Representative Pelosi: I am writing on behalf of the members 
     of the Fraternal Order of Police, and probably most 
     Americans, to express our frustration and outrage that what 
     used to be two greatest legislative bodies on the planet will 
     allow a policy dispute to compromise the safety and security 
     of our country.
       The previous Congress made a conscious, political decision 
     to defer action of funding for the U.S. Department of 
     Homeland Security (DHS) until the end of this month. I would 
     also point out that is five months since the start of the 
     current fiscal year and that some of our nation's largest and 
     most vital law enforcement agencies and functions are 
     operating without FY15 funding in place. The House passed 
     legislation in spite of a veto threat and the Senate is now 
     paralyzed and cannot even pass a motion to begin debating the 
     bill. The entire process has become farcical and no amount of 
     political spin or blaming the other side is reason enough to 
     jeopardize the integrity of our nation's borders or the 
     safety of the public.
       What kind of message does this send to the men and women in 
     DHS who put their lives on the line in defense of our 
     homeland--three of whom fell in the line of duty over the 
     past two years?
       What kind of message does this send to our enemies? Our 
     current threat level is ``Elevated'' as threats from 
     terrorists and other hostile organizations plan attacks on 
     the United States and our allies. Our Border Patrol and 
     Customs and Border Patrol officers, not yet recovered from 
     last year's surge of minors unlawfully entering our country 
     by the thousands, now must redouble their vigilance against 
     more sinister penetrations. Yet our great democratic 
     institutions are unable to complete their most basic 
     function--providing funding for the protection of our 
     national security. Just more than a decade has passed since 
     the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and today 
     political partisanship holds hostage its operational 
     integrity. This is a political obscenity.
       I urge you all, as the leaders of this Congress, to work 
     together and to fund fully the Department of Homeland 
     Security. This is what the American people elected you to do 
     and this is your obligation as Members of Congress. If you 
     cannot, you may as well put out a welcome mat for our enemies 
     and others who would do us harm.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Chuck Canterbury,
                                               National President.

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Their letter expresses frustration with the fact that a 
policy dispute over the President's immigration actions ``could 
compromise the safety and security of our country.''
  The letter continues:

       What kind of message does this send to the men and women in 
     DHS who put their lives on the line in defense of our 
     homeland--three of whom fell in the line of duty over the 
     past two years?
       What kind of message does this send to our enemies?

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for another 60 
seconds.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Congress's most basic function is to provide for the 
Nation's security. It is time to stop playing politics, to get to work, 
do our jobs, and pass a clean full-year bill to fund the Department of 
Homeland Security.
  I thank the Presiding Officer.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas is recognized.

                          ____________________