[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 15 (Thursday, January 24, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H1176-H1181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY,
2019
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 61, I
call up the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 31) making further continuing
appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year
2019, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the title of the joint resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 61, the joint
resolution is considered read.
The text of the joint resolution is as follows:
H.J. Res. 31
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. The Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019
(division C of Public Law 115-245) is further amended--
(1) in section 105--
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or'' at the end;
(B) in paragraph (3)--
(i) by inserting ``except as provided in paragraph (4),''
before ``December''; and
(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``;
or''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) with respect to appropriations and funds made
available, and other authorities granted, pursuant to section
101(5) of this joint resolution for the Department of
Homeland Security, February 28, 2019.''; and
(2) in section 110, by adding at the end the following:
``(c) With respect to mandatory payments whose budget
authority was provided in the Department of Homeland Security
Appropriations Act, 2018 (division F of Public Law 115-141),
subsections (a) and (b) shall be applied by substituting
`section 105(4)' for `section 105(3)' each place it
appears.''.
Sec. 2. (a) Amounts appropriated by operation of the
amendments made by section 1 for the salaries and expenses of
employees shall be available for payment of salaries in
accordance with section 1341(c) of title 31, United States
Code (as added by the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act
of 2019).
(b) All obligations incurred in anticipation of the
appropriations made and authority granted by this joint
resolution for the purposes of maintaining the essential
level of activity to protect life and property and bringing
about orderly termination of Government functions, and for
purposes as otherwise authorized by law, are hereby ratified
and approved if otherwise in accord with the provisions of
this joint resolution, and for purposes of such obligations
the time period covered by this joint resolution shall be
considered to include the period beginning on or about
December 22, 2018, during which there occurred a lapse in
appropriations.
Sec. 3. (a) If a State (or another Federal grantee) used
State funds (or the grantee's non-Federal funds) to continue
carrying out a Federal program or furloughed State employees
(or the grantee's employees) whose compensation is advanced
or reimbursed in whole or in part by the Federal Government--
(1) such furloughed employees shall be compensated at their
standard rate of compensation for such period;
(2) the State (or such other grantee) shall be reimbursed
for expenses that would have been paid by the Federal
Government during such period had appropriations been
available, including the cost of compensating such furloughed
employees, together with interest thereon calculated under
section 6503(d) of title 31, United States Code; and
(3) the State (or such other grantee) may use funds
available to the State (or the grantee) under such Federal
program to reimburse such State (or the grantee), together
with interest thereon calculated under section 6503(d) of
title 31, United States Code.
(b) For purposes of this section, the term ``State'' and
the term ``grantee'', including United States territories and
possessions, shall have the meaning given such terms under
the applicable Federal program under subsection (a). In
addition, ``to continue carrying out a Federal program''
means the continued performance by a State or other Federal
grantee, during the period of a lapse in appropriations, of a
Federal program that the State or such other grantee had been
carrying out prior to the period of the lapse in
appropriations.
(c) The authority under this section applies with respect
to the period of a lapse in appropriations beginning on or
about December 22, 2018, and ending on the date of enactment
of this joint resolution with respect to
[[Page H1177]]
the Department of Homeland Security which, but for such lapse
in appropriations, would have paid, or made reimbursement
relating to, any of the expenses referred to in this section
with respect to the program involved. Payments and
reimbursements under this authority shall be made only to the
extent and in amounts provided in advance in appropriations
Acts.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The joint resolution shall be debatable for
1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Appropriations or their respective
designees.
The gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) and the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material on H.J. Res. 31, currently under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, today, we are considering a continuing resolution to
reopen the Department of Homeland Security after a funding lapse that
is now 33 days and counting.
This bill simply extends 2018 funding until February 28, with no new
funding anomalies.
The only new provisions in the CR authorize the Department to provide
backpay to reimburse personnel and State or other Federal grantees,
consistent with prior precedent following a lapse in appropriations.
Mr. Speaker, there are only two approaches to take: either we reopen
the Department and the rest of the Federal Government without
conditions, or we continue to use Federal workers and everyone who
depends on them as bargaining chips in funding negotiations. It seems
to me the choice is straightforward.
I hope my friends on the other side of the aisle will reconsider the
necessity of opening up the government and paying Federal employees
without any preconditions.
There have been a number of funding lapses over the last few decades,
all ill-considered, all harmful to our country, our economy, and our
Federal workforce.
History has shown that the American people do not approve of using
the Federal Government and workforce as pawns in a legislative chess
game. The side that has tried to use the shutdown as leverage in a
negotiation has routinely failed, and polling shows that this recent
iteration of the shutdown is no exception.
I know my friends on the other side of the aisle have criticized the
consideration of clean CRs on the basis that the Senate will not pass
them and the President will not sign them.
Mr. Speaker, to my friends on the other side of the aisle, I would
say that, in order to change that, reopen the Department of Homeland
Security by having every member of the minority party support this CR.
This possibly could help change the thinking of the Senate majority
when it votes on reopening the entire government later today and
perhaps even change the thinking of the President.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. I rise today in very strong opposition to the joint
resolution.
Before I do that, Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank our full ranking
member, Ms. Granger from Texas, my dear friend and colleague, for
allowing me to chair this important subcommittee and for allowing me to
manage this time today.
Mr. Speaker, I also would like to acknowledge my friend and colleague
from the other side of the aisle, Ms. Roybal-Allard, who I look forward
to working with over the next 2 years, she in her capacity of chair of
the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee and me in my role as
ranking member, the highest member of the Republican Party on that
subcommittee.
Mr. Speaker, I also see my friend, Mrs. Lowey from New York, the full
chairman, as well.
Mr. Speaker, how did we get here? The fiscal year that the government
operates on started in September. It runs from September to September,
so it started in the 115th Congress.
The Appropriations Committee, of which I am very proud and thankful
to be a member, is a very special committee. For those who are watching
us now, I would offer, and I have said time and time again, the
Appropriations Committee is something special.
{time} 0915
I am the only Member on the Appropriations Committee from my great
State of Tennessee. And I admire every Member in this House and the
positions and the committees they serve on, but the Appropriations
Committee is a problem-solving committee. It is a committee that funds
things, funds the government on the discretionary side, including
Homeland Security.
During the course of the debate during this long and arduous
shutdown--and let me say this: To the men and women who are working all
across this Nation without pay, thank you. I sympathize with you--not
empathize, but sympathize. This is wrong.
About 24 percent of the government is shut down, and that is never a
good situation for us to be in as a nation; and that is why we must
come up with a cure that will work, something that will pass the House,
something that will pass the other Chamber.
And I add, today, as we debate this bill and as I oppose this bill,
in the other Chamber, the United States Senate is debating bills. I
would submit that the solution could and should come from the United
States House of Representatives, and that solution is plain and simple.
The American people want and deserve border security. The American
people want and desire a barrier. Call it a wall. Call it a fence. It
is something that the American people want. It has been proven, whether
in San Diego, El Paso, or other jurisdictions, that these walls do
work.
But regardless where we stand on that issue, I support the
President's position. The President has made it very clear that he is
not going to sign a bill that does not include border security with a
wall, or an analogous vehicle to a wall.
So if we keep coming back to the table, even with the best
intentions, even with the best passions, even with the best hopes to
help get the government open and running again and protect our
borders--and I do believe Members on both sides of this aisle and in
the other Chamber and, of course, in the White House want border
security, want our country kept safe. The humanitarian crisis is
outrageous. Women and children are being abused. Drugs are pouring in.
But above all else, we need to secure our southern borders. We need to
keep the American people safe.
The cure lies in a compromise. The cure ought to come from this body
and if our friends in the majority would see fit to put a sufficient
number on the table as part of a compromise.
Think of the boldness and courage of our President who stood up and
basically said: I will come up with a cure for DACA, a solution on
DACA.
That is courage. That is leadership. That is boldness. And I think
that is what the American people deserve.
Let us, today, make a resolve that this great House, this great
people's House, which I believe is closest to the people--we are
elected every 2 years.
Think about it. The fiscal year, Mr. Speaker, is going to end in
September. We are going to be back replaying this same argument again,
this same debate again in just a few weeks. Come up with a solution
that we can all work with. That means a wall. That means other areas of
border security. That means full funding of the government.
Again, I close by saying to all of those who are working without pay,
whether it is in our great Coast Guard, the TSA, the contractors who
are hurting, I will continue to work hard to come to a compromise with
my party, with my colleagues, to come to a conclusion to this national
nightmare.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
I would just like to point out to the minority that there are
billions of dollars in border security in this continuing resolution,
and I agree that we
[[Page H1178]]
need to open up the government. And while the President refuses to do
so, our homeland is, every day, getting more vulnerable to our lack of
security. I hope that the President recognizes that and that he opens
up the government so that then we can have a real discussion on border
security.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs.
Lowey), the chairwoman of the full Appropriations Committee.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, the Trump shutdown is now in its 34th day.
Yesterday, the House passed six bills to reopen most of the
government, and with this bill today, we can reopen the entire
government while providing time to negotiate a full-year bill for the
Department of Homeland Security.
This continuing resolution would ensure that the Department of
Homeland Security is open, and its public servants, including Secret
Service agents, Transportation Security officers, Border Patrol,
Customs officers, and the brave men and women of the Coast Guard are
paid for their work.
According to The New York Times, as many as 1 of every 10
Transportation Security officers are not coming to work. Frankly, they
simply can't afford to. As a result, some of our busiest airports are
deploying backup and reserve workers. Other airports have closed
checkpoints and entire terminals. Notwithstanding the long lines for
travelers, this reduction in staffing puts our Transportation Security
workforce on the brink and could risk national security.
Additionally, 41,000--41,000--Active-Duty servicemembers and 2,100
civilians in the Coast Guard are working without pay.
No one should have to face the uncertainty of not knowing when they
will get paid, especially the men and women of our Armed Forces.
Each week of the Trump shutdown costs the United States economy $1.2
billion. Instead of continuing down this wasteful road, I urge my
friends on the other side of the aisle, reopen the government, pay our
Federal workers, and then we can work together in a bipartisan way to
determine the most effective border security. But we must open the
government.
Make no mistake--I want to make it very clear--Democrats support
smart investments in our homeland security, including increased
infrastructure investments at our ports of entry, advanced technology
to scan for contraband, new technology for detecting unauthorized
crossings. We can work together to meet these needs--there is no
question in my mind--because we have worked together in a bipartisan
way for many years. If we sit down together, we can work out answers to
these questions that could be supported by both sides of the aisle.
But, frankly, Mr. Speaker, until the government is open, the
President's actions are hurting hardworking families and putting our
security and economy at risk.
We are appropriators. We know how to work together in a bipartisan
way. Frankly, it is not that difficult. The facts are there. We have
all gotten many, many briefings on the best way to secure our borders.
And, by the way, drugs have been mentioned. The facts are that 90
percent of the drugs are coming through at the ports of entry.
We can work this out. But to keep the government closed and to see
thousands of people suffering, not being able to support their
families, is just unconscionable.
So let's open the government. Let's sit down. Let's get to work.
Let's resolve this now.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield as much time as
she may wish to consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger),
the ranking member on the full Appropriations Committee.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 31.
Mr. Speaker, we have a true humanitarian and security crisis on our
southern border. In the month of December alone, Border Patrol agents
apprehended more than 50,000 individuals on our southern border. Of
those, a record-breaking 27,518 were family units; nearly 5,000 of them
were unaccompanied children.
Due in part to the treacherous journey, Border Patrol refers
approximately 50 individuals a day for medical treatment. In 1 week
alone, at the end of December, they referred 451 people to medical
providers for treatment; of those, 259 were children. Seven out of ten
people are victims of violence on their journey to the southern border;
31 percent of women are sexually assaulted.
There has been a significant increase in drugs like methamphetamine,
heroin, and fentanyl coming across the border. Unfortunately, this is a
crisis partly of our own making. For years, Members on both sides of
the aisle have warned against the growing threats posed by our failure
to enforce and reform our Nation's immigration laws. Just this week,
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said:
We want border security. We want to make sure that people
who come into the United States of America are authorized to
do so, and we know they come in. We don't want contraband. We
don't want drugs coming in. We don't want dangerous people
coming into the country. So we are for border security.
Given this, we would think that they would be jumping at the chance
to vote for a bill that includes:
Provisional status for 3 years for 700,000 current DACA recipients,
giving them access to work permits, Social Security numbers, and
protection from deportation;
Provisional status for 3 years for 300,000 immigrants whose current
temporary protected status is set to expire;
$805 million for technology, canines, and personnel to help stop the
flow of illegal drugs, weapons, and other contraband;
$800 million in humanitarian assistance, medical support, and new
temporary housing;
$782 million to hire an additional 2,750 border agents, law
enforcement, and staff;
$563 million to support our immigration court system, including
hiring 75 new immigration judge teams to reduce the immigration court
backlog of 800,000 cases.
All of this was included in the reasonable compromise that President
Trump put forward over the weekend, but that is not the bill we have
before us. Not only did House Democrats reject this plan before they
even heard the details, the bill they put on the floor today provides
not one single reform for our broken immigration system. All this bill
does is extend the status quo.
Mr. Speaker, I have been to the border more times than I can count. I
have talked to these families who are risking their lives and the lives
of their children to come here. I have heard the stories of Americans
whose family members' lives were cut short due to drugs and bad actors,
who seek to exploit our immigration system.
{time} 0930
We owe it to all of these families to do something about this crisis,
and I call on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to end the
political games. It is past time for them to come to the negotiating
table and work to resolve this crisis in a reasonable, meaningful way,
and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this measure.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
Mr. Speaker, for whatever reason, there seems to be reluctance on the
part of the minority to accept the facts. And the reality is, while
there has been an increase in drugs crossing at the border, the vast
majority of drug interdictions have occurred at the ports of entry, not
between the ports of entry.
In fiscal year 2018, only 3 percent of all heroin was interdicted
between the ports, and 5.8 percent of the meth was interdicted between
the ports.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself an additional 30
seconds.
The remainder of the interdictions were at the ports of entry along
with a small amount at CBP checkpoints north of the ports of entry.
So this idea that somehow we need to have this wall between the ports
of entry because of the fact that drugs are coming through that area at
large numbers and contributing to the drug problems that we have here,
is absolutely false.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Cuellar).
Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairwoman Roybal-Allard
for her leadership on the Homeland Security Subcommittee, and for her
ideas
[[Page H1179]]
on how we secure the border. I also want to thank the ranking member,
my friend from Tennessee; the full committee ranking woman, Kay
Granger, for the work that she has done; and our leader, Mrs. Lowey,
the chairwoman of the full committee.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this joint resolution to reopen the
government and the Department of Homeland Security. As we have said all
along, we must first open up the government, and we can negotiate. We
have always done that. We have always kept the government open and then
we negotiate. We are doing this so the Federal employees do not suffer.
It has been 34 days since the government shutdown, far surpassing any
other previous record. That means that it has been 34 days that 800,000
Federal employees have not received pay.
I live at the border. I don't just go and visit the border. I drink
the water. I breathe the air. I talk to Border Patrol agents almost
every day. I have talked to CBP officers every day. I talk to TSA
officers. I talk to other folks, and they are doing absolutely critical
work to keep us safe, but not receiving a salary.
Open up the government. Imagine trying to patrol the border or keep
airline passengers safe without receiving a single dime for the last 34
days. You might be concerned about not being able to pay your mortgage,
your car payment, food, and medicine. Your kids are going to school.
That is what is going through the heads of those Federal employees at
the border. I have talked to them, and we need to make sure that we
open up the government.
The American public is ready for President Trump to put an end to
this crippling shutdown. Let's keep the facts in mind. The President
continues to reject any sort of compromise. We are ready. We are
appropriators. We can sit down and work this out. I know we can. We
have done it in the past.
What I want to make sure is that we don't hold the Federal employees
hostage for a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem that we
are looking at.
In Texas, we have natural barriers. Look at this, in west Texas, you
have got probably over 100 feet of barriers up there. These are the
natural barriers. Tell me how somebody is going to cross this natural
barrier that we have.
If you look at the southern part of Texas, you have a river. Private
property rights are important. Tell me how you are going to cross over
this river. Are you going to put a wall here and cut off people from
their property that they have owned for so long? How are you going to
do this?
All I need is a $100 ladder to cross that particular area, or you can
dig under with a tunnel.
Listen to the latest drug case in New York. What are the bad guys
saying there? They can either go under through a tunnel, or they can
use a catapult. They can use a ladder. They can use other things.
We want to make sure that we secure the border. I live on the border.
I want to make sure we secure the border, but let's do it the right
way. Now, if you want to stop people from coming in, remember, 67
percent of the people who are here illegally, how do they come here?
Through a legal visa.
So even if you put up a wall, they are going to fly over, they are
going to drive to a bridge, or they are going to go ahead and come
through on a ship. Keep in mind, most of those visa overstays, do you
know where they are from? Canada.
Now, I am not asking you to look at the northern border to put up a
wall, but I am saying Canadians. Look at the facts. So if you want to
stop drugs, just like the chairwoman said, DEA, CPB, the National Drug
Threat Assessment, they will tell you that most drugs come through
ports of entry, either in car compartments, in trunks, in trains, or
other ways.
So even if you put up a wall, they are going to go in. What we do is,
we have got to make sure that we put canines at our bridges, make sure
we have enough CBP officers, and make sure we have X-ray machines.
Look at Laredo, my hometown. We get 15,000 trailers a day. We need to
put technology there. We need to put canines there. We need to put in
CBP officers to make sure that we work on securing our border.
Everybody talks about a crisis. In 2001, we had about 1.6 million
individuals that Border Patrol stopped. Now it is 398,000. Look at what
happened. The numbers have gone down.
And if you want to talk about safety, our security, I will tell you
that my hometown of Laredo is about three or four times safer than we
are here in Washington, D.C.; murder rates, assaults, rapes, name all
of the violent crimes, it is safer there.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to
the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, the most dangerous thing that I do is leave
the border to come to Washington, D.C. I am not talking about the
politics. I am talking about, it is more violent here.
So what should we do? Let's open up the government. Let's sit down,
advocate for 21st century solutions, technology, increase personnel. We
are losing more Border Patrol. What do we do? What does the
administration do? They put a $297 million contract out to show them
how to hire Border Patrol. They just put out a $14.8 million payment to
hire two--two--two Border Patrol agents for almost $15 million.
Increase personnel, increase the infrastructure at our ports of
entry, and increase immigration judges. We have been increasing
immigration judges for the last 3 years. This is nothing new. We have
been doing that.
Again, one of the most important things, do we play defense on the 1-
yard line, where we spend $18 billion at the U.S. border? Or do we play
defense on the 20-yard line, which is working with the southern part of
Mexico, where we put $80 million a couple of years ago? And what
happened? They started stopping 220,000 individuals a year, a lot of
people who are coming in, and putting money in Central America, which
we have done before, to do that.
So, again, given the facts, I just call upon our friends: open up the
government; let's negotiate. We are appropriators. I feel very
confident if we open up the government and we sit down, we will find a
solution.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to speak in opposition to the
majority's temporary funding bill for the Department of Homeland
Security. However, our crisis that we are at at this point and at our
border is not temporary, and it continues to grow during this
government shutdown.
I am not sure why my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will
expect a different outcome today when the real solution, as we all
know, starts when everyone sits around the negotiating table.
The people elected the President and they elected each of us. They
elected each of us to do our job, and this is a serious job.
Legislating is governing; not putting bills on the floor of the House
that we know the President will veto. He has continued to say that he
will veto this legislation, and we know what the outcome will be.
I think all of the political points have been made here this morning,
and I believe that it is time that we put partisanship aside to try to
work together to try to find a solution.
Instead of using the words ``coming together to compromise,'' I think
we should use better words to say, ``We need to find common ground.''
Just saying ``no'' to the physical infrastructure is not really a
negotiating position. This House yesterday had the opportunity to vote
to pay Federal workers who have missed their paychecks, and it is
disappointing that together, as a Congress, we couldn't come together
for the needs of these public servants.
We must put this political gamesmanship aside and seek to work
together to find some common ground. I think that is where the solution
lies.
The solution is really simple. One side does not win at the expense
of the other. Instead, what we need to do is find a way where each side
cannot put our individual parties' interest before the needs of the
country and the people who serve this country.
So this morning as we debate this legislation and continue to have
this legislation before us, I would urge my colleagues on both sides of
the aisle--
[[Page H1180]]
and let me say that, both sides of the aisle, Democrats and
Republicans--to reject the proposal so that we can get back to some
serious business of being a legislative body.
Let's show the American people that we deserve the trust that they
placed in us when they sent us to serve in this House of
Representatives.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman
from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
(Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend
her remarks.)
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California
for her years of service, appointed service, recognized service, for we
have gone to the southern border many times.
I am a resident of the southern border. I am committed to the people
of the southern border, as I am to the people of the United States, and
most importantly, to the heroic workers who work for the Federal
Government.
First, let me say that any regular order of business of this House
should be the opening of the government and paying the workers now.
I have been alongside of every aspect of the southern border, every
State, including California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. I have
been to every part of the southern border. I have seen the terrain. I
have gone up to the Rio Grande and on the Rio Grande several times. I
have seen it at its fullest and I have seen it at its most narrow.
I have seen tunnels. I have seen the San Diego wall, if you will. I
have seen the steel fencing. I have spoken to Border Patrol agents
alongside of the border.
The tragedy of young Felipe, who passed away; I went to the part
where he walked up with his father and they presented themselves to the
Border Patrol.
My colleagues, including the gentle chairwoman, have likewise, walked
with me or been to the border many times. They have solutions. So
regular order now seems to be a straw man. We are placing on the floor
of the House a bill that will open the government until February 28,
but it will fund the Department of Homeland Security. May I say those
words again? Homeland Security.
We are sitting here today, and we are not considering that our
Homeland Security Department, one of the largest--I believe second to
Department of Defense, rightly so, because it is homeland security--
which I have had the privilege of serving since the heinous terrorist
act of 9/11. I have never given up this committee because it is close
to my heart. It means the protection of the American people day by day
that they look to now. Post-9/11, we have a Homeland Security
Department.
{time} 0945
All of the leaders of that department whom I have worked with, most
recently Secretary Kelly, formerly the chief of staff of this White
House, and Jeh Johnson, have said in a letter: Open the government.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Texas an
additional 2 minutes.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, you will begin to see the unraveling.
It is unraveling.
TSA officers make $28,000. Every one of you are going to see them
going out and coming back in. You are counting on air traffic
controllers to keep the planes aloft. You are counting on pilots and
flight attendants to be there pursuant to the aviation system.
I have been hearing pilots and airlines talking about putting pilots
on layoff, if you will, because they are frightened about the planes,
and they may have to shut down some of the routes.
This is a ripple effect. The Smithsonian system is crumbling, $4
million. They cannot afford one more day.
But I want to get back to our TSOs and all of those line officers,
the DEAs, the ATFs, the FBIs under the DOJ are not funded even though
essential and working. So why not take this bill that covers Secret
Service?
I hope the President's acquiescence and calm tweet announcement
acknowledging that there cannot be a State of the Union when the
government is in collapse and there is no state of a Union and that we
will not have one, sadly, because we do work together, I am saying to
my good friends: Pass the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I say to my good friends on this side of the aisle,
Republicans: You are going to vote ``no'' on a homeland security bill
on the pretense of regular business, the lives of TSOs. One young TSO
had to send her newborn baby to her mother because she could not afford
to take care of that child. They don't have gas money. They are not
allowed to take enormous gifts.
Every time I travel, there they are, the frontline people of this
government in the system that is most attractive to terrorists:
airplanes. They have never moved away from that.
So I am asking my colleagues to realize the importance of this bill
that will fund reopening the government, the Department of Homeland
Security, allowing these employees to be paid and begin us on the
process of opening government and paying our workers.
God help us.
Mr. FLEISCHMANN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Members on both sides of the aisle can clearly show that today has
been a day of speeches, of passion, and of good faith beliefs on both
sides of the aisle. I want the American people to know that the people
making these arguments on both sides of the aisle have bona fide ideas
about how to get the government open, how to keep us safe, and how to
move forward from this very difficult position.
I was an attorney for 24 years in my prior profession, and in my
closing arguments, oftentimes I would point to the facts that were most
beneficial to my case and to my client. But there was a vehicle that
came up while I was practicing; it was called mediation. Mediation was
a way that the parties could come to the table and all get something
and all give something in return.
We have heard the same broken cure come from the majority since they
became the majority. That cure--albeit in their view, their version of
how to move forward--will not work. The practical constraints will
require an agreement that the House, the Senate, and the White House
all can agree on. That is the practical reality.
We agree that the hardworking men and women of the Coast Guard, TSA,
and contractors are suffering, and we have got to stop that suffering.
But when we know that the vote today--which I will oppose with my vote
on behalf of my constituents. When we know that that will not work,
then we have got to come back to the table with something that will
work.
To continue to press for something that will not reopen the
government and will not get our task done--and, again, I stress the
fact that we are going to end this fiscal year in September of this
year. In a few short weeks, when we move past this crisis, we are going
to, in our respective subcommittees--and there are 12 on the great
Appropriations Committee, including this great Subcommittee on Homeland
Security. Ms. Roybal-Allard and I will be debating this again.
Mr. Speaker, I thank her for her hard work in these difficult times.
This is fraying on me, this is fraying on our friends in the majority,
and this is fraying on our staffs and the American people. But the
solution is clear: Give us--give the American people--funds for a
border wall as part of an overall compromise to get border security, to
get the government open, and, yes, to look at other ways to keep our
southern border and the American people safe.
So my ``no'' vote today is not a ``no'' vote just to say no. My
``no'' vote today is a statement to say to our friends in the majority,
as well-intentioned as they may be--and I can stress to my colleagues
that we on the minority side are well intentioned. It is not about good
faith or bad faith; it is about bona fide differences.
The American people elect us to lead. Our great Republic is not an
easy way to govern, but, Mr. Speaker, I would submit it is the best way
to govern. I know that it is hard right now for some people not getting
a paycheck to understand, but in our great Republic, it takes two
Houses of Congress. It takes an executive, the President, and, yes, it
takes the Supreme Court as well.
So, Mr. Speaker, I will close in opposition. I will close with the
best intentions, and I just implore and I plead
[[Page H1181]]
with my friends in the majority: Put something on the table that will
fund border security, that will give us a wall, that will give us a
barrier where it works, and we will open the government and keep the
American people safe.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Mr. Speaker, let me just first say that it is very disappointing to
hear from the minority that the first priority is not to stop the
suffering of our Federal workers by opening up the government.
It is also unfortunate that the President has created such ill will
around border security, and border barriers in particular. He has truly
poisoned the well on this issue and made it much more difficult for
Congress to find common ground. As a result, our Federal workers are
suffering, and our homeland is becoming less safe.
Mr. Speaker, it is time to end the shutdown. This morning, we can
begin the process by voting to reopen the Department of Homeland
Security, and then we can continue to fulfill our responsibility by
finishing our work on the full-year 2019 funding bill for the
Department so that those who protect our homeland can be paid as they
continue their critical mission of protecting our homeland.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 61, the previous question is ordered on
the joint resolution.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the joint
resolution.
The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed and read a third
time, and was read the third time.
Motion to Recommit
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentlewoman opposed to the joint
resolution?
Ms. GRANGER. I am, in its current form.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Ms. Granger moves to recommit the joint resolution H.J.
Res. 31 to the Committee on Appropriations with instructions
to report the same back to the House forthwith with the
following amendment:
Page 2, beginning on line 10, strike ``February 28, 2019''
and insert ``January 24, 2019''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Texas is recognized for 5 minutes in support of her motion.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, my motion amends the date of the continuing
resolution to January 24. My motion will ensure that Homeland Security
employees will get the pay they deserve, consistent with the Government
Employee Fair Treatment Act that was enacted last week.
Last week and yesterday, I offered motions very similar to this one
to immediately pay the hardworking Federal employees affected by this
shutdown. Many of these people are on the front lines protecting our
Nation. They shouldn't suffer because of this unnecessary shutdown, and
they don't have to any longer if Members would support this motion.
Last week, six Democrats voted for my motion, and yesterday, 10 did.
Today, I call on all members of the majority party to agree with me
that we should provide Homeland Security employees the backpay they
deserve and join me in voting for this measure.
These employees have bills to pay and families to support. This
motion will ensure that they are able to do that immediately while we
continue working toward a permanent solution that will reopen the
government. The homeland security staff protecting the Nation should
not be harmed because some of my colleagues refuse to negotiate.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the motion, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to
recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from California is
recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Let's be clear about what this motion would do:
It would continue the shutdown of the Department of Homeland
Security, which means that workers would not be in the office tomorrow
to be able to process the checks;
It would continue the shutdown of the Transportation Security
Administration;
It would continue to make the brave men and women of the Coast Guard
and Secret Service work without any certainty about their next
paycheck.
A vote for this motion is a vote to continue the Trump shutdown and a
vote against our Nation's security.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the strongest possible terms to
oppose the motion to recommit, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is
ordered on the motion to recommit.
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
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