I want to start by saying the work we did last week shows how we are able to reduce spending where we can and prioritize funding for our core responsibilities.
That includes our national defense, veterans, and the bill before us: homeland security.
I want to thank Chairman Joyce for his hard work on this bill.
It provides what is needed to protect our homeland and address the ongoing crisis at our border.
Specifically, the bill:
* Funds 22,000 border patrol agents;
* Provides millions of dollars in border security technology, including state-of-the-art surveillance equipment;
* Increases the number of detention beds to 41,000;
* And forces this Administration to build the wall that is necessary to secure our border.
In addition, this bill provides $335 million for the Coast Guard’s Fast Response Cutters to strengthen our presence in the Pacific, and provides increases for cyber security to prevent harmful attacks on our devices and networks.
This is a very good bill, and I hope all members will join me in supporting it.
I want to thank all the subcommittee members and staff - on both sides of the aisle - for their hard work on this bill.
Source: U.S. Department of HCA