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[inaudible conversations] this meeting is called to order. Welcome to the markup of the fiscal year 2021 funding act for the department of Homeland Security. Id like to begin by thanking Ranking Member fleischman for his collaboration in putting the bill before us this morning. There are, of course, areas of disagreement. Almost entirely in the immigration area. I do believe, however, that most of our bill represents a bipartisan agreement, but i dont want to minimize the disagreements on immigration, they are significant and they are important. Before discussing the bill, i would like to acknowledge the departments personnel who work on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. Many have contracted the virus and sadly several have lost their lives to it. We owe them and their families our sincere gratitude. I also want to recognize the pandemics impact on migrants, particularly those continuously held in detention facilities. Many have also contracted the virus and sadly, some have died. In my view, with infections in ice detention facilities rising, alternatives to detention should be used for anyone not a threat to public safety, particularly families. Given the heightened role tsa and especially fema are playing during the pandemic, we are continuing discussions on additional requirements they may have related to the pandemic in fiscal year 2021. We are prepared to address any Additional Needs later in our process based on formal requests from the administration. Similarly, in light of the impact of the pandemic on fee revenue, we are monitoring the need for additional funding for cbp customs officers in fy21. Were also in discussions with a Judiciary Committee and u. S. Citizenship and immigration services, on that agencys impending funding shortfall. I will note the administration has not formally requested supplementary funding for uscis. I do not understand why, but we do not wish to see a funding shortfall cripple this agency. We will continue our work in a bipartisan way to ensure the furlough notices the agency recently sent out never go into effect and assure that uscis continues its important mission. Todays bill does not address this issue because it will not be enacted in time to help. Instead, i will work to address any shortfall in the next covid related supplemental bill with measures to help avoid this kind of situation in the future. It increasingly looks like a supplemental will move through coping Congress Later this month. Members before you are the draft bill and the committee report. We have done our best to address as many of your concerns and priorities as well as those of the full committee and house members more broadly. It hasnt been easy. The subcommittee received 3,850 member requests. This is a 20 increase over last year, including over 1,800 requests for bill or report language, an increase of 50 . The subcommittee mark recommends 56 billion dollars in total discretionary appropriations for the department of Homeland Security. 50. 7 billion within the bills 302b discretionary allocation, 5. 1 billion as a budget cap adjustment for major Disaster Response and recovery activities, and 250 million for the coast guards overseas contingency operations. The amount within the discretionary allocation is 250 million above the fiscal year 2020 level. Throughout the bill we provide increases above the requests to help maintain Current Services and invest in high priority capabilities and activities across the Broad Spectrum of Homeland Security missions. No funding is provided for Additional Border barriers and prohibiting the use of any federal funds for border barrier construction other than funds explicitly appropriated by congress for that purpose in prior years. The bill provides funding for an average daily population in ice custody of 22,000 single adults. It would also phase out family detention by the end of 2020. The population in ice detention is now under 23,000, compared to a high point of over 54,000 in detention last august. The pandemic is one factor in this reduction in population. The primary cause has been the squeeze of new Administration Policies to quickly remove migrants at the border with little or no due process. Primarily as a result of these policies, migrant transfers from cvp to ice has been dropping precipitously as well as a corresponding need for ice beds. Until they discontinue that policy, the beds funded in the bill will not be needed and will remain unavailable. Until the past few years we have worked collaboratively with the department to provide funding flexibility during the year of the bills execution. With notification to the committee, the bill has provided the Department Authority to transfer limited amounts of funding between accounts to address unanticipated needs and circumstances. This authority has always come with the understanding that such transfers and major reprogramming actions would be implemented only with a concurrence of the committee. Unfortunately, the department violated that understanding last summer by ignoring the committees objection to a proposed transfer and reprogramming notification related to immigration enforcement. To make matters worse, the department recently sent a transfer and reprogramming notification that proposes to use bipartisan congressional priorities to make up for cv ps fee revenue shortfall. The department has abused the authority provided by congress. As a consequence, our bill includes no authority to transfer funds between accounts and eliminates most authority to preprogram funds within accounts. Ill conclude again by thanking the Ranking Member for his collegiality and constructive input on the bill and report. It is unfortunate the controversial issues in our bill overshadow the good bipartisan work we do together. I also thank the subcommittee staff, both minority and majority for their efforts over the last few months. I am proud of the work we have done on the bill and report and i urge my colleagues to support it. I am now pleased to turn to the distinguished Ranking Member for his opening remarks. Thank you, madam chairman. When we embark on the fiscal year 2021 process, madam chair, i dont think that any of us thought this year would unfold the way in which it has. I would like to thank you, chairwoman, along with chairwoman l. Lowie and Ranking Member for the work thats gone into work for this bill and all the Committee Bills to markup. Its really a testament to what we can accomplish working together, overcoming challenges and fulfilling our commitment to our constituents and our country to do the, would of the appropriations committee. I am honored to be part of this process and i want our constituents at home to know, despite strong bona fide dinne differences that exist in the bill as mentioned by our chair, the members of this committee and subcommittee is outstanding at a time where we have divisiveness in this country, i think its very important that we can have the great civil discourse and civility exhibited on both sides of the dias and madam chair, i specifically thank you for that. While we couldnt complete our hearing process, we were actually able to conduct a few site visits and hearings before we had to shut down normal operations, but even with distancing weve conducted many phone calls with our agencies to keep up with whats going on. Ive said it before and ill say it again, theres a lot of broad agreement on so many of the issues and funding in this bill. We hear from many of the same constituencies. We all care deeply about the safety and security of our country, and the people in it, as well as every individual at the department, as many of the investments under the allocations reflect that shared concern. But sadly, also like last year, in the places where we disagree, madam chairman, there are vast differences and i cant support the bill in its current form. Once again, the bill before us does not include any funds for continued border wall construction and prohibits funds from being used for any wall construction whatsoever. Further, the bill rescind the entire appropriation provided last year for the wall. Ive had a chance to visit the border and weve heard from the acting commissioner of customs and border patrol, as well as Border Agents and officers from the front lines. This wall is necessary in so many places along the southwest border. It is necessary for the safety, for the agents, and it is an effective asset against Transnational Criminal Organizations and their trafficking and smuggling enterprises. The statistics show that where you have a wall, you have no crossings. It works and i would like to see us continue the program supported by cbp. Another area of great concern once again is the funding level for ice and the lack of fund flexibility. Ice needs to be able to carry out their responsibilities and detailing and transporting people back to their countries after being issued a lawful order of removal. Further, ice is the Law Enforcement Agency Charged with the responsibility of repatriating convicted criminals back to their countries. We absolutely must fund the agency to allow them to adequately and responsebly do their missions, which are set out in law. If we could help cbp and ice with wall funds and enforcement and removal operations, theres a lot in this bill to celebrate. I thank the chairwoman again for all she did for the United States coast guard, the Cyber Security agency, tsa, secret service, fema, the remaining components under the allocation, especially where increases are proposed to address the critical needs across the department. The departments mission is simple, protect the nation and we need to complete this bill to fund all the components of the department that are working every day of every week in our communities and on the front lines to keep our people safe. Madam chairwoman, i also thank you for being so accommodating to so many requests for the reports, briefings, direction, and dollars on the behest of our colleagues. At this time i dont have any amendments, but i look forward to the next week in full committee where im sure we will visit and revisit some of these issues ive highlighted. Again, madam chair, i thank you and the members of the subcommittee. Finally, a sincere note of thanks to the staff. Over the years as an appropriator, i have grown to not only respect, but also realize the essential nature of the staff. They have worked tireless hours on both sides in the majority and the minority, and i realize that youre working hours on areas where we have broad areas of agreement and areas of disagreement. So to all the staff who have helped us put together this bill, thank you. I look forward to working with you and the American People know the need to know the outstanding job that you have done. With that, madam chairwoman, i yield back my time. Thank you. Now id like to recognize list lowey the chair of the full committee for her opening remarks. For the work on the bill [inaudible] i will commend chairwoman again and Ranking Member fleischmann for their work on this bill and i also thank the dedicated staff for their hard work. It is the department of Homeland Securitys mission to protect americans have terrorism, targeted violent extremism and other threats, but the president and his administration have taken liberties with that mandate in pursuit of a reckless and discriminatory agenda that often threatens, not strengthens our security. Todays bill reflects House Democrats commitment to putting necessary checks on the president s cruel immigration and enforcement efforts, and invests resources where they are truly needed. As covid19 continues its devastating toll on our communities and violent hate crimes increase across the nation, this bill includes 5. 66 billion for the Disaster Relief fund, including 5. 1 billion for major disasters. And nearly 1. 5 billion for the urban Area Security initiative and the state Homeland Security grant program. With a combined 360 Million Dollars for nonprofits to help them prevent and protect against terrorist attacks. I thank the chairwoman for her support and shared commitment to this record level funding. This bill also prohibits of use of funds for border wall construction and the administrations practice of transferring funds for purposes other than those intended by congress. It would also reduce ice capacity for detention beds by more than half with added guardrails to protect Asylum Seekers and further prioritizes alternatives to detention. The president s continued fixation on a wall must be rejected. I urge support for this bill that responds to the real threats our nation faces. Thank you, i yield back, madam chair. I now turn to miss granger, Ranking Member of the full committee for her opening remarks. Id like to thank the chairwoman for presenting the fiscal year 2021 Homeland Security appropriations bill. Id also like to recognize Ranking Member fleischmann for his leadership on the subcommittee. All of our states and communities are experiencing a Public Health crisis and the department of Homeland Security is one of the agencies on the front lines. The department has demonstrated over and over again how important it is that they have the resources to protect our nation from threats. This department has many important functions, protecting our country from criminal organizations engaged in trafficking and smuggling, preventing disruptions of our computer networks, ensure air travel and enforcing immigration and custom laws. Thats why im particularly concerned about some of the choices made in this bill. No funds were made available for construction of the wall along the southwest border. Not only does the bill exclude the 2 billion requested it prevents any other federal funding from being spent for this purpose. The bill also rescinds funds previously made available for the wall, effectively reversing the negotiations that brought about last years agreement. Once again, this bill attempts to stop the departments ability to uphold immigration laws by limiting funds for immigration and customs enforcement. I cant support a situation where ice is so constrained that they cant remove criminals from our communities or deport those who have been issued and ordered from our courts. We will not solve our nations immigration problem if we simply starve this agency of resources to the point its unable to implement and enforce the laws on the books. This will only make our country less safe. I want to work to resolve these issues and craft a Homeland Security bill that addresses our most pressing needs and can be signed into law by the president. In closing, i want to thank the members of the subcommittee for work on this very important and very complex bill. These are life and death matters for everyone in our country and lets continue our efforts to find common ground. I also want to thank the staff on my committee staff, dina baron, and adam, and all of the majority staff. I also want to wish a very happy birthday to ann marie, my staff director. Shes my right hand and i wouldnt want to do any of this without her. You all in ann marie so this would come as no surprise except to ann marie. When i asked her what she wanted for her birthday shed like the whole process to be completed in two weeks and that shed like five subcommittee markups on the day of her birthday. [laughter] so, mrs. Chairwoman lowey agreed to that so were happy, ann mary to provide you with the birthday wish. Today is for you. [laughte [laughter]. Thank you. Speaking of birthdays, i believe that chairwoman lowey also celebrated a birthday yesterday so belated happy birthday to you. Happy birthday. [applaus [applause]. Do any other members wish to be recognized for opening remarks . Are there any amendments . I now recognize the vice chair of the subcommittee for a motion. Move that the bill be [inaudible]. All in favor please say aye . Opposed no. The ayes have it, the motion has been agreed to. And staff be able to make changes to the measures just approved. Without objection, so ordered. Members, please leave your copies of the bill and report on the dias for the staff to collect. The subcommittee is now adjourned. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] cspan has unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and Public Policy events. You can watch all of cspans Public Affairs programming on television, online or listen on our free radio app and be a part of the National Conversation through cspans Washington Journal Program or through our social media feeds. Cspan created by americas Cable Television companies as a Public Service and brought to you today by your television provider. Provider. Today a house Higher Education subcommittee holds a hearing on the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on post secondary education. Watch live beginning at noon eastern on cspan2, or listen live with the free cspan radio a app. Americas future is in our hands and ladies and gentlemen, the best is yet to come. President trump is hosting a rally in portsmouth, new hampshire. Watch our Live Campaign 2020 coverage saturday at 8 p. M. Eastern on cspan. On demand at cspan. Org or listen on the go with the free cspan radio app. Good morning, good afternoon and good evening,en

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