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I would like to first thank Chairman Amodei, Ranking Member Underwood, and all the members of the subcommittee for being here today. Keeping Americans safe and secure is a fundamental duty, and the measure we are considering this evening supports that mission. 

There is no denying that in today’s evolving risk landscape, protection and preparedness are not optional—America must lead. The Department of Homeland Security plays a central role in that effort, and we are committed to providing the resources needed to safeguard the homeland on every front. While cartels and bad actors push at our borders, foreign adversaries and terrorists remain intent on hacking our systems, challenging our infrastructure and networks daily.

Welcome to the Subcommittee Markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations bill. I would like to welcome Full Committee Chairman Cole and Ranking Member DeLauro, Subcommittee Ranking Member Underwood, and all the Members of the Subcommittee. I will hold my comments until the end, so I’ll begin by recognizing the distinguished gentlelady from Illinois, Ms. Underwood for her opening comments.

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I would first like to thank the Members of the Subcommittee for their participation and insightful questions during our budget hearings last month. As we put together the bill and report, we made a concerted effort to address as many Member priorities as possible. The bill before us today provides $66.3 billion, an increase of $1.3 billion above fiscal year 2025, and $26.5 billion for major disaster response and recovery activities.