Cole Testifies at Rules Committee on H.R. 7744
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) spoke before the House Committee on Rules in support of H.R. 7744, the Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026.
Watch Chairman Cole's remarks here.
Read Chairman Cole's remarks as prepared here and below:
"Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member McGovern, members of the Rules Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to testify today. I come before you today on H.R. 7744, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026. The bill before us today is substantively identical to the bill that previously passed the House in January. It represents a bipartisan and bicameral negotiated compromise that provides full funding for the Department of Homeland Security for Fiscal Year 2026.
"As members will recall, in January, House and Senate negotiators from both parties reached a final agreement on our then-remaining six appropriations bills for 2026. After Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate reached agreement, the House fulfilled its part of the bargain and passed all six bills across the floor.
"Sadly, at the last moment, Senator Schumer reneged on the deal, refusing to pass the Homeland Security bill through the Senate – as was agreed upon – even though a majority of members in both Chambers supported the negotiated agreement.
"The refusal of Senate Democrats to honor the agreement triggered a lapse in funding for DHS starting in February. For more than three weeks, large portions of the Department of Homeland Security have since been shut down, but many employees in mission-critical roles – such as Transportation Security Administration officers – remain on the job, without guaranteed pay, and without full operational resources.
"I will state the obvious: today is no time for a shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security. Its agencies are on the front lines protecting Americans from vicious terrorists, drug traffickers, and hardened criminals.
"Just last week, in Mexico, our neighbor to the south, a narcotrafficking cartel launched a series of terror attacks across the country. This weekend, Iran has begun lashing out in all directions, lobbing ballistic missiles around the entire Middle East region and unleashing their terror proxies on innocent civilians. These threats pose a clear and present danger to the safety of Americans, both at home and abroad. Now, more than ever, we need the Department of Homeland Security to be up and running and doing their jobs: to defend Americans from these threats.
"Emergency preparedness is not optional. FEMA operates within the Department and serves as the nation’s lead disaster response agency. Over the past two weeks alone, disaster declarations have followed wildfires in Oklahoma, including in my district, and an environmental emergency here in Washington, D.C., due to a broken sewage pipe.
"Communities are already facing real emergencies. And larger disasters are inevitable. FEMA must be ready to respond immediately and without disruption.
"Sadly, Senate Democrats do not seem to agree. Instead, they have rejected this bipartisan compromise legislation in favor of partisan gain. And they have allowed innocent Americans to pay the price: disaster victims left unassisted, airline travelers facing long delays, and millions of Americans left vulnerable to terrorism. They have likewise forced over one hundred thousand Homeland Security employees to work without pay until this is resolved.
"To make matters worse, the Democrat-led shutdown at Homeland Security is being driven by a push for reforms at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The bill before us includes critical reforms that were negotiated between the parties, including a requirement for law enforcement officers to wear body cameras and undergo de-escalation training, and requires additional notice and reporting to Congress. Sadly, the failure to enact the bipartisan compromise bill as negotiated means that these critical reforms are not being implemented. It is deeply ironic that the party that claims to want critical reforms and more oversight of CBP and ICE is blocking the very bill that provides those improvements.
"Madam Chair, it is clear and obvious what the end result of this pointless shutdown will be. I am confident that the final outcome will closely mirror the measure Chairman Amodei negotiated and the House passed two weeks ago – a comprehensive bill that funds law enforcement body-worn cameras and de-escalation training, delivered a pay raise for our Coast Guard, increased support for firefighters and first responders, strengthened disaster preparedness, and enhanced efforts to combat fentanyl.
"But we need not wait. We can, instead, pass precisely that compromise, in the form of the bill before this committee today. I urge my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, to do so immediately. I thank each of you for your time, and I urge all members to support this bipartisan package. I look forward to your questions."
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