Cole Testifies at Rules Committee on H.R. 8029
Washington, D.C. – Today, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) spoke before the House Committee on Rules in support of H.R. 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act.
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. 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act. As we sit here, the Department of Homeland Security has been shuttered by Senate Democrats for nearly 50% of the fiscal year. That’s right, since last year, we are approaching one hundred days where DHS personnel and critical missions have been left in limbo, employees have reported to work without pay, and strain has been added to the very department charged with protecting the homeland. And why? Not because there are funding disagreements, but because Senator Schumer wants to commandeer appropriations to seek policy changes elsewhere.
"As members will recall, in January, House and Senate negotiators from both parties reached a final agreement on our then-remaining six appropriations bill for 2026. The House proudly fulfilled its part of the bargain and passed all six bills across the floor. Unfortunately, at the last moment, Senator Schumer reneged on the deal, refusing to pass the Homeland Security bill through the Senate as was agreed upon.
"Large portions of the Department of Homeland Security have since been shut down, with many employees in mission-critical roles – such as Transportation Security Administration agents, Secret Service agents, and the brave servicemembers of the United States Coast Guard – continuing to work without guaranteed pay, and without full operational resources. By this Friday, Senate Democrats will have denied over 80,000 American families more than $1 billion in take-home pay. These are people who are still showing up for their shifts. The numbers are even higher when you include furloughed employees.
"Madam Chair, that is heartless. That is unfair. And that is cruel. What’s worse, Senator Schumer’s decision to block Homeland Security funding for his own selfish reasons has placed the country at serious risk. As our military is involved in ongoing combat operations against the Iranian regime – a state sponsor of terrorism, which has shown itself to be willing time and time again to commit terrorist atrocities against innocents – this is no time for a shutdown. Sadly, Senator Schumer does not seem to agree. Instead, he and Senate Democrats have repeatedly 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.
"To make matters worse, the Administration has shown itself to be ready and willing to negotiate with Senate Democrats to make reforms at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Not only has the President made a change at the top of the department, nominating my friend and home state Senator, Markwayne Mullin, who has been confirmed as the next Secretary of Homeland Security; but it has also released a letter publicly indicating measures they are willing to implement.
"These reforms include requiring the use of body-worn cameras, placing restrictions on immigration enforcement at sensitive locations like hospitals and schools, increasing congressional oversight, and requiring agents to wear visible officer identification while carrying out immigration enforcement activities. In fact, two weeks ago my counterpart in the Senate, Senator Collins, stated directly in an interview that the White House’s proposal was 'eminently reasonable.'
"Sadly, Senate Democrats still do not seem to agree. Despite publicly claiming that the shutdown is to produce reforms at ICE and CBP, they have continued to reject the very reforms they claim to support. This includes not only the reforms the White House has proposed, but also those contained in the very bill before us today, which were negotiated on a bipartisan, bicameral basis – such as a requirement for ICE officers to wear body cameras and undergo de-escalation training.
"While Senator Schumer sits idle, we will not. It is why House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Vice Chair Rep. Juan Ciscomani is leading a renewed effort in the House to fund critical security operations and pay personnel who are working with no pay. The Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act comprehensively funds DHS. It doesn’t selectively decide which parts of homeland security matter. It ensures critical missions and personnel are resourced and ready.
"I urge my colleagues, both Republican and Democrat, to do the right thing and support this bill. 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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