Full committee

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2217, the Fiscal Year 2014 Homeland Security Appropriations.

I'd like to thank my colleagues for their careful consideration of the MilCon Appropriations bill yesterday, and I'd like to ask them to continue these efforts on this bill today – a conscientious piece of legislation that I believe can and should pass this House on a bipartisan basis.

The bill before you today provides $38.9 billion for the Department of Homeland Security.

In such austere budget times, this bill rightly prioritizes spending on programs that save American lives. Frontline protection, terrorism prevention and response, disaster recovery assistance, and a strong and secure border – all of these are paramount to the safety and security of our homeland.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, it was 69 years ago this Thursday that more than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded during the D-Day invasion in Normandy, France. That courageous operation, as well as the sacrifice of so many brave individuals, serves as a sobering reminder that freedom and security are in fact not free.

It is with this solemn commitment to both freedom and security that I respectfully present to the people's House the fiscal year 2014 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security.

Similar to our Subcommittee's work over the past three fiscal years, this bill demonstrates how we can fund vital security programs and enforce the law while also reducing discretionary spending overall.

So, this bill is about our security and fiscal priorities...and getting them right.

The fiscal 2014 Appropriations bill for Military Construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs meets the needs of the Departments while saving money. Mr. Bishop and I worked together to ensure that this is a bipartisan bill and I would like to thank him for his hard work and dedication throughout this process. It has also been a great pleasure to work with Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey – they are equally committed to ensuring that our military, our veterans, and their families have what they need and have earned as a result of the sacrifices that they have made for our freedom.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2216, the Fiscal Year 2014 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill.

This is the first of 12 Appropriations bills I hope to bring to the floor under regular order. Although we received the President's budget nearly 2 months late, I have every intention of drafting and considering all 12 appropriations measures in a timely fashion and in the traditional open process that allows all members to have their say in how taxpayer dollars should be spent.

As we kick off the Appropriations process on the House floor today, we face some of the most challenging circumstances in recent memory – a tardy Presidential budget, a divided Congress, the ham-handed cuts of sequestration, and historically low funding levels.