“Funding the Government is a Constitutional Imperative”: Chairman Garbarino Testifies Before Rules Committee in Support of Secure America Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. --Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) testified before the House Committee on Rules in support of S.2, the "Secure America Act," which provides critical funding for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through Fiscal Year (FY) 2029. These resources will help strengthen the Department of HomelandSecurity's (DHS) border security mission and provide stable support for frontline personnel.

In April, President Trump signed into law H.R.7147, providing funding for most DHS operations. This followed a lapse in DHS appropriations for more than 70 days due to Congressional Democrats' decision to block funding, even after House Republicans passed the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2026 DHS appropriations bill numerous times. Throughout the shutdown, Homeland Republicans expressed their continued support and appreciation for all DHS employees who continued carrying out their mission to protect the American people while facing significant financial uncertainty.

Read Chairman Garbarino's remarks before the Rules Committee below, and watch here.

Funding the government is a constitutional imperative. We have a responsibility to fund departments and agencies through regular order and provide the certainty they need to carry out their missions. Since becoming Chairman of the Committee on HomelandSecurity, I have witnessed the consequences of repeated DHS shutdowns. This Congress, the Department has endured two major lapses in funding, including a record 76-day shutdown that left critical components operating under significant pressure. What Democrats accomplished by shutting down DHS was creating uncertainty and hardship for the dedicated workforce, forcing thousands of employees to worry about how they would pay for their mortgage, cover their rent, or provide for their family.

I remain deeply concerned about the precedent Democrats set throughout the funding process. The House and Senate previously reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to finalize all Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bills, including funding for DHS. The Houseacted expeditiously to pass these bills, marking historic progress for the appropriations process and a return to regular order. But after helping negotiate the deal, Senate Democrats walked away from the agreement and insisted on withholding funding from U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Excluding funding for these two critical law enforcement components is reckless and unprecedented. By singling out specific law enforcement agencies, the Democrats chose to undermine Congress's fundamental duty to safeguard our nation and support the men and women charged with enforcing our laws.

What makes the Democrats' decision even more troubling is that the original bipartisan agreement included substantial funding that imposed new transparency and accountability requirements for CBP and ICE, including de-escalation training, the procurement and deployment of body cameras, and increased funding for DHS's Office of Inspector General. While Democrats went back on the deal they agreed to, HouseRepublicans stayed true to their word and included these provisions in the final appropriations bill that funded the majority of the Department.

Providing annual funding through reconciliation is not the preferred path. Republicans could not sit by and let the rest of the Department go unfunded while Democrats refused to negotiate.

Congress has the responsibility to provide the funding and resources necessary to secure the homeland. If we fail to provide DHS with the tools it needs to secure our borders and uphold the rule of law, we are failing in one of our most fundamental responsibilities to the American people.

This is why the "Secure America Act" is critical to delivering much needed resources to CBP and ICE. First, and most importantly, this bill provides over $64 billion to hire, train, equip, and retain Border Patrol agents, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officers, Homeland Security Investigations agents, and mission support staff, ensuring frontline personnel have the resources to carry out their mission effectively and safely.

Secondly, this bill enhances the ability of our agents and officers to achieve their mission by supplementing their work with technology. This section provides an additional investment of nearly $3.5 billion to modernize and enhance border security technologies, surveillance systems, and inspection equipment. These investments will strengthen the U.S. government's ability to detect and disrupt human smuggling operations, interdict fentanyl and other dangerous illicit narcotics, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations engaged in human trafficking, weapons smuggling, and illicit finance.

As threats to the homeland continue to evolve, Congress cannot afford inaction. The cycle of abandoning regular order and using funding as a political bargaining chip must come to an end. The American people deserve a government willing to confront these challenges directly and decisively. We have an opportunity to make the country safer and more secure.

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