I also want to thank Ranking Member Cuellar for what we have done together on issues that affect our security. I am glad you are in this role on the Subcommittee. A few weeks ago, several of us traveled to the southwest border. I have visited the border many times, and it has never been this bad. Just last year, Customs and Border Protection encountered a record 2.7 million migrants at our border. We have already encountered more than a million migrants this year. Republicans have been sounding the alarm for the last two years. Unfortunately, this Administration’s policies have fueled this crisis, and it will only get worse if something doesn’t change. The Congress took a good first step last week by passing H.R. 2, which would force some of those policy changes if the bill becomes law. This appropriations bill takes the next step by funding the reforms in that legislation. In particular, the bill before us:

• Funds 22,000 Border Patrol agents;
• Provides millions of dollars in border security technology;
• Increases the number of detention beds to 41,000, to ensure our communities are safe from dangerous criminals; and
• Forces this Administration to build the wall that is necessary to secure our border.

In addition, this bill provides $335 million for the Coast Guard’s Fast Response Cutters to strengthen our presence in the Pacific and provides increases for cyber security to prevent harmful attacks on our devices and networks.This is a very good bill, but we do have some issues in the jurisdiction of the authorizing committee that we will continue to address as this bill moves through the process. To close, I want to thank the Subcommittee Members and staff – both Majority and Minority – for their hard work on this bill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.

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