Underwood Delivers Remarks at Department of Homeland Security Hearing on Potential Impacts of a DHS Shutdown

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14), a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, delivered the following remarks at a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hearing on the potential impacts of a DHS shutdown:

“Let’s be clear about why we are here.

Republicans have allowed ICE and Border Patrol to operate out of control, abuse their authority, trample civil rights, break the law, violate the Constitution, and kill U.S. citizens—all while lying to the public about actions we can plainly see with our own eyes.

So, if my Republican colleagues were serious about keeping the American people safe, we’d be discussing how to protect citizens from their own government.

Today, we should be hearing from Secretary Noem and the leaders of the agencies that are terrorizing and killing Americans.

Instead, we’re having a sham hearing with Republicans trying to shift blame, even though our Democratic leadership has already offered a funding proposal with safeguards to protect Americans from misconduct by federal agents.

It seems the White House would rather shut down agencies like FEMA during historic winter storms than accept the bare minimum of accountability and transparency for ICE and Border Patrol, so here we are.

Just to level set, Secretary Noem has not appeared before this committee since last year—before her agents killed Renée Good and Alex Pretti, before Greg Bovino terrorized my constituents in Illinois during Operation Midway Blitz, before more than 170 U.S. citizens were illegally detained by federal agents, before 5-year-old boy Liam Ramos was snatched on his way home from school because ICE wanted to use him as bait, and before countless other atrocities were committed on her watch. 

So where is she today?

Since day one, Secretary Noem has violated our Constitution and the oath she took to defend it. 

DHS’s leader behaves as though Congressional oversight is optional—and her negligence is enabled by my Republican colleagues. That negligence is visible across the Department. 

Four of the five DHS components represented today are being run by acting officials—not because qualified leaders do not exist, but because Republicans have abandoned even the pretense of governing. 

And now, after failing to confirm permanent leaders, refusing congressional oversight, and starving the components they do not care about, Republicans want to lecture this Subcommittee about the impacts of a shutdown on the agencies THEY have neglected all along.

But I don’t think it’s going to fool the American people. The real Republican priorities are painfully obvious. 

My constituents can understand what it means that FEMA recently denied Illinois’s request for a major disaster declaration after severe storms. 

Mr. Phillips, I’m not going to waste our time today asking you why this decision was made—I think we all know why.

My constituents see what’s happening here. They paid their federal taxes, but now that they need help to rebuild, FEMA tells them they’re on their own.

That’s not a result of a funding lapse. That’s a policy choice.

It’s a policy choice that reflects a pattern of governance that treats some missions and some communities as expendable.

Apparently the Trump administration has enough money for immigration agents to rappel down from helicopters to raid an apartment building on Chicago’s South Side – resulting in zero criminal charges – but not to address flooding when heavy rain overwhelmed the sewer system a few miles away.

And under Kristi Noem’s failed leadership, it’s not just disaster response that’s getting shortchanged in order to pay for the secret police terrorizing American communities.

Cybersecurity. Transportation security. Maritime safety. Our nation’s most valuable resources and secrets. All being sold out by the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, agencies like Border Patrol and ICE—whose actions are opposed by 63 percent of American voters—got a blank check in the Big Ugly Bill last summer, and now my Republican colleagues want to give them another one with no strings attached.

So spare us the fiction of Republican concern about paying federal employees or sustaining critical services. This is not about resources. This is about choices.

And it’s also a choice to hold this sham hearing today instead of bringing Secretary Noem in to answer for the unlawful abuses of power the American people have experienced under her leadership. 

That tells me everything I need to know, so I have no questions for these witnesses, and just one question for Secretary Noem: when will YOU stop hiding behind your subordinates and come explain yourself to this committee?”

Video of Underwood’s remarks can be viewed here.

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