Floor SpeechNeutral2026-01-29

Text of Senate Amendment 4277

ImmigrationEnvironmentLabor

Context

On 2026-01-29, Senator Christopher Murphy (D-CT) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 4277" in the Senate. The speech addressed immigration and also covered the environment, labor policy. It referenced legislation including HR7148, S389.

Full Text

Text of Senate Amendment 4277

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 21 (Thursday, January 29, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 21 (Thursday, January 29, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S389] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 4277. Mr. MURPHY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 7148, making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: Beginning on page 1198, strike line 23 and all that follows through page 1201, line 19, and insert the following: Sec. 503. (a) None of the funds provided by this Act, or by any prior appropriations Act, to the components in, or transferred to, the Department of Homeland Security that remain available for obligation or expenditure during fiscal year 2026, or provided from any accounts in the Treasury of the United States derived by the collection of fees available to the components funded by this Act or from Public Law 119- 21 shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that-- (1) creates or eliminates a program, project, or activity, or increases funds for any program, project, or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by the Congress; (2) contracts out any function or activity presently performed by Federal employees or any new function or activity proposed to be performed by Federal employees in the President's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Homeland Security; (3) augments funding for existing programs, projects, or activities in excess of $1,000,000 or 1 percent, whichever is less; (4) reduces funding for any program, project, or activity, or numbers of personnel, by 5 percent or more; or (5) results from any general savings from a reduction in personnel that would result in a change in funding levels for programs, projects, or activities approved by the Congress. (b) Subsection (a) shall not apply if the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives are notified at least 30 days in advance of such reprogramming. (c) Up to 5 percent of any appropriation made available by this Act for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Homeland Security or provided by any prior appropriations Act may be transferred between such appropriations if the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives are notified at least 30 days in advance of such transfer. None of these appropriations, except as otherwise specifically provided, may be increased by more than 1 percent by such transfer. (d) Notwithstanding subsections (a), (b), and (c), funds may not be reprogrammed within or transferred between appropriations-- (1) based upon an initial notification provided after June 15, 2026, except in extraordinary circumstances that imminently threaten the safety of human life or the protection of property by a natural disaster or congressional authorized drug interdiction carried out by the United States Coast Guard; (2) to increase or decrease funding for grant programs; or (3) to create a program, project, or activity described in subsection (a)(1), including any new function or requirement within any program, project, or activity that has not been approved by Congress. (e) The notification thresholds and procedures set forth in subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) shall apply to any use of deobligated balances of funds provided to the Department of Homeland Security in a prior appropriations Act or funds provided under Public Law 119-21 that remain available for obligation during the 3-year period ending on September 30, 2029. (f) Funds may not be reprogrammed or transferred to, from, or within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection. ______

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Text of Senate Amendment 4277 Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 21 (Thursday, January 29, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 21 (Thursday, January 29, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S389] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 4277. Mr. MURPHY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 7148, making further consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: Beginning on page 1198, strike line 23 and all that follows through page 1201, line 19, and insert the following: Sec. 503. (a) None of the funds provided by this Act, or by any prior appropriations Act, to the components in, or transferred to, the Department of Homeland Security that remain available for obligation or expenditure during fiscal year 2026, or provided from any accounts in the Treasury of the United States derived by the collection of fees available to the components funded by this Act or from Public Law 119- 21 shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that-- (1) creates or eliminates a program, project, or activity, or increases funds for any program, project, or activity for which funds have been denied or restricted by the Congress; (2) contracts out any function or activity presently performed by Federal employees or any new function or activity proposed to be performed by Federal employees in the President's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Homeland Security; (3) augments funding for existing programs, projects, or activities in excess of $1,000,000 or 1 percent, whichever is less; (4) reduces funding for any program, project, or activity, or numbers of personnel, by 5 percent or more; or (5) results from any general savings from a reduction in personnel that would result in a change in funding levels for programs, projects, or activities approved by the Congress. (b) Subsection (a) shall not apply if the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives are notified at least 30 days in advance of such reprogramming. (c) Up to 5 percent of any appropriation made available by this Act for fiscal year 2026 for the Department of Homeland Security or provided by any prior appropriations Act may be transferred between such appropriations if the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives are notified at least 30 days in advance of such transfer. None of these appropriations, except as otherwise specifically provided, may be increased by more than 1 percent by such transfer. (d) Notwithstanding subsections (a), (b), and (c), funds may not be reprogrammed within or transferred between appropriations-- (1) based upon an initial notification provided after June 15, 2026, except in extraordinary circumstances that imminently threaten the safety of human life or the protection of property by a natural disaster or congressional authorized drug interdiction carried out by the United States Coast Guard; (2) to increase or decrease funding for grant programs; or (3) to create a program, project, or activity described in subsection (a)(1), including any new function or requirement within any program, project, or activity that has not been approved by Congress. (e) The notification thresholds and procedures set forth in subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d) shall apply to any use of deobligated balances of funds provided to the Department of Homeland Security in a prior appropriations Act or funds provided under Public Law 119-21 that remain available for obligation during the 3-year period ending on September 30, 2029. (f) Funds may not be reprogrammed or transferred to, from, or within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or U.S. Customs and Border Protection. ______