Floor SpeechBipartisan2026-04-29

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

ImmigrationTaxesEnvironmentCrime & JusticeInfrastructure

Context

On 2026-04-29, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) delivered a floor speech titled "DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY" in the Senate. The speech addressed immigration and also covered taxes, the environment. It referenced legislation including S2089, S2090.

Full Text

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 75 (Wednesday, April 29, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 29, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2089-S2090] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, we need law enforcement. Nowhere was that more evident than on Saturday night, when a gunman attempted to storm the White House Correspondents' Dinner in an attempt to kill the President, individuals in the line of succession to the Presidency, and civilians who got in the way. We need law enforcement. We need the police officers who patrol our streets, the first to respond when someone is in danger or needs help. We need the FBI agents who investigate Federal crimes, from money laundering to kidnapping. We need the Secret Service agents who protect the President and Vice President and other dignitaries. We need sheriffs' offices and transit police and ATF agents, and, yes, we need the Federal law enforcement officers who patrol our borders and take dangerous illegal aliens off of our streets. You could be forgiven for thinking that I am stating the obvious. Ask most Americans, and I think you would find they say: Of course--of course--we need law enforcement. [[Page S2090]] But that doesn't always seem to be obvious to my Democratic colleagues. The ``defund the police'' movement and ``abolish ICE'' movements were both embraced by Members of the Democrat Party, and now Democrats are at it again. The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down because Democrats decided they don't want to fund border security or immigration enforcement. They refuse to fund the Border Patrol. They refuse to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They are refusing to fund any physical presence at our borders or any agents to take dangerous criminal illegal aliens off of our streets. Not only that, the Democrat leader made it very clear that his party doesn't ever--he doesn't even, I should say, respect the work these law enforcement agents are doing. ``Nobody in this country respects ICE and Border Patrol,'' the Democrat leader said on the floor last week. And when asked to clarify his comments to say whether he really thinks nobody respects agents who put their lives on the line to, for example, stop dangerous individuals from crossing the border, the Democrat leader declined to answer. He declined to answer. And I guess it is no surprise. Declining to fund these key law enforcement Agencies is a pretty good clue that Democrats don't respect the sacrifices these agents make to protect our country. Why do we need law enforcement officers? Because there are dangerous individuals out there who choose to do harm. That is just a fact of living in a fallen world. And no government program or liberal fantasy is going to erase that reality. And just as there are dangerous individuals already in our communities, there are dangerous individuals who would like to make their way illegally across our borders: drug traffickers, human traffickers, other criminals, terrorists. Border Patrol agents stop them. And when dangerous individuals do make their way into our country, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents work to take these dangerous individuals off of our streets. Democrats may not like this reality. They may not like the fact that we need border security and immigration enforcement. But the fact remains that Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are two Agencies that play a key role in our safety. And the enormity of what Democrats have opted for cannot be overstated: no agents--zero agents--at the border; no one--no one--to stop dangerous individuals from making their way into our country; and no one--no one--to catch and deport these dangerous individuals if they do make it in. Republicans, of course, are not going to let that happen. As long as we are in charge, we are going to do everything we can to protect our borders and keep dangerous criminal illegal aliens off of our streets. And that is why, after weeks and weeks of attempting to negotiate a funding agreement with Democrats before they ultimately walked away, we are now set to consider a reconciliation bill to fund border security and immigration enforcement for the next 3 years. We have passed the budget resolution that will open the way for the final bill, and I hope my colleagues in the House will pass it in short order. We need law enforcement. It is too bad the Democratic Party doesn't always agree. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 75 (Wednesday, April 29, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 29, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2089-S2090] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, we need law enforcement. Nowhere was that more evident than on Saturday night, when a gunman attempted to storm the White House Correspondents' Dinner in an attempt to kill the President, individuals in the line of succession to the Presidency, and civilians who got in the way. We need law enforcement. We need the police officers who patrol our streets, the first to respond when someone is in danger or needs help. We need the FBI agents who investigate Federal crimes, from money laundering to kidnapping. We need the Secret Service agents who protect the President and Vice President and other dignitaries. We need sheriffs' offices and transit police and ATF agents, and, yes, we need the Federal law enforcement officers who patrol our borders and take dangerous illegal aliens off of our streets. You could be forgiven for thinking that I am stating the obvious. Ask most Americans, and I think you would find they say: Of course--of course--we need law enforcement. [[Page S2090]] But that doesn't always seem to be obvious to my Democratic colleagues. The ``defund the police'' movement and ``abolish ICE'' movements were both embraced by Members of the Democrat Party, and now Democrats are at it again. The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down because Democrats decided they don't want to fund border security or immigration enforcement. They refuse to fund the Border Patrol. They refuse to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They are refusing to fund any physical presence at our borders or any agents to take dangerous criminal illegal aliens off of our streets. Not only that, the Democrat leader made it very clear that his party doesn't ever--he doesn't even, I should say, respect the work these law enforcement agents are doing. ``Nobody in this country respects ICE and Border Patrol,'' the Democrat leader said on the floor last week. And when asked to clarify his comments to say whether he really thinks nobody respects agents who put their lives on the line to, for example, stop dangerous individuals from crossing the border, the Democrat leader declined to answer. He declined to answer. And I guess it is no surprise. Declining to fund these key law enforcement Agencies is a pretty good clue that Democrats don't respect the sacrifices these agents make to protect our country. Why do we need law enforcement officers? Because there are dangerous individuals out there who choose to do harm. That is just a fact of living in a fallen world. And no government program or liberal fantasy is going to erase that reality. And just as there are dangerous individuals already in our communities, there are dangerous individuals who would like to make their way illegally across our borders: drug traffickers, human traffickers, other criminals, terrorists. Border Patrol agents stop them. And when dangerous individuals do make their way into our country, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents work to take these dangerous individuals off of our streets. Democrats may not like this reality. They may not like the fact that we need border security and immigration enforcement. But the fact remains that Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are two Agencies that play a key role in our safety. And the enormity of what Democrats have opted for cannot be overstated: no agents--zero agents--at the border; no one--no one--to stop dangerous individuals from making their way into our country; and no one--no one--to catch and deport these dangerous individuals if they do make it in. Republicans, of course, are not going to let that happen. As long as we are in charge, we are going to do everything we can to protect our borders and keep dangerous criminal illegal aliens off of our streets. And that is why, after weeks and weeks of attempting to negotiate a funding agreement with Democrats before they ultimately walked away, we are now set to consider a reconciliation bill to fund border security and immigration enforcement for the next 3 years. We have passed the budget resolution that will open the way for the final bill, and I hope my colleagues in the House will pass it in short order. We need law enforcement. It is too bad the Democratic Party doesn't always agree. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. ____________________