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Chairman Burgess Opening Statement on H.R. 8752, H.R. 8771, and H.R. 8774

June 25, 2024

As prepared for delivery:

Good afternoon.
 
In 2014, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates famously stated then Vice President Biden: "Has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.” Ten years later in 2024, Gates lamented how the deterrent power of the U.S. declined in the last several years and concluded, “Nobody seems to be afraid of us.” It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out President Biden is the common denominator in this shocking turn of events.
 
Indeed, his failed leadership has destabilized the geopolitical order and threatened our national security. From appeasing our adversaries to opening the border, this president eroded years of hard work in the name of a naïve worldview. House Republicans remain committed to shielding Americans from the worst consequences of this Administration’s warped priorities. It’s why we’re here today. 

The Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and State and Foreign Operations appropriations bills recenter priorities, improve our global and domestic postures, and rightsize spending. I’d like to commend the Appropriations Committee for crafting legislation that responds to the Administration’s reckless approach while honoring our duty to the taxpayer.
 
For decades, peace through strength served this country well. President Biden abandoned that wisdom, and the state of the world today reflects the failure of Democrats’ foreign policy. Everywhere you turn, our adversaries took advantage of his willingness to appease them. In 2021, the President removed the Houthis from the list of foreign terrorist organizations, only to watch them storm the U.S. Embassy compound nine months later. Today, they’re harassing international shipping lanes and launching rockets at our troops and allied partners in the region.
 
They’re not the only adversaries he appeased. In November 2023, the Biden Administration reissued a sanctions waiver that gave Iran access to more than $10 billion. Five months later, Tehran launched the largest combined missile and drone assault ever against Israel. This Administration has emboldened bad actors. The world—and our national security—has suffered because of it.

H.R. 8774 reacts to the crisis we find ourselves in. It provides a total discretionary allocation of nearly $834 Billion, funding critical programs from hypersonic research to shipbuilding. Whether it is countering active threats or deterring the machinations of China and Russia, this measure makes much-needed headway. Additionally, the bill refocuses DOD on its core mission by defunding Green New Deal and DEI distractions within the pentagon budget. Our military should be laser-focused on prevailing in any conflict —they don’t need Washington to force them to make woke pit stops along the way.
 
Since President Biden entered office, he took over 60 executive actions that eroded border security. Time and time again, Republicans sounded the alarm on how destabilizing and dangerous these actions were for American national security. For years we weren’t only ignored, we were derided for daring to question the wisdom of dissolving our nation’s borders. Predictably, admitting scores of illegal immigrants from across the globe doesn’t make this country safer. In fact, as ICE and the FBI discovered, it allowed at least eight individuals with ties to ISIS to infiltrate major American cities. We’re on a knife’s edge for the sake of the President’s radical ideology.
 
Beyond the serious threat of terrorism, American lives have been cut short by criminal illegal immigrants on this Administration’s watch. Jocelyn Nungaray, Rachel Morin, Laken Riley, Alex Wise Jr., Lizbeth Medina, Melissa Powell, Riordan Powell, and Travis Wolfe are just a few of the individuals whose lives were stolen by this crisis. Travis was just twelve years old when he was killed. No matter what my fellow members across the aisle say, President Biden’s open borders policies certainly aren't making migrant crime less common.
 
The Appropriations Committee crafted H.R. 8752 with this terrifying situation at the forefront of their minds. It makes a much-needed down payment to secure our southern border by providing $600 million for construction of the southern border wall and prohibits the dismantling or removal of existing border barriers. The bill also ensures the removal of dangerous criminals from our nation by providing $4.1 billion for custody operations—more than ever previously appropriated. There’s also $822 million to fund transportation and removal operations for removable aliens. The President’s open borders agenda must be contained before it’s too late.
 
Finally, the Rules Committee will consider the FY25 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. It provides funding for operations, programs, and activities that support our national security and interests while reducing overall spending. Our allies as well as our adversaries are very much aware of President Biden’s missteps. Within the bill, Israel receives $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing to defend itself as it faces multiple threats to its continued existence. Additionally, the Countering PRC Influence Fund at is funded at $400 million, ensuring strategic deterrence with China.
 
I expect my friend the Ranking Member will find fault with the underlying measures. That’s his prerogative. Indeed, it would be unusual for the minority to applaud the efforts of the majority in advancing their agenda to the floor. But I would like to offer two observations that I think most Americans are keenly aware of: 1) The world has become much more dangerous than it was nearly four years ago and 2) President Biden has been at the helm the entire time. House Republicans are doing our utmost to reverse the reckless impulses that put us on this path and keep Americans safe. I for one cannot find fault with that.
 
I look forward to enlightening testimony from the Appropriations Committee and the opportunity to advance critical legislation that bolsters national security at a pivotal moment.
 

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