Homeland Security

Good afternoon, Mr. Secretary, and welcome. This is your first appearance before our subcommittee and your first opportunity to answer questions on the President's Fiscal Year 2015 budget request. I hope you will find our hearings to be both constructive and beneficial to your mission as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The relationship between the Appropriations Committee, Cabinet Secretaries, and component heads is critical to ensuring agencies have the resources they need, while protecting taxpayer dollars.

I'd like to thank Chairman Rodgers, Judge Carter, and Ranking Member Price for their leadership. This subcommittee values our role in protecting our homeland as well as the bipartisan working relationship we foster to meet this goal.

Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, today issued the following statement on President Obama's FY 2015 budget request:

"The FY2015 budget and appropriations process offers Congress its best opportunity in years to reject the politics of brinkmanship and crisis management, and instead fulfill our responsibility to invest in our future, create and protect jobs, and support services on which American families rely.

2013 enacted level: $39.6 billion

2014 House bill: $39.0 billion

2014 Omnibus: $39.3 billion

· $10.6 billion for Customs and Border Protection, $220.4 million more than the 2013 enacted level.

· $5.27 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, $158.1 million less than the 2013 enacted level but $122.7 million more than the 2013 post-sequester level.