Homeland Security

This week, world events have emphasized the importance of American readiness to keep our country safe and stand with our allies across the globe. The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria is another reminder many regions of the world do not enjoy the freedom and stability we do in the United States. It also underscores the need for decisive U.S. leadership as Assad’s rogue allies, such as Russia and Iran, may grow increasingly desperate.

This week, the American people chose to return Donald Trump to the White House while also electing a Republican majority to the Senate, and likely the House as well. Investors also received good news this week as the stock market had its best one-week rally in a year. Corn and soybean prices ended the week higher than they began, and multiple indexes surpassed record highs. This positive trend is not coincidental. The last Trump administration brought tax relief, regulatory relief, and an overall positive environment for job creation and investment.

Border security has long been a serious challenge facing our nation. Between the 1,933 miles of the US-Mexico border and the 5,525 miles comprising our borders with Canada, there is no shortage of vulnerabilities which can be exploited by America’s enemies. Ignoring this fact creates a crisis of national security, humanitarian concern, economic strain, and public safety. Sadly, under the open border policies of the Biden-Harris administration, the crisis has gotten worse.

One year has passed since the tragic massacre of Israelis by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The brutal terror attack took the lives of more than 1,100 civilians and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages, taken by Hamas into Gaza. The most recent reports indicate seven American citizens are among those taken hostage who remain unrecovered.

The attempted assassination of President Trump at a campaign rally held north of Pittsburgh last weekend has shocked the nation. Thankfully and miraculously, this heinous act of violence failed to take the former president’s life. To the relief of millions of Americans across the country, Trump was escorted away from the event with no life-threatening injuries.

Securing our country’s borders and safeguarding the American people are fundamental responsibilities of the federal government. Ongoing human trafficking at the border is a humanitarian crisis, and the smuggling of fentanyl and other illicit substances poses a serious risk to Americans.

The annual process to approve federal government spending requires Congress to pass and the president to sign 12 bills into law before the start of each fiscal year. Legislative consideration of these spending bills begins in the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, and, ideally, each bill moves through the legislative process individually until all 12 are enacted prior to September 30, the end of the federal fiscal year.