VIDEO: Congresswoman Ramirez Blasts FY25 Homeland Security Appropriations

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03),the Vice Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee, voted against the Republican-led H.R. 8752, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2025. According to the Congresswoman, the legislation would weaken intergovernmental collaboration, deconstruct effective national security policies, undermine global collaboration, and decrease efficiencies. 

Earlier this week, Ramirez took to the House floor to oppose the legislation in debate. Video here. 

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Transcript:

I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 8752. 

As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, my level of frustration with the Republicans’ Homeland Security budget is hard to overstate. 

We can all agree that a Homeland Security Appropriations bill should protect our communities and our national security. ALL while fulfilling our commitment to the international community. 

Yet, the Republican majority’s bill doubles down on bad policies and proven failures.

There are too many destructive, cruel policies in this bill to outline, but let me highlight a few: 

• $600 million for the construction of a border wall to embolden cartels and endanger our communities, environment, and sacred lands. 
• $4.1 billion for ICE to detain and traumatize families seeking safety and stability. 
• Defunding USCIS, which will increase immigration processing backlogs and make it harder to identify possible threats to our communities.
• Defunding the critical Shelter and Services Program to create chaos in cities fulfilling our nation’s promise, like Chicago, and endangering the lives of asylum seekers across our nation.
• Defunding community-based alternatives to detention, cost-burdening taxpayers. 
• Expanding programs that enable racial profiling.
   

If your goal is to sow chaos, weaken intergovernmental collaboration, deconstruct effective policies, undermine collaboration, decrease efficiencies, and destroy families - well then, THIS IS YOUR BILL. 

Folks, don’t let the overt anti-immigrant racism masqueraded as “fiscal responsibility” and “protection of the Homeland” fool you. 

The legislation does not “fund the core responsibilities of the Department that protects the Homeland.”

And it doesn’t fulfill our commitments to our neighbors, reflecting the best parts of who we are as a nation. 

I urge my colleagues to vote no. 

I yield back.