U.S. Senator Katie Britt Chairs Senate Subcommittee on Homeland Security Appropriations Hearing

Reviews President's FY27 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security Appropriations, yesterday led a hearing reviewing the President's Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

In her opening remarks, Senator Britt thanked Secretary Mullin for his leadership at DHS, especially during multiple government shutdowns: "I want to take a minute to express my appreciation for how you've stepped into your role at DHS. You've been a stabilizing force in a department that was struck with multiple shutdowns while carrying out an extraordinarily complex and multifaceted mission. Your workforce has too often been used as political pawns, denied their well-deserved salaries, and placed under unimaginable stress because of the dysfunction of this body and it's unacceptable…"

She continued, condemning recent, violent, anti-ICE riots at the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility: "Mr. Secretary, this hearing falls against the backdrop of a very tense situation at one of your facilities in New Jersey. Let me be clear: all Americans have the right to protest the government, and you will meet no bigger supporter of the First Amendment than myself, but the situation we've seen unfolding at the facility goes well beyond peaceful protest. It's devolved into violence and riots, including against law enforcement personnel working to keep Americans safe. It's simply not acceptable to assault ICE officers or obstruct lawful federal operations. I hope that my colleagues will join me in condemning this violence and the chaos that we've seen in the last few days."

Senator Britt also highlighted Democrats' refusal to fully fund DHS in FY26: "We can't really address the topic of our 2027 funding bill without addressing reconciliation. I am beyond disappointed that we were unable to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the bipartisan appropriations process. While fierce disagreements amongst Democrats and Republicans are not new, breaking apart appropriations bills over a refusal to fund basic operations of the government is truly uncharted territory. I hope the actions in this Congress remain an outlier and not a new precedent. As disappointing as this process has been, I want to stress my support for passing the reconciliation bill and provide the necessary funding for ICE and CBP to do their job."

In her first line of questioning, the Senator asked Secretary Mullin, "…[W]hat do you believe is most critical that we invest in there at the Department of Homeland Security that's in front of us today to make sure that we keep our border secure, but we keep Americans safe, and that the mission of Homeland Security, that you're able to fully execute that?"

Secretary Mullin responded, saying, "The biggest issue we're having right now is with personnel because we went through a historic shutdown. 76 days, (the) longest shutdown in the government's history. That's our fourth shutdown in a year. So, you can imagine morale has been tough. Without people, it doesn't make any difference what you implement, you're going to fall short … I inherited the greatest group of people, the most dedicated patriotic workforce in the nation because they're all there, working, still showing up for free. But some people couldn't sustain it …. and we lost a tremendous amount of workforce, in fact, about 8% … That makes it very difficult for us to deliver on the mission."

Senator Britt then asked Secretary Mullin about his long-term vision for TSA, saying, "It seems as though TSA is moving in a direction that might culminate years down the line and serving as more of a coordinator or a regulator of security, rather than performing security screening functions…"

Secretary Mullin responded, "… 10 of our top 20 airports are part of [TSA's Screening Partnership Program] … What we recognize with the (FY26 DHS) shutdown is those airports didn't miss a beat, they were able to continue to perform. So, what we're asking is, let's expand on that since we know is a success and … let's partner with a private industry with some of the best technology to move us to the gold standard of traveling, moving down the road. And we can get there faster because private industry can adjust faster than we can. But to lower the mission or the requirement to keep our skies safe is not an option. We want to actually elevate that, and we can do that with the help of the private sector…"

In her second round of questions, the Senator asked the Secretary about the newest Coast Guard Training Center which will be located at Birmingham-Southern College: "I can't tell you how pleased I am that the Coast Guard has chosen to establish a listed leadership training center in Birmingham, Alabama. I certainly look forward to being there later this week with Admiral Lunday and hopefully others. And I understand that the Coast Guard's training centers are at [maximum] capacity, the ones that we currently have. So, Mr. Secretary, how will the creation of the training center at Birmingham-Southern allow the Coast Guard to deliver world class training support to ensure the continuous deployment of mission ready personnel to the fleet?"

Secretary Mullin emphasized the importance of increased training for our Coast Guard: "Our biggest asset we have throughout the DHS, including the Coast Guard, is our personnel … but it takes a tremendous amount of training … So, when we are able to invest in their continuing training and build to see that they have the skills and the tools needed to deliver on the threats that face America and our waterways every single day is vitally important."

Senator Britt also highlighted the National Computer Forensic Institute (NCFI) in Hoover, Alabama, saying, "Secretary Mullin, like you, I am proud of the U.S. Secret Service and the work that our law enforcement agencies do every day to keep American safe … Through its partnership with the Secret Service, NCFI has trained thousands of law enforcement professionals and is [equipping] them with advanced forensic tools to investigate cybercrime, financial fraud, and online exploitation …"

Lastly, Senator Britt discussed her longstanding and continued support for FEMA's Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama, saying, "…[T]he FEMA Review Council's final report stated the council recommends reviewing all existing FEMA programs and maintaining those that are critical to our national security. It went on to say that rather than replacing successful programs, the future agency should double down on those with a proven track record of effective … federal, state and local partnerships such as the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, National Urban Search and Rescue Program, and the Center for Domestic Preparedness. I agree with the Council's recommendation for the strengthening the Center for Domestic Preparedness."

You can view the Senator's full opening statement here and her questions here and here.

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