ICYMI: Secretary Mullin Testifies on FY27 DHS Budget, Calls for Stable DHS Funding Following Democrat Shutdowns

WASHINGTON, D.C. --This week, the House Committee on Homeland Security convened a hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) budget request for Fiscal Year 2027, featuring testimony from DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin in his first appearance before the House of Representatives since his confirmation. DHS Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar also testified.

Homeland Republicans and Secretary Mullin discussed the critical security preparations already underway to safeguard upcoming major events, including the deployment of counter-drone capabilities, transportation security enhancements, and law enforcement coordination. Secretary Mullin emphasized that repeated funding disruptions have strained DHS's workforce, creating recruitment and retention challenges at a time when the nation faces an increasingly complex threat environment. Homeland Republicans underscored the importance of providing sufficient resources for the Department's essential components and their personnel to effectively carry out their missions-from defending our cyber networks and physical borders, to protecting the traveling public and strengthening our emergency preparedness.

In his opening statement, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY) discussed the growing threats facing the U.S. and Congress's responsibility to ensure DHS can keep pace:

"The Committee has focused on: the advancement of U.S. cyber resilience in an increasingly sophisticated threat landscape; reauthorizing and expanding vital counter-UAS authorities for state and local law enforcement ahead of upcoming major events; solidifying the border security successes of the Trump administration over the last 18 months; modernizing TSA screening technology and creating a more efficient, hassle-free traveler experience; reforming the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis to make sure threat intelligence is promptly shared with relevant entities; and exercising the Committee's oversight function to hear directly from DHS components on their efforts to accomplish and implement these goals, and to understand where Congress can provide greater support to ensure successful outcomes."

"As Secretary Mullin knows well, the world will be watching this summer as we host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and celebrate America's 250th birthday. These events are unique opportunities to showcase the best of America. They will require unprecedented collaboration between leaders at the federal, state, and local levels to secure these events and keep the public safe. DHS plays a leading role in this effort. While it's impossible to know every challenge that lies ahead, what we know for sure is that DHS must have the support, resources, personnel, and authorities needed to carry out its mission."

Chairman Garbarino asked how previous delays in FEMA preparedness grants have affected state and local security investments, including preparations for major upcoming events on U.S. soil, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"It is a challenge that we have because of the shutdown… Fortunately, the local and state partnerships, just along with ICE, DHS, and other DHS officials [were] still willing to go out and do their job for free. And so, we haven't dropped the mission, but it has made it more difficult. We're up against a timeline … and we have a lot of work to do. But our grants are out. We're getting the local law enforcement back pay because they didn't get the grants on equipment, on personnel, on overtime. We feel like we're in a good spot, but it definitely put us at risk. But I will tell you, I feel very comfortable where we're at, and we feel like we have a zero-fail mission."

Chairman Garbarino asked how the budget would support CISA's critical mission during a time of heightened cyber threats and following repeated shutdowns, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"During the shutdown… we had to readjust the way we're looking at CISA and better lean on public partnerships. We have a very unique authority that we take care of from international cyber all the way down to local, small businesses, large businesses, municipalities, and states. But we also take care of the communications at every major sporting event as well, including FIFA… If we can actually have the partnerships we need with states and be able to use the grants, the monies that's saved with CISA, to be able to invest with local and state municipalities. And I think we can. We're not going to fail on the mission that we have in front of us. And cyberattacks are only getting stronger."

Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) asked about the lingering impacts of repeated DHS funding lapses, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"It's been very difficult. When I walked into the building, we had been shut down for the fourth time, and I had a tremendous amount of employees that had the spirit of, 'Hey, we'll work for free because we have the greatest mission in the world, and that's protect the homeland.' The problem is not everybody has that mindset. Some people also have to have the ability to get to and from work. So often, the left wants to talk about the ones that are underpaid, but yet they refuse to pay the people that are actually showing up and protecting their backyard, their states, and our country… When you start trying to recruit the brightest and the best to come work for you and say, 'Oh, by the way, we may be shut down again because people on this same committee here [are] already starting to threaten to shut us down again September 30th. And you're going to go without pay again, by the way.' How are you going to get people to come work for you? And it's not that people aren't willing to."

Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Chairman Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) asked about how DHS is working to locate unaccompanied alien children after the previous administration's historic border crisis left them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"The ones we can't find, there's a reason why they're off the grid. And it's very, very concerning. HSI is spending a tremendous amount of resources, and ICE is spending a lot of resources on trying to locate these kids because it's vitally important. And they should never have been released the way they were on the border when they showed up like that. It's shameful and disgraceful… Every time we have a lack in funding, we have a lack of investigations going forward because we're limited to what we can do."

Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) asked about the increase in threats targeting federal law enforcement and their families, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"We have your colleagues from the other side of the aisle a lot of times talk about the mask and why they're masked men, but it's the doxing that takes place. This officer that was threatened didn't have a mask on, but he does have a family. And what's interesting is they knew his family because they're very sophisticated. These aren't just peaceful rioters or peaceful protesters out there. They're well-funded, and they have technology, and we see it immediately. When we have officers that are out there that don't have a mask on, they get doxxed, and their family start getting attacked on social media. They start getting attacked at their schools. They start getting verbally attacked… If we want to eliminate the officers from having to wear a mask, then increase the penalties. And we should all agree with if they dox them [or] threaten them in any way whatsoever, it should be a very stiff penalty."

Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman Dale Strong (R-AL) asked about DHS's efforts to mitigate drone threats ahead of the FIFA World Cup and other major international events, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"Counter-UAS is, I think, the largest concern that I have on a daily basis… And the fact that we're able to partner with Alabama to be able to put this center there, to be able to bring local law enforcement from all over the country and really, quite frankly, we're going to be bringing people from all over the world to be able to train in this facility and continue to grow and collaborate with those that have the best technology, the best ability, work with the private-public partnership is invaluable. And we look forward to seeing what that's going to produce by 2028 when the Olympics are here."

Subcommittee Chairman Strong also asked about the importance of ending the diversion of the 9/11 Passenger Security Fee, through his SAFEGUARDS Act , and investing the revenue into security technology, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"[TSA] touch more Americans and more people on a daily basis than any other government agency…. There's a lot of technology that is out there that we're just not utilizing. We feel like when we really bring in the private sector, we'll be able to expand and be ready once again. We have five to seven million visitors coming in for FIFA. We're going to have more than that in 2028 during the Olympics, and we need that process to continue to move without interruption."

Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability Chairman Josh Brecheen (R-OK) asked about the need to support the Secret Service amid a growing number of high-profile security events, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"Secret Service does a phenomenal job, and they're understaffed… President Trump, unfortunately, assassination attempts on him have become normal. And it's sad. It doesn't seem like it fazes him. He's laser-focused on his job. He trusts the Secret Service. I trust the Secret Service. They're the ones that protect me every single day. They are phenomenal people, but they're working around the clock… In 2028, we're going to have the busiest year for Secret Service in the history of the Secret Service… When you start taking Freedom 250, you start taking the FIFA games, you look at what's going on in the Olympics, the SEAR rating, that is the rating of seriousness of protection needs to be there, that's all [run] by Secret Service. Now, we partner with them, but they are stretched thin. And we're going to have to plus their budget up significantly to be able to allow them to meet that threat coming towards us."

Rep. Sheri Biggs (R-SC) asked how President Trump's strong border security policies have empowered DHS to combat transnational criminal organizations, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"Through CBP and HSTF and a partnership with the Mexican government, we've seen record amount of seizures, of drug seizures, money seizures, weapon seizures, and plus the arrest of these cartel leaders. They are highly sophisticated. They're highly organized too. Every single inch of our southern border and Mexico's northern border is controlled by nine separate cartels… We've seen drug seizures go up and the availability of drugs in our cities go down. Fortunately, we've seen fentanyl deaths go down, but they're way, way too high. That's all the pressure that we continue to pour into it. That's because of President Trump's leadership and the war that we have waged against the cartels and the poisoning of our streets and our cities and the amount of criminal activity that's taken place… And because we see we took the human trafficking away, which was a multi, multi-billion dollar industry that was stood up underneath the Biden administration, has went away. They started pushing harder on the drugs. We saw the narco boats. We started attacking. We started attacking the trafficking lanes on their borders. Now we're seeing them go underground. We're putting in that technology."

Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) asked how DHS is prioritizing immigration enforcement resources to target criminal migrants and whether sanctuary city policies are impeding efforts to remove dangerous offenders, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"We partner with local law enforcement and state law enforcement, [which] really helps put the pressure on these illegals. It's where we reimburse a local community, the state, for equipment, for hours that they put in to help go after the worst of the worst. We don't see that cooperation in and throughout Colorado… We also have a huge issue with the lax banking policies in the state banking system with the drug trafficking… When you do that, you encourage that kind of behavior. When you become a sanctuary city, you don't just become a sanctuary city where you're housing criminals, but that criminal activity pushes out from that state into surrounding states and surrounding areas."

Rep. Matt Van Epps (R-TN) asked how the budget proposal would help modernize the U.S. Coast Guard and strengthen the country's presence in the Arctic, to which Secretary Mullin testified:

"Icebreakers are obviously a huge asset that we lack. We have one icebreaker. Russia has 49. The president has made this a focus. Right now, we have 11 under contract. Hopefully, three will be delivered by 2028. And being able to respond to our own cargo ships, being able to respond to our own flagships, and also be able to help surrounding countries is vitally important. But it also allows us to get up to areas that are contested areas, which China is fishing in, Russia is exploring in, and areas they shouldn't be. So, the focus that President Trump has put in there by putting $24 billion into realignment and investment with the Coast Guard is extremely important. Keep in mind, the Coast Guard is our first line of defense. Before they make it to our sovereign land, they take care of our coastal waters."

Rep. Van Epps asked how reforming DHS's Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) will improve intelligence sharing and the Department's partnership with law enforcement at every level, to which Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar testified:

"The way that I&A is set up, we have 88 different fusion centers across the U.S. we insert ourselves into. So, we are the key line between the intelligence community and the law enforcement community into the local jurisdiction… The OSEM consolidation that you asked about, that actually consolidates I&A. One of the benefits of that that the President put forward is that we'll be able to consolidate the mission support. The things that aren't focused on the fusion centers, like CFOs, three CFOs for those different groups, procurement leads, all that. We basically are taking a lot of the back office out of that organization and being able to focus it on fusion centers."

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