“Securing the Homeland is an American Imperative”: Chairman Green Opens House Homeland’s Organizational Meeting for the 119th Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN) delivered the following opening statement for the Committee's organizational meeting for the 119th Congress.

Watch Chairman Green's opening statement.

As prepared for delivery:

I would like to welcome Members of the Committee on Homeland Security to the 119th Congress - both our new Members and those returning. I am honored to once again lead this Committee.

I would like to thank Ranking Member Thompson and all our Members for their collaboration in finalizing our Committee's Rules so that we can get on to the important business of the Committee.

Securing the homeland is an American imperative.

I hope for a productive partnership with my Democrat colleagues.

Over the last four years, the world has grown more dangerous than at any point since World War II. Today we face a myriad of threats not seen by previous generations. Sadly, we saw one of these play out in New Orleans on New Year's Day.

The Biden-Harris administration failed to confront these threats head-on. Consequently, our adversaries worldwide are bolder than ever, conflict and instability are spreading, and threats to our national security are multiplying.

The world has always been a dangerous place, but President Biden's leadership, the threats and dangers to our homeland, and to our very way of life, multiplied.

In just four years, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded nearly 11 million encounters. The damage done by those who have already crossed will take decades to undo.

Cyberspace has increasingly become the battlefield on which America's adversaries undermine our sovereignty and threaten the services that underpin the everyday lives of Americans.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-affiliated threat actor 'Volt Typhoon' is no longer alone in its dangerous success. For example, Salt Typhoon, even more concerning, has now infiltrated backdoors in major internet service providers and threatened the security of telecommunications, as well as other sectors. There is no question that the CCP is strategically pre-positioning itself in the event of escalation in the Indo-Pacific-and we must do more to prepare.

Our oversight and legislative agenda will tackle both the border and cybersecurity, as well as a significant number of other issues facing our nation.

Fortunately, President Trump's win, and his Administration, signal a return to the policies that kept America safe and secure, and our enemies at bay. It will be incumbent on Congress to put aside political differences and give the Trump administration all the tools it needs to continue advancing America's interests.

Part of accomplishing this means reforming the Department of Homeland Security into an agency that can protect our homeland against the evolving threats facing our nation.

I hope for bipartisanship in the 119th Congress and look forward to working together.

While we may occasionally disagree on our approach to securing our homeland, that doesn't mean we need to be disagreeable. I ask all Members to remember why we are here, and to remain focused on facts and policy rather than personal attacks.

I am excited to get to work.

###

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.