| WASHINGTON — Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), House Homeland Security Committee ranking member, today delivered an opening statement at a committee markup considering 17 bills, including H.R. 2203, a hyper-partisan border bill that would undermine U.S. security and do nothing to address the underlying causes of the border crisis.
Most of the bills we will consider today present effective solutions to important homeland security issues.
These bills were brought forward in a fair and bipartisan manner. Unfortunately, the first bill we will consider today was not.
Last week, the Speaker released an edict to quickly move new border related legislation. According to the press, it was an effort by the Speaker to put down an uprising from the radical left in her caucus, who were upset with passage of the bipartisan border supplemental.
So today, in one of the worst rush jobs I’ve seen in the 16 years I’ve been on this committee, the Chairman is hastily moving H.R. 2203.
The Chairman did not share the text of the ANS we are considering today until late yesterday afternoon. This is a violation of Committee rules that require 48 hours’ notice. It was also 5 hours after the amendment deadline.
As a result, Members on both sides have scrambled to read and understand what the ANS does and redraft their amendments accordingly.
It is absurd that Members are being treated this way. It undermines the integrity of this House and the credibility of this Committee.
We will be having a procedural vote shortly on whether to consider the ANS today. I encourage all Members who care about the credibility of this Committee to vote NO.
My hope is that after today, the Chairman will return to regular order and commit to conducting our business meetings in a fair and forthright manner.
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