Kevin Yoder
U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS) has been named chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“I’m humbled and honored my colleagues have placed their faith in me to do this job – and I’m ready to get to work,” said Rep. Yoder, who in his new role will be responsible for authoring legislation to fund DHS and its related agencies, which include Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Secret Service.
Legislation that Rep. Yoder will help steer through the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee sets federal government priorities regarding some of the nation’s most-pressing issues right now: border security, immigration enforcement, counterterrorism, drug and human trafficking, cyberterrorism, natural disaster response, aviation security and customs activities.
“Securing our border and protecting our homeland from the ongoing threat of terrorism are two of the primary roles of our federal government and keeping our nation safe is our most sacred priority,” said Rep. Yoder on May 15 in a statement responding to his initial recommendation for the position by the U.S. House Republican Steering Committee.
“The Department of Homeland Security was created to carry out that mission in the wake of the attacks on September 11, 2001 and I will ensure they are provided with the resources to do so,” the congressman said.
The steering committee’s recommendation of Rep. Yoder followed the retirement and resignation of U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA), chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. The steering committee recommended U.S. Rep. John Carter (R-TX), the current chairman of the panel’s homeland security subcommittee, to replace Rep. Dent, and advocated moving Rep. Yoder into Rep. Carter’s slot from his previous position as chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, on May 16 announced the committee and subcommittee membership changes, which were approved by the U.S. House Republican Conference earlier that same day.
“We are in the midst of a very aggressive and busy appropriations season,” Chairman Frelinghuysen said. “With the retirement of one of our great subcommittee chairmen, Charlie Dent, we needed to bring a new member on board, and have made additional changes in subcommittee leadership as well.”
Joining the full committee is U.S. Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL). Rep. Frelinghuysen also will serve as chairman of the panel’s Legislative Branch Subcommittee in place of Rep. Yoder.
“I look forward to working closely with them over the next weeks and months to complete all 12 appropriations bills in the House, and to fulfill our fiscal commitments to the country and the American people,” Rep. Frelinghuysen said about the new subcommittee chairs.
Lawmakers currently are working on fiscal year 2019 government appropriations, which includes proposed funding to build President Donald Trump’s wall between the United States and Mexico to stop the flow of illegal immigrants into America.
“In my years in Congress, I’ve traveled to our Southern border and have seen the work that must be done,” Rep. Yoder said. “We must keep drugs and criminals out of our country to ensure that every family in every corner of America feels safe when they lay their head down to sleep at night.”
For that to happen, the congressman said, there must be “physical structures at the border.” But Rep. Yoder pointed out that enhanced technology, improved military defense systems, and additional manpower also are needed. “No ideas should be discarded,” he said.
“Finding common ground solutions to our nation’s problems might seem harder and harder these days, but I’m up to the challenge,” said Rep. Yoder. “I look forward to working with both my Republican and Democratic colleagues on the subcommittee to craft policies that work for everyone.”