As the debate over funding DHS continues to drag on, former secretaries are starting to get in on the fight. Former DHS chiefs Tom Ridge, Michael Chertoff and Janet Napolitano are all pushing Congress to fund the agency through the end of the fiscal year.
Here is Napolitano’s full statement below:
During my more than five years as Secretary of Homeland Security, I saw firsthand the dedication and commitment of those who serve on the frontlines across the country, from the Border Patrol Agent in the Rio Grande Valley to the Transportation Security Officer at LaGuardia. In that time, we responded to many threats to the homeland, from the Boston Marathon bombings, to the H1N1 flu pandemic; from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill to Hurricane Sandy that affected millions along the east coast. I know the incredible value of these hard-working men and women to the safety and security of our nation.
While many in Congress may disagree with the Administration on how to reform our broken immigration system, we all recognize and agree that the mission of DHS is too important to compromise. Given recent world events and the continuing evolution of the adversary we face, our efforts to protect the country cannot be put at risk.
I stand with Secretary Johnson, along with former Secretaries Ridge and Chertoff, in calling for the passage of a clean full-year appropriations bill for DHS. That is what the men and women of DHS deserve. That is what this country deserves.
