Pappas Statement on Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) released the following statement about his vote on H.R. 7147 - Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026:

“Granite Staters want law and order. They want their families to be safe. I appreciate the job that our law enforcement officers do every day, and I believe ICE should enforce our laws professionally, using the high standards employed by New Hampshire law enforcement.

“However, this administration has gone far beyond ICE's intended role and shown a clear disregard for the best practices and high standards that federal law enforcement must meet. Instead, we have seen this government conduct operations that, according to local leaders, are actually making our country less safe.

“That is why I introduced an amendment to this legislation to redirect $75 billion in excess funding from the Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act from ICE and send it instead to local police departments who know their communities best. Unfortunately, the Republican majority blocked this amendment.

“Knowing this, I voted against this spending bill because American citizens and taxpayers deserve accountable government and commonsense guardrails for ICE. I will continue to work to strengthen public safety and stand with New Hampshire’s law enforcement community, which should be a model for this country and our federal government on how to build trust, meet the highest possible standards, and keep people safe.”