Public service along with these other television providers. Giving you a front row seat to democracy. Next up next nearest state officials testify on migrant campsite National Park service land. They pose the recent approval of a field in brooklyn by new yorks governor to be used as a temp or a site to house migrants coming into new york city. The committee will come to order without objection that shares authorized to declare a racist at any time. The committee is meeting today to hear testimony on destroying americas best idea, examining the bite administrations use of National Park service land for migrant camps. I ask unanimous consent all members testifying today befy allowed to sit with the committee, it give their testimony participate in then hearing. The gentlewoman from new york and the gentlewoman from new york additional we have got the gentleman from new york and mr. Texas, mr. Pflueger from texas. Without objection so ordered. Under Committee Rule any Opening Statements are limited to the chairman and ranking minority member therefore asking honest consent all other members be made part of the hearing record they are submitted in accordance to Committee Rule. Without objection so ordered. I now recognize myself before we get into the testimony i will recognize myself an opening statement. Good morning, thank you for joining us hereng today. New york city democrat mayor eric adams recently said the endless flow of Illegal Migrants to hisan hometown will destroy e city. He is rights. Last week i saw that firsthand. And the numbers do not lie. In august of this year 232,000 Illegal Immigrants float across our southern border that as to the 6 million that flowed across the border since President Biden was inaugurated. The last 11 months of the fiscal year is it unbelievable fact 25000 pounds of sentinel has been what her 51 people on the terrorist watch list have been apprehended at her southern border. Theres one more number, eight. Eight democrat governors have declared a state of emergency Illegal Immigrants have flooded their cities and states. The endless flow of Illegal Immigrants over our southern border iss not only to string individual cities and states, its destroying our country. Now, the bite administration is looking to spread this chaos to one of americas greatest ideas, our National Parks. Let me set the stage. Gateway National Recreation area unit of the National Park system is the lifeline to the outdoors in the middle of newo york city. They provide states for the citys Largest Community garden. Campgrounds, fishing and boating access, and even a unit of u. S. Naval sea cadet course. Last year gateway had more than 9 billion visitors. Facing political pressure the bite administration rubberstamped the proposal to allow the construction of shelters for migrants inside the park boundaries. They Committee First heard rumors of bidens plant in late august. When i visited the area last week the lease was signed it. I would not be surprised at their constructing migrants as we speak. NNational ParkService Officials told me verbatim they are shortcutting to build these. Ceq backed up with a Public Statement and i quote there is not time to complete an Environmental Assessment before action must be taken to address imminent threats. And it may of 2023 at a Senate Hearing and i quote one of the key function i is to prevent the damage and costs that arise from a rush, biased, incomplete environmental decisionmaking. In case you did not catch that im going to say it again. Four months ago ceq chair said quote one of the key functions is to prevent the damage cost a ride from rush to biased incomplete environmental decisionmaking. In ceq last week stated to the press quote there is not time to complete an Environmental Assessment before action must be taken to address imminent threat. Our founders talked about our job as we the people. In order to form a more Perfect Union not a Perfect Union but a more Perfect Union and to establish justice and ensure domestic trance quality the preamble goes on. Look at the first two things establishing justice and ensuring domestic tranquility. I just two sets of standards establish justice . How can one interpretation four months before another interpretation give anybody assurance were working towards a more perfectar union by establishing justice . How does the actions we are seeing across the country that the southernre border, how does that give us confidence work on orcompetent domestic tranquilit . And furthermore this action is on a piece of National Park service land that in its enabling legislation specifically prohibits housing. It would not matter if it were on a mountaintop. This land happens to be in a floodplain that flooded just this past weekend. Isnt it supposed to protect human life . How is building a migrant camp in a floodplain humane . I cannot tell you will be times i sit right here in this room and listen to my colleagues pontificate on the sanctity of a bedrock environmental law. Even as some of those conversations contribute to Energy Poverty for everyday americans. Now the present is facing public backlash from a border crisis unlike any of this nation has ever seen, the administration suddenly is reversing coursead ignoring every Environmental Protection in thehe book. Time and again we seem President Biden and his folks embrace the rules for the and not for me. Its absolute shameful way to a govern. And once again there is no justice in a double standard. Last week a letter to dois secretary at National ParkService Charles sams demanding to know more about how their plan to house migrants and National Parks came to be. Including the role ceq on signing off on the socalled emergency action. The secretary has yet to respond then her silence is deafening. We need answers. Last week in new york city got kicked out of a processing facility i heard park officials sayic they are bypassing our environmental lawsuit build a migrant camps in a small park fused by a Million People a year who live nearby. Our National Parks are americas most treasuredos places. Ive seen earlier they were andn called her best idea. I wont sit back will President Biden takes them away comes of his own making. Building camps on the Park Service Land in the middle of new york city is not addressing the real problem its putting another bandaid on a bigger problem. Having one vittert 1820000 migrants in new york city is about a small amount whats affecting the rest of ourou country. And to own their mistakes take the corrective action to stop the flow of migrants is not just republicans sayingt. Them. President biden his disaster of the southern border is now affecting her National Parks. Enough is enough. I look forward to her in the testimony. I yield back and recognize the Ranking Member for an opening statement. Thank you, mr. Chairman. You assume the leadership of this committee and im cautiously optimistic. Tthat gap between our policy views is wide. I have come to think of you as a reasonable colleague. I hope these qualities be it and it works todays hearing is neither reasonable nor principled. Its a d humanizing political stunt. The current influx of migrants and humanitarian crisis no doubt. That deserves meaningful comprehensive solutions. Solutions rooted in upholding our values and human rights. And solutions that would provide resources to respond to the crisis and the humanitarian needs we are confronting. Solutions that are based on facts not rhetoric from talking heads. Solutions that accept the reality we are dealing with. Solutions that deal with security. Nobody is denying that. No one on our side is saying lets open up the borders and see what happens. But we also have to understand were dealing with the Global Crisis. Oa crisis of major proportions affecting the third world primarily across this globe. Its built on poverty repression and oppression. Political and otherwise. Democratic government in all parts of the world. Violence, the collapse of civil society, organized criminals and groups that affect every decision for these countries in these communities. The claimant that is impacting our world in a very direct way. This impact of a Global Crisis in kuwait creating the challenges we confront not only on the southern border but across thisor nation are driveny root causes. That is part of the solution as well. But wet wont hear about any of that today. It is not aboutau solutions. It is not meant for it solutions todays hearing is an excuse for republicans a double down on the failed policies of the Trump Administration. On it is an excuse to distract the American People from the fact that republicans are pushing us into a shutdown that does not need to happen. The Government Shutdown they will actually slow down the processing of asylum applications i might t add. And finally this is an excuse to use National Parks and public land is a political to fuel anti immigrant rhetoric that creates the division in our country and the Republican Party sees is the only political advantage moving to the 2024 election. So of course were going to hear about it. We are going to continue to hear about it. Note solutions were just going to hear about a. Appeared for anyone who believes this hearing let me quickly relieve you of any misguidance you might have on that. My gop colleagues cared about the parks it would increase funding for the park service. Does the opposite of passing appropriation bills for Park Services underfunded budget. My gop colleagues cared about they would make a real effort to hold the oil, gas and Mining Companies accountable for the mess as they believe in a public land. Instead they do the opposite they continue pushing bill after bill to better environmental laws and give a cheap or free stick taxpayers with the cleanup bill. Colleagues actually cared about the American People who keep our government funded an open our most basic responsibility in congress. To my republican colleagues migrants scapegoating with the political rhetoric on this issue not here drumbeat fox news shout speakers county court the etretweets and they are right on track and right onht target. This is a serious issue. It is of crisis proportion. No one denies that. We had help from the initiation of this house of representatives there would be some response of the initiative by President Biden of Immigration Reform and fennec adequately would be needed to be done to agility managing crisis. I suspect i dont suspect i believe this is a self fulfilling prophecy. You willut not hear solutions fr my colleagues. You will hear the rhetoric weve been hearing over and over again. And without a clear solution. If there is that middle ground and a consensus to be reached we want to work on that. But to say this hearing is about protection and epiphany has occurred to save our public land is a mistake. It is e an excuse. The selffulfilling prophecy that americans need to be aware of is the worst that it gets the better in the political calculations of the republicann party. As a Biden Administration responded the way it should every time, no. I have complaints about the resource allocations from being able to respond to this an effective and efficient ways. I have complaints about that. But congress is not done its job. This is a broken immigration law. We have been dealing with for decades. If the republicans are serious, we are serious to find solutions in common ground. But if this is just about maintaining a political advantage are using this going into 2024 is the only issue republicans have then we cant work with that. So, as we go forward with his hearing i can only say this is not an opportunity to discuss a serious manner solution. This is to try to create the division and thehe rhetoric thas being pumped into this issue over and over again. With that i yield back mr. Chairman for quick to judgment yield back i remind the committee its fully under our authority and jurisdiction to have oversight over the National Park service. This is an issue that is important to our committee. And i believe to the American Public on the broader issue of immigration i will say republicans have acted we passed hr to to secure our border acts. The comprehensive reform bill the first time that has been done definitely since ive been in congress and any kind of hmemory i have of laws getting past. The senate unfortunately is not taken that bill up i hope we give them another opportunity to do that. Before i introduce the Witnesses Today i will note we plan on having two panels today. The firste event wouldve inclue would includeNational Park servr chuck sams solicitor anderson and doi Principal Deputy assistant mooney. But they chose not to appear before us today. All of these we understand play a role at at the bequest of the white house to rubberstamp. We provide a little over a weeks notice i expect the doi National Park servicece officias signed off on a state of emergency would want to urgently discuss that matter with congress and the American Public. We noticed this hearing on the First Business day after the lease was signed. With that being said we will use all available tools at the discretion of the committee to compel them to discuss this matter with us and the American People in the near future. I do want to thank the witnesses who have agreed to testify before us today. I look forward to hearing your testimony. Our witnesses are honorable the honorable Jamie Williams new York State Assembly member for theer 59th district. Ms. Eleanor senior director of refugee protection and human rights first. Nd mr. Kenneth spencer chairman of the United States fraternal order of the police. Let meet remind the witnesses under Committee Rules you must limit your oral statements to five minutes. Your entire statement will appear in the hearing record. To begin your testimony please press the button on the microphone. We use timing lights when you begin light will turn green and then it will turn red ill ask you to please complete your statement. The chart recognizes chair recos councilwoman for five minutes. X think it mr. Chair. Thank you mr. Ranking checker as well as numbers of the committee. The primary duty of the National Park service is to protect the National Parks and the National Monuments under his jurisdiction. Keep them as nearly in their natural state as this can be done in view of the fact access to them must be provided in order they may be used and enjoyed. These words were written by Steven Mather the first director of the National Park service back in 19205. Much of the last century they have held true until now. With the offering and signing the federal governments going directly against what countless other officials the decades have repeatedly said should be the primary duty of the National Park service. Rather than providing access to the National Parks abase the federal governments restricting the ability of the public to fully enjoy 1300 acres of forest land on the shores of jamaica bay. Instead of enabling Public Access to the National Park service it is instead agreeing to house 2000 people on the former runway of this aviation landmark. Not only is thisn decision to house thousands of people a violation of the founding ideals of the National Park service, but is also a violation of the agreement made to establish the gateway National Recreationat foundation as well. On september 26 of 1972 then congressman frank made it clear white the site is incompatible with any plans for housing at this location there are no sewers, no sidewalks, no curbs, no streets forom there are no schools, no medical facilit