To Members of the U.S. House of Representatives:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports H.R. 8752, the Fiscal Year 2025 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, which would fund federal agencies and programs to protect America and its borders.
In particular, the Chamber supports provisions of the bill that would:
- Provide cap relief for the employers of H-2B workers and prevent arbitrary and legally questionable asylum program fees from being imposed upon U.S. companies that employ foreign nationals.
- Require Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to undertake a report on Organized Retail Crime, which is a persistent problem for businesses and consumers. The Chamber stands ready to contribute to HSI’s efforts to create a comprehensive strategy to counter organized retail crime.
- Establish a Supply Chain Fraud and Theft Task Force (SCFTTF). Coordination of resources is one of the most critical needs to combat supply chain fraud and theft. Chamber members are perfectly positioned to contribute to the work of federal law enforcement agencies to ensure a coordinated, multi-agency, cross-jurisdictional, intelligence-based, and prosecutor-led approach to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the criminal organizations responsible for the large-scale theft and related violence in the American supply chain.
However, the Chamber is disappointed that provisions that would have helped more farmers obtain needed H-2A agricultural workers and provided additional certainty for H-2B employers, which were included in the bill as reported by the Committee on Appropriations, were removed without explanation from the bill to be considered by the full House. Removing these provisions foregoes an opportunity to help many businesses of all sizes to grow and create jobs for American workers.
The Chamber urges you to pass H.R. 8752, the Fiscal Year 2025 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act.
Sincerely,
Neil L. Bradley
Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer,
and Head of Strategic Advocacy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
