Lawmaker urges colleagues to back amendment increasing counterterrorism funding amid Iran war

A lawmaker on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs urged colleagues to support an amendment intended to boost funding for counterterrorism programs, saying the United States faces heightened threats tied to the war with Iran and its proxies.

The lawmaker opened by saying, “we are more than two months into a war with Iran and its proxies,” and pointed to a recent Department of Justice prosecution, saying DOJ charged an Iraqi militia leader with involvement in attacks on Jewish sites in Europe and with planning attacks on three U.S. synagogues. The speaker said those developments underscore the need for sustained counterterrorism resources.

The lawmaker accused the White House of weakening parts of the nation’s counterterrorism infrastructure. “This White House has fired personnel at the Department of Justice and FBI associated with investigations the president doesn't like,” the lawmaker said, and added that the administration “has cut CISA, our cyber security agency, by a third and has delayed and politicized FEMA and DOJ grants to state and local law enforcement as well as non-profit organizations.” Each of those statements was presented by the speaker as an assertion; the transcript does not record corroboration or a response to those specific allegations during this segment.

The speaker framed the amendment as a targeted funding fix: “this amendment will ensure funding we need to help combat these very real threats and would urge my colleagues to support it,” the lawmaker said. The transcript records the appeal for support but does not show a formal motion, a named mover or seconder, or any vote on the amendment.

The committee discussion in the provided transcript segment centers on the lawmaker’s claims and the plea for the amendment; the record here does not include other members’ responses, staff detail, or procedural action. The transcript therefore reflects an advocacy statement to colleagues and does not document adoption, referral, or next procedural steps for the amendment.