As we consider how to deploy AI to better secure the homeland, we must keep 3 critical principles in mind.

Artificial intelligence is not new. The Department of Homeland Security and its components have a long history of trying to understand how to most appropriately leverage the capacity AI provides.

I commend President Biden on last year's Executive Order on AI which put the Federal Government on the path of developing and deploying AI in a manner consistent with these principles.

The Government must rigorously assess appropriate use cases for AI and ensure that the deployment of AI will not jeopardize the civil rights, civil liberties, or privacies of the public.

We must ensure that AI models we use and the data to train them do not reinforce existing biases.

AI is also a tool the work force will use to carry out their jobs more effectively. It is not and should not ever be a replacement for people.

Advances in AI will only make their job easier, so we must redouble our efforts to identify manipulated content and empower the public to identify malicious foreign influence operations.

Because of a law he authored, aptly named the Homeland Security for Children Act, the Department of Homeland Security must plan for children's unique needs during disasters.

Congressman Payne served in Washington, DC, but his heart never left Newark's South Ward.

In our mind, you should be safe.

It is critical that Congress continues its support for TSA's new pay system, which is having a significant, positive impact.

He gave a voice to the voiceless. He never wavered. He never backed down.

In honor of National Police Week, I also want to recognize the incredible contributions of law enforcement and honor those brave officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our communities safe.

Because of Congressman Payne's advocacy, the Department of Homeland Security today reports to Congress on school security.

Congressman Payne's legacy lives on in the work he did in Congress.

Yesterday, along with a group of bipartisan cosponsors, I introduced legislation to codify pay improvements and expanded collective bargaining rights for the TSA work force in statute.

It's about supporting law enforcement not just with ceremonial words or symbolic gestures but showing up when it counts.

While extreme MAGA Republicans try to cut funding and undermine public trust in law enforcement, Democrats are committed to providing Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement with funding and support.

TSA's pay raises and new collective bargaining agreement were made possible by the initial, historic funding provided by Democrats in the 2022 omnibus spending bill.

Administrator Pekoske has worked closely with Congress to make great strides in expanding workplace rights and critical pay increases for TSA's workers, who have long been left behind.

Now, we must work with our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to secure the funding needed to advance these priorities in 2025.

Some of us advocate universal background checks for people who own guns.

We've never, ever voted against law enforcement.

The United States Government, and this Congress, must look under every rock to identify the cause of these health incidents.

The Department of Homeland Security plays an important role in overseeing component acquisition activities and driving program effectiveness and accountability.