House lawmaker urges passage of Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act amid DHS shutdown
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Summary
On the House floor a lawmaker urged members to approve the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, citing 41 days of a partial shutdown, missed paychecks for more than 100,000 workers and strains on TSA and FEMA.
A House lawmaker urged colleagues on the House floor to pass the "Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act," saying the measure would comprehensively fund the Department of Homeland Security and restore pay and operational capacity for frontline personnel.
The lawmaker framed the current lapse as an escalation from last year's full government shutdown, saying the Department of Homeland Security is on day 41 of a partial shutdown and warning it will soon surpass last year's historic lapse. "We should have... learned how not to treat hardworking Americans," the lawmaker said, adding that the shutdown has compounded harm to national security and the workforce that protects it.
The speaker presented several measures of harm: DHS has been shut down for roughly half of the fiscal year, which the speaker characterized as "nearly 100 days of dysfunction," and said "more than a 100,000 employees have missed paychecks." The lawmaker also cited travel disruptions caused by rising Transportation Security Administration callouts and described FEMA's disaster relief contingency fund as "nearly empty."
Turning to a legislative solution, the lawmaker said Representative Siskamani of Arizona introduced the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act and described the bill as one that "comprehensively funds DHS," resources critical security efforts and pays personnel "to operational strength" for the rest of the fiscal year. The lawmaker quoted Siskamani's recent piece: "this should not be a partisan issue. Paying the people who protect our country should be the bare minimum expectation of a functioning government." The speaker used the quotation to press members to treat the bill as nonpartisan.
The lawmaker concluded by urging colleagues to "vote yes, end this shutdown, and keep our nation safe," then reserved the balance of their time. The transcript records no vote or formal motion on the floor during these remarks.
Next steps: the speaker asked members to vote in favor of the measure; the transcript does not record whether a vote was taken or any subsequent action on the bill.
