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Representative says 'brinkmanship' is endangering Homeland Security and urges unilateral funding
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Summary
A Representative criticized Democratic colleagues for a weeks-long standoff over Department of Homeland Security funding, saying Democrats have "held DHS hostage" through 72 days and 16 votes and arguing lawmakers must act unilaterally to keep personnel paid and operations running.
A Representative criticized Democratic colleagues on Wednesday for what the lawmaker called "political nonsense and dangerous brinkmanship," saying Democrats have "for 72 days and 16 votes have held the Department of Homeland Security and the American people who depend on their services hostage." The Representative urged immediate action to fund the government unilaterally and avert operational disruptions at Homeland Security agencies.
The statement framed the funding impasse as a national-security and public-safety threat. "This is an unprecedented and sustained national security and public safety threat, and it has to stop," the Representative said, arguing that the dispute could "defund ICE and CBP and revert back to the 4 years of lawlessness and chaos from the open border." The lawmaker said ports need additional defense measures, including deployment of national guardsmen, to counter human and drug trafficking and potential terrorist threats.
The Representative also cited cybersecurity concerns, asserting that "CISA agents cannot defend our critical infrastructure against hostile hacks," and said that an inability to secure funding would leave critical agencies understaffed or unable to operate. The lawmaker credited the president's intervention with preventing Homeland Security employees from "going without pay for 100 days," and warned that without unilateral action by Congress those workers would face furloughs.
"Enough's enough. So we're going to do what I believe is the right thing, and we're going to fund our government, including those who protect us and risk their lives to enforce our immigration laws and to deport the criminal aliens who are in this country," the Representative said, before yielding back.
No formal motion, vote, or legislative text was recorded in the statement itself; the remarks were an announcement of intent and a floor (or hearing) statement urging immediate legislative action to resolve the funding impasse.
