WASHINGTON, D.C. — For weeks, Congressional Democrats have held the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hostage to appease their radical base while Americans pay the price with their safety. TSA Agents, service members of the U.S. Coast Guard, and thousands of dedicated DHS personnel are being forced to work without pay. This is unconscionable and a threat to our national security. In the wake of the terror attack in Austin, Texas, and Operation Epic Fury in the Middle East, threats to our country continue to rise while the department charged with securing the homeland is being held hostage by Democrats. RSC Members are demanding that Congressional Democrats end their obstruction and fully fund the critical operations of DHS. Here’s what members of the RSC are saying: "The Department of Homeland Security needs to be operating at full capacity right now and Senate Democrats are choosing their radical base over the American people. With active threats on our soil, the Left is blocking TSA officer pay, stranding Coast Guard families without a paycheck, and risking cybersecurity operations protecting our critical infrastructure. They ran this same obstruction playbook last fall. It was indefensible then and it is indefensible now,” said RSC Chairman August Pfluger (TX-11). “While credible threats to our homeland persist, Democrats are playing political games with the very agency tasked with keeping Americans safe. Holding the Department of Homeland Security hostage to appease their radical base is reckless and puts lives at risk. DHS must be fully funded and fully operational so our law enforcement and border personnel have the tools they need to protect our communities," said RSC Vice-Chair Ben Cline (VA-06). “This is a moment of serious national vulnerability and DHS must operate at full strength. Yet Democrats would rather continue their political theater than secure the homeland. They have made it clear: protecting illegal aliens ranks higher than protecting American families. House Republicans refuse to accept that trade,” said RSC Messaging Task Force Chair Mark Alford (MO-04). “Democrats’ refusal to fund DHS poses a serious threat to our national security. Joe Biden’s open-border policies allowed more than 10 million illegal aliens to enter our country, including individuals on the terrorist watchlist. Now more than ever, it’s critical that DHS is fully funded to ensure the safety of the American people. The Democrats must stop playing political games and put the security of our nation above their partisan agenda,”said Republican Policy Committee Chairman Kevin Hern (OK-01). “Democrats are holding the Department of Homeland Security hostage at the very moment credible threats to our homeland are increasing. After the recent attack in Austin and heightened security concerns across our nation, it is indefensible to allow this DHS funding lapse to continue. After this weekend’s developments in the Middle East, the shutdown, which was already dangerous, has grown exponentially. DHS plays a substantial role in protecting the American people. We must have the agency operating at full capacity. Congress has already negotiated a bipartisan DHS funding bill. The House and Senate should pass it immediately,” said Rep. Michael Guest (MS-03). "Muslims terrorists are already inside our towns and subdivisions. Democrats have shut down DHS, destroying our ability to protect the American people from this civilizational-level threat,” said Rep. Andy Ogles (TN-05). "DHS is shut down because Democrats remain committed to halting America’s ability to enforce immigration laws and remove dangerous illegal aliens. With adversaries here and around the world increasingly focused on harming Americans, it is critically important to restore funding to DHS,” said Rep. Brad Knott (NC-13). “Democrats are playing political games with the Department of Homeland Security at a time when threats to our country are very real. We cannot afford to weaken disaster response, border security, or public safety just to appease the radical left. DHS must remain fully funded and fully operational to protect the American people,” said Rep. Sheri Biggs (SC-03). "President Biden allowed 10-20 million illegal aliens in our country, and maybe even more. Hundreds of them were on the terror watch list, thousands came from countries hostile to the United States, and the Democrats still refuse to fund the Department of Homeland Security. I wish we were living in the age of Tip O’Neill; a time when we could engage in civilized dialogue to arrive at common sense solutions to serve the good of our Republic, but we are not. The leaders of today's Democrat Party follow the whims of their Marxist base and have no regard for the principles upon which our country was founded. The Democrats can prove me wrong by funding our Homeland Security, but the likelihood of that is slim,” said Rep. Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08). “Now more than ever, we need a strong defense against foreign adversaries. Democrats are jeopardizing the security and safety of every American by blocking funding to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The agencies within DHS are critical for apprehending dangerous terrorists who cross our borders and seek to harm Americans. Anything less than full funding as proposed by my Republican colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee, is unacceptable,” said Rep. Craig Goldman (TX-12). “The radical Islamic terrorist attack in Austin is a horrific reminder that deadly and imminent threats are already present in the American homeland. It is inexcusable that Democrats have kept the Department of Homeland Security shut down for two weeks, holding our national security hostage for political games. The Biden administration’s open-borders insanity — including the releasing of more than 700 Iranian Special Interest Aliens into the country’s interior — has put our country in a dangerous position. DHS must be funded and operating at full capacity immediately. It’s time that Democrats put the American people’s safety first,”said Rep. Riley Moore (WV-02). “Every day that Democrats refuse to open the Department of Homeland Security is another day our nation is put at risk. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to stop playing games with America’s safety,” said Rep. Josh Brecheen (OK-02). “It is the federal government’s FIRST job to secure the homeland, and Senate Democrats are standing in the way. This year, we will commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11th, the worst terrorist attack on our homeland in history and the reason the Department of Homeland Security was created in the first place. DHS has a broad jurisdiction that covers counter terrorism, cyber security, transportation security, and the Coast Guard. It is reckless for Democrats to gamble with the safety of the American people. Democrats are cutting their nose to spite their face. This self-destructive action might satisfy the most radical wing of their party, but in the end Americans on both sides of the aisle will see that the refusal to fund DHS is making our country less safe and less secure,” said Rep. Matt Van Epps (TN-07). “Keeping the Department of Homeland Security shut down while there is an imminent threat to national security can lead to deadly circumstances,” said Rep. Stutzman. “Democrats must put politics aside and pass the funding that passed the House weeks ago. Without fully funding DHS, we are giving our adversaries an unnecessary advantage in the fight to protect our country,” said Rep. Marlin Stutzman (IN-03). "As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, my priority remains the safety and security of the American people. As we face a heightened threat landscape, it is more important now than ever that the Department of Homeland Security be fully funded. Every agency tasked with protecting our nation must have the resources they need. The security of our homeland is not a game. I call on my colleagues in the Senate to act swiftly to ensure DHS can respond to any threat or adversary we may face. We cannot afford delays,” said Rep. Vince Fong (CA-20). |