Democrats Block DHS Funding as U.S. Warplanes Strike Iran
Senate Democrats blocked homeland security funding during wartime, leaving 260,000 workers unpaid while airports face chaos and national security threats mount across the nation.
With American warplanes striking Iran and an ISIS-inspired bomb detonating at the New York mayor's mansion, Senate Democrats blocked final funding for the Department of Homeland Security. The decision keeps more than 260,000 workers unpaid and plunges airports into chaos. They refused to fund the agency not because they opposed national security, but because they demanded sweeping reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement first.
The shutdown now stands as one of the longest partial government shutdowns in American history. Travelers face four-hour security lines at major airports as Transportation Security Administration callout rates peaked at 12.35 percent on March 27, more than six times the normal rate. More than 500 TSA officers quit during the crisis, and assaults on officers rose 500 percent.
President Trump signed an executive order on March 27 directing DHS to pay TSA workers, with most receiving backpay starting March 30. The move came only after Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) objected to unanimous consent to pass the House's full DHS funding bill, leaving Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency and cybersecurity staff unpaid.
Democrats are holding the Department of Homeland Security hostage at the very moment credible threats to our homeland are increasing, Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) stated March 3. After the recent attack in Austin and heightened security concerns across our nation, it is indefensible to allow this DHS funding lapse to continue, he added.
The operational reality reveals a homeland security apparatus operating at half capacity while America fights a foreign war. DHS Intelligence and Analysis has furloughed 50 percent of its staff, while the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency furloughed approximately 60 percent of staff. Coast Guard missions are curtailed, and FEMA runs skeleton crews for life-saving operations only.
This degradation occurs as Operation Epic Fury enters its second month. The U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran began Feb. 28 and has claimed six American service members. President Trump projected the operation would last four to five weeks to destroy Iran's missile capabilities.
The Austin shooting on March 1 exposed the domestic risks. Suspect Ndiaga Diagne, a 53-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, killed three people and wounded 13 at a crowded bar in Austin, Texas. Police found an Iranian flag and photos of Iranian leaders at his home, with the FBI investigating a potential nexus to terrorism. DHS lacked full staffing to screen high-risk individuals or coordinate interagency threats.
Senate Democratic leaders insist they will not fund ICE without reforms. Democrats will not support a blank check for chaos, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. This vote today asked a simple question: Will you rein in ICE's abuses or will you vote to extend the chaos. Republicans chose chaos. The Democrats, we refused.
Yet the Senate bill passed on March 27 included full funding for TSA, Customs and Border Protection, and the Coast Guard. Only ICE and Border Patrol were excluded from that measure. The House then passed a 60-day continuing resolution funding all DHS agencies, which Coons blocked.
Voters in swing states reject the Democratic position. Approval of the DHS shutdown never exceeded 35 percent in any state tested.
The human cost mounts daily. Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill reported more than $1 billion in missed pay for TSA workers alone. We have 280,000 employees right now that are on day 30 without pay, and they're still showing up every single day to do their job, Sen. Markwayne Mullin stated March 18.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) broke with his party to vote for DHS funding on March 12. America loses as a result of the DHS shutdown, Fetterman said. I voted to pay those heroes. Shutting DHS down has no functionality on ICE or any reforms. It only hurts our workers and America loses.
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, said Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas), chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) warned of the dangers. I think it's dangerous to not provide funding for Customs and Border Patrol and for the parts of ICE that do homeland security investigations, Collins said in March. So, I would like to see us go back to the bargaining table.
The Senate adjourned March 30 until April 10 without a resolution. Coast Guard families, FEMA responders and cyber defense teams remain unpaid as Congress begins its two-week Easter recess. No negotiations are scheduled until lawmakers return, leaving America's homeland security partially shuttered during wartime.