In a vote on Thursday, the Senate rejected a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for a fourth time, 51 to 46, as the partial department shutdown nears the one-month mark.
Newsweek reached out to Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s office Thursday night for comment.
Why It Matters
The department has been partly hamstrung since February 14 amid a clash over reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection following federal agents’ deadly shootings in January of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents are about to miss their first full paycheck this week, CBS News reports, as airport delays intensified across the country.
The standoff has strained critical DHS components as airports reported long security lines during the spring break travel surge. As fears of missed flights escalate, along with cascading delays, TSA officers confront mounting financial hardship.
What To Know
Thursday’s vote failed to secure the 60 lawmakers required to advance a DHS appropriations bill through September, and it marked the fourth unsuccessful GOP-led attempt to move the measure, per CBS News.
Thune voted against the measure for procedural reasons, Politico reports, allowing the Senate leader to bring the vote back up. Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted with Republicans for the bill on Thursday.
What People Are Saying
Homeland Security, on X Thursday: “Our TSA officers and their families are paying the price for the Democrats’ reckless shutdown. Patriotic TSA agents like Anthony Riley continue to show up to work to keep our travelers safe. This is THIRD time in nearly six months the Democrats have forced our TSA officers to work without pay. These political stunts are creating incredible financial hardship for them and their families.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat, on X Thursday: “Democrats are ready to fund TSA. Republicans are blocking it. Democrats are ready to fund CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency]. Republicans are blocking it. Democrats are ready to fund FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency]. And Coast Guard. Republicans are blocking it.”
Homeland Dems, on X Wednesday: “FACT CHECK: When Democrats introduced a clean bill to fully fund TSA with no conditions, Republicans blocked it. DHS under disgraced outgoing Secretary [Kristi] Noem tried to dismantle TSA union rights and Republicans have even floated eliminating TSA entirely. Republicans own this”
Senator Eric Schmitt of Missouri, a Republican, also on X Thursday: “Democrats have had plenty of opportunities to reopen DHS & get paychecks out to hardworking Americans. Instead their solution is to defund ICE, the Coast Guard, TSA, & Secret Service. They want blanket amnesty for the 15M people they let in illegally. It’s a hell no from me.”
What Happens Next
Airport disruptions could continue, as the bill did not pass. It is unclear when Thune would bring the vote up again or if Republicans have the 60 votes needed for it to pass.
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